Sikeston spoils Dons’ home finale

DONIPHAN — Two successful teams entered Tuesday’s night matchup to compete, but a standout performance from one junior changed the outcome of the entire game.

A big game from Sikeston’s Dontrez Williams helped the Bulldogs get a strong win over the Doniphan Dons 88-61, spoiling the Dons’ last regular-season game.

“I thought we competed really well, but I thought the second quarter hurt us a little bit,” Doniphan head coach Daniel Cagle said. “We let them make a run on us a few times there, and we didn’t get back on defense, and they got some easy baskets because of it. We came back out in the second half and fought to get back in, but Sikeston is a really good team.”

Williams, who finished with 30 points, was a man on a mission, and he wanted to set the tone for other opponents that this Sikeston team is one of the best area squads heading into the district tournament.

“This win felt really good,” Williams said. “I thought we moved the ball very well, and the biggest thing is that we were able to lock down one of their best shooters for the most part.”

Sikeston head coach Gregg Holifield said getting this win was big for his team, and he couldn’t be happier about their execution tonight.

“I thought we came out with good energy,” Holifield said. “We shared the ball offensively and did some good things defensively, but I must give credit to Doniphan. They really played hard and are a very well-coached team. I am just pleased with how we came in here and played as well as we did.”

Both Doniphan and Sikeston (18-7) came out with a full head of steam, trading baskets as one team tried to gain the upper hand.

To say the least, the upper hand went to the Bulldogs as an early first-half run sealed the fate of Doniphan.

Sikeston’s early lead was credited to the full-court pressure defense that forced many turnovers into uncontested fastbreak baskets.

The Bulldogs had their shots falling from all angles, and Doniphan struggled to stop the run. Most of the Bulldogs’ points were captured inside the paint, but this team is no slouch when it comes to getting baskets from beyond the arch. They knocked down 11 3-pointers, and with shots falling consistently, it’s hard to beat any team.

The Bulldogs were unstoppable in the second quarter, turning a once five-point gap into a 52-34 lead heading into halftime.

The third quarter was much of the same as the Bulldogs continued their attacks to the basket and intense defense. Doniphan attempted to make a run, but the window for a comeback quickly slipped away.

Williams wasn’t the only player to have a good night for the Bulldogs. Sophomore Lekereon McCray added with 13 points, and Tristan Wiggins chipped in with 12.

“We knew coming in here, it’d be tough,” Holifiled said. “We just have to continue to work and continue this run heading into the district tournament.

Though trailing 68-49 to start the last period, Doniphan kept its foot on the gas and continued to compete until the final buzzer, and Cagle was pleased with his team’s effort to keep fighting.

Max Owen led Doniphan with 20 points.