SportsDecember 30, 2023
BCT 2023: Malden breaks 17-year drought with championship thriller over East Prairie
BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — Knocking on the door the past two seasons, Malden finally kicked it down with a 60-56 win over East Prairie in the championship game of the 67th Annual Bloomfield Christmas Tournament on Friday, Dec. 29. The fourth-seed Green Wave (9-2) toppled the second-seeded Eagles (9-2) in front of a standing-room-only crowd, silencing the ‘what if’ ghosts of the Christmases past that have haunted them since third-place (2022) and fourth-place (2021) finishes, winning the programs first BCT title in 17 years.. ...
By Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat
BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — Knocking on the door the past two seasons, Malden finally kicked it down with a 60-56 win over East Prairie in the championship game of the 67th Annual Bloomfield Christmas Tournament on Friday, Dec. 29.
The fourth-seed Green Wave (9-2) toppled the second-seeded Eagles (9-2) in front of a standing-room-only crowd, silencing the ‘what if’ ghosts of the Christmases past that have haunted them since third-place (2022) and fourth-place (2021) finishes, winning the programs first BCT title in 17 years.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Malden coach Mike Kilgore. “It took us long enough but these guys have worked hard and it paid off. East Prairie gave us one heck of a ballgame, but we finally did it because they didn’t quit. It’s easy to fold under pressure and they kept playing, rebounding and fighting. That is what got us the game.”
Facing an early 8-2 run from All-BCT standouts Connor Marcum and Noah Johnson, Malden countered and took its first lead, 10-8, with 2:49 left in the opening frame after a 3-pointer by Payton Woodard, who was also an All-BCT pick alongside teammates Quamareous Farmer and Marcus Burton.
Johnson's quick reply, a layup courtesy of Kenedy's assist, swiftly nullified the lead, but both teams traded baskets with Farmer’s putback in the closing seconds ensuring the scoreboard was deadlocked 15-15 at the end of the first quarter.
“It was a great game and I’m proud of our kids for their effort tonight,” said East Prairie coach Gary Scott. “We faced a strong opponent and gave them all they could handle. We had our opportunities, we just didn’t cash in on them but I’m of the effort and it was a fantastic battle.”
Marcum muscled in a layup to start the second quarter, but the Green Wave’s size and defense gradually took control, building a 29-21 after Woodard buried another triple.
“Anytime you’re going against good length it’s going to alter shots and give you some trouble at the rim,” Scott said. “They had some blocks but our guys were taking it to them. We just came up a little short.”Marcum's desperation heave kissed the glass and fell through the net as the buzzer shrieked, leaving East Prairie gasping for air but still down 34-27 at halftime.
“That kid is a sparkplug and gamer,” Scott said. “He’s everywhere and he does it all on both ends. He had a great game and kept us in it.”
Energized from halftime, Johnson’s assist to Kenedy ignited a 10-2 run that snatched the lead 37-36 with 4:27 left in the third quarter. But it was a fleeting lead, the Eagles last time atop the scoreboard.
Woodard, ablaze throughout the game with a game-high 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, took back control on a driving layup. He then set up Burton for an inside finish and found Farmer on a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 43-37.
The teams exchanged a couple of blows, but Ty Wallace’s assist inside to Johnson cut the lead to a single possession entering the final quarter.
Trey Miller's 3-pointer and Woodard's swift layup to open the fourth quarter proved a swift rebuttal.
Defiant, East Prairie refused to surrender as Johnson's 3-point play ignited a 7-0 run, capped by Marcum's transition finish off a steal, slashing the lead to a 54-53 with 3:04 remaining.
“There is no quit in this team,” Scott said. “We knew we had to defend and get after it. We did that by playing hard.”
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However, Tylyne Mathies' offensive rebound and score ripped the momentum away from the Eagles on the next possession.
Malden's size translated to second chances, grabbing 18 offensive boards compared to East Prairie's 7, despite the final rebounding margin being just 32-25.
“It’s always the gameplan our gameplan to get it inside,” Kilgore said. “But the biggest thing for us is defense and everybody rebounding. We have to do those two things to win.”
Malden slowed the game down, but in the final minute, Johnson grabbed a defensive rebound and desperately sprinted down the court, soaring through contact and converting a thrilling layup while drawing a foul.
Johnson sank the ensuing free throw, closing the lead to 57-56 with 21.2 seconds remaining.
“That’s what big-time players do,” Scott said. “That was a huge play. It allowed us to stay in the game. It was awesome.”
With nerves of steel, Farmer calmly sank two clutch free throws to make it 59-56 with 4.2 seconds left, and despite a determined effort, East Prairie couldn't find the magic they needed to pull off the miracle ending.
“It was a great opportunity to play in a championship in front of an amazing crowd,” Scott said. “Hopefully next year we can have another opportunity to compete for a championship.”
Despite holding a slight edge in overall shooting percentage (23-for-48 vs. 23-for-54), East Prairie's ice-cold three-point shooting (3-for-14) ultimately proved costly.
Malden’s lower-than-anticipated placement in the tournament, coupled with its undeniable talent, generated a unique motivation: to silence doubters and showcase a championship pedigree.
“Absolutely, [we had a chip on our shoulders from being seeded No. 4],” Kilgore said. “We had some early season losses and everybody wrote us off. We know what we are capable of doing. We just had to come out and put four good basketball games together.”
It was the third consecutive year Farmer and Burton earned All-BCT team honors.
Other All-BCT team selections were Tucker Hughes (Richland), Elijah Van Wagner (Van Buren), Layden Kellum (Portageville), Jvonta Payne (Hayti), Landan Burchard (Puxico), Jett Hancock (Puxico), Jamarion Smith (Portageville), and Jake Hester (Twin Rivers).
This year's BCT, fueled by incredible performances and captivating matchups, also shattered the previous attendance record, drawing record-breaking crowds across all four days of the tournament.
__MALDEN 60, EAST PRAIRIE 56__
Malden 15 19 13 13 — 60
E. Prairie 15 12 17 12 — 56
Malden (60) — Payton Woodard 19, Quamareous Farmer 15, Marcus Burton 9, Trey Miller 8, Tylyne Mathies 4, Xavier Harris 3, Darville Bell 2. FG: 23. FT: 8-15. F: 10. (3-pointers: Woodard 2, Miller 2, Farmer 1, Harris 1. Fouled out: None).
East Prairie (56) — Connor Marcum 23, Noah Johnson 22, Evan Kenedy 4, Tavion Ware 3, Ty Wallace 2, Kamron Farmer 2. FG: 23. FT: 7-10. F: 13. (3-pointers: Marcum 3. Fouled out: None).
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