Kelly girls basketball team edges Clearwater in district opener

BENTON, Mo. -- A lot of little things added up to a big victory Monday for the Kelly girls basketball team.

Handling full-court pressure, getting timely baskets and controlling a key rebound down the stretch enabled the fourth-seeded Lady Hawks to edge fifth-seeded Clearwater 72-69 in their Class 3 District 2 opener.

With the victory, the Hawks (17-6) earned a district semifinal matchup with top-seeded Saxony Lutheran (26-0) at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

"I've been coaching 16 years, and I have to say this is one of the best wins I've ever had at Kelly High School," said Kelly coach Rod McQuerter. "Because I saw my girls grow up tonight. It took us four years to get to this point. We're in one of the toughest districts in the state of Missouri, and I'm so proud that they came out tonight and competed. And tonight, the ball just bounced our way."

Senior leadership played a big role for the Hawks, with Tessa Johnson pouring in a game-high 26 points and Kaylee Scherer and Morgan LeDure adding 13 and 12 points, respectively. Logan Ivie added six points, but her biggest play came in the final minute with the Hawks clinging to a 69-66 lead. Johnson missed the second of two free throws, but Ivie tipped the rebound away from Clearwater's Konnor Johnston, then dove headlong for the loose ball and tipped it to a teammate.

"I've just got to get it and pass it out to my teammate," Ivie said about the play. "That's it. Do whatever it takes to get the ball."

Clearwater (12-10) closed to within two points twice in the final minute, but Johnson hit 3 of 4 free throws down the stretch, her final one giving the Hawks a 72-69 lead with 11.6 seconds left.

Clearwater's Lexi Morris, who led the Tigers with 25 points, was able to get off a 3-pointer that rimmed out at the buzzer.

"We had the last shot, we had it in the right hands, and I thought it was going in and we were going to overtime," said Clearwater coach Barbara Adams. "The girls came out and battled, and that's all we could hope for. They left it all out there."

Kelly started quickly, jumping to a 21-10 lead after one period. But the Tigers clawed their way back into it, trimming their deficit to 31-29 at the half.

A 9-4 run to open the third quarter put Kelly up 40-33, and the Hawks stretched it to 50-37 with 2:30 remaining in the period, their biggest lead of the game.

But again the Tigers battled back, a 9-0 run pulling them within 64-62 with just over two minutes remaining.

Kristi Brucker hit two free throws to end the run, but Johnston (21 points) hit consecutive jumpers to tie the score at 66-66. Scherer broke the tie on a nice drive to make it 68-66, setting the stage for the final dramatic moments.

"If you don't control the ball, you don't have a chance," Johnson said about the Hawks' ability to handle the Tigers' full-court pressure. "Especially against a team with a shooter like Lexi on it. Having control of the ball and handling pressure is a game-winner, honestly. I wish I would have handled it better, but we still got a win."

The Hawks committed 17 turnovers but countered with accurate shooting in the second half, hitting 15 of 25 shots from the field after halftime and connecting on 11 of 17 free throws in the final quarter.

"Our girls hung in there," McQuerter said. "Our non-seniors, they came through for us tonight. They lifted each other up."

Things don't get any easier for the Hawks as a date with the top-ranked Class 3 team in the Missouri Basketball Coach's Association poll awaits, but McQuerter chose instead to revel in a hard-fought victory.

"I'm just so proud of our girls," he said. "They saw what it feels like to come to a district tournament and win a game with pressure on you. They've worked very hard for four years, and the joy in that locker room can't compare to anything I've ever imagined as a coach at Kelly High School."

Clearwater 10 19 17 23 -- 69

Kelly 21 10 25 16 -- 72

CLEARWATER (69) -- Brittany Adams 5, Konnor Johnston 21, Halle Gooch 8, Lexi Morris 25, Tabitha Carrol 2. Totals -- FG: 27. FT: 15-20. Fouls: 19. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: Cheyanne Burton.)

KELLY (72) -- Victoria Duenne 6, Morgan LeDure 12, Kaylee Scherer 13, Tessa Johnson 26, Stephanie Worth 1, Logan Ivie 6, Kristie Brucker 6, Tiffany Gibson 2. Totals -- FG: 27. FT: 16-26. Fouls: 18. (3-pointers: Johnson 2. Fouled out: none.)