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Sikeston uses big second half to take down talented Warren Central
MURRAY, Ky. – Since mid-December, Sikeston has traveled far and wide as road warriors, beefing up its schedule with elite matchups to prepare for the challenges ahead.
That continued on Monday, Jan. 20, in the Graves County Eagles Classic at Murray State University’s CFSB Center where the Bulldogs (12-2, 1-0 SEMO) took on the Warren Central Dragons (14-2) out of Bowling Green, Ky.
Sikeston rallied from a halftime deficit and blitzed Warren Central with suffocating defense in the second half to secure a 64-46 victory in one of the most complete performances of the season.
The Dragons, who were Kentucky state champions in 2023, came into the game ranked No. 8 among all teams in the state of Kentucky while boasting a front-line of three 6-foot-7 players, all of which have received Division I offers.
However, despite the length, the Bulldogs went to a zone defense for the second half that baffled their opponent and led to 11 second half turnovers.
“We haven’t played much zone this year, but they were hurting us in our man to man and we needed to change it up,” said Sikeston coach Gregg Holifield. “I really thought that made the difference in the game. Our zone gave them some trouble and we were able to capitalize on it.”
Trailing 33-32 at the half, Sikeston began the third quarter with a quick run on a P.J. Farmer offensive putback, a Lekereon McCray conventional 3-point play, and a follow-up dunk by Trace Sadler to take a six-point advantage.
Warren Central called a timeout to try to stop the momentum.
A basket by Ant McAfee stopped the run momentarily, but Tristan Wiggins buried a 3-pointer.
After a defensive stop, Farmer hit a 3 and very quickly the Bulldogs now led 45-35.
A Marquel Murray steal and two handed slam preceded a Murray steal and assist to Kobe Thomas for a layup to take a 49-35 lead.
McAfee scored inside, but Chris Artis went baseline for a driving layup to take a 51-37 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
“That third quarter was some of the best basketball we’ve played this season,” Holifield said. “We were causing a lot of problems for them and that is an extremely talented team. We had our hands full, but credit to our guys for coming out and taking it to them.”
The Dragons never got closer than 11 in the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs put the team away, out-scoring them 13-9.
“I can’t say enough about our defensive effort,” Holifield said. “Our team is predicated on defensive intensity and we’ve really played well our last two games.”
Sikeston started the game well, taking an early 8-4 lead after a Wiggins 3-pointer, sparking the Bulldogs to a 16-11 first quarter lead.
The Dragons, however, began heating up in the second quarter as they drained four 3-pointers to pull ahead by six.
The Bulldogs struck the final blow of the half when McCray scored on an out of bounds play with just seven tenths of a second left, while also drawing the foul. He hit the free throw to narrow the gap to 33-32.
“That was just a great, hard-nosed play by Lekereon and a great pass by Marquel,” Holifield said.
Sikeston continued the momentum in the second half, out-scoring the Dragons 32-13, spurred by the Bulldogs’ full-court press and half-court zone.
Sikeston was led by McCray’s 15 points. Wiggins connected on 3 of 4 from 3-point range to finish with 13 points and three steals.
Farmer added 12 points with four rebounds, eight assists, five steals and two blocks.
Sadler had eight points and five rebounds while Murray had seven points, three rebounds, four assists and four steals.
McAfee, who has signed with Bellarmine University, finished with 17 points. Armani Byrd, the No. 1 ranked sophomore in Kentucky with offers from Missouri State and SEMO, finished with 10 points.
Jarek Kirk, a 6-7 senior with an offer from Le Moyne College, finished with eight points.
Warren Central was a last minute replacement for Calloway County, who had to drop out of the event after competing and winning the Kentucky 2A state championship on Sunday.
Sikeston’s only other game against Warren Central came in the Poplar Bluff Showdown in 2008. Warren Central defeated the Bulldogs 66-62 in that game.
Sikeston will be back on the road on Friday in a SEMO Conference matchup with Kennett. Junior varsity will tip-off at 6 p.m.
The Bulldogs’ next home game is Saturday against Gateway Legacy out of St. Louis. Junior varsity is scheduled to tip-off at 1:30 p.m.
SIKESTON 64, WARREN CENTRAL 46
| Sikeston | 16 | 16 | 19 | 13 | -- | 64 |
| Warren Central | 11 | 22 | 4 | 9 | -- | 46 |
SIKESTON (64) – Lekereon McCray 15, Tristan Wiggins 13, P.J. Farmer 12, Trace Sadler 8, Chris Artis 7, Marquel Murray 7, Kobe Thomas 2. FG 23, FT 14-17, F 13. (3-pointers: Wiggins 3, Farmer 1. Fouled out: none).
WARREN CENTRAL (46) – Ant McAfee 17, Armani Byrd 10, Jarek Kirk 8, K.J. Johnson 8, Ryan Hulbert 3. FG 17, FT 6-8, F 13. (3-pointers: McAfee 3, Johnson 2, Hulbert 1. Fouled out: none).