SportsFebruary 16, 2023
NMCC closeouts regular season with 61-56 win over Sikeston
NEW MADRID, Mo. — New Madrid County Central closed out its regular season and celebrated Valentine’s Day with a hard-fought 61-56 SEMO Conference win over Sikeston on Tuesday, Feb. 14. Despite garnering the attention of multiple defenders throughout, Jadis Jones led the Eagles (18-7) with a game-high 21 points and 12 rebounds. He also dished out six assists and provided the team with pivotal defensive effort down the stretch...
By Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat
NEW MADRID, Mo. — New Madrid County Central closed out its regular season and celebrated Valentine’s Day with a hard-fought 61-56 SEMO Conference win over Sikeston on Tuesday, Feb. 14.
Despite garnering the attention of multiple defenders throughout, Jadis Jones led the Eagles (18-7) with a game-high 21 points and 12 rebounds. He also dished out six assists and provided the team with pivotal defensive effort down the stretch.
“[Jones] continued to play at the level he’s been playing at all year,” said NMCC assistant coach Dontre Jenkins. “He’s also making plays for his teammates. He’s getting doubled and tripled teamed in the high post or on the block, and he’s shown he’s willing to give it up when his teammates make a good flash or cut to the basket.”
BJ Williamson and Dontrez Williams exchanged scores off inbound passes to start to the game, and Brayden Newsom gave NMCC an early advantage with a basket on an assist by AJ Ruff.
The Eagles were able to stay a possession ahead for most of the first quarter, but Sikeston tied it 10-10 late in the opening quarter after Chris Artis hit a jump shot.
Julian Courtois immediately answered with a takeaway and score to put NMCC back on top, and Jones assist Ruff on a bucket to extend the lead but the Bulldogs narrowed the lead to 14-12 at the end of the first quarter after Tristan Wiggins found Morgan McCauley for an inside score.
Sikeston gain its first lead early in the second quarter when Creighton Sarakas made a fallaway shot, but NMCC regained a 17-16 lead when Kayden Minner buried a 3-pointer on the next possession.
Jones and Ruff made six straight free throws that gave the Eagles a 23-18 advantage with about four minutes until halftime, but the Bulldogs battled back to take a 27-25 lead at the break after Wiggins and Artis each knocked down at the charity stripe in the final two minutes of the first half.
“It was a tough game and we battled,” Jenkins said. “Sikeston was physical with us. Early on we kind of backed down to it and wasn’t matching their energy or toughness.”
The teams exchanged the lead on three straight possessions early in the second half. NMCC recaptured a 29-28 lead after back-to-back inside buckets from Jones.
Williams made a pair of shots at the free throw line that gave the lead back to Sikeston, but a short time later Newsom picked off a pass and finished that gave the lead back to Eagles.
NMCC had three additional players score double figures. Ruff had 12 points, three steals, three assists and three steals; BJ Williamson chipped in 11 points, four steals, two assists and two rebounds; and Newsom finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, four blocks, a steal and an assist.
Jenkins said he was pleased with how the Eagles’ role players stepped up and provided the team with some inspired effort.
“They competed and gave us what we needed,” he said. “[Courtois] stepped up on the defensive end and had a couple of steals. [Minner] had some big rebounds and knocked down a big 3-pointer for us. [Ruff] is always sound defensive and made some clutch free throws down the stretch for us again tonight.
“We have been preaching to them that someone has to step up and help us out,” Jenkins continued. “They’ve been accepting the challenge and doing that.”
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The Eagles led 43-37 at the end of the third quarter after Ruff grabbed an offensive rebound and hit a shot at the buzzer.
Sikeston was able to put together one more push and tied the game 44-44 after a pair of free throws from Wiggins with 6:02 left in the game. The Bulldogs tied it again 46-46 after Jones and Wiggins each made layups, but NMCC was stronger and made more plays down the final stretch.
Jones and Newsom each scored inside and gave the Eagles a 50-46 advantage.
Williams hit a 3-pointer with 57 seconds remaining to narrow the lead to 56-54, but Ruff made four straight free throws to increase the lead to 60-54.
NMCC struggled from the free throw line in the final 30 seconds, going 1-of-5, but Sikeston was able to capitalize against the Eagles' lockdown defense.
“Late in the game we started picking it up,” Jenkins said. “We got a couple of key steals and rebounds late that set the stage for the game. We knew we had to get up and contest all their shots. Sikeston is young, gets up and down the court and can really shoot the 3-pointer.”
NMCC shot 50 percent from the field, while Sikeston managed just 39 percent. Each team finished the game with 28 total rebounds, and the Eagles had 16 turnovers while the Bulldogs turned it over 21 times.
NMCC received the top seed and will host the MSHSAA Class 3, District 1 Tournament. The team will face the winner of fourth-seeded Portageville (14-11) and fifth-seeded Senath-Hornersville (15-8) on Feb. 22 at 5 p.m.
“It’s going to come down to defense,” Jenkins said. “It’s what we have been preaching all year long. We can’t outscore anybody and we’re going to have to get stops and make the other team work for everything they get.”
Williams and Wiggins were Sikeston’s top performers with 18 points each. Wiggins also had five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Williams added seven rebounds, a steal and an assist.
We competed, played hard and played tough,” said Sikeston coach Gregg Holifield. “We had some mistakes with turnovers but I was proud of our effort and thought we did some good things. We just have to learn, continue to grow and get better. We have a young team and these types of games will help us down the stretch.”
Sikeston received the No. 2 seed in the MSHSAA Class 5, District 1 Tournament at North County High School. The Bulldogs will take on seventh-seeded North County at 7 p.m. on March 1.
__NMCC 61, SIKESTON 56__
Sikeston 12 15 10 19 — 56
NMCC 14 11 18 18 — 61
__Sikeston (56) —__ Tristan Wiggins 18, Dontrez Williams 18, Chris Artis 7, Creighton Sarakas 4, Quemarae Gray 4, Lekereon McCray 3, Morgan McCauley 2. FG: 17-44. FT: 19-26. F: 23. (3-pointers: Williams 3-8, Wiggins 0-3, Sarakas 0-3, McCauley 0-1. Fouled out: Wiggins, McCray, Gray.)
__NMCC (61) —__ Jadis Jones 21, AJ Ruff 12, BJ Williamson 11, Brayden Newsom 10, Julian Courtois 4, Kayden Minner 3. FG: 22-44. FT: 16-25. F: 17. (3-pointers: Kayden Minner 1-3, Williamson 0-4, Courtois 0-1. Fouled out: none.)
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