Oran avenges loss in fifth-place game of Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament

Kody Moore said he had been in a shooting slump.

But the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament seems to bring out the best in Oran's senior guard.

Moore poured in 27 points, including five 3-pointers, as the eighth-seeded Eagles held off seventh-seeded Advance 67-60 in Sunday's fifth-place game at the Show Me Center.

"I've been in a slump. It's been breaking my confidence down," Moore said. "Today I guess I shot myself out of my slump."

Moore had one of the better-shooting games in recent Christmas Tournament history last year when he drilled nine 3-pointers.

Advance’s Lane Below reacts as an Oran player takes a free throw in the final seconds of the game.

For a while it looked like Moore might challenge that personal record Sunday as he had four 3-pointers -- and 20 points -- by halftime.

"I like the big stages. It's more fun to play on," Moore said with a grin.

Oran coach Joe Shoemaker, whose squad improved to 11-2, was pleased to see Moore break out Sunday.

"Kody hasn't been shooting well, but he shot well today," Shoemaker said. "Alex [Heuring] had a big game and our other guys stepped up. The last time that didn't happen."

Shoemaker was referring to Oran's 71-56 loss to Advance in the semifinals of the Oran Invitational on Nov. 29.

Heuring, a rugged 6-foot-4 senior forward who added 12 points Sunday, said the Eagles were glad to even the score against one of their major rivals.

"It's a big rivalry. You always expect a good game out of it," Heuring said. "They came out hot and ready the last time. We knew we had to come out strong. They're always a good team."

Advance led 16-11 after one quarter before Oran took control. The Eagles went ahead 17-16 on a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Hunter Schlosser early in the second period, and they remained on top the rest of the way. Schlosser contributed 13 points in the win.

Moore's 3-pointer gave Oran a 29-18 lead and they carried a 38-27 advantage into the break.

"Kody was hot most of the game. We were moving the ball around and getting him open shots," Heuring said.

The Eagles looked like they might cruise to a lopsided victory when they went ahead by 16 points three times in the third quarter, including on a Heuring follow shot that made it 50-34.

But Advance (8-3), ranked ninth in Class 2, was far from finished.

"You know they're not going to die down," Shoemaker said.

The Hornets cut the deficit to 53-40 at the end of three and kept on coming.

Advance junior guard Lane Below, who led all scorers with 28 points, hit a 3-pointer midway through the final period to make it 55-51.

Senior guard Tyler Middleton's 3-pointer with 1:27 remaining brought the Hornets within 60-57. But the Eagles had enough answers from the free-throw line to hold on.

Oran made 7 of 10 foul shots in the final 49 seconds, including 5 of 6 by Schlosser in the last 17 seconds.

The Hornets got within three points again on Below's trey with 10 seconds left, but Schlosser closed out the victory by making four straight free throws.

"Any win is a great win. I feel we played really good today," Moore said. "I felt we had intensity and kept it the whole game."

Senior forward Ethan Barr added 11 points for the Hornets.

Advance coach Andrew Halford thought the Eagles had the upper hand most of the way even though his squad led by five points after one quarter.

"Oran came out ready to play. We didn't. They had the intensity throughout the game," Halford said. "We made a little run there, but it was too little, too late."

Sunday's matchup wasn't the last word between the teams. They'll square off at least one more time, in their regular-season meeting, and perhaps again in the Class 2 district tournament.

Oran has beaten Advance in the district final the past two seasons. Last year the Eagles upset the Hornets after Advance had won the two earlier meetings.

"It's always a battle between us," Halford said.

Oran 11 27 15 14 -- 67

Advance 16 11 13 20 -- 60

ORAN (67) -- Kody Moore 27, Seth Ressel 6, Jacob Priggel 4, Chance Tenkhoff 3, Hunter Schlosser 13, Alex Heuring 12, Cash Kinney 2. FG 18, FT 24-34, F 12. (3-pointers: Moore 5, Schlosser 2. Fouled out: None.)

ADVANCE (60) -- Ethan Barr 11, Tyler Middleton 3, Austin Miller 6, Braden Bien 2, Eli Seger 2, Lane Below 28, Trey Wallace 8. FG 21, FT 12-13, F 29. (3-pointers: Middleton 1, Miller 2, Below 3. Fouled out: None.)