CAPE CENTRAL ATTEMPTS TO DEFEND ITS CROWN

The Cape Girardeau Central Tigers may be the defending tournament champions.

But the 3-2 Tigers are looking at one of their lower seeds in some time as they prepare to defend that title. Central will take the sixth seed into its opening-round tourney game at 6 p.m. Friday against No. 11 Bell City.

"Being the sixth seed, we're obviously not one of the more favored teams to win," said Central coach Brett Reutzel. "But from (seeds) two through seven or eight, it's pretty tight."

Despite winning the tourney last year, Reutzel didn't consider Central's seed a slap to his team.

"I fully anticipated being seeded anywhere from third to seventh," Reutzel said. "Like any coach that's seeded eighth or ninth, I feel we're probably better than a sixth seed. But hey ... let's prove it. Throw the ball up and we'll play."

Central lost a lot of key members from last year's championship squad, but Reutzel has worked several different players on the floor in the Tigers' early games. In Central's final game before the tournament -- a 53-47 victory over Farmington last Tuesday-- 10 different players scored for Central.

But when it comes to offense, seniors Aron Meystedt (6-0) and Chris Bergerson (6-5) have stepped to the fore for the Tigers.

Meystedt has been bombing from long range all season, leading Central in scoring in all but one game so far. Bergerson has added points on the inside along with some crucial rebounds.

Splitting time on the Tigers' point have been senior Travis Cox (5-10) and juniors Nick Swoboda (5-9) and Travis Williamson (5-10).

"I feel pretty confident in all three of their abilities," Ruetzel said. "Each one brings a different strength and I think I need all three of them."

Also sharing time at the center position have been 6-5 senior Gabe Wunderlich and 6-4 sophomore Ross Conner. Wunderlich is coming off a 17-rebound performance against Farmington.

Central has also gotten quality minutes from seniors Tatum Kitchen (6-1), Justin Blackmon (5-9) and Drew Witvoet (6-1). Junior Kelly Illers (6-3) has also come on lately to find more playing time in the Tigers' rotation.