Christmas hoops

The 2009 Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament opened Saturday at the Show Me Center and will resume at 9 a.m. Monday. Quarterfinals are slated for Tuesday followed by finals Wednesday.

The tournament brings together 16 high school boys basketball teams from throughout Southeast Missouri, many having rivalries going back for decades.

In addition to seeing their favorite teams play, fans also have traditionally used the Christmas Tournament as a sort of high school reunion, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.

Fans who can't make it to the Show Me Center for all the games can keep track of the action on semoball.com featuring live blogging and chatting during each game and an online scoreboard to get all the final results. Semoball.com also will have photos and video interviews.

Playing in the Show Me Center is quite a treat for the high school players, and having a large crowd on hand to cheer them on is an experience that will last a lifetime. Typically, the last two days of the Christmas Tournament draw sellout crowds.

Enjoy this year's tournament and root for all your teams as they provide another year of outstanding prep basketball at the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament.