Delta wins first Holiday Classic championship

The Delta Bobcats won their first FSCB Holiday Classic championship on Thursday, Dec. 21, at the Show Me Center.

Yet there was no celebrating from the players. They shook hands, grabbed the trophy then went straight into the locker room.

After four straight district championships and a state runner-up in 2022, winning was an act of business to the 9-0 Bobcats. They are used to dominating opponents, regardless of what class they are in.

Delta scored its least amount of points this season and allowed its second-most, yet it was good enough to defeat Saxony Lutheran 53-46 in the First State Community Bank Holiday Classic final. Head coach David Heeb said his team didn't play their best and even considered it sloppy, toughness was the key to victory.

"We had to really fight," Delta head coach David Heeb said. "Our heart and our guts were on full display."

Only four players scored for Delta. Jade Berry led the Bobcats with 24 points. Addison Nichols scored 17 points, while Presley Howling added eight points and Mya Gillespie chipped in four points on all free throws.

Rebecca Johnson scored 14 points for the Crusaders, while Evie Caruso scored 13 points and Abigail Haley scored eight.

"Give a lot of credit to Saxony Lutheran," Heeb said. "They really came out ready to play."

Delta led after every quarter but a 13-9 final period made the difference. The Bobcats found themselves on the charity stripe frequently, making 19-of-26 free throws.

"We were getting good shots when we settled and ran our offense," Heeb said. "Saxony's defense was really tough so we had to get settled down and we haven't had a game like this yet, so it was good for us."

Delta entered the tournament having scored over 100 points in four of its first six games. The Bobcats scored 64 points in each of their two wins against Cape Central and St. Vincent, while allowing a total of 55 points, leading up to the final round.

Their close contest with the Crusaders was a first of its kind for the Bobcats and a valuable experience.

"It's worth its weight in gold to have to be in games like this," Heeb said. "I was talking to one of the referees before the game, we hope every game was like this. We don't play out best, they play great, maybe we don't get every call, just the degree of difficulty to be up here and we find a way to win anyway."

This was a banner year for the Holiday Classic, which expanded from six teams with a round-robin schedule to 12 teams with Saxony Lutheran serving as the host for the first two days.

"This was a good tournament, a lot of good teams in it this year," Heeb said. "I think next year it will expand to 16 teams. I know that Mark Ruark (tournament director), has already got some teams on deck to get in here next year. So some of these teams that didn't get in this year, they're going to be on a waiting list because it's going to be full next year."

__Jackson wins the battle of the Indians__

Jackson's Katherine St. John wins the tip-off against St. Vincent in the third-place game in the First State Community Bank Holiday Classic on Thursday, Dec. 21, at the Show Me Center. Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

In a rare battle of the Indians, Jackson defeated St. Vincent 52-31 to take third place of the Holiday Classic on Thursday at the Show Me Center.

Jackson jumped out to take a commanding lead after a 16-0 run. Jackson kept up the pace in the second quarter with 15 points leading to a 31-10 halftime lead.

"I think we just came out with a different mindset," Jackson head coach Angela Fulton said. "We told ourselves that we were just gonna go out and play our style, have fun with it, and not look up at the score."

Cailyn Prost scored St. Vincent's first basket of the game and the only two points of the first quarter. Nobody on St. Vincent scored in double-digits.

Holland Guilliams led the way with 17 points, 15 of which came in the first half. Camryn Alsdorf scored 13 points including seven in the fourth quarter, and Katherine St. John added 11 points.

Guilliams averaged 22 points per game throughout the tournament and was named to the All-Tournament team.

"[Guilliams] is a very good player," Fulton said. "What's even more important is the fact that her teammates are seeing her. They have confidence in her. She has confidence in herself and her teammates. It just all meshes as far as what we're trying to accomplish this season in her role and everybody else is involved."

__Competitve district displayed in tournament__

Scott City's Gracie Karrenbrock leaps for a layup against Cape Central in the fifth-place game in the First State Community Bank Holiday Classic on Thursday, Dec. 21, at the Show Me Center. Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

The Holiday Classic showcased just how competitive Class 3 District 2 is. Four of the six teams in C3D2 have winning seasons, and they were all competing in this tournament, including Saxony Lutheran, who finished as the runner-up.

Kelly (7-3) defeated Woodland (8-5) 63-55 to take seventh place in the tournament. Four Kelly players scored in double digits including Jada Griggs, who was named to the All-Tournament Team. Mallory Barks scored 18 points and Addy Massa added 16 points, but it wasn't enough for the Cardinals, who have lost three straight after opening the tournament with a win over Meadow Heights.

Scott City (9-4) finished fifth and won three of four games during their run, including a 38-36 win over Cape Central on Thursday, led by Lilyan Landis, who scored 10 points and was named to the All-Tournament Team.

The path to the C3D2 is going to be a gauntlet for these teams. The Rams and Hawks are looking for their first district title in over a decade. The Cardinals have won the district title three years in a row, but the Crusaders have returned after a year in Class 5 and two in Class 4.

Saxony Lutheran has won eight straight district titles and two final four appearances during its time as Class 3 members from 2013-20.

__All-Tournament Team__

The following 12 players were named to the All-Tournament team: Addison Nichols, Delta; Evie Caruso, Saxony Lutheran; Jada Griggs, Kelly; Jade Berry, Delta; Lilyan Landis, Scott City; Reagan Howe, Oak Ridge; Holland Guilliams, Jackson; Emani Summer, Cape Central; Mya Gillespie, Delta; Mallory Barks, Woodland; Rylee Robinson, St. Vincent; Abigail Haley, Saxony Lutheran.