Tournament provides another year of thrills

The seMissourian Christmas Tournament, a Southeast Missouri fixture for 58 years, concluded another successful four days of high school basketball frenzy at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau.

Once again, players, coaches, parents and supporters of all ages flocked to see the 16 teams compete. Attendance records were set. A family atmosphere provided four days of solid sports entertainment unmatched anywhere in this part of the country. Enthusiasm ran high throughout the tournament.

Yes, for the 58th year, the issue of pitting teams from large schools against those from small schools was widely debated. But after the first day's matchups, when scores were as lopsided as expected in many of the games, the competition evened out. As a result, there were some exciting games that gave fans their money's worth -- and more.

The thrill of playing in the Show Me Center before a crowd larger than the attendance at most college games is a big draw for the tournament competitors. That's part of what has made the annual event so popular for players and fans alike for more than half a century.

The Southeast Missourian is proud to have been the tournament's namesake sponsor this year, and we look forward to many more years of affiliation with this proud and exciting event.