PERRYVILLE TOURNEY: CENTRAL TIGERS TO MEET FESTUS FOR TITLE

PERRYVILLE - Cape Central's Matt Wittmer pumped in 18 of his game-high 25 points in the second half as the Tigers rallied from a nine-point deficit to defeat Jackson 71-67 in the Perryville Tournament here Thursday night.

The victory put the Tigers in the championship game of the tourney, where they will face undefeated Festus, a nine-point winner over Sikeston Thursday, in Saturday's 8 p.m. title tilt.

Jackson will face Sikeston at 6:30 Saturday night for third place. In tonight's matchups, Perryville takes on St. Vincent at 7:30 while Notre Dame tussles with Meadow Heights at 6 p.m.

In Thursday night's Central victory, Wittmer and inside partner Fred Ruddy teamed up for 37 of Central's points while Mark Thompson, Matt Boren and sophomore Andre Newburn combined for 20 points in the Central backcourt, giving the Tigers a balanced attack on the way to the finals.

But in the end, it was the Tigers at the free throw line that did the most damage. Central hit its last eight shots from the charity stripe to put the game on ice.

Thompson's two free shots with 14 seconds left provided Central with the final winning margin.

"Hitting the free throws helped," said Central coach Dick Waddlington. "Three different people hit crucial free throws down the stretch for us."

The game was knotted at 63 apiece before Central took the lead for good following a series of Jackson turnovers.

The Tigers (11-2) held a four-point edge with approximately a minute left before Paul Laurentius, who led the Indians (9-5) with 20 points, hit the last of his three 3-pointers to cut the margin to one.

But the Indians fouled on the ensuing inbound play and the Tigers made them pay. Both Wittmer and Boren nailed a pair of free throws in the final minute before Thompson added the final nail.

"It was a good, tight game," said Jackson coach Steve Burk. "We turned the ball over a couple times at the end and when we had to foul, they hit the free throws.

"They hurt us on the inside," Burk went on to say. "It really hurt us when (Mark) Kiehne got in foul trouble." Kiehne, a 6-4 sophomore, has been Jackson's main offensive threat on the inside.

With Kiehne in foul trouble, Wittmer was nearly unstoppable.

He had 10 points in the third quarter and added eight more in the fourth as Central, down 21-12 at the end of the first period and 34-33 at the half, came back.

Ruddy did some damage as well, banging home a couple of key buckets in the late going to help out. Bill McHaney also pitched in with a pair of threes and 10 points.

"Those were to big buckets he hit there in the fourth quarter," Burk said of Ruddy's baskets. "As good as Wittmer is, you have to be able to guard everyone on Central's team."

Jackson came out with a pressing defense in the first quarter when they jumped out to the early advantage.

"We bothered them in the early going with the press," Burk said. "We had the momentum going our way."

"They came out ready," Waddlington said. "They were more prepared to play than we were."

The Tigers regained their composure in the second quarter in making it a one-point game at the half before tying the game at 51-51 heading into the final period.

Festus 83, Sikeston 74

Jason Smith pumped in 32 points, including three 3-pointers, as Festus handed a strong Sikeston team a nine-point defeat.

Festus (10-0) was down 37-34 at the half, but rallied for a two-point lead at the end of the third period before putting the Bulldogs (8-4) away in the last quarter.

Tiger Boyd led four players in double figures for Sikeston with 20 points.

Perryville Tournament

(Semifinals)

CAPE CENTRAL 71, JACKSON 67

JACKSON 21 13 17 16 - 67

CAPE CENTRAL 12 21 18 20 - 71

JACKSON (67)

Thoma 5, Laurentius 20, Morrow 4, Clippard 15, Hope 3, Kiehne 6, Strong 14. FG 27 FT 9-13 F 18 (3-pointers: Clippard 3, Laurentius 1. Fouled out: none)

CAPE CENTRAL (71)

Thompson 8, Newburn 4, McHaney 10, Boren 8, Wittmer 25, Clark 2, Ruddy 12, Tilley 2. FG 29 FT 11-15 F 12. (3-pointers: McHaney 2. Fouled out: none)

FESTUS 83, SIKESTON 74

FESTUS 16 17 23 27 - 83

SIKESTON 18 19 18 19 - 74

FESTUS (83)

Lucas 22, James 6, Smith 32, Joe Jones 11, Jim Jones 4, Frazier 4, Mayes 4. FG 36 FT 8-11 F 14 (3-pointers: Smith 3. Fouled out: none)

SIKESTON (74)

Ivy 5, Bratcher 5, Johnson 4, Richardson 2, Sanders 11, Ruffin 10, Collins 15, Boyd 20, Moore 2. FG 29 FT 10-17 F 14. (3-pointers: Collins 4, Bratcher 1, Boyd 1. Fouled out: none)

MDNM