Panthers overpower Kelly in second half

~ Metro used a 16-2 run to start the second half to put the gameout of reach.

FARMINGTON -- The quickness and athleticism of the Metro Panthers proved to be too much in the end for the Kelly girls basketball team, which fell 69-41 in the MSHSAA Class 3 quarterfinals Saturday night at the Farmington Civic Center.

Kelly (23-7) only trailed 31-25 at halftime, but the St. Louis power used a 16-2 run to start the second half and cruised from there.

The clock was running under the mercy rule for most of the second half.

The game was very physical as the teams combined to shoot 63 free throws. Kelly was 17-for-34 from the foul line, and Metro was 16-for-29. Kelly also committed 18 turnovers to Metro's 15.

The Hawks jumped to a 5-0 lead to open the game on a running layup by junior Sarah Ruff and a 3-pointer by sophomore Katee Moore, but the Panthers answered with an 8-1 run to take the lead and never trailed again.

Kelly trailed 15-9 after one quarter.

Senior Nikki Weiny led the Hawks with 11 points, while Ruff added 10 points and four rebounds.

Kelly had no answer for Metro's 5-foot-6 senior guard LeChelle Livingston, who scored a game-high 21 points.

Sophomore Ebony Davis added 15 points, while Dekeisha Mathis had 10.

Metro's leading scorer, Brittany Dodson, only scored nine points. She didn't score until the fourth quarter after not playing at all in the third period.

Metro (26-3), which won the Class 2 state championship last season before moving back up to Class 3, returns to the Show-Me Showdown for the fourth straight year. The Panthers will face Blair Oaks of Wardsville in Thursday's semifinal at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia. Blair Oaks beat Mark Twain 59-30 on Saturday afternoon.