DESMET HOLDS ON TO CLAIM 4A TITLE

COLUMBIA -- Bob Keppel hit all of eight of his shots in the first half to lead DeSmet to a 70-64 victory over Vashon for the Class 4A boys state championship Saturday night.

It was the teams' first meeting in a state championship game, though Vashon has made 16 final four appearances and DeSmet has made 11. It was DeSmet's first title since 1982.

Keppel led DeSmet (30-2) with 21 points. Joe Ries added 16 and Brendan Rooney 15 for the Spartans, who fought off a fierce comeback by the Wolverines (26-3). Vashon, behind Joel Shelton's 26 points, sliced a 47-32 DeSmet lead to 49-46 with a 14-2 run in the closing minutes of the third quarter.

Class 4A Girls

Gateway 38, St. Joseph's 25

COLUMBIA -- Tara Harris scored 11 points as Gateway Institute held St. Joseph's Academy to the lowest point total ever in a Class 4A girls championship game Saturday.

Gateway (21-6) limited St. Joseph's (20-10) to 10-for-30 shooting and forced 20 turnovers. It was Gateway's second championship in three years.

The score was 8-8 with 4:10 left in the first half when Gateway found its offense. Alexis Payne drove for an uncontested layup, and Diana Hill followed with consecutive 3-pointers, six of her 10 points. Gateway scored the final 11 points of the half for a 19-8 lead.

Class 3A Boys

Nixa 71, Borgia 47

COLUMBIA -- Kevin Bartow scored 23 points to lead Nixa to its first Class 3A boys championship with a victory Saturday over defending champion St. Francis Borgia.

The Eagles (28-4) stunned Borgia with a 9-0 run to open the game, and never let the lead get smaller than five points.

Claude Welcome scored 13 points, and Justin Keenoy and Zach Towe had 12 apiece.

Adam Fischer scored 19 points to lead Borgia (28-3), but he missed ten of his 17 field goal attempts.

Class 3A Girls

Marshfield 78, Savannah 58

COLUMBIA -- Jennifer Fisher scored 21 points as Marshfield beat Savannah Saturday in the 3A championship to win its seventh state title.

Lacey Messick added 16 points for Marshfield (31-1), which avenged an 85-81 double overtime loss to Savannah in a state semifinal last year. The Savages (24-7), paced by Nicole Garner's 13 points, finished as the state runner-up for the second consecutive year.