Sikeston overcomes slow start to down Cape Central

A dominant offensive performance from Landri Hammontree led the way as the Sikeston Bulldogs downed the Cape Central Tigers 56-43 on Wednesday night.

Sikeston coach Vaughn Shephard said the district implications on this game were a motivating factor for his club.

“This was a big game for us,” Shephard said. “We knew we needed to get this win.”

A tenacious effort on the defensive end led to some easy buckets at the rim in transition to give the Tigers a 15-11 lead after the first quarter.

“We didn’t protect the middle tonight,” Shephard said. “The middle was wide open tonight on the defensive end. We adjusted at times but I didn’t think we did a good job of it.”

Benefitting from her effort to run the floor, Cape Central’s Gracyn Morris poured in 8 early points to lead the Tigers.

The Bulldogs were able to flip the script on the Tigers in the second quarter by increasing their effort on the defensive end.

“We just showed them something a little different,” Shephard said. “We just wanted to give them a different look and wait for them to make a mistake and then capitalize on it.”

Much like the Tigers in the first quarter, Sikeston was able to create some easy looks at the rim, allowing them to win the quarter 14-6 and give them a 25-21 lead entering the locker room at halftime.

“We were ahead so we wanted to go back out and have two solid quarters,” Shephard said. “It was just a conversation about playing smart and staying ahead.”

Both clubs traded baskets in the early portion of the third quarter as the Tigers were able to trim the lead to 33-31 with three minutes remaining in the third.

Sikeston was able to end the final three minutes of the third quarter strong as the Bulldogs extended their lead to 38-31 entering the fourth quarter.

“It’s all about believing in each other,” Shephard said. “Once we get the rebound we have to control the offense and make good decisions with the basketball.”

Like she had done all night, Sikeston’s Landri Hammontree continued to impress as she knifed through the Tigers' defense to continue adding to her scoring total.

The Bulldogs were led offensively by Hammontree who poured in 28 points in the win.

“She’s so coachable,” Shephard said. “She knows she has the green light to shoot the basketball.”

Behind Hammontree’s effort, the Bulldogs were able to hold off the Tigers to win 56-43.

The Tigers were led by Gracyn Morris who scored 18 points.

Cape Central (9-15) will look to close the regular season with a win at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb 19, when the Tigers host Park Hills Central.

Sikeston (10-12) puts its four-game winning streak on the line at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15, when the Bulldogs travel to take on Malden.

__ SIKESTON 56, CAPE CENTRAL 43__

Sikeston 11 14 13 18 — 56

Cape Central 15 6 10 12 — 43

Sikeston (56) — Landri Hammontree 28, Marlie Crook 12, Alex Seyers 7, Kennedi Sims 5, Faith Calvin 2, Dontaysia Gipson 2. FG: 18. (3-pointers: Hammontree 2)

Cape Central (43) — Gracyn Morris 18, Brooklynn Moss 8, Allie Cairns 7, Emani Summers 5, Brynn Wulfers 2, Nyah Rogers 2, Jazz Robinson 1. FG: 16. (3-pointers: Cairns 1)