Brianna Mueller scored a game-high 23 points as the top-seeded Saxony Lutheran girls basketball team cruised to a 63-48 victory over second-seeded Arcadia Valley to clinch the Class 3 District 2 title Tuesday at Clearwater High School in Piedmont, Mo.
"I thought our defensive intensity was great the whole game," said Saxony Lutheran coach Sam Sides after his team successfully defended its title. "We used a great team defense from start to finish."
The Crusaders led 32-19 at halftime and opened a 20-point lead by the start of the fourth quarter.
"We forced them into situations that made them get uncomfortable," Sides said. "We shot the ball well, too."
Raegan Wieser added 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Saxony Lutheran, which improved to 22-4.
Kristen Williams led Arcadia Valley (21-7) with 13 points, while Anna Thomas tossed in 12 points.
Saxony advances to sectional play, where it will face Twin Rivers at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Bearcat Event Center in Dexter, Mo. The second-seeded Royals (13-11) upset top-seeded Doniphan 73-65 in overtime in the Class 3 District 1 Tournament to book a spot in the playoffs. Twin Rivers defeated Saxony Lutheran 66-51 in last year's sectional.
"We're going to keep doing what we've been doing and be as ready as we can," Sides said. "It'll be the same two teams, same location. I just hope it's a different result this time."
Arcadia 9 10 12 17 -- 48
Saxony 19 13 19 12 -- 63
ARCADIA VALLEY (48) -- Megan Williams 3, Jerrika Brockes 5, Rebecca Buffington 4, Devin Fitzgerald 2, Savannah Price 6, Kristen Williams 13, Anna Thomas 12, Briar Johnson 3. FG 15, FT 9-19, F 19. (3-pointers: M. Williams 1, Brockes 1, Thomas 1. Fouled out: None.)
SAXONY LUTHERAN (63) -- Grace Mirly 5, Maci Daniel 1, Brianna Mueller 23, Tess Daniel 4, Ashlynn Collier 4, Raegan Wieser 20, Maddie Brune 6. FG 16, FT 13-17, F 16. (3-pointers: Mueller 4, Wieser 2. Fouled out: None.)
Jackson 51, De Soto 48
Cassidi Tomsu scored 20 points to help the Indians eke out a victory at home against the Dragons.
Rachel Crites added 15 points for Jackson, which wrapped up the regular season with a record of 14-9.
Twin sisters Courtney and Brittney Krodinger led the Dragons (9-13) with 20 and 10 points, respectively.
De Soto 12 9 16 11 -- 48
Jackson 11 10 19 11 -- 51
DE SOTO (48) -- Krista Richardson 3, Kelsey Kingsland 7, Brittney Krodinger 10, Emily Brewer 8, Courtney Krodinger 20. FG 16, FT 10-14, F 15. (3-pointers: Richardson 1, B. Krodinger 1. Fouled out: None.)
JACKSON (51) -- Cassidi Tomsu 20, Rachel Crites 15, McKinzie Scott 3, Rylee Stafford 1, Mallorie Maintz 2, Madison Eckley 2, Kayla Keith 8. FG 9, FT 9-12, F 13. (3-pointers: Crites 3, Tomsu 2, Keith 2, Scott 1. Fouled out: None.)
JV -- Jackson won to finish with 21-0 record.
Kylie Bilek scored a team-high 11 points as the Pirates closed the regular season with a loss on the road.
Desiree Brown recorded 10 rebounds for Perryville (6-17).
Perryville 1 6 11 5 -- 23
North Co. 14 23 14 9 -- 60
PERRYVILLE (23) -- Ahnie Hoff 3, Emma Nelson 2, Allison Moldenhauer 5, Kylie Bilek 11, Desiree Brown 2. FG 6, FT 5-9, F 14. (3-pointers: Moldenhauer 1, Bilek 1. Fouled out: None.)
