SCC boys basketball team successfully defends Scott-Miss. tourney title

ORAN, Mo. -- Defending champs was an apt description of the Scott County Central boys basketball team Friday night in the championship game of the Scott-Mississippi Conference Tournament.

The top-seeded Braves, who won the title in 2014, used a tight, shot-blocking defense to resist any upset attempt by third-seeded Oran and claim a 75-64 victory.

The Braves blocked at least six shots in the game and scored 22 points off turnovers in defeating the Eagles by 11 points in the championship game for the second consecutive year.

"We were focusing in on defense today," said Braves junior Jeffery Porter, who finished with a game-high 25 points before fouling out. "We were wanting to get out and get running, and our defense leads to our offense."

Porter was in the thick of the defense and often the resulting offense, including a couple of the more pivotal plays of the game.

One such play came in the second quarter when Oran was riding the hot hand of senior guard Jacob Priggel, who scored 16 of his team-high 24 points in the first half.

Priggel had netted nine points in the first quarter, which ended with Oran leading 15-14. The Braves used three free throws at the start of the second quarter for a 17-15 advantage, but Priggel struck for his second 3-pointer of the game, from the left side of the key, to give Oran its final lead of the night with 6 minutes, 10 seconds left in the half.

"When he's going, it's fun to watch," said Oran senior Hunter Schlosser, who contributed 14 points before fouling out midway through the fourth quarter.

Senior Javonta Daniel reclaimed the lead for the Braves on their next possession when he sank a 10-footer jumper from the right side of the lane. The Braves added a free throw before Priggel tried to recapture the lead for the Eagles with a 3-point shot from around the same spot of his last successful attempt.

"I knew he was going to shoot it, so I had to go out there and try to contest it," Porter said.

Porter deflected Priggel's attempt and the ball was corralled by a teammate, who tossed it ahead for Porter for a layin.

It was part of an 8-0 run for SCC, which took a 35-29 lead into halftime.

"They picked up their pressure on the ball in the passing lanes and we struggled with that just a little bit," Oran coach Joe Shoemaker said. "It gave us some trouble and got us out of rhythm."

Porter scored off a turnover to start the second half before Priggel struck for his final 3-pointer of the night in the first minute of the period to draw the Eagles to within five points at 37-32.

The Braves extended the lead to 17 points in less than three minutes, scoring on five consecutive possessions.

SCC scored off three consecutive turnovers at one point, including a four-point play by Porter that pushed the lead to double figures. Sophomore Tyus Banks started the rare scoring play with a steal in his own end, dribbled downcourt and fed Porter, who was knocked on his backside while making his shot from the top of the key.

"We were just kind of standing in our offense, and our defense kind of helped us get points on the board," Porter said.

The Eagles never seriously threated the Braves from that point on.

"That hurt," Oran coach Joe Shoemaker said about the Eagles' 12-0 run. "You can't put yourself in a hole against these guys."

Oran committed six of its 15 turnovers in the game in the third quarter.

"They outworked us and hustled a lot more than us," Schlosser said. "It's hard to keep up with them. They're in pretty good shape."

SCC took a 56-44 lead into the fourth quarter and extended its lead to 16 points in the opening minutes.

Oran's first possession of the period resulted in a turnover, and the Eagles' first three shots were blocked.

"They're very good at that," Shoemaker said. "They challenge the shots and they're still able to get the defensive rebounds. That's what makes them unique."

The three successive blocked shots helped counter a shaky offensive period for the Braves, who committed six of their 11 turnovers over the final eight minutes and saw Porter foul out.

"We had quite a few, " Scott County Central coach Frank Staple said about the blocks. "I think that's a result of being aggressive and active on defense."

Oran trailed by 11 points when its leading scorer, Schlosser, fouled out, but the Eagles were still able to cut the deficit to eight points down the stretch.

Scott County had only two field goals in the fourth quarter but stayed comfortably ahead by sinking 15 of 20 free throws and controlling possession with offensive rebounds.

The Braves (15-4), who have won six straight, finished with four players in double-figure scoring, including Matt Blissett with 15, Daniels with 12 and Tre Moore with 10.

The loss ended a five-game winning streak for Oran, which upended second-seeded Scott City with a 33-point victory in Thursday's semifinals.

"Early in the season, if you would have said we were going to be this good, I wouldn't have said so," Schlosser said. "Right now we're starting to be a lot better."

Junior Garrison Mangels added 13 points for the Eagles (13-6).

"We're going in the right direction," Shoemaker said. "We're finally getting everybody here and healthy. We're building in the right direction, we just need to make sure it doesn't go backwards Monday in practice."

Third place

Dylan Keller hit five 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 26 points as the second-seeded Rams rebounded from a 33-point loss in the semifinals with an 84-61 victory over Kelly.

The Rams took a 20-13 lead into the second quarter and exploded for 28 points, with Keller knocking down three of his treys in the period. The Rams took a 48-33 lead into the third quarter, where Keller struck for two more 3-pointers as the lead grew to 22 points.

Trent Pobst added 21 points for Scott City, while Brock Uelsmann scored 18.

Cayden Williams also hit for five 3-pointers for Kelly to finish with a team-high 15 points. Jacob McClain added 12 points and Levi Alsup finished with 11.

Scott County Central 75, Oran 64

Oran 15 14 15 20 -- 64

Scott County 14 21 21 19 -- 75

ORAN (64) -- Thomas Trankler 3, Max Priggel 5, Jacob Priggel 24, Hunter Schlosser 14, Jason Bennett 2, Garrison Mangels 13. FG 22, FT 13-19, F 24 (3-pointers: M. Priggel, J. Priggel 2, Schlosser. Fouled out: Trankler, M. Priggel, Schlosser)

SCOTT COUNTY CENTRAL (75) -- Drake Kesler 2, Tyus Banks 9, Jeffery Porter 25, Tre Moore 10, Javonta Daniels 12, Matt Blissett 15, Skylar Lemons 2. FG 25, FT 24-33, F 21 (3-pointers: Porter. Fouled out: Porter)

Scott City 84, Kelly 61

Kelly 13 20 12 16 -- 61

Scott City 20 28 19 17 -- 84

KELLY (61) -- Maurice Davis 4, Dalton Huffman 3, Cayden Williams 15, Levi Alsup 11, Jacob McClain 12, Isai Campos 9, Conner Dittlinger 7. FG 22, FT 10-13, F 25 (3-pointers: Huffman, Williams 5, Campos. Fouled out: none)

SCOTT CITY (84) -- Dylan Keller 26, Trent Pobst 21, Drew Short 2, Austin Spriggs 2, Nick Bickings 1, Isiah Berry 8, Jordan Kluesner 1, Brock Uelsmann 18, Braden Cox 8, Tyler Rogers 2. FG 29, FT 22-33, F 18 (3-pointers: Keller 5. Fouled out: none)