East Prairie's senior core powers win over Van Buren in BCT quarterfinals

Connor Marcum (5) attacks the basket during East Prairie's 79-62 win over Van Buren in the quarterfinal round of the 68th annual Bloomfield Christmas Tournament on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024.

Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — Championship dreams don’t come without a few obstacles, and East Prairie cleared an important one Friday night, withstanding a relentless effort on the boards by Van Buren in the quarterfinal round of the 68th annual Bloomfield Christmas Tournament.

The Eagles (7-0) fought off the Bulldogs (3-4) for a 79-62 victory, advancing to the final four in a rematch of last year’s semifinal.

“We needed that: it was a war,” said East Prairie coach Gary Scott. “I’m proud of our guys for battling. It seemed like we got a little tired at times but we found the desire to get the job done.”

The game was far from the easy, blowout performance East Prairie showed in its opening-round victory over Holcomb, but it served as a reminder that championship runs are made through tough, hard-fought battles.

East Prairie came out of the gate with intensity, setting the tone defensively and quickly jumping to a 12-4 lead after every Eagle starter had their hand in the scoring early. Pyper Rendon scored the game’s first points, followed by Connor Marcum attacking the rim for a tough layup.

Marcum also connected with Tripp Shoemaker on a beautiful pick-and-roll that resulted in an easy bucket.

Noah Johnson made his presence felt with a steal and a fastbreak dunk, while Wallace extended the lead with a confident midrange jumper off a well-executed screen.

“We played pretty well in a tough matchup,” Rendon said. “We came out strong and did what we were supposed to do.”

The Eagles pushed the lead to double digits, 16-6, after forcing another turnover and Johnson finishing on the fastbreak, forcing the Bulldogs to take a timeout with 3:39 remaining in the first quarter.

With that early burst, East Prairie appeared to be in complete control. However, Van Buren’s tenacity on the boards kept them in the game. While the Bulldogs had trouble generating clean looks at the basket — constantly met with active hands and well-timed rotations — they capitalized on offensive rebounds to score points on extended possessions.

“We can play really good defense when we are fresh, but that’s the thing, if we were able to clean up the boards a little bit better, then we might have been able to extend the score a little more,” Scott said.

The Eagles ended the first quarter with an 18-10 advantage after Marcum’s score in the final moments.

To get Wallace more involved, East Prairie used a variety of sets to create looks for him. He answered with two 3-pointers — one from each corner — to push the lead to 32-19 midway through the second quarter.

“[Wallace] hit some big shots that really helped us maintain the lead,” Scott said. “He’s a good shooter and when he’s confident he can knock them down. He did a great job hitting some big shots.”

Van Buren responded with scores from Nathan Smith, Elijah Van Wagner, and Hayes Townsley, narrowing the lead to 32-25, forcing East Prairie to call a timeout with 1:50 remaining in the half.

Out of the timeout, Smith drained a 3-pointer to further cut the lead to 32-28, but Marcum answered with a bucket in the final moments before the buzzer, giving the Eagles a 35-29 lead at the break.

“[Van Buren] is a good physical team,” Scott said. “They crashed hard and they’re strong. We must do a better job of boxing out and keeping them off the glass. We have to clean that up.”

Smith capitalized on a third-chance opportunity to open the third, trimming the lead to 35-31, but East Prairie responded almost instantly, pushing the lead back to 41-31 after Johnson scored inside off a nice pass from Shoemaker.

Marcum’s ability to step up in the third quarter also proved key, as he dropped 11 of his 23 points, blending his explosive drives and smart decision-making to keep the offense humming. With the aggressive playmaking dictating the pace and Marcum creating plays on both ends, the Eagles carried a 56-45 advantage into the fourth quarter.

To start the fourth, Marcum turned a steal into a picture-perfect behind-the-back assist to Johnson, threading the pass through two defenders to set up a score.

“That’s one of those plays that, when it works, you love it,” Scott said. “Marcum is a big-time player and he can make that play.”

Van Wagner trimmed the lead to 58-50 with back-to-back inside scores, including a conventional 3-point play, but Shoemaker responded with a quick bucket to steady the Eagles.

Then, Wallace showed off his sharp defensive awareness from his football days, stepping in front of a long inbounds pass and stealing it clean. He raced down the court, finishing with a smooth layup to extend the lead to 62-50 and put the Bulldogs on their heels once again.

With 2:30 left, Townsley capitalized on a tough and-one play to pull Van Buren within 69-60, but East Prairie wasn't rattled and responded with disciplined execution as Johnson worked the ball inside to Tavion Ware, who was in perfect position to receive a sharp pass and finish cleanly at the rim, extending the lead to 71-60.

As the Bulldogs ramped up their pressure, the Eagles composure took over, expertly breaking the press with quick passes and smart cuts, running off an 8-0 run by playing with poise, patience and precision.

“Towards the end of the game we really started rebounding better and breaking that press,” Shoemaker said. “That's what won us the game.”

The lead grew to a game-high 18 points, as East Prairie sealed the deal with a relentless push to close out the contest.

“We did a better job of breaking the press late,” Scott said. “Last year, we were up big and they started pressing us in the fourth quarter. We turned the ball over and they got right back in the game. But tonight, we were able to break it, attack the basket and get some easy transition buckets. It just comes from experience and that’s what these guys bring.”

Johnson (18), Wallace (16), and Shoemaker (13) provided crucial support. With all four seniors scoring in double digits, the Eagles’ balanced offensive effort becomes a recipe for success, making them a difficult matchup for anyone.

“Our four seniors stepped it up,” Scott said. “We made the right decisions and plays when needed. I’m real proud of them.”

Van Wagner led the Bulldogs with a game-high 24 points, while Townsley added 16 and Smith chipped in 13.

East Prairie advances to the semifinal round, where they will face Dexter (5-5) on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. 

“We’re taking it one game at a time,” Scott said. “We’ll put together a game plan and focus on that.”

Van Buren will take on Risco (8-2) at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, with a spot in the fifth-place game on the line.

EAST PRAIRIE 79, VAN BUREN 62

Van Buren (62) — Elijah Van Wager  24, Hayes Townsley 16, Nathan Smith 13, Carter Freeze 6, Bryce Hawkins 3. FG: 25. FT: 8-14. F: 18. (3-pointers: Freeze 2, Smith 1, Townsley 1. Fouled out: Hawkins.)

East Prairie (79) — Connor Marcum 23, Noah Johnson 18, Ty Wallace 16, Tripp Shoemaker 13, Pyper Rendon 5, Tavion Ware 4. FG: 33. FT: 10-16. F: 16. (3-pointers: Wallace 2, Marcum 1. Fouled out: None.)