HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: TOP-SEEDED EAGLES FLY BY TIGERS 73-53

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The No. 1 seed hasn't won the Sikeston Invitational boys basketball tournament since 1996 and there's certainly no guarantee it will happen this year.

But New Madrid County Central definitely looks like it will make a strong run to break the above trend this week. The top-seeded, defending Class 3A state champion Eagles got off to a solid start Monday night by knocking off No. 8 Cape Girardeau Central 73-53 in the tourney opener.

The Eagles will take on No. 4 Blytheville (Ark.) at 8:30 tonight in the semifinals while Cape Central will face No. 5 Doniphan at 7 tonight in the consolation semifinals.

Blytheville beat Doniphan 70-56 Monday while No. 2 Sikeston knocked off No. 7 Kennett 69-57. Sikeston plays the winner of today's 5:30 p.m. first-round game between No. 3 Poplar Bluff and No. 6 Charleston in the semifinals Thursday night.

New Madrid improved to 3-0 with Monday's victory, which is an unusually fast start for coach Lennies McFerren's squad. But McFerren emphasized that the Eagles will have to get a lot better if they want to emerge as Sikeston Invitational champions.

"Our start is a lot better than in previous years," McFerren said. "But the kids have to realize they're not doing the things you need to do to beat a team like Blytheville."

The Eagles weren't overwhelming in defeating Cape Central, but they did have control most of the way in easing to victory.

"It was a typical first game of the Sikeston Tournament," said McFerren. "You just hope you can walk out with a win while you get used to the environment.

"We'll have to get a lot better, but Cape played with a lot of heart, like they always do."

Even though his team fell to 1-2, Cape Central coach Brett Reutzel was encouraged by the performance of the outmanned Tigers.

"I'm extremely pleased," he said. "We were outsized and outquicked, but we hung in there. New Madrid is the defending 3A state champs, but I thought we battled them pretty good."

Derrell Minner led a balanced New Madrid offensive attack with 16 points. Also in double figures were Dereke Tipler with 12, Ronland Ranson with 11 and Desmond Sims with 10.

Tipler also had a brilliant floor game as the point guard spent most of the night either breaking Cape Central's press or driving the middle of the lane and dishing off to teammates for easy layups.

"He can pass the basketball," said McFerren of Tipler.

Chris Cole paced the Tigers with 15 points while Michael Cox added 10.

Cape Central led 7-6 midway through the first quarter on a Cole 3-pointer, but New Madrid answered with an 11-0 run and the Eagles were basically in command the rest of the way, although it took them a while to totally shake the Tigers.

Down 21-9 after one quarter, the Tigers pulled to within 27-22 on a Cole 3-pointer midway through the second period, but the Eagles used a 6-0 run at the end of the half to carry a 39-26 lead into the intermission.

The Tigers could get no closer than 11 points in the second half. They trailed 57-38 after three quarters and New Madrid's biggest lead of the game was 24 points late in the contest.

"I'm pleased with the way these young men are leaving it on the floor every time out," Reutzel said. "Nobody wants to be 1-2, but we're coming. If we play like this, we'll beat a lot of teams."