Southeast Missouri State men's basketball recruits lead perfect De Soto past Perryville boys basketball team

~ Jared White and Colin Ferguson combined for 32 points

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A big crowd at Perryville High School was amped to see the Pirates try to take down state-ranked, undefeated De Soto.

De Soto's strong start silenced the home fans early and gave the Dragons' own large rooting section plenty to cheer about.

The Dragons then turned back Perryville's only real threat and rolled 63-49 in a battle of strong Class 4 boys basketball teams Friday night.

"We came out hot and then we finished it off," De Soto senior center Colin Ferguson said after the Dragons led wire to wire.

De Soto improved to 13-0 with its second win over Perryville in nine days. The Pirates (9-4) suffered their third loss in the past four games.

"It was pretty intense," De Soto senior guard Jared White said about the atmosphere in the crowded PHS gym. "We played all right. We can do better at some things."

White and Ferguson, who both have signed with Southeast Missouri State, displayed their talents about a 30-minute drive from where they'll play college basketball.

The talents of White, a quick and strong 6-foot-3, 200-pounder who also excels in football, are more obvious.

But the potential of the 6-10, 240-pound Ferguson, who is much more fluid and nimble than his size might suggest, is apparent as well.

White scored 24 points and dished out seven assists to match his season averages. He hit two 3-pointers and made 14 of 17 free throws.

Ferguson scored eight points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked two shots while altering several others. He averages nearly 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

"Jared is a good player, no doubt about it," De Soto coach Allen Davis said. "Colin has got work to do, but he's got touch. He moves well.

"I think SEMO signed two very good players."

White and Ferguson helped De Soto start fast.

White dribbled through several Perryville defenders during two first-quarter drives that he finished with ease.

White drew several defenders as he maneuvered into the lane late in the opening period. This time White dished off a perfectly timed alley-oop pass that Ferguson threw down with authority to give the Dragons a 12-5 lead.

"I try to get everybody involved," White said.

While White and Ferguson had big impacts on the game, so did De Soto junior guard Sean Solomon.

Solomon, who averages nearly 13 points per contest, scored 18 points. He hit four 3-pointers.

"He hurt us the first time we played them," Perryville coach Joel Roth said about Solomon, who made four 3-pointers and scored 16 points during a 52-45 De Soto win over the Pirates in last week's Park Hills tournament.

Solomon nailed a trey for Friday's opening basket and Perryville never caught up.

It was 12-6 after a first quarter that saw Perryville miss its first five shots and hit just 2 of 10 field goals.

"We couldn't make any shots. We were getting good looks, they just wouldn't fall," Perryville senior forward Jared Thieret said.

The second quarter was the Pirates' real undoing. They were outscored 18-9, and seven points came from White.

De Soto opened 18-point leads twice and went to the break ahead 30-15.

"We came out cold. We didn't shoot worth a darn," said Roth, whose squad hit less than 35 percent of its field goals in the game. "Some of it was their defense. ... If we had shot what we normally do, I think it would have gone down to the wire."

It didn't help the Pirates that Thieret and senior forward Bryce Weibrecht both missed several minutes in the first half. Thieret took a blow to the mouth and Weibrecht turned an ankle, which needed taping.

"Bryce showed a lot of courage going back on the floor," Roth said.

The Pirates used a 10-0 run to cut their deficit to 35-32 late in the third quarter.

White hit two free throws with 50 seconds left in the period, then Solomon buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer after a Perryville turnover to make it 40-32.

"That 3 at the end of the quarter was big," said Roth, whose squad has been without senior starting point guard Ross Moldenhauer for the past several games due to an injury.

Ferguson's basket in the opening seconds of the final period put De Soto up 42-32.

Perryville got back within 42-35 but pulled no closer.

"The whole team never quit," Roth said. "I actually think we played better than the score."

Both teams had second-half foul trouble, which led to a parade at the free-throw line.

De Soto made 18 of 22 fourth-quarter free throws to ice the victory. The Dragons were 22 of 26 in the second half and 31 of 38 for the game.

Perryville was 20 of 30 from the foul line. The Pirates hit 16 of 24 in the second half but just 7 of 14 in the final period.

"We just consistently get into foul trouble. It's every game," Davis lamented.

The 6-5 Thieret led Perryville with 14 points. Senior Jake Dobbelare, a 6-8 center, scored 12 points, and the 6-5 Weibrecht contributed 11.

Jake Patzner, a 6-8, 250-pound junior forward, added seven points and 11 rebounds for De Soto.

"They're a good team," Thieret said. "They've got big guys and so do we. We match up well with them.

"We played hard, but if we don't knock down shots, we're not going to win."

De Soto 12 18 10 23 -- 63

Perryville 6 9 17 17 -- 49

DE SOTO (63) -- Fred Drummond 3, Sean Solomon 18, Kevin Sanders 1, Jared White 24, Jake Bennett 2, Jake Patzner 7, Colin Ferguson 8. FG 13, FT 31-38, F 23. (3-pointers: Solomon 4, White 2. Fouled out: Ferguson)

PERRYVILLE (49) -- Nate Kinnