SportsFebruary 8, 2024
Hammontree shoots lights out in Sikeston 67-54 win over Kelly
IKESTON — Landri Hammontree put on a clinic, burying seven 3-pointers and scoring a game-high 34 points, as Sikeston won 67-54 over Kelly at the Field House on Tuesday, Feb. 6. It was the second straight victory for the Lady Bulldogs (8-12), marking a potential turnaround as they inch closer to a winning record...
Dennis Marshall – Standard Democrat
IKESTON — Landri Hammontree put on a clinic, burying seven 3-pointers and scoring a game-high 34 points, as Sikeston won 67-54 over Kelly at the Field House on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
It was the second straight victory for the Lady Bulldogs (8-12), marking a potential turnaround as they inch closer to a winning record.
“[Hammontree] had a good performance last night,” said Sikeston coach Vaughn Shephard. “She has been worrying about her shot but I told her there is nothing wrong with your shot. You just have to shoot in rhythm and I think that’s what she did last night.
“She let it fly,” he continued. “That is exactly what we need her to do. She did a good job shooting the ball, distributing the ball and rebounding. I’m so proud of her.”
The game was close throughout the first half, with neither team able to build a significant lead. Sikeston held a narrow 17-16 advantage after the first quarter thanks to strong contributions from Hammontree and Kelly's Macy Burger.
The second quarter saw the Lady Hawks (12-10) briefly take the lead at 24-23 after a strong take from Brooke Dirnberger, but Sikeston countered with an inside bucket from Marlie Crook to regain control.
Crook also had an outstanding game, finishing with 17 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks.
Hammontree, the reigning SEMO Conference scoring champion, proved unstoppable from downtown, repeatedly finding open looks and punishing Kelly's defense.
Despite attempts to close out on her, she drained numerous wide-open triples, keeping Sikeston comfortably ahead.
While Kelly's Jada Griggs kept them in the game with several inside scores, Hammontree always seemed to have an answer with another long ball.
“The keys to victory were the hustle plays our rebounding and our defense,” Shephard said. “We have been doing a great job of blocking out and rebounding. Last night our defense was pretty good and we forced quite a few turnovers. When we are playing defense at a high level, I believe we can play with anybody.”
While the Lady Hawks refused to surrender, Hammontree repeatedly silenced their rallies with clutch plays.
Following Griggs' inside bucket that tied the score at 36-36 in the third quarter, Hammontree calmly splashed another 3-pointer, showcasing her uncanny ability to respond to pressure.
This pattern continued later in the period when Kelly's Kayleigh Holman narrowed the gap to one point. But once again, Hammontree answered the call, draining yet another shot from downtown that deflated Kelly's momentum.
Even when Kelly clawed back to a 48-48 tie with less than a minute left in the third after an offensive rebound and putback by Holman, Sikeston finished the quarter strong with an inside score from Crook that Kennedi Sims followed with a swift transition layup.
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This mini-burst created breathing room heading into the final period.
The Lady Hawks briefly threatened a comeback in the fourth quarter with Holman and Griggs scoring in transition after takeaways.
However, Sims stepped up offensively, responding with a dazzling Eurostep finish to make it 59-54.
As if that wasn't enough, on the ensuing possession, Sims hustled for a loose ball, dove to the floor and assisted a streaking Hammontree for an easy layup, extending the lead to 62-54 with over three minutes remaining.
“Sims got in fouled trouble early but she came back in the ball game late and played very smart basketball,” Shephard said. “She is slowing the game down and progressing as a freshman.”
This proved to be the backbreaker, as Sikeston secured the victory by pushing the lead to double digits with free throws by Crook. Kelly never relented, but Hammontree's consistency and Sikeston's timely plays proved too much to overcome.
“I am proud of this team,” Shephard said. “They work so hard now that we are down to seven players. They care about each other and they do have a will to win and it showed last night.
“We did the right things to stay ahead,” he concluded. “We outworked them. Kelly is a good ball club and they came to play last night, but our girls wanted it more and we came up with the win.”
Sikeston snapped a four-game skid with a 59-34 win over Ballard County (Ky.) on Monday at the Field House.
Hammontree led the team with 21 points against the Bombers (11-9). She was followed by Crook with 14 and Sims with 12.
__SIKESTON 67, KELLY 54__
Kelly 16 14 18 16 — 54
Sikeston 17 14 21 15 — 67
Kelly (54) — Jada Griggs 15, Kayleigh Holman 11, Macy Burger 9, Kristin Grogan 7, Brooke Dirnberger 4, Ava LeGrand 4, Gwen Essner 2, Paige Klipfel 2. FG: 22. FT: 9-16. F: 13. (3-pointers: Holman 1. Fouled out: None.)
Sikeston (67) — Landri Hammontree 34, Marlie Crook 17, Alex Segers 9, Kennedi Sims 7. FG: 25. FT: 10-15. F: 13. (3-pointers: Hammontree 7. Fouled out: None.)
__SIKESTON 59, BALLARD COUNTY 34__
Ballard Co. 4 12 9 8 — 34
Sikeston 14 13 21 11 — 59
Ballard County (34) — Johnna Riggs 9, Nevaeh Yates 6, Kate O’Neill 4, Liyah Holman 4, Jayden Cox 4, Miley Nichols 3, Tessa Holman 2, Amyah Smith 2. FG: 14. FT: 2-2. F: 19. (3-pointers: Riggs 3, Nichols 1. Fouled out: None.)
Sikeston (59) — Landri Hammontree 21, Marlie Crook 14, Kennedi Sims 12, Ja’Naye Moore 5, Alex Segers 5. FG: 22. FT: 11-25. F: 8. (3-pointers: Hammontree 2, Moore 1, Sims 1. Fouled out: None.)
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