ADVANCE DIRECTLY TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME; HORNETS SPOIL CHARLESTON'S MONOPOLY IN U-HIGH SEMIS

The entire community of Advance wasn't at the Show Me Center Wednesday night -- it only seemed that way.

A huge gathering of orange-clad Hornet basketball fans showed up for the semifinals of the University High School Christmas Tournament hoping to see yet another big win for their team.

And they weren't disappointed as Advance's undefeated season continued with a thrilling 55-53 win over top-seeded and two-time defending tournament champion Charleston.

So the fifth-seeded Hornets will play tonight in the their first U-High final since 1960 when they take on second-seeded Scott City at 7:30. The game will be a rematch of a Dec. 17 contest in Advance, which the Hornets won 60-57.

Charleston will play Jackson at 6 tonight for third place.

"Our fans are really great. We've always got so many people supporting us no matter where we play," said Advance standout Garrett Broshuis. "They really help us out."

But Broshuis doesn't really need too much help from outside sources. The 6-foot-2 senior dominated Wednesday's contest by scoring 33 points, including 21 in the second half, as the Hornets improved to 9-0.

"I remember coming to this thing (the U-High tourney) when I was real small, wishing I could be in (the finals) some day," said Broshuis. "It feels really good."

Said a grinning Daniel Turner, when asked how good it felt to be in the championship game, "More than you know. We felt we could do it, but we were a little hesitant because it's Charleston, their reputation and all. But we felt good."

Advance coach Jim Hall said he'd be lying if, prior to the tournament, he expected the Hornets to reach the finals. But he also didn't think they couldn't do it.

"Realistically, you don't come up here and expect it," he said. "We wanted to win the first one and then take it one at a time. But our guys felt that, if we played well and didn't beat ourselves, we'd be right in there.

"I think beating Scott City (earlier in the season) and then beating Notre Dame (by 15 points during Tuesday's semifinals) gave us a lot of confidence."

The Hornets needed all of that confidence to hold off the tournament-tough Blue Jays, who have won a record 13 U-High championships and have missed just one final since 1988.

Charleston coach Danny Farmer, whose squad fell to 7-4, praised the Hornets.

"Broshuis is a super player," Farmer said. "They have a very good team. They play well together and they really wanted to win. I take my hat off to them."

Terrance Gillespie paced the Blue Jays with 14 points, Lezcano Dean had 11 and Howard Biles added 10.

No Advance player besides Broshuis scored in double figures, but sophomore Aaron Cantrell contributed nine points.

A low-scoring first half ended with Charleston on top 18-17.

The teams were tied at 25-25 midway through the second half when Advance began to take control a bit. Broshuis drilled a 3-pointer to put the Hornets ahead 28-25 and it was a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the game.

Broshuis hit a short jumper and Cantrell scored on a layup to put Advance on top 36-29 in the closing seconds of the third period, but Dean's shot just before the buzzer made it 36-31 heading into the final eight minutes.

Advance was clinging to a 40-37 lead when Broshuis drilled a 15-footer, then fed Cantrell with a brilliant no-look pass for a layup that put the Hornets ahead 44-37 with just over four minutes left. When Jon French hit a follow shot a few seconds later, Advance had the game's biggest lead at 46-37.

But, as might be expected, Charleston would not relinquish its title easily. The Blue Jays used a quick 7-0 run that was fueled by several steals and capped by a Biles drive with 2:40 left that made it 46-44.

Broshuis electrified the Advance crowd as he buried a long 3-pointer from the right corner with 2:08 left, making it 49-44.

After the Blue Jays pulled to within 49-46, Turner nailed a 15-footer at the 1:34 mark and then, following a Charleston miss, Cantrell hit a a follow shot with 58 seconds left to make it 53-46.

After a Dean 3-pointer, French hit two huge free throws with 34 seconds left for a 55-49 lead. But Gillespie scored with 21 seconds left and Delon Turner's layup after a turnover made it 55-53 with 10 seconds remaining.

Broshuis was fouled with five seconds left, but the normally accurate free-throw shooter missed the front end of a one-and-one to keep the Blue Jays alive. But Biles' 40-footer at the buzzer just nicked the front of the rim as the Hornets celebrated on the court.

But Broshuis was quick to point out that the Hornets can't celebrate too much just yet.

"We can't get too excited," he said. "We have a big one (tonight)."