2024 Scott-Mississippi: East Prairie stomps SCC, Oak Ridge survives Oran

ORAN, Mo. — In a battle for third place in the Scott-Mississippi Conference Tournament, East Prairie turned the paint into a no-fly zone with a resounding 73-34 grounding of Scott County Central.

Not just bigger, but hungrier and bouncing back from a disappointing semifinal loss, the second-seeded Eagles (16-4) translated their size into a 44-16 points-in-the-paint advantage against the fifth-seeded Braves (10-12) at Oran High School on Friday, Feb. 2.

“Overall, as a team, we probably played our best game of the tournament,” said East Prairie coach Gary Scott. “I’m happy with the way we bounced back from a tough loss. It says a lot about the character of this team. We did a great job of executing our game plan. We didn’t allow them to get out in transition like they wanted to do. We slowed the ball down and made them be patient on offense. We showed discipline, controlled the rim and got better throughout the game.”

East Prairie's Kamron Farmer (3) drives baseline during a 73-34 win over Scott County Central in the third-place game of the Scott-Mississippi Conference Tournament at Oran High School on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

The opening exchanges were evenly matched, with SCC's Asher Britt drawing first blood inside before East Prairie's Connor Marcum countered with a 3-pointer. Courtney Sanders III matched Marcum’s triple before Noah Johnson muscled his way through the post, locking the initial score at 5-5.

Johnson's presence grew steadily as the Eagles established a six-point lead midway through the first quarter.

Ty Wallace drained a 3-pointer, and Johnson converted an offensive rebound and scored through contact, showcasing the Eagles' inside-out offensive approach.

East Prairie's Ty Wallace (1) steals a pass during a 73-34 win over Scott County Central in the third-place game of the Scott-Mississippi Conference Tournament at Oran High School on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

SCC clawed back within three points on a Ty Murray 3-pointer, but East Prairie held firm, securing a 16-12 advantage at the quarter's end.

Second-quarter adjustments led to tighter rotations as Johnson received stellar support from his teammates, who fed him the ball repeatedly for high-percentage looks inside.

Kamron Farmer emerged as a sparkplug, orchestrating several key plays and sequences. His hustle and defensive disruption were pivotal, as East Prairie pushed the lead to double digits for the first time. With 5:43 remaining in the second, Farmer dished a dime to Johnson, making it 22-12.

East Prairie's Evan Kenedy (33) takes a charge during a 73-34 win over Scott County Central in the third-place game of the Scott-Mississippi Conference Tournament at Oran High School on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

“[Johnson] runs the court well and can score in transition,” Scott said. “He’s a load inside. He did a good job of getting inside, scoring at the rim and doing what he does.”

Johnson's stat line (27 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) speaks volumes about his performance, but Farmer's impact went beyond the box score (6 points, 7 assists, 5 steals, 4 rebounds). His hustle and defensive presence were contagious, setting the tone for the Eagles' dominance. SCC briefly narrowed the gap to ten points on a Cortavian Banks 3-pointer with 30.2 seconds left.

However, Banks' subsequent steal for a potential layup was thwarted by Farmer, who alertly snatched the ball and launched a pinpoint outlet pass to a streaking Connor Marcum for a buzzer-beating layup, sending East Prairie into halftime with a commanding 35-23 lead.

Picking up right where they left off, the Eagles relentlessly extended their lead in the second half. Johnson connected with Wallace for a 3-pointer at 6:31 in the third, pushing the lead to 15 points. Wallace returned the favor, finding Tavion Ware for an easy layup with 1:05 remaining in the third, widening the gap to 20 points. The lead ballooned to 30 points when Evan Kennedy capitalized on a steal, feeding Marcum for another layup.

East Prairie maintained their stranglehold in the fourth quarter, holding SCC to a solitary free throw with less than a minute remaining.

While East Prairie's size played a role, evident in the 31-19 rebounding, the physicality and relentless effort were equally, if not more, important factors and the Eagles’ cohesiveness, physicality, and determination proved too much to overcome.

East Prairie plays six games in the 11 days to end the regular season, starting on the road at Campbell (12-7) on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

Scott County Central will play four games over five days to close its regular season, beginning with a home date against Richland (16-5) on Monday, Feb. 5.

__OAK RIDGE WINS CONSOLATION FINAL ON HAHS’ GAMEWINNER__

Oran controlled the tempo and scoreboard for much of the game, but Oak Ridge's late surge, capped by Carson Hahs' last-second heroics, saw the fourth-seeded Bluejays (11-8) steal the Scott-Mississippi Conference Consolation Title, 42-41, from the seventh-seeded Eagles (7-12).

Oak Ridge started the game strong, jumping out to a 5-0 lead.

But Oran quickly responded. Brenden Campbell drained a 3-pointer to tie it at 7-7, and Nolan Loper's steal and layup in transition gave the Eagles their first lead, 9-7, with four minutes left in the first quarter.

This marked the turning point, as Oran rode the momentum, building a solid lead and entering halftime with a comfortable 25-17 advantage.

The second half saw both teams trade blows, but Oran maintained control. The Bluejays, however, wouldn't go away quietly. Karson Ward's clutch 3-pointer with 5:19 left in the fourth quarter tied the game at 35-35.

The final minutes were a tense back-and-forth affair. Ty Wilson converted a 3-point play to put Oak Ridge ahead, but Owen Forehand's crafty teardrop shot put Oran back ahead 39-38.

The Bluejays refused to concede, with Wilson once again finding the bottom of the net for a 41-39 lead with just over two minutes remaining.

However, with 28.3 seconds on the clock, Oran's Elijah Shoemaker made a clutch mid-range jumper from the elbow, putting the Eagles back in front by one point. It seemed like Oran's perseverance would be rewarded, but the drama wasn't over.

Oak Ridge called a timeout with 8.3 seconds left. In a play designed for the moment, Wilson found Hahs cutting towards the basket and Hahs rose for a layup just before the buzzer sounded, igniting a celebration on the Oak Ridge bench and sending stunned silence across the Oran sideline.

Ward was the Bluejays leading scorer with 13, while Shoemaker led the Eagles with a game-high 20.

Both teams are back in action on Monday, Feb. 5. Oak Ridge hosts Kelly (17-4), while Oran plays Chaffee (6-12) at home.

__EAST PRAIRIE 73, SCOTT COUNTY CENTRAL 34__

SCC 12 11 19 1 — 34

E. Prairie 16 19 19 19 — 73

Scott County Central (34) — Cortavian Banks 10, Asher Britt 8, Courtney Sanders III 7, Zavior Mize 5, Ty Murray 3, Namarius Banks-Warren 1. FG: 12. FT: 6-12. F: 10. (3-pointers: Mize 1, Murray 1, Sanders 1, Banks 1. Fouled out: None.)

East Prairie (73) — Noah Johnson 27, Ty Wallace 17, Connor Marcum 12, Evan Kenedy 8, Kamron Farmer 6, Tavion Ware 2, Tripp Shoemaker 1. FG: 32. FT: 5-7. F: 10. (3-pointers: Wallace 3, Marcum 1. Fouled out: None.)

__OAK RIDGE 42, ORAN 41__

Oran 17 8 7 9 — 41

Oak Ridge 10 7 11 14 — 42

Oran (41) — Elijah Shoemaker 20, Gabe Dirnberger 8, Brenden Campbell 5, Nolan Loper 3, Cooper Senciboy 3, Owen Forehand 2. FG: 16. FT: 6-9. F: 12. (3-pointers: Senciboy 1, Campbell 1, Shoemaker 1. Fouled out: None.)

Oak Ridge (42) — Karson Ward 13, Ty Wilson 8, Carson Hahs 8, Konnor Hobeck 5, Brock Hobeck 4, Connor Hutteger 2, Kaden Borgfield 2. FG: 17. FT: 5-13. F: 10. (3-pointers: Ward 2, Konnor Hobeck 1. Fouled out: None.)