Bell City takes its toll

For all of the hype and hullabaloo surrounding Tuesday's boys Class 1 sectional between Bell City and Scott County Central, the fact remained Bell City simply had more tools on the floor.

Will Bogan, Bell City's 6-foot-10 junior, and 5-11 sophomore guard Nick Niemczyk combined for 58 points as the Cubs asserted themselves as the area's top Class 1 team with a 82-51 rout at Central Junior High.

"We kept our heads, played Bell City basketball and came away with a big win," first-year Bell City coach Brian Brandtner said.

Bell City will play Verona on Saturday at West Plains in a quarterfinal game.

This was the first meeting between the two teams since former Bell City coach David Heeb left the Cubs to take over at his alma mater. Heeb won two Class 1 state titles with the Cubs and led Bell City to four straight district titles.

Playing against their former coach, Bell City's players were able to use the emotions of the game to fuel their play. Niemczyk looked especially inspired, driving aggressively to the hoop and shooting confidently from the perimeter.

"I was looking forward to playing this game all year," said Niemczyk, who finished with 25 points. "It was one of our goals to beat them."

Niemczyk led the Cubs in the opening half with nine points, as Bell City started to put the game out of reach. The Cubs led 34-22 at the half.

Brandtner said he liked seeing Niemczyk step up against the Braves.

"When you've got a kid that can shoot like Nick, any time he shoots the ball you feel comfortable with it," Brandtner said.

Undermanned physically, the Braves seemed to stall on offense at times in the opening half. Scott County led early 6-4, but after an 8-8 tie the Cubs led the rest of the game.

Scott County's athletic young starters, led by sophomore Bell City transfer D.D. Gillespie, seemed to stand still at times in the opening half. Gillespie had nine points, but sophomore Caleb Johnson -- Scott County's second-leading scorer -- and freshman Drew Thomas had just six points combined.

"We knew they would key in on D.D. We talked about that," Heeb said. "That's why we couldn't stand on offense."

In the second half, the Cubs quickly put the game out of reach, thanks to their size advantage. Bogan had 23 points in the second half.

With the Cubs dominating the boards, Bell City's lead did not dip below double digits. The Cubs led by 19 points several times in the third before settling for a 56-39 lead heading into the final period.

"They just dominated us on offensive rebounds," Heeb said. "That was our No. 1 key: We had to stay at least even on the boards to stay in it."

Bell City finished with an unofficial 44-23 edge on the boards. Bogan led the Cubs with 13 rebounds to go with a game-high 33 points. Bogan simply had his way against an opponent which did not have a player taller than 6-3 on the floor.

"He played like he should against 6-footers," Heeb said. "He's a good player, he's got good size and he was active."

The Cubs poured it on over the final eight minutes, pushing the lead over 20 points a minute into the quarter and forcing the running clock during the final minute of the game. Bell City outscored Scott County 26-12 in the period.

Brandtner said he felt the Cubs were able to wear Scott County down over the course of the game, a tactic which has worked well for the Cubs during their recent state success.

"We've got eight solid players playing," Brandtner said. "We have other guys that can step up and play, but it's hard to play more than eight players and keep a rhythm. I think we're in great shape, and that showed tonight. I think we had better legs."

Gillespie led the Braves with 17 points and Johnson had 12. Scott County will lose two seniors from this year's roster.

"I'm proud of my kids," Heeb said. "We were 7-11 in January, and a lot of kids would have given up and we did not.

"They've [Bell City] got a heck of a team and I wish them luck. We have a bright future ahead of us."

Bell City 82, Scott County Central 51

Bell City 18 16 22 26 -- 82

Scott County 10 12 17 12 -- 51

BELL CITY (82) -- Will Bogan 33, Nick Niemczyk 25, Phillip Gross 6, Marty Dames 4, Blaine Stewart 2, Jeff Liggins 7, Garrett McIntyre 1, Kerry Wayne Lasters 2. FG 30, FT 16-23, F 16 (3-pointers: Liggins 1, Gross 1, Niemczyk 2. Fouled out: none)

SCOTT COUNTY (51) -- D.D. Gillespie 17, Caleb Johnson 12, Drew Thomas 4, Josh Chamberlain 6, Richard Brownlee 4, Pershard Owens 8. FG 19, FT 12-16, F 21 (3-pointers: Chamberlain 1, Gillsespie 1. Fouled out: none)