Oran boys basketball team solves problem before the buzzer

Oran basketball coach Joe Shoemaker said getting a good last-second shot was something his team would "work on a little bit" after the Eagles'64-52 overtime win against Elsberry in a Class 2 sectional Wednesday night.

Oran had a chance to win that game in regulation, but couldn't get a shot off before the buzzer after inbounding with 11.5 seconds left.

"We worked quite a bit on last-second opportunities, so if a situation like the sectional game came up we wouldn't do the same thing," senior Kody Moore said Saturday. "And obviously we executed it a lot better. A lot better. It was a much better result."

The Eagles had 19 seconds for their final possession in Saturday's state quarterfinal against Winona, and it ended with junior Seth Ressel swishing a jumper with 2.3 seconds remaining to give Oran a 63-61 lead and eventually the win.

"You know, we talked the other night, we didn't execute at the end of the Elsberry game," Shoemaker said. "We talked about what we wanted, and like I said, he had enough guts to step up and put it on his shoulders there at the end and let it ride."

Notre Dame players wore headbands last week with the initials “KP” for teammate Karson Powers, who missed the district tournament due to complications from a staph infection. (ADAM VOGLER)

The play didn't go exactly as planned, according to Ressel, so he passed to Moore, who gave it right back beyond the 3-point line. Ressel took a dribble in and shot.

"I got the assist," Moore joked after the game within earshot of Ressel. "Don't even worry about the game-winning shot. I got the assist."

Moore said his focus after making the pass wasn't on the shot going in.

"I turned, and I actually blocked somebody out," he said. "I was like, 'I'm getting this rebound.' And when it went through the net, it was a great feeling. You can't really describe it. Every sports person knows what I'm talking about."

Four Oran players scored double digits Saturday. Moore had 13 points, Ressel and sophomore Hunter Schlosser had 14, and senior Alex Heuring had 19.

"That's something that we need to do, and all our guys that come in can play well and score," Shoemaker said. "That's things they have to do. They have to step up and hit shots when they're open, so they can't just focus on two or three guys."

Honoring a teammate

The Notre Dame girls basketball team had a large contingent of fans in the stands for their 48-46 Class 4 District 1 final loss to fifth-ranked Dexter last week.

No doubt they were also buoyed by the presence of junior point guard Karsen Powers, who had spent the previous week at Children's Hospital in St. Louis due to complications from a staph infection.

Powers missed the Bulldogs' district-opening win over Central last Monday. Although she had returned to her home in Cape Girardeau the day before, Powers was restricted to her wheelchair and unable to put in a full day at school.

Come Thursday night, though, there was no keeping Powers off the Notre Dame sideline.

"I was really proud of the way they played, and how hard they played," she said. "I would've stuck with them no matter what."

Each of the Notre Dame players wore headbands with the initials "KP" for both the win over Central and the loss to Dexter in tribute to their teammate.

"She's a big part of this team," junior forward Shelby Beussink said. "We did that for her."

"The last couple of days in school she was in a wheelchair," senior forward Miranda Fowler said. "It's just not the same not having her out there on the court."

For Powers, it was the second consecutive year she was unable to play in the post-season. Last year, an ACL injury sidelined her for the district tournament.

She's already looking forward to next season.

"I'm ready to make it through a full basketball season," Powers said. "And play in my first district tournament."

Learning experience

The Central boys squad saw its season also end with a 77-61 loss in the Class 4 District 1 championship game to Sikeston.

Don't bet the Tigers won't use that as a motivational tool for the next few seasons.

Central will lose senior guard and team-leader Garan Evans, but the Tigers will return a solid nucleus of players capable of challenging for district titles -- and more -- for the forseeable future.

"We do lose Garan," Central coach Drew Church said after Thursday's loss. "But I hope they remember how this feels, and learn from it."

Feeding that optimism is the return of a solid frontcourt in 6-foot-6 junior forward Jamal Cox and 6-foot-4 sophomore forward Andre Statam, along with freshman guard Al Young, who started most of the season. Toss in the return of junior guard Sentrell Blackmon, junior forward Mikey Jones, and the maturation of sophomore forward Chase Hagerty, who played well in a reserve role in both district games, and the future is bright for the Tigers.

"This group has bought in," Church said. "We are going to miss Garan, that's for sure. But you will hear from this team again."

End of a reign

Scott County Central's four-year reign atop the Class 1 field may have ended with a loss in a state quarterfinal at Dexter, but don't expect the Braves to stay down for long.

Moments after the Braves' 65-55 loss to Eminence, players and coaches alike were looking ahead to next season.

"It's an amazing run, and it's what they expect at Scott County Central," SCC coach Frank Staple said. "Even in a year like this, where the expectations weren't maybe as high, the kids still have those high expectations. To start this year the way we started and make it all the way to the quarterfinals, there's nothing for those kids to be ashamed of.

"We'll be back next year."

One player who won't be back is senior guard Jaylen Porter, who in three previous seasons had celebrated a Class 1 state championship with his teammates. Though shattered at the thought of not playing for a state title for the first time in his high school career, Porter was able to put Scott County Central's run into perspective.

"That's what we've been playing our whole life for, through junior high, through elementary, that's what we planned on doing, just get to state," he said.

Tyler Masters, another senior who had never tasted post-season defeat, believes the Braves will recover.

"They got a shot next year to go," he said. "If they can keep their heads up and keep going at it.

"We work hard. We don't let down. We work hard during the summer, and we work hard during the season. We just want to go to state every season."