Liggins leads Bell City past Tuscumbia with sizzling hand

~ The senior scored a game-high 23 points in the Cubs' 71-56 victory.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- After earning all-state honors last year as a post player, Bell City senior Jeff Liggins was forced to change roles this season with the addition of 6-foot-10 Will Bogan and the subtraction of guard D.D. Gillespie.

Liggins has averaged 9.2 points this season playing on the perimeter and has made his mark mostly on the defensive end.

With the Cubs' top perimeter shooter ice-cold in Thursday's Class 1 semifinal at Mizzou Arena, Liggins took over and led all scorers with 23 points in a 71-56 win over Tuscumbia.

Bell City's Nick Niemczyk, right, was bumped by Tuscumbia's Zack Martin while driving toward the basket during their Class 1 semifinal game.

In ther other semifinal, Jefferson pulled away from Silex for a 59-52 win in a meeting of the state's top-ranked teams. The Cubs (28-4) will play Jefferson (31-0) in the championship game at 1:45 p.m. on Saturday.

"Jeff won the game for us tonight, I don't think there's any doubt about that," Bell City coach Brian Brandtner said. "Jeff played great. He carried us. He hit the big shots when we needed it. He got the big rebounds when we needed them."

While sophomore guard Nick Niemczyk staggered to a 2-for-14 performance from the field, Liggins hit 10 of 17 shots. Liggins was also 3-for-6 from 3-point range.

With Tuscumbia down just seven points early in the third quarter, Liggins scored Bell City's next nine points to open up a double digit lead. All four of Liggins' second-half rebounds came on the offensive end.

"I didn't want to lose," Liggins said. "There wasn't anything I wasn't going to do to help us to win. Our leading scorers weren't hitting tonight, so we had to step up."

Despite the monstrous night from Liggins, which included seven rebounds, Tuscumbia stayed within striking distance throughout. The Cubs' lead ballooned to 16 points several times in the fourth only for Tuscumbia to knock it back down to 10.

The Lions (22-9) did much of their damage from the free throw line. In the fourth quarter alone, Tuscumbia hit nine of 10 free throws. Tuscumbia was 16-for-20 overall.

Tuscumbia coach Tony Pace said his team's attacking style was getting results in the second half.

"As the game went along, especially in the fourth quarter, we were getting free throws out of it," he said. "Free throws are a staple of our team. That's something we do very well. I kind of felt on the bench we're in good shape. If they miss a few baskets, we're chipping away slowly but surely."

But Bell City's lead did not dip below 10 points in the fourth quarter. Liggins scored a basket late in the game to push the lead to 65-52 and essentially wrap up the win.

"Liggins had a great game," Pace said. "He's an all-stater for a reason. Every run we made, he squashed himself."

Still, nothing seemed to come easy for the Cubs. Just as Verona did in the quarterfinal round, Tuscumbia seemed to have an answer for most of Bell City's runs.

The Cubs led by 10 points early in the first at 14-4 and 16-6, but Tuscumbia closed to within 18-15 in the second period. At the half, Bell City held a 28-21 lead.

"You go out every night and you've got that target on your back," Bell City senior Blaine Stewart said. "Everyone wants to take you out. We've got some things we didn't get done last year that we have to redeem ourselves."

Bell City, ranked No. 3 in Class 1 and unbeaten against teams in that class this year, did not panic during any of Tuscumbia's runs, a sign of a state tournament-tested team. This is the third straight trip to the final four for the Cubs, who won a title in 2004 and also had one in 2002. Tuscumbia was making its first trip to Columbia.

"I think the first half we still had some stars in our eyes," Pace said. "We've never been in this position. It probably affected us a little bit."

Bell City outrebounded Tuscumbia 43-29, including a whopping 22 offensive rebounds. Bogan finished with 14 rebounds, eight on the offensive end.

All eight Bell City players had at least two rebounds, with four finishing with four or more.

"I don't think it was a case where we weren't trying to block out," Pace said. "It was just too many guys to worry about."

Bogan finished with 19 points and Stewart had eight for the Cubs. Niemczyk and Phillip Gross had six points apiece.

"I love this team," Brandtner said. "These guys are so unselfish. They don't care who gets the credit, they just want to win."

BELL CITY 71, TUSCUMBIA 56

Tuscumbia 10 11 15 20 -- 56

Bell City 16 12 21 22 -- 71

TUSCUMBIA (56) -- Daniel Sloane 2, Marshall Humphreys 8, Zack Martin 13, Daniel Patterson 15, James Cox 18. FG 19, FT 16-20, F 14 (3-pointers: Zack Martin 1, Daniel Patterson 1. Fouled out: none)

BELL CITY (71) -- Nick Niemczyk 6, Blaine Stewart 8, Jeff Liggins 23, Phillip Gross 6, William Bogan 19, Kerry Lasters 4, Garrett McIntyre 3, Marty Dames 2. FG 29, FT 9-16, F 16 (3-pointers: Liggins 3, Niemczyk 1. Fouled out: none)