SOUTHEAST MISSOURI BASKETBALL TEAMS SHINE IN TOURNEYS

The buzzer has sounded. The dust has settled. The tournaments have ended. But sports fans has much to celebrate as area teams played their hearts out in Missouri championship games.

For some, the competition took them to the state tournament in Columbia. For others, the play ended in much earlier rounds. But Southeast Missouri players demonstrated skill, courage, determination and sportsmanship as they strived for victory.

Notre Dame High School took its exemplary Lady Bulldogs to the 2A championship game. Pembroke Hill took the crown 44-41 in the final game. The Lady Bulldogs mounted an impressive comeback in the final quarter that almost succeeded, fighting back from a 16-point deficit. A three-point Notre Dame shot at the buzzer hit the backboard. In the semifinals, the Notre Dame team defeated the state's top-ranked team, Carter County. Jerry Grim deserves particular praise for his fine coaching. The team showed great heart and talent.

Scott County Central's girls team went all the way to the 1A championship game, vying for a remarkable eighth state title. They came away with second-place honors, falling to the Meadville Eagles 86-76. First-year coach Semona Penrod and the team should feel proud of their record 13 Final Four appearances. Scott County Bravettes may have come in second, but they shattered a number of state 1A records including most points by a losing team: 76. This perennial 1A power just keeps on going.

The Jackson High Lady Indians also demonstrated heart in the Missouri Class 4A tournament. Before their loss to No. 1 ranked Cor Jesu Academy Chargers, the Jackson team had lost only twice in the last two years. The loss doesn't diminish the team's season-long winning streak prior to the tournament, nor the great talent of the squad. The Lady Indians bounced back to claim the third place spot in the 4A tourney, beating Wentzville 52-47. Coach Ron Cook and the team can be proud of an extraordinary year.

Sikeston's boys were defeated 68-66 at the buzzer in the 4A Final Four consolation game by Kansas City Central. A come-from-behind drive almost succeeded. Sikeston finished the year as the fourth-best team in Class 4A. It was a respectable finish for a strong team, which entered the semifinals with a 24-3 record. Kudos to Coach Fred Johnson.

Year in and year out, Southeast Missouri produces some of the best basketball teams in the state. This year's tournaments demonstrated it once again.