Dominant Johnson comes up short of a record

Before Friday night's game, Dominitrix Johnson told his coach, David Heeb, he was going to break the all-time Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament record for most points scored in a game.

Heeb laughed.

Johnson was the one laughing after No. 5 Bell City's 97-76 victory over No. 12 Meadow Heights at the Show Me Center, because Johnson came up just three points short of his prediction.

Johnson scored a career-high 47 points and had two chances at the end of the game to break the record, but he missed both 3-point shots.

Johnson played the entire game, scored 29 points in the second half and said afterward he wasn't tired.

"He doesn't get tired," Heeb said. "I wasn't going to take him out of the game given the circumstances."

Dominitrix's cousin, Jreece Johnson, set the single-game record of 49 points while at Scott Central in 1998.

"Dominitrix is such a good player," Meadow Heights coach Tom Brown said. "When someone hits 15 shots in a row it's going to be hard to beat them."

Meadow Heights (5-3) stayed with Bell City (7-1) for most of the first half. The Panthers led 26-19 after the first quarter and trailed by only one point at halftime.

It didn't last.

Johnson dominated the third quarter and scored 10 straight for his team. Johnson also helped Bell City go on an 11-0 run in the quarter.

"I felt like I had to take over and score sometimes when we needed baskets," Johnson said.

Johnson outscored Meadow Heights 17-15 in the third quarter.

Both teams played at a fast pace for most of the game, which played into the Cubs' favor.

"We play that way every day, and I think it wore Meadow Heights down," Heeb said.

"We had a plan. We were going to play with them and play as hard as we can," Brown said. "We wore down. We've got some work to do."

Bell City took an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter, but Terry Wagner led Meadow Heights in a surge. Wagner hit three of the Panthers' five 3-pointers in the quarter to pull within nine at one point, but it wasn't enough.

Johnson countered Wagner's 11 points in the quarter with 12 of his own to seal the win.

Wagner finished with 20 to lead Meadow Heights. Brad Adams had 17 and Heath Fulton had 16.

Blaine Stewart had 16 for Bell City and Jeff Liggins added 13.

Meadow Heights made 13 3-pointers in the game and wasn't bothered by Bell City's half-court traps and pressure on defense, which frustrated Heeb.

"We took a big step backward today," Heeb said. "I didn't think our effort was very good in the first half."

The win was Bell City's fifth in a row and it puts the Cubs in a second-round matchup against No. 4 Jackson, which defeated Leopold earlier in the day.

"It will be a night-and-day difference as far as the style of opponent," Heeb said. "We're going to have to be a lot better on the glass against them."

Johnson said he thought the team was coming together.

"Slowly but surely," Johnson said.

Meadow Heights 26 18 15 17 -- 76

Bell City 19 26 33 19 -- 97

MEADOW HEIGHTS (76) -- Heath Fulton 16, Brad Adams 17, Terry Wagner 20, Joel Hahs 7, Brian Thompson 6, Anthony Bollinger 7, Michael Collier 3. FG 16, FT 5-6, F 17 (3-pointers: Fulton 2, Adams 4, Wagner 4, Hahs 1, Bollinger 1, Collier 1. Fouled out: none)

BELL CITY (97) -- Dominitrix Johnson 47, Blaine Stewart 16, Jeff Liggins 13, Zak McIntyre 6, Randy Conn 5, Tyler Victor 7, Garrett McIntyre 7, Derek Pobst 3. FG 36, FT 7-12, F 7 (3-pointers: Johnson 1, Stewart 3, Conn 1, Victor 1. Fouled out: none)