Athletic Scott County Central races past Oran

~ The Braves advanced to the fifth-place game with their 82-48 win.

Scott County Central's D.D. Gillespie created hefty matchup problems for Oran during their fifth-place semifinal game at the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament on Friday.

Gillespie generated much of his own offense with steals and converted most of his chances as the Braves routed the Eagles 82-48 at the Show Me Center.

"I just try to move a lot on offense," Gillespie said. "I try to run up the floor as best I can. I just move around a lot until I get the ball."

He went 6-of-7 from the field for 13 points in the first half, then followed that with a 5-of-7 performance and 14 points in the second half, finishing with a game-high 27. He said the Braves wanted to make a strong statement to open the third period after cruising to a 46-22 lead at halftime.

Oran's Kody Campbell took a shot and drew a foul from Scott County Central's Charles Freed during their game Friday.

"We were looking to put it away," Gillespie said. "Coach just told us to come out strong and put it away."

He followed coach Ronnie Cookson's orders. Gillespie scored five straight points in the first minute of the third period.

The Braves relied on their speed and athleticism to dominate the game. Scott County forced Oran into a turnover on the Eagles' first five possessions of the game.

"With our defense, we have to cause a lot of turnovers," Gillespie said. "We're going to score a lot of points off them. That's probably the most important part of our defense, to cause turnovers, cause havoc for the other team."

When the Braves did get the ball, they quickly passed it down the court with long passes for easy transition baskets.

"We've been playing with each other for a long time," said Scott County's Drew Thomas, who scored 16 points. "We know what everyone's going to do. We know who's going to get the ball before they do. That's causing me to cut, to go down the court and start the fast break."

Oran coach Denver Stuckey said he expected the Braves to run, but that doesn't mean there's a way to stymie their offensive prowess.

"I'm not really sure you can slow them down," Stuckey said. "If you stop and slow down, it just invites them to come after you. The only way you can slow them down is once you break their press, take your time on offense, get a good shot. You've got to score. If you don't score, they're going to get a rebound, they're going to be gone."

Unfortunately for the Eagles, they weren't able to convert their chances. They finished shooting 35 percent (17-of-49) from the floor.

"Our game plan for two years has been to minimize our turnovers and attack their press," Stuckey said. "And if we get a good shot, take it because we're pretty turnover-prone ourselves. We're not going to be able to get a great shot every time. If you get a good one, take it."

Scott County never trailed in the game, opening a 7-0 lead in the first two minutes. The Braves' lead kept increasing in the second quarter as they went on a 10-0 run to end the period. The Braves didn't let up in the third, scoring the first nine points before Tyler Beardslee's basket with 6 minutes, 13 seconds left in the third.

Kody Campbell led the Eagles with 20 points.

Scott County 19 27 28 8 -- 82

Oran 9 13 14 11 -- 48

Scott County Central (82) -- Jarron Banks 2, D.D. Gillespie 27, Toby Heeb 2, Bobby Hatchett 10, Charles Freed 2, Rhyne McCoy 1, Robert Jones 2, Drew Thomas 16, Caleb Johnson 6, Randy Timmons 2, Alan Timmons 3, Otto Porter 9. FG 34, FT 10-13, F 16 (3-pointers: Gillespie 2, Hatchett 1 A. Timmons 1. Fouled out: none.)

Oran (48) -- Klayton Kyle 3, Cody W. Dirnburger 1, Cody Romas 7, Tyler Beardslee 5, Kody Campbell 20, Cody L. Dirnberger 5, Dillon Glastetter 2, Jake Kluesner 5. FG 17, FT 11-17, F 12 (3-pointers: Kyle 1, Campbell 1, C.L. Dirnberger 1. Fouled out: none)