BCT: Puxico rides Burchard, free throws to redemption W

Puxico High School junior guard Landan Burchard puts up a 3-pointer against Richland (Essex) on Friday in the championship quarterfinal round of the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

BLOOMFIELD – Richland (Essex) did a nice job of shutting down the perimeter shooting of top-seed Puxico in the team’s championship quarterfinal battle on Friday in the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament. However, as the opposition has learned by facing the Indians over the last couple of years, they can hurt you in a lot of ways.

Puxico was magnificent at the free throw line, and junior guard Landan Burchard was unguardable, as it held off a late rally by the Rebels to prevail 61-49.

“Puxico is just a good basketball team,” veteran Rebel coach Matt Cline said. “That Burchard kid is hard to guard.”

The Indians sank just two 3-pointers all game but connected on 19 of 22 free throws and Burchard scored on drives into the paint, and at the free-throw line, and finished with a game-high 37 points.

“Richland is big and physical at both ends of the floor,” fourth-year Puxico coach Bryant Fernetti said. “I didn’t think we got very many easy looks.”

But the “looks” that the Class 2 No. 5-ranked Indians (7-1) got, they either connected on or drew fouls and converted at the line.

The Puxico defense was stifling, as it limited the Rebels (5-2) to just six points in the first quarter and 15 in the opening half.

“We did nothing (offensively) in the first half,” Cline said.

His team did in the second half, though.

Richland (Essex) put up 34 points after halftime, and at one point cut its deficit to six points in the final quarter.

“We moved around a little bit and got more active,” Cline said of his team’s offensive production. “Instead of hacking and slapping (defensively), we got straight up, got above (Puxico players), and challenged some shots.

“We rebounded a little better and got a little more active on offense.”

However, the Indians sank 10 free throws in the final period, with Burchard hitting all seven attempts, to seal the win, which was some redemption after the Rebels knocked off Puxico in this event a year ago.

“We didn’t really get rattled,” Fernetti said of withstanding the late rally. Richland didn’t allow us to pull away, but anytime they cut the lead, we responded.”

Puxico, which lost senior guard Jerrett Powell to an ankle injury midway through the game, got nine points from senior forward Scyler Zimmerman while senior guard Mason Parsley and junior guard Jett Hancock each added six points in the win.

The Rebels were paced by junior forward Gary Tilley with 13 points while senior forward Eric Williams (11 points), senior guard Hunter Sanders (nine points), and junior guard Hayden Conner (eight points) also contributed.

Puxico moves on to battle Bernie (5-2) in a championship semifinal today at 7 p.m. The Mules got past Kennett 41-40 on Friday.

Richland (Essex) will play the Indians (4-6) for an opportunity to move on to the fifth-place game on Monday. The Rebels vs. Kennett game will tip today at 4 p.m.