SportsFebruary 15, 2024
Battle of No. 1s: Sikeston defeats NMCC in epic showdown
SIKESTON — Sometimes a game demands a hero, and sometimes it demands two. PJ Farmer, the ultimate X-factor on the court, and Dontrez Williams, a warrior on the boards and a lethal scorer in his own right, became the driving force behind Sikeston’s 90-76 victory over New Madrid County Central at the Field House on Tuesday, Feb. 13...
Dennis Marshall – Standard Democrat
SIKESTON — Sometimes a game demands a hero, and sometimes it demands two.
PJ Farmer, the ultimate X-factor on the court, and Dontrez Williams, a warrior on the boards and a lethal scorer in his own right, became the driving force behind Sikeston’s 90-76 victory over New Madrid County Central at the Field House on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
“The talent level is unbelievable,” said Sikeston coach Gregg Holifield. “[Farmer] is such an unselfish person and a great basketball player. I’m so happy for him because he works so hard every day to be where and who he is. [Williams] was outstanding on the boards. The team that controls the boards controls the game and we were able to do that because of him.
“But we had two teams that played their hearts out,” he continued. “The fans on both sides were outstanding and you just don’t get a better atmosphere. Our guys rose to the occasion and I’m very proud of their effort.”
The opening tip-off set the stage for a legendary clash between the Class 5, No. 1 Bulldogs (22-0) and the Class 3, No. 1 Eagles (22-2), and the first quarter delivered a blistering display of top-tier talent.
“That’s what you get with two top-ranked teams,” said NMCC Dontre Jenkins. “Everyone knew when we squared off it was going to be a good game.”
The teams traded a couple of early buckets before NMCC’s Ra’Mond Brooks snapped a 4-4 tie with an offensive rebound and putback. The Eagles increased the early advantage to 8-4 after BJ Williamson drained a near-impossible jump shot despite tight defense.
But Sikeston’s dynamic duo refused to yield in a swift counterattack Williams nailed a clutch triple, and Farmer expertly navigated the chaotic pace, drawing a foul and converting the conventional 3-point play to give the Bulldogs their first lead, 10-9 with four minutes and 43 seconds left in the first quarter.
Farmer had another strong finish and Williams went coast to coast after a takeaway to extend the lead to 14-9 and force a timeout.
Williamson, proving to be a formidable foe, sank another heavily contested jumper to keep the Eagles within striking distance.
LeKereon McCay added a 3-point play and Farmer amplified the energy with an alley-oop pass to Trace to Sadler.
Yet, with each thrilling move, NMCC’s star, Jadis Jones, matched Sikeston’s intensity.
Jones narrowed the lead to 25-24 on free throws with 6.4 seconds left in the opening frame, but Williams exploited a momentary lapse in the defense, bursting toward the basket and finishing with effortless precision just before the buzzer blared.
The exciting conclusion left Sikeston clinging to a 27-24 lead, but this battle was far from over.
The Bulldogs opened the second quarter with the same relentless drive. Williams capitalized on an early steal, turning it into an easy finish — but Jones answered with a stunning display of raw power, throwing down a vicious dunk that reignited the Eagles’ spirit.
A battle was raging, and Farmer wasn't about to let his team back down. He demonstrated his versatility, raining down three baskets in rapid succession and stretching the lead to 35-28.
NMCC desperately fought back with Williamson raining down another 3-pointer and Jones kissing a shot off the glass.
But then, Sikeston ratcheted up the defensive intensity and ripped off a 14-0 run that shook the foundations of the Field House.
Wiggins ignited the surge with a crucial outside shot, and Farmer, ever-opportunistic, turned a steal into a lightning-fast layup.
This only seemed to fuel him further, and he followed with a pinpoint no-look pass to McCray for an easy finish. With the crowd reaching a fever pitch, Farmer capped off the sequence with a tough, acrobatic shot despite falling hard, propelling the Bulldogs to a commanding 49-33 lead.
“It was our turnovers,” Jenkins said. “Our turnovers led to easy buckets, especially in that first half. We dug ourselves into a hole and fought like heck to get out of it, but on the road against a team like Sikeston, it’s tough.”
