LADY INDIANS MEET UNBEATEN GATEWAY TECH FOR 4A CROWN

COLUMBIA -- An undefeated squad will be waiting on Jackson High's girls basketball team today in the Class 4A state championship game.

Gateway Tech of St. Louis (27-0) and Jackson (27-2) will square off at 2:10 p.m. at the University of Missouri's Hearnes Center.

The contest will match the top two teams in the final state poll of the regular season from a couple of weeks ago. Gateway is ranked first and Jackson second.

While some people might question Gateway's strength -- mainly because of a suspect schedule -- Jackson coach Ron Cook says the Jaguars are for real and will be a rugged challenge for his Lady Indians.

"They're a very talented team with a lot of quickness and also a lot of size," said Cook. "They'll be a really good team."

Jackson beat Gateway Tech in last year's sectional round as the Indians wound up finishing second in the state.

"We ended up winning by about 15 points, but it was a much closer game than that," Cook said. "They've got a lot more experience this year even though they're still a young team."

Players to watch for Gateway Tech are 5-foot-10 junior Christian Shelton (12 points per game), 6-2 sophomore Tiana Ford (11.2 ppg), 5-9 sophomore Diana Hill (10.2 ppg), 6-1 senior Brandi Archibald (8.7 ppg, team-high 7.1 rebounds per game) and 5-foot senior point guard Latosha Thompson (9.6 ppg, 70 assists).

* Jackson junior guard Dana Eakins took a hard blow to the stomach area and stayed down for several minutes late in the fourth quarter of Friday's 51-40 semifinal victory over defending state champion Springfield Glendale.

Eakins was fouled hard by a Glendale player with 1:09 remaining and Jackson leading 44-28. She was eventually helped up and walked to the bench under her own power but did not shoot the free throws. Amanda Ellis made both foul shots in Eakins' place.

Cook didn't like that there wasn't an intentional -- or flagrant -- foul called on the play. He said something to the officials and was hit with a technical.

Later, Cook said, "I got upset, but I don't think they intended to hurt her. They just wanted to foul and stop the clock."

Of the injury, Cook said, "Dana took a blow to the stomach and knocked her wind out. Right now (immediately after the game), we don't really know how she'll be (for the finals). Hopefully she'll be fine."

* The Lady Indians hit their free throws when it counted Friday to hold off any kind of potential comeback bid by Springfield Glendale.

Jackson, four of six from the line in the first half, was 17 of 23 in the second half, including 13 of 17 in the fourth quarter when Glendale fell way behind and was forced to foul.

"We were able to hit our free throws" said Cook. "That's always important toward the end of a game."