Balanced Kelly offense too much for Caruthersville

BENTON, Mo. — It was a hard-fought battle between two talented teams, but in the end, Kelly topped Caruthersville on Tuesday, Dec. 5.

The Hawks (4-0) spread the wealth on offense in a 75-60 win over the Tigers (1-2), showcasing the team’s depth and collective effort with a five-player double-digit scoring effort.

“It was a very competitive game,” said Kelly coach Noel Trimmer. “We started sluggish and offensively could get on track first half. The defense was having trouble dealing with Caruthersville's speed. We had to give them multiple defensive looks to slow them down. We did better offensively in the second half and our defense was solid.”

Kelly's Ross Peters (0) competes during the championship of the 68th Annual Oran Invitational Tournament on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

Skyler Still, injecting energy off the bench, led the Hawks with 17 points, showcasing his explosive scoring ability and hustle.

He was closely followed by Dalton Forck's 16 points, while Ross Peters chipped in a steady 14.

Reece Eftink and Michael Dollins rounded out the impressive scoring effort with 12 and 11 points, respectively, demonstrating Kelly's potent and balanced offensive attack.

“[Still] was a spark for us in the second half,” Trimmer said. “On any given night we have seven players that can score in double digits. The kids just share the ball so well with each other. We’re 4-0 right now and looking forward to practice and fixing a few small problems.”

Sammy Bryant erupted for a game-high 32 points for Caruthersville, while Jermonte Alexander added 21 points. Unfortunately, for the Tigers, their offensive firepower wasn't enough to match the Hawks’ depth and offensive efficiency.

Caruthersville travels to Portageville (1-0) on Thursday, Dec. 7, while Kelly hosts Meadow Heights (2-1) on Friday, Dec. 8.

__KELLY 75, CARUTHERSVILLE 60__

C’Ville 11 18 14 17 — 60

Kelly 17 16 21 21 — 75

Caruthersville (60) — Sammy Bryant 32, Jermonte Alexander 21, Dankwan Spates 3, Tristen Hill 2, Colbe Sergant 2, Quantarious McVay 1. FG: 23. FT: 6-16. F: 28. (3-pointers: Bryant 3, Alexander 1. Fouled out: Hill, Spates, Sergant).

Kelly (75) — Skyler Still 17, Dalton Forck 16, Ross Peters 14, Reece Eftink 12, Michael Dollins 11, Gavin Dugan 3, Hayden Propst 2. FG: 26. FT: 21-41. (3-pointers: Peters 1, Dollins 1. Fouled out: none).