Charleston defeats Pembroke Hill for Class 3 championship

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Shawn Sherrell scored 27 points to lead Charleston past Pembroke Hill 66-48 in the Class 3 state championship Friday.

The state title was the Bluejays' 10th for boys basketball and came after the team placed second in 2005 and 2006 and third in 2004.

Charleston never trailed in the game. The only tie was at 10-10 with 6:14 remaining in the first half when Ethan White scored two of his eight points for the Raiders.

The Bluejays (29-3) led 30-17 at halftime and extended the lead to 20 with 5:08 remaining in the game.

Spencer Ladner led the Raiders (24-7) with 17 points, including all eight of the team's points in the first quarter.

Jamarcus Williams was Charleston's top rebounder with eight and also scored 14 points.

Friday's game was Pembroke Hill's first appearance in the state finals since it won the 1999 Class 2 title. That title was forfeited, as were the 1997 and 1998 Class 2 titles, because JaRon and Kareem Rush were declared ineligible players after taking illegal payments from their AAU coach.

-- The Associated Press