BCT 2023: Puxico holds off challenge from Rebels

BLOOMFIELD – Having won all nine of its games through this varsity boys basketball season, and bringing with that success, the MBCA Class 2 No. 7 ranking, as well as the top seed in this week’s Bloomfield Christmas Tournament, one might believe that everything comes easy to the Puxico High School team. However, that would not be the case, and Wednesday’s much-closer-than-you think 85-71 win over Richland (Essex) in the quarterfinal round of the annual event was evidence of that.

“We tell people,” third-year Puxico coach Bryant Fernetti said, “especially when we are playing a Stoddard County opponent, they are going to want nothing more than to beat us the first time (this year).”

Puxico annihilated Gideon 86-26 in its tournament opener on Tuesday, but earlier games against Twin Rivers (60-50), Risco (59-55), and Greenville (62-51) have been competitive.

The Rebels looked to be following a similar path throughout a good portion of the game.

Richland (Essex) opened the game by staking an 11-3 lead before the Indians (9-0) woke up and outscored Richland (Essex) 20-6 to close the period.

“You can’t walk into (games) not ready to go,” Fernetti continued.

Fernetti pointed out that his team struggled against the Rebels (6-3) early in each of the periods, and halfway through the final quarter, Richland (Essex) had trimmed its deficit to a mere basket.

“At the beginning of every quarter,” Fernetti explained, “it seemed like we did some silly stuff, and they would get within four to six points.

“We have to come out fully focused.”

With the Rebels “fully focused” on pulling off the upset of the tournament, Indian sophomore guard Landon Burchard took over.

The 5-foot-9 sophomore guard made a mid-lane jumper to put his team up 64-60 and then followed that up by drawing an and-one on the ensuing possession to stretch the Puxico margin to 66-60.

“And then he hit a (3-point shot),” Fernetti said of Burchard. “For a sophomore to step up like that, he is a tremendous player.”

Burchard finished the game with 17 points, but 15 of those came in the final period.

He drained all four of his free throw attempts, and as a squad, Puxico hit 8 of 10 free throws in the final eight minutes.

“We’ve been in those situations this year,” Fernetti said, “where we have had to move the ball and make free throws. We made our free throws down the stretch today, so that was big.”

Puxico was paced by senior forward Thomas Burch, who scored a game-high 22 points while junior forward Scyler Zimmerman added 18 points in the win.

Puxico also got 10 points from junior guard Jerrett Powell.

The offensive balance of Richland (Essex) was incredible, which made the task of guarding it very challenging for Puxico.

Rebel sophomore forward Gary Tilley scored a team-best 19 points, which included a pair of 3-pointers while junior forward Tucker Hughes (16 points), junior forward Eric Williams (12 points), sophomore guard Hayden Conner (10 points), and junior guard Hunter Sanders (10 points) were also productive offensively.

Richland (Essex) (6-3) hit 10 of its 12 free throws and five 3-pointers total while the Indians buried 10 3-pointers, including four from Burch.

Puxico will face Malden (7-2), which destroyed Dexter 80-27 in a quarterfinal game. The Indians and Green Wave will tip off at 7 p.m. today.

Richland (Essex) will battle Dexter (2-6) in a semifinal of the 5th-place bracket today at 4 p.m.

The Bearcats beat the Rebels 65-59 earlier this month at the Bearcat Event Center.