DISTRICT TITLE BLOOMS FOR RAMS: SCOTT CITY BOYS BEAT BLOOMFIELD

BLOOMFIELD -- The host Bloomfield Wildcats went for their third major upset of the Class 2A, District 2 tournament Friday.

But the Scott City Rams withstood a late charge by the Wildcats to win their second straight championship, 68-58.

"I anticipated they would come out with a lot of emotion," Scott City coach Derek McCord said of the Wildcats. "They shot the ball very well against our pressure defense."

Scott City, ranked sixth in 2A with a 25-4 record, advances onto sectional action where it will face East Carter County (25-2) in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday in a rematch of last year's sectional game won by the Rams.

"Our kids are winners," McCord said. "I'm so happy for our seniors because they've worked so hard, not just this year, but all four years of their high school careers."

The top-seeded Rams almost saw a big lead slip away in the final minutes of play as the Wildcats, seeded sixth in the tourney, made a final push in front of a roaring crowd.

"We knew if we could withstand that last little run they were making, get into our delay game and take care of the basketball, we had confidence in our free throw shooters," McCord said.

Trailing 62-52 with less than two minutes left, Bloomfield popped home two 3-pointers in the next minute to close the gap. Senior Michael Chasteen nailed the first trey, then classmate Nathan Conner scored the next to make the score 63-58 with 1:01 left. Conner led the Wildcats with a game-high 21 points.

Scott City got a free throw from Dustin Cauble with 56 seconds left to put the Rams up 64-58. Cauble led the Rams with 18 points. Then the Wildcats got a tough break.

Bloomfield's Tim Eskew got free for an open 3-pointer at the top of the key. Eskew spotted up and let go a good looking shot.

But the ball rattled in and out of the basket and on the rebound the ball went out of bounds off a Wildcat player with 41 seconds left, ending Bloomfield's comeback bid.

Bloomfield coach Louis Bell said Eskew's shot was exactly what his team was looking for, but the ball just wouldn't go through the hoop.

"If that shot goes in, it may be a different ball game," said Bell. "That may have tensed (Scott City) up a little bit and you never know what could have happened."

But the shot didn't fall and the Wildcats never threatened again, ending their season at 16-11 after a 1-6 start.

After a fast-paced first quarter in which Scott City led 20-17, the Rams took control of the game in the second quarter. Cauble scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half to pace the Rams to a 37-27 lead at the half.

Scott City stretched the lead to 47-32 with 3:51 left in the third, before Bloomfield closed the gap to eight points late in the quarter.

However, Jon Beck scored the final six points of the third quarter, with two consecutive 3-pointers off of inbound plays to give the Rams a 53-39 lead entering the final quarter. The two baskets were the only points by Beck in the game. Tim Lowery added 14 points for the Rams.