JACKSON'S REIGN FINALLY ENDS; LADY INDIANS UPSET BY ST. JOSEPH'S

FARMINGTON -- Jackson's streak is over.

But the Lady Indians didn't give up without a fight.

St. Joseph's Academy out of St. Louis defeated Jackson 60-48 in overtime Wednesday night in a Class 4A sectional girls basketball game at the Farmington Civic Center.

The loss ended the Lady Indians' four-year streak of making it to the Class 4A Final Four and also snapped an 18-game winning streak.

"This is big, almost as big as a state championship," said St. Joseph's coach Julie Goessling. "I hope I get the opportunity (for a state championship) so I can compare the two."

It's quite possible that the Angels could vie for the championship considering they've defeated the state's second-ranked team (Parkway West) and the No. 1 Lady Indians in consecutive games in a span of less than a week.

After struggling at the free-throw line the entire game, the Angels made 14 of 20 in overtime, including a stretch where they made seven of eight.

The Angels (19-8), ranked No. 6 in the state, outscored the Lady Indians 18-6 in the overtime period, although it appeared that Jackson had the momentum going in.

After two missed free throws by St. Joseph's Katie Kieffer, Jackson trailed by two with 5.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Jackson sophomore guard Andrea Koeper took the inbound pass, pushed the ball up the court and made a brilliant bounce pass to a cutting Cherish Tillman. Tillman laid it off the glass and in as time expired to tie it at 42-42.

"I just told her to take it to the hole," said Jackson coach Ron Cook, whose squad finished another exceptional season with a 23-2 record. "With five seconds left, that's all you can do. You don't want to set up a play."

Jackson entered the fourth quarter down 34-33. Neither team scored in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the final period and Jackson didn't score until Tillman made a 10-footer with 2:04 left to pull Jackson within 39-35.

Tillman ended up with a team-high 17 points and was the only player in double figures for Jackson.

After the two teams swapped several turnovers and missed free throws, Jackson's Chrissi Glastetter swished a 3-pointer from the top of the key to pull the Lady Indians within 39-38 with 56 seconds remaining.

The Angels' Sarah Mullins made the first of two free throws with 44 seconds left to give her team a 40-38 lead. Glastetter was fouled with 24 seconds left and sank two clutch free throws to knot the game at 40.

Jackson made just seven of 19 free throws for the game and was two of six in the fourth quarter.

Four players scored in double figures for St. Joseph's. Colleen Powers and Shannan Swiney each provided 15 points. Kieffer, a 6-foot-3 center, followed with 14 points, and Emily Clark scored 11.

Jackson managed a 22-22 tie after the first half despite nearly flawless execution by St. Joseph's offense. The Angels made nine of 16 from the field in the first half and made five of their seven shots in the second quarter.

Jackson, meanwhile, made 10 of 22 from the field but committed six first-half turnovers compared to two by the Angels.

Kirkwood 55, Sikeston 45

In the boys sectional, Kirkwood knocked off Sikeston as the Bulldogs ended up 15-12.

Kirkwood (21-7) limited Bryan Ellitt to 12 points and Brandon Barnes to just two.