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Scott City rides tough defense, balanced scoring to win at East Prairie for conference lead
EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — Scott City walked into East Prairie on Friday, Jan. 17, knowing what was at stake—the top spot in the Scott-Mississippi Conference—and left with a 59-52 victory that was as hard-earned as it was sweet.
The Rams (11-2, 5-0 Scott-Mississippi) displayed mental toughness when the Eagles (10-3, 5-1 Scott-Mississippi) pushed for control in the second half, answering each challenge with methodical offensive sets and defensive discipline.
“I was really proud of our guys,” said Scott City coach Mark Dannenmueller. “We challenged them throughout the game because we had some brain lapses. I did some stupid stuff and made a few mistakes and they covered for me by fighting through and making plays.”
Scott City came out energized, attacking from the tip with confidence and precision. The Rams scored 10 unanswered points to open the game, a run capped by a steal and transition layup from point guard Jaylen Rulo.
“The kids were just ready,” Dannenmueller said. “They were aggressive, attacked the rim and got some easy buckets. Defensively, we did an excellent job.”
East Prairie’s first points came in bruising fashion when Connor Marcum fed Noah Johnson for a well-earned bucket inside with under three minutes left in the first quarter.
Johnson continued to battle through contact, leading a gritty push that helped the Eagles trim the early advantage to 14-6 by the end of the frame.
The second quarter opened with fireworks from beyond the arc as Max Snider and Ty Wallace exchanged deep 3-pointers.
Moments later, Braeden Walton and Kobe Watson combined for back-to-back buckets, stretching the Rams’ lead to 22-11.
"We knew coming here to play would be a tough environment," Watson said. "And we knew if we just played our ball and didn't try to press, and just worry about everybody else that we could score almost whenever we wanted."
Despite the rough start, the Eagles started to dictate a better offensive pace behind Johnson’s physical presence inside and Wallace’s shooting touch.
By halftime, East Prairie had whittled the lead down to 32-28, with Wallace flashing his smooth stroke on a clutch buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
Wallace’s hot hand continued as he opened the second half with another from beyond the arc to bring the Eagles within one point. But Scott City didn’t fold under the pressure, maintaining a slim lead for much of the third quarter with Walton’s post score pushing the lead to 44-38 late.
However, in a thrilling conclusion to the third quarter, East Prairie seized its first lead of the game after another triple from Wallace, followed by a strong finish from Johnson and Tripp Shoemaker’s basket through contact, gave the Eagles a 45-44 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
But it didn’t take long for the Rams to respond as a well-timed backdoor cut led to an easy basket for Rulo, putting Scott City back ahead for good.
The Rams’ patience and discipline paid off in the final moments of the game. Despite East Prairie’s best efforts to speed things up, Scott City stuck to its game plan, carefully running its offense.
“That was one of our keys,” Dannenmueller said. “[East Prairie] thrives in transition, especially off turnovers. So if we could keep them out of transition then we knew we would have a good chance. Offensively, we wanted to spread them out and take some time off the clock. Our guys did a great job and we were able to do that.
Despite the Eagles challenging almost every shot attempt, the Rams found ways to score on difficult, contested looks.
The fourth quarter also saw East Prairie hit with a technical foul for a second warning on flopping, a costly mistake, but the Eagles didn’t give up and Marcum aggressively picked off a pass and scored to make it 51-47 with just over three minutes remaining. But Watson, as he had all night, answered with a physical inside finish to extend the Rams’ lead to six.
"It was really hard at the beginning," Walton said. "We came out and played really well, executed great, and then finished the job."
Kaden Lowry made a key finish inside with 56.7 seconds left, pushing the lead to 55-47.
East Prairie’s final push came when Wallace hit one last 3-pointer, and Johnson followed with an inside score to make it 55-52 with 21 seconds left. But Rulo stepped up in the clutch, sinking four consecutive free throws to seal the 59-52 win.
"The biggest thing is we just trust one another," Watson said. "I know Braeden's got my back, all of our other teammates got our back so we know that even if we're not making plays, even if Braeden and I aren't scoring, we got other people that can do it for us."
Watson and Walton paced the Rams with 17 points each, while Rulo added 12. The team’s success was further underscored by 17 assists, reflecting their commitment to sharing the ball.
“They made some big shots inside over some big defenders,” Dannenmueller concluded. “They did a great job of executing under pressure. We do a great job of sharing the ball. We move it and we have multiple guys that can score. But more importantly, I was really proud with how we responded heading into the fourth quarter trailing for the first time because this a tough place to play.”
Wallace's shooting was a lifeline for East Prairie, as his six 3-pointers kept the Eagles in striking distance. Without his 21 points, they likely would not have been able to challenge late in the game. Johnson also played a pivotal role and provided a steady force on the floor, adding 22, but the offense was hindered by a lack of production from others.
“It was just a hard-fought game between two good teams,” said East Prairie coach Gary Scott. “We gave ourselves a chance but didn’t make the plays we needed late. I’m proud of how hard we played. We didn’t make it easy for them. A couple plays here and there and it could’ve been a different outcome but it didn’t work out.”
Scott City will host Cape Central (7-3, 2-0 SEMO) on Monday, Jan. 20, while East Prairie hosts Kennett (5-9, 1-3 SEMO) on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
SCOTT CITY 59, EAST PRAIRIE 52
| Scott City | 14 | 18 | 12 | 15 | — | 59 |
| E. Prairie | 6 | 22 | 17 | 7 | — | 52 |
Scott City (59) — Braeden Walton 17, Kobe Watson 17, Jaylen Rulo 13, Kaden Lowery 7, Max Snider 3, Jackson Gloth 2. FG: 25. FT: 7-12. F: 8. (3-pointers: Snider 1, Watson 1. Fouled out: None.)
East Prairie (52) — Noah Jonson 22, Ty Wallace 21, Connor Marcum 4, Chase Childress 3, Tripp Shoemaker 2. FG: 21. FT: 3-7. F: 12. (3-pointers: Wallace 6, Childers 1. Fouled out: None.)