NORTH COUNTY (60) -- Sydney Parker 2, Madison Binkard 4, Emily Eaton 11, Marianna Falls 5, Kourtney Kekec 10, Breanna Isgrig 8, Allie Hammack 3, Emily Robinson 5, Holly Forbes 7, Abigail Gant 5. FG 20, FT 8-13, F 8. (3-pointers: Eaton 1, Isgrig 1, Robinson 1, Gant 1. Fouled out: None.)
JV -- Perryville 49, North County 44
Kelly Morton scored six points as the Tigers endured a tough loss to the Rebels on the road in Park Hills, Mo.
Deja Stewart recorded seven rebounds for Central, which closed its regular season at 5-20 with the loss.
Central 2 3 13 2 -- 20
Park Hills 31 17 10 12 -- 70
CENTRAL (20) -- Kelly Morton 6, Sarah Boerboom 2, Bailey Manley 2, Kassidy Pannier 3, Bailey Bliss 4, Deja Stewart 2, Moriah Terry 1. FG 7, FT 3-6, F 16. (3-pointers: Pannier 1. Fouled out: Boerboom.)
PARK HILLS (70) -- Danielle Forest 1, Peyton Caldwell 4, MacKenzie Jones 10, Abby Fischbeck 21, Sydney Skaggs 12, Megan Skaggs 12, Kayla McCain 3, Tristen Jordan 7. FG 27, FT 10-14, F 8. (3-pointers: McCain 1. Fouled out: None.)
JV -- Central (Park Hills) won.
Karsen Powers recorded a game-high 14 points and dished out five assists as the Bulldogs finished the regular season with a road win over the Mules.
Annie Siebert tallied 13 points and five assists for Notre Dame (20-2). Shelby Beussink notched 11 points and five rebounds for the Bulldogs.
Notre Dame 16 16 11 10 -- 53
Poplar Bluff 8 6 14 7 -- 35
NOTRE DAME (53) -- Karsen Powers 14, Annie Siebert 13, Shelby Beussink 11, Kaitlin Welter 5, Halle Lynch 7, Jordan Nelson 1, Maddie Urhahn 2. FG 14, FT 10-14, F 12. (3-pointers: Siebert 2, Powers 1, Beussink 1, Welter 1. Fouled out: None.)
POPLAR BLUFF (35) -- Lexi Hafford 7, Katelyn Slaughter 6, Ronetta Taylor 3, Halle Huffman 6, Cassidy Harris 6, Courtney Raulston 3, Samantha Gatewood 4. FG 14, FT 1-3, F 14. (3-pointers: Slaughter 1, Taylor 1. Fouled out: None.)
JV -- Notre Dame 38, Poplar Bluff 36
Notre Dame 76, De Smet 59
Trenton Schumer tossed in a game-high 15 points and Quinn Poythress added 14 points to help the Bulldogs end their regular season with a win over the Spartans at home.
Grant Ressel notched 12 points and Tanner Shively finished with 10 points for Notre Dame (17-8).
The Bulldogs led by two points at halftime and outscored the Spartans by 15 points in the second half.
DeSmet 19 10 14 16 -- 59
Notre Dame 17 14 21 24 -- 76
DESMET (59) -- Dedrick Cromartie 5, Pete Randall 7, Jake Randall 8, Mitch Plassmeyer 1, Billy Haas 2, Marcus Jester 8, Griffin Palmer 11, Vaggelis Mansaray 5, Isaiah Walker 2, Darian Harris 10. FG 22, FT 11-23, F 23. (3-pointers: P. Randall 2, J. Randall 1, Cromartie 1. Fouled out: Jester.)
NOTRE DAME (76) -- Hunter Eftink 2, Tanner Shively 10, Quinn Poythress 14, Trenton Schumer 15, Grant Ressel 12, Jordan Barber 4, Thomas Himmelberg 9, Derek Hulshof 6, Dean Crippen 4. FG 26, FT 18-26, F 17. (3-pointers: Himmelberg 3, Ressel 2, Poythress 1. Fouled out: None.)
-- From staff reports
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