NMCC wears down Thayer, advances to Class 3 title game

COLUMBIA, Mo. — From the opening bell, New Madrid County Central didn't just defend the court against Thayer, they owned it.

The No. 1 Eagles (27-3) were a vise, squeezing the No. 3 Bobcats (22-9) into submission during the 57-44 victory in a semifinal bout Friday night at the 2024 Show-Me Showdown at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri.

“We planned to keep throwing body punches,” said NMCC coach Dontre Jenkins. “And when we got to that last round, we were going to try to knock them out. We saw that tonight. We kept going at them with hard-nosed defense.

“We tried to make everything tough on them and we did our job in that regard,” he continued. “We knew if we played in-your-face defense then the offense would take care of itself. Defense is what we hang our hats on and that’s what we have been doing all year long, relying on our defense, forcing opponents into turnovers that let us get easy baskets.”

NMCC landed the first big punches, surging to an early 11-2 lead. Jadis Jones’ punishing inside power and touch were on full display during the run, as he finished the night with a game-high 25 points on efficient 10-for-15 shooting. His dominance extended to the boards, grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds – seven on the offensive glass. Jones wasn't just a scorer either, dishing out four assists and showcasing his defensive prowess with four steals.

But Thayer, despite looking outmatched, refused to fold. They battled back with scrappy play, closing out the first round with a respectable 13-11 deficit.

The second round saw the Bobcats land a few solid counterpunches, even briefly capturing the lead, but AJ Ruff landed a crucial long-range jab — a 3-pointer — to shift the momentum back to the Eagles.

Jones continued to dominate despite facing consistent double and triple teams, smashing his way inside like a battering ram on his way to the basket time and again.

Each time Thayer fouled him in desperation, he punished them from the line, repeatedly converting conventional 3-point plays. NMCC headed into halftime with a 28-20 lead, but the fight was far from over.

NMCC maintained control throughout the second half and Jones remained a force in the post, keeping the Eagles firmly in front. Yet, never clearly out of the Bobcats’ sight.

Thayer made a couple of sporadic runs, including trimming the deficit to 31-26 on a Rowan Spencer 3-pointer early in the third quarter.

However, NMCC answered with a couple of smooth jump shots from Ruff and BJ Williamson.

Williamson's fastbreak layup off a pinpoint outlet pass from Jones capped a key run, pushing the lead back to 37-28 with just over a minute left in the third quarter.

“It really just came down to our guys getting after it on defense,” Williamson said. “Everyone was doing everything they could to help each other and no one was selfish.”

Despite Thayer's best efforts, NMCC closed the third quarter strong with clutch free throws from Ra'Mond Brooks to maintain a comfortable 39-31 lead.

The Bobcats continued to fight in the fourth quarter, momentarily narrowing the gap to single digits behind buckets from Spencer and Devin Harrington.

Jones crushed any remaining resistance with a monstrous play with 2:33 left in the game, shifting through defenders like a blur, forcing yet another foul, and calmly sinking the free throw for a demoralizing 3-point play.

“I liked how the team all came together,” Jones said. “We were focused on taking it one defensive possession at a time and not really worrying about the offense. I don’t think Thayer hasn’t seen a defense like they saw tonight. Like coach said, we throwing those body blows all the way until that final round.”

Marvion Cranford added an inside bucket to extend the lead to 56-44, and the defense forced a turnover to seal the win.

While both teams found success shooting the ball at a 45 percent clip, the Eagles asserted dominance in nearly every other statistical category.

NMCC’s 30-22 rebounding advantage, particularly the 15-8 edge in offensive boards, meant more possessions and second-chance scoring opportunities.

Capitalizing on takeaways, NMCC's transition game was lethal, outscoring Thayer 13-1 in fastbreak points.

Williamson added 16 points, two assists, two rebounds, two steals and two blocks – a well-rounded performance. Ruff finished with eight points, four rebounds, two steals and an assist, while Cranford (six points, five rebounds) and Brooks (two points, five rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block) made key contributions.

Next, NMCC will face Summit Christian Academy (25-7) in the MSHSAA Class 3 State Championship on Saturday, March 9 at 8 p.m.

“Coming into the season these seniors had a goal,” Jenkins concluded. “To go out on top as back-to-back state champions, and we here now. So, one more game to go. I know that these guys are ready to get it done. We’re looking forward to tomorrow.”

__NMCC 57, THAYER 44__

NMCC 13 15 11 18 — 57

Thayer 11 9 11 13 — 44

NMCC (57) — Jadis Jones 25, BJ Williamson 16, AJ Ruff 8, Marvin Cranford 6, Ra’Mond Brooks 2. FG: 23-51. FT: 8-10. F: 8. (3-pointers: Williamson 2, Ruff 1. Fouled out: None.)

Thayer (44) — Rowan Spencer 17, Devin Harrington 14, Aidan Burns 11, Easton Pitts 2. FG: 17-38. FT: 6-9. F: 12. (3-pointers: Spencer 3, Burns 1. Fouled out: None.)