Lady Raiders set up showdown for top seed

SEDALIA — The Three Rivers College women’s basketball team shook off a slow start to ultimately come away with a 57-43 win against the State Fair Lady Roadrunners Wednesday in Region 16 play.

Wednesday’s win sets up a winner-take-all showdown with Mineral Area Saturday for the top seed in the Region 16 tournament, which begins next week.

“I thought the girls played really well,” Three Rivers coach Alex Wiggs said. It’s a tough place to play and I thought we battled. It wasn’t pretty, but this time of year, it’s going to be a battle — especially when there’s region standings and all that stuff to play for. We did what we needed to do, took care of business and now it’s up to Saturday to take care of business (once again).”

The Lady Raiders (24-4, 9-2 Region 16) trailed much of the first quarter, but closed the period on a 7-0 run to take a 19-15 lead to the second quarter.

Three Rivers continued that momentum into the second quarter, going up 28-17 on Alexia Weaver’s free throws with 5:25 remaining in the first half.

“They came out and hit three straight 3s and got up on us,” Wiggs said. “But I thought (us rallying) showed the girls’ toughness and showed their commitment at both ends of the floor. I’m really proud of the way they they hung in there that first quarter. Even though it didn’t start great, it ended on a good note.”

The Lady Raiders took a 33-24 lead to the locker room, and led 50-40 going to the fourth quarter.

Weaver and Jasmine Davis led Three Rivers with 13 points apiece, while Kamille Brown added 11.

“That’s what makes this team difficult to prepare for,” Wiggs said. “I think we have 12 averaging five points or more, so it’s one of those (things) of they’re averaging five, but they’re talented enough and good enough to go get double figures — but they’ve bought into ‘our success equals their success.’

“Nobody has to — or feels like they have to — go out there and score 20 or 30 a night. They know as long as they we guard and do our job, there’s enough talented scorers to step up and make shots, depending on what the other team’s giving us.”

The Lady Raiders host Mineral Area Saturday evening at the Libla Family Sports Complex. Tipoff for the game is set for 5 p.m.

“It’s the last regular-season game of the year for both teams and it’s the biggest game of the year,” Wiggs said, “because the winner of that one gets the No. 1 seed. It’s not like the winner of that one goes to the national tournament — so it doesn’t make or break your season — but it’s still for that No. 1 seed. And that’s vital come playoff time because it’s homecourt advantage.”

__Region tournament update__

While the top two seeds in the Region 16 tournament will be decided Saturday, the remaining seeds are locked in.

No. 4 Moberly will host No. 5 Crowder in a quarterfinal game and will play at the winner of Saturday’s game in one semifinal on Tuesday, March 12, while the loser of Saturday’s game will host third-seeded State Fair for the other semifinal that same night.

The semifinal winners will meet for the Region 16 championship — and an automatic bid to the national tournament — on Friday, March 15, at the home of the higher seed.