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Jones, spurred by a never-say-attitude, took charge in the final minute and scored the final five points of the half to narrow the lead to 49-38.
Sikeston returned from halftime with a vengeance as Farmer opened the scoring with a quick basket, and Williams swatted away a shot on the defensive end before slamming down a dunk on the other side of the court.
Farmer continued his dominant performance, finding ways to score amidst tight defense, and Williams buried a pair of 3-pointers that helped stretch the lead to 64-44 with 3:09 left in the quarter.
The third quarter ended with Sikeston maintaining a significant advantage, 69-52.
Despite the score, Holifield saw the threat within NMC, "I knew they wouldn’t go away. [Jones and Williamson] are phenomenal. I mean that. I have coached for a lot of years against a lot of great players and they’re up there with anybody. Those guys deserve a lot of credit for fighting like they did."
True to his word, the Eagles rallied in the fourth quarter, determined to mount a comeback.
AJ Ruff sparked the team with a step-back 3-pointer and a crafty shot off a Jones inbound assist, whittling the lead down to a dozen.
The stage was set for a nail-biting finish when Williamson found Jones for a momentum-shifting alley-oop, followed by Jones earning a trip to the free throw line and cutting the lead to 78-70 with 3:42 left in the game.
“We started to get [Sikeston] to turn it over and we got some easy buckets,” Jenkins said. “We were attacking the rim better too. The tempo of the game just started to turn in our favor.”
Just as Sikeston's grip on the game seemed to be loosening, Wiggins refused to let his team's lead crumble. In a stunning display of athleticism, he soared for a gravity-defying reverse layup.
But Jones answered with a quick drive, and Ty Williams followed with a steal and an assist to Williamson, inching the Eagles ever closer at 80-74 with 2:31 remaining.
NMCC never surrendered, but encountered a team determined to seal the victory.
Wiggins was able to score baskets when the team needed them the most and quickly responded on the offensive end.
Defensively, the Bulldogs stifled any hopes of a late rally and Wiggins and Williams further distanced the team at the free-throw line.
In a fitting end, Farmer exhibited excellent body control and capped off an 8-0 run to clinch the win after he slipped past defenders, stopped on a dime and hit a short shot.
“We did a good job of pushing the basketball,” Holifield said. “We’re a transition team and we were trying to get to the rim. I thought that was the difference in the game but the biggest key might have been how well be rebounded. We knew we had to do that, and give NMCC credit because they didn’t go away. That fourth quarter was unbelievable. You could see their talent level and how good they are. But I’m proud of our guys for hanging in there.”
Farmer closed the night with a game-high 32 points, also adding eight assists, four steals, and four rebounds. Williams amassed a powerful 27 points and 14 rebounds, while Wiggins contributed a vital 17 points and six assists.
NMCC's resistance was fueled by Jones, who posted 31 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block, alongside Williamson's impressive 28 points, three steals, two assists, and two rebounds.
Sikeston hosts Caruthersville (12-10) while NMCC hosts Cape Central (14-8) on Thursday, Feb. 15.
With the sting of defeat still fresh, the Eagles now face the question of how they'll move past this setback.
But Jenkins’ message to the team after the game was clear, “I know it hurts, but remember this pain and frustration. Bottle it up, and from here on out when you step foot on that court, release those emotions and play like you have never played before."
__SIKESTON 90, NMCC 76__
NMCC 24 14 14 14 — 76
Sikeston 27 22 20 21 — 90
NMCC (76) — Jadis Jones 31, BJ Williamson 28, Ra’Mond Brooks 8, AJ Ruff 7, Marvion Cranford 2. FG: 30. FT: 11-14. F: 19. (3-pointers: Williamson 3, Jones 1, Ruff 1. Fouled out: Jones.)
Sikeston (90) — PJ Farmer 32, Dontrez Williams 27, Tristan Wiggins 17, Trace Sadler 6, LeKereon McCray 5, Chris Artis 3. FG: 35. FT: 15-21. F: 16. (3-pointers: Williams 3, Farmer 1, Wiggins 1. Fouled out: Sadler.)
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