Saxony girls basketball team defeats Jackson in Holiday Classic final

For two and a half seasons, Ali Galemmo has been content to let her teammates share the limelight.

But with a chance to shine, the junior forward from Saxony Lutheran High School didn't disappoint.

Galemmo scored a career-high 15 points and dominated in the paint as the Crusaders defeated Jackson 44-38 in the championship game of the Kelso Supply Holiday Classic Monday night at the Show Me Center.

It was the Crusaders' second Kelso title in three years. And like the first one, it didn't come easy.

"Jackson's defense was outstanding," Saxony coach Sam Sides said. "We had a hard time running our offense against them, probably the toughest time we had all year long."

But Galemmo was the key. Jackson came out determined to stop the Crusaders' high-scoring duo of Raegan Wieser and Brianna Mueller. But the Indians didn't have an answer for Galemmo, who converted on two key offensive rebounds and several baseline drives at opportune times.

"She had opportunities tonight, and she really came out and lifted our game up quite a bit," Sides said. "She's pretty athletic, and she can jump. She's worked on her game a lot. Last year she scored very little, But now, when she gets the ball in the paint, she can score."

With the Indians keying on Wieser and Mueller, Galemmo had to step up. And she did.

"She played big," Jackson coach Tyler Abernathy admitted. "We had to make somebody else have a big game. We had to make Wieser and Mueller work, and then someone else have a big game. And she had one."

Galemmo saw extensive action for the Crusaders earlier this season when teammate Maddie Brune missed several games with a concussion. That exposure and experience paid off Monday night.

"This year I've focused on trying to post up and drive a lot more," she said. "They're feeding me the ball, and I'm just trying to help my team out. I felt like while (Brune) was gone I needed to step it up for my teammates."

Galemmo scored seven points in the final period as the Crusaders (10-0) fended off a furious Jackson rally that saw the Indians cut what was a 10-point first-half deficit to three points early in the fourth period following Rachel Crites' 3-pointer from the wing.

Saxony answered when Grace Mirly found Galemmo underneath with a nice pass for a layup that boosted the Crusaders' lead to 31-26. Following a steal by Wieser, Mueller connected on a three from the left wing for a 34-26 advantage.

Jackson cut it to four on another 3-pointer by Crites off an inbounds play and her baseline pullup jumper -- Crites' eighth consecutive point -- but they would get no closer as the Crusaders put the game away at the free throw line, hitting six of 10 over the final four minutes.

Sides said Saxony's effort to get the ball inside was a key with Jackson's defense closing on the Crusaders' outside shooters.

"It puts a lot of pressure on the defense in the paint," Sides said. "And we got on the foul line quite a bit because of that."

The Crusaders outscored Jackson 13-5 at the foul stripe, hitting 13 of 17 free throws for the game.

Saxony led 16-10 after one period and 22-14 at the half, a deficit that proved too difficult for the Indians (6-2) to overcome.

"They're good defensively," Abernathy said. "They're well-coached, so you're not gonna make many runs on them. Once we got down early, we knew it was an uphill climb."

Mueller was one of four freshman starters when Saxony won its first Kelso title two years ago on two last-second free throws from Tess Daniel. The Crusaders fell to Notre Dame by three points in last year's final, and Mueller and her teammates were determined to make amends.

"After losing [last year] to Notre Dame, we came out this year and said, 'That's not going to happen again,'" Mueller, who scored 14 points, said. "We came out with fire and got the victory."

Noteworthy

• Mueller, Wieser and Mirly were named to the all-tournament team for Saxony, along with Cassidi Tomsu and Kayla Keith from Jackson. Joining them were Erika Peet and Tyeshia Mitchell (Sikeston), Tramonee Stewart (Central), Hayli Chapman (Notre Dame) and Kylie Bilek (Perryville).

Jackson 10 4 9 15 -- 38

Saxony Lutheran 16 6 6 17 -- 44

JACKSON (38) -- Cassidi Tomsu 12, Rachel Crites 11, Rylee Stafford 3, Kayla Keith 8, Nicole Humphries 4. FG 14, FT 5-7, F 16. (3-pointers: Tomsu 2, Crites 2, Keith 1. Fouled out: none)

SAXONY LUTHERAN (44) -- Grace Mirly 5, Ali GAlemmo 15, Brianna Mueller 14, Masyn McWilliams 2, Raegan Wieser 5, Maddie Brune 3. FG 14, FT 13-17, Fouls: 10. (3-pointers: Mueller 2, Wieser 1. Fouled out: none)