Advance boys basketball routs Woodland to gain share of conference championship

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- At halftime it had all the makings of another thrilling game, mirroring a recent meeting in the Stoddard County Activities Association Tournament. But Advance boys basketball had revenge on its mind and no interest in another barnburner.

The Hornets held Woodland to a total of nine points in the second and third quarters and dominated the second half to blitz the conference-rival Cardinals 70-45 on Tuesday night at Woodland High School.

The victory clinched a share of the SCAA regular-season title for Advance, alongside Bloomfield. The Class 1 state-ranked Hornets moved to 18-5 overall and 6-1 in conference play.

"We played well," Advance coach Bubba Wheetley said. "We pushed the ball up the floor, attacked and played unselfish. No one cared who scored tonight, we were just trying to win the game.

"We got beat by Dexter and Woodland over there in the Stoddard County Tournament, but we got some revenge here. That's what you want going down the stretch. I'm very, very pleased."

An energetic first quarter from Woodland (17-6, 4-2) saw the Cardinals take a 9-8 lead at the 3:55 mark on an alley-oop dunk from Tyler Womack to Zach Beel, and two and a half minutes later it was an alley-oop layup from Bruester Young to Michael McCormick that gave the hosts a 21-14 advantage.

But Advance roared back in the second quarter, going on a 10-2 run to open the period and jump back on top, 25-23, thanks to back-to-back steals and transition layups for Preston Wuebker.

Womack scored for Woodland on a scooping drive as the halftime buzzer sounded and Advance took a slim 31-27 edge into the locker room. That was the last time the game was close.

The Hornets went on a 13-0 run early in the third quarter and completely took over the game, with Dakota Welty knocking down a 3-pointer with 2:13 left in the period to give Advance a 16-point lead, 44-28.

The swing truly began in the second quarter though, when the Hornets pressure defense began to change the game. The Cardinals were held to just six points in the second quarter before managing just three in the third. After Womack took Woodland into halftime with a buzzer-beating layup, his team did not score another field goal until 2:04 of the third quarter.

"We just had to keep the energy up, keep playing hard and keep pressuring the ball -- all five guys on the ball at all times," Wuebker said. "I [could] tell [it was working] because they're turning the ball over and rushing themselves. They get trapped and they try to force something. Our guys come off and get the steal and get a layup."

It was McCormick who broke the scoring drought for the Cardinals, but the home side never recovered.

"First quarter we were hitting shots. In the second quarter we were shooting the same shots, missing those shots and we didn't adjust," Woodland coach Logan Nutt said. "We stayed in first-quarter mode. We need to execute our offense, especially after breaking the press. That's a tough thing for us right now.

"[Advance] stays after it. They're very well coached. They are fluent in their defense -- it's like a language to them. They're extremely well-rounded at the guard position, they're athletic and they're a smart team. Hat's off to them -- I'm sure they'll get to play Â… a little bit longer than most teams."

Advance took a 16-point advantage into the fourth quarter before Armani Vermillion -- who sat in the second quarter and had minimal impact on the game up to that point -- found Brian Whitson for a quick layup and then took advantage of a steal to score himself on the fast break, giving the Hornets a 50-30 lead inside the period's first 35 seconds.

Womack hit a 3 with 5:54 to play and Young did the same less than a minute later, but Advance had an answer every time, scoring 24 points in the fourth quarter to maintain a stranglehold on the contest.

Vermillion led all scorers with 15 points -- 11 in the final quarter -- and was 9 of 10 from the free-throw line. Wuebker notched 11 points and five steals, Austin Ladd had 13 points and nine rebounds and Dawson Mayo posted 11 points.

"We were determined to win," Wuebker said. "We wanted to come out and play our game. In the tournament we didn't really play our game. [Tonight] we stepped it up on defense and pressured the ball at all times and played the way we should have."

Woodland was paced by Womack's 13 points and three assists. Young added 11 points while Beel compiled nine points and 11 rebounds. Jake Long also pulled down 11 boards.

The Cardinals were without starting point guard Cole Schlief, who was out with a concussion, as well as 6-foot-7 substitute Paul Duncan.

"It was an opportunity for guys to get experience and hopefully it will pay off when it really matters," Nutt said. "We were playing six guys tonight when we'd normally play eight. It's a different look. We were playing without all of our bullets."

On this night, even a fully loaded weapon may not have stopped a determined, smart effort from Advance.

"I think they all just stepped up and played hard," Wheetley said. "They could see it and everyone worked together. It takes five guys out there on the court at one time, and they all got the job done tonight."

The Hornets travel to Leopold on Friday.

Woodland will host Zalma on Friday.

Advance 15 16 15 24 -- 70

Woodland 21 6 3 16 -- 45

ADVANCE (70) -- Armani Vermillion 15, Preston Wuebker 11, Brian Whitson 7, Austin Ladd 13, Dawson Mayo 11, Dakota Welty 7, C.J. Seger 3, Brendan Crader 1, Michael Hood 2. FG 21-43, FT 26-34, F 13. (3-pointers: Wuebker, Welty. Fouled out: None.)

WOODLAND (45) -- Tyler Womack 13, Bruester Young 11, Zach Beel 9, Michael McCormick 9, Jake Long 3. FG 18-45, FT 5-11, F 23. (3-pointers: Young 3, Womack. Fouled out: Long.)