NMCC wins 65-50 over Charleston in opening round of SEMO Conference Tournament

SIKESTON — New Madrid County Central’s star power erupted in the second half, propelling them past Charleston in the opening round of the SEMO Conference Tournament at the Field House on Monday, Dec. 4.

The third-seeded Eagles (4-0) soared to a 65-50 victory on the wings of BJ Williamson and Jadis Jones, while the once-confident sixth-seeded Bluejays (3-1) were left grounded.

“We came out sluggish and out of sync,” said NMCC coach Dontre Jenkins. “Charleston's game plan was working, clogging the paint, dictating the pace, but we have some guys show up night in and night out. Those are the guys I want on my team. I want those guys to go to war with me because I know they are going to bring it every night.”

NMCC's AJ Ruff (20) brings up the ball during a 65-50 win over Charleston in the opening round of the SEMO Conference Tournament on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

Despite the slow start, NMCC found their rhythm in the final minutes of the first quarter. Williamson sparked the surge with a strong finish, snapping an 11-11 tie, before Jones capped the period with a converted three-point play, sending the Eagles into the second up 16-11.

Charleston threatened to erase the gap in the second, with Zachyran Thomas converting back-to-back offensive rebounds into layups. But Williamson, who scored the 1,000th point of his high school career during the game, silenced the Bluejays' momentum with a swift three-pointer, ensuring NMCC a 27-21 halftime cushion.

“When a team plays you like Charleston did, you have to have someone step up and shoot it,” Jenkins said. “[Williamson] did a great job of that. Having a guy like that, who can step up and knock down shots helps us a lot. I told the guys to relax. If they have an open shot, pull up and shoot it with confidence. If they give you something in your range, take it.”

Charleston's Ko'Terrion Owens (45) shoots during a 65-50 loss to NMCC in the opening round of the SEMO Conference Tournament on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

The third quarter belonged to NMCC as Jones had a transition layup that opened a 10-point gap, and the defense clamped down, forcing turnovers and stifling Charleston's offense. By quarter's end, it was a commanding 56-32 advantage for the Eagles.

“[Jones] gets doubled and tripled teamed and is still able to have a major impact on the outcome,” Jenkins said. “[Charleston] controlled the game early, but we were finally able to start forcing some turnovers. That pressure led to easy buckets.”

Charleston, desperate to avoid a blowout, fought back. But NMCC, ever composed, matched the intensity and never relinquished control in the fourth quarter. The Eagles led by Williamson (26 points) and Jones (21 points), never let Bluejays get close in the fourth, controlled the tempo, secured the win: 65-50.

Charleston's Zachyran Thomas (34) pushes the pace during a 65-50 loss to NMCC in the opening round of the SEMO Conference Tournament on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

This is a quote from the Charleston coach :

"We competed for a half, but the big difference was the third quarter,” said Charleston coach Jamarcus Williams. “Take that out of the equation and we’re still in the game. We just wanted them to beat us from the outside. [Jadis Jones] is a beast on the boards. We wanted to limit them to one shot per possession and that did not happen. We knew coming into the game that BJ Williamson was a phenomenal 3-pointer shooter, but I was okay with him shooting as long as we could keep the points out of the paint. But they did the same thing to us by keeping us from scoring around the rim a lot."

Ko’Terrion Owens led the Bluejays with 17 points.

NMCC's Charlie Resonno (21) get fouled during a 65-50 win over Charleston in the opening round of the SEMO Conference Tournament on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

Charleston will face the winner of seventh-seeded Notre Dame (0-1) and ninth-seeded Dexter (1-2) in the consolation bracket at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 6.

NMCC will take on second-seeded Cape Central (3-1) in a semifinal at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7.

NMCC also defeated McCracken County (Kentucky) this weekend at the Marshall County Hoopsfest.

“We played well as a team on offense and defense,” Jenkins said. “Our defense is our strength. Playing hard-nose defense allows us to get easy buckets on the offensive end. We played three hard quarters and left it all out on the court. We have to get better at closing out games. We were outscored 21-8 in the fourth quarter. When you play in different states you never know how things will go. Our guys came out with the right mindset and made the right adjustments. That’s how we pulled off the win.”

__NMCC 65, CHARLESTON 50__

Charleston 11 10 11 18 — 50

NMCC 16 11 29 9 — 65

Charleston (50) — Ko’Terrion Owens 17, Teshain Schandon 10, Tayshon Clark 6, Zachyran Thomas 6, DeShaun Henderson 5, Govarion Johnson 3, Chase Worthy 2, Owen Willis 1. FG: 21. FT: 5-9. F: 19. (3-pointers: Owens 1, Schandon 1, Johnson 1. Fouled out: Henderson, Thomas).

NMCC (65) — BJ Williamson 26, Jadis Jones 21, Ra’Mond Brooks 6, Marvion Cranford 6, AJ Ruff 5, Charlie Resonno 1. FG: 25. FT: 9-17. F: 15. (3-pointers: Williamson 5, Ruff 1. Fouled out: none).

__NMCC 64, MCCRACKEN COUNTY 46__

NMCC 9 25 22 8 — 64

McCraken 5 10 10 21 — 46

NMCC (64) — Jadis Jones 23, BJ Williamson 16, Ra’Mond Brooks 8, Ja’Kwon Jones 6, AJ Ruff 5, Marvion Cranford 4, Ty Williams 2. FG: 25-49. FT: 10-13. F: 18. (3-pointers: Williamson 2-4, Ja’Kwon Jones 1-1, Ruff 1-2. Fouled out: Brooks).

McCracken County (46) — Connor Miller 13, Jackson Klope 12, Dylan Jackson 5, Caden Fulcher 5, Carter Hawes 4, Owen Grogan 3, Jackson Diaz 2, Jay Martin 2. FG: 17-46. FT: 7-13. F: 12. (3-pointers: Miller 2-5, Grogan 1-1, Jackson 1-2, Fulcher 1-3. Fouled out: none).