Puxico shoots down Advance boys 58-52

The Advance boys basketball team could not contain Puxico's sharp-shooting guard J Hon in the fourth quarter -- Hon hit four fourth-quarter 3-pointers -- as the Hornets let a nine-point second-half lead slip away and fell 58-52 on Thursday in the Class 2 District 3 finals at Chaffee.

The top-seeded Hornets led 30-21 early in the third quarter, but the Indians had the lead down to 34-33 heading into the fourth quarter. Hon hit three consecutive 3's to start the fourth as Puxico opened the final quarter with a 11-0 run to go ahead 44-34.

Hon finished with 18 points, all on 3-pointers.

"He gave us that spark, big-time," Puxico coach Chad Allen said. "He's the player of the game offensively, that's for sure. He really got us back in it."

Two free throws from Dylan Adams gave third-seeded Puxico its biggest lead at 49-36 with less than 3 minutes remaining, as Advance was held scoreless for the first 4 minutes of the fourth quarter. Following the free throws, Advance went on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 49-45 with 1:25 remaining.

A 3-point play from Trenton Moses cut the deficit to 51-48 with 1:09 left, but the Hornets got no closer.

"These guys have tremendous character," Advance coach Joe Shoemaker said. "It looked like it was over, but we forced a few turnovers. When we got within six points, two or three baskets, a bounce here or there [and it[']s a different ball game]."

Advance already owned two wins over Puxico this season, but the Indians won when it counted.

"That's something we realized and talked about," Shoemaker said. "It is tough to beat a good team three times, and they are a good team."

The teams changed leads eight times in the opening half. With the 6-foot-3 Moses controlling the boards for Advance in the first half, the Hornets were able to close the half on a 9-1 run to go ahead 26-19 at halftime.

Moses and all-state senior Alex Steil combined for 21 points through three quarters as Advance had its biggest lead at nine points early in the third, but a pair of long scoring droughts did the Hornets in during the second half.

Steil led the Hornets with 17 points and Moses had 13.

St. Vincent girls cruise

In the District 3 girls championship, top-seeded St. Vincent cruised to a 50-14 win over No. 3 Meadow Heights. It was the first district title for St. Vincent since 1989.

After falling to perennial power Metro in the district tournament the previous two years, including last year in the district finals, St. Vincent got to be on the other end of a lopsided district final.

St. Vincent will play in a sectional game at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday at Mineral Area College in Park Hills.

Jessica Welker and Lacey Siegmund led St. Vincent with 12 points apiece.

"Sometimes things just line up right, and that happened to be the case this year," said St. vincent coach Terry Wengert, who is in her 15th year as St. Vincent coach. "We have a good group of girls that work hard, and they wanted to make it happen."

Chelsey Kight led Meadow Height with five points.

Puxico 58, Advance 52

Puxico 15 4 14 25 -- 58

Advance 12 14 8 18 -- 52

PUXICO (58) -- J Hon 18, Cody Clark 15, Dylan Adams 12, Matt Allison 3, David Crain 5, Kerry McClure 5. FG 18, FT 16-22, F 11 (3-pointers: Hon 6. Fouled out: none)

ADVANCE (52) -- Alex Steil 17, Trenton Moses 13, Rusty Hendricks 7, Adam Baker 9, Cody Mitchell 3, Tyler Wade 3. FG 22, FT 4-5, F 21 (3-pointers: Steil 1, Wade 1, Hendricks 1, Baker 1. Fouled out: Hendricks)

St. Vincent 50, Meadow Heights 14

M. Heights 4 1 5 4 -- 14

St. Vincent 9 12 19 10 -- 50

MEADOW HEIGHTS (14) -- Chelsey Kight 5, Tora Jordan 2, Ashley Doublin 3, Sara Hendrickson 2, Sahra Mills 2. FG 4, FT 5-11, F 14 (3-pointers: Doublin 1. Fouled out: Amanda Hendrickson)

ST. VINCENT (50) -- Jessica Welker 12, Lacey Siegmund 12, Lindsay Prost 7, Miranda Holmes 4, Kelsey Cissell 2, Courtney Besand 3, Elizabeth Rozier 2, Lynn Zoellner 2, Brooke Brown 6. FG 19, FT 10-12, F 10 (3-pointers: Welker 2. Fouled out: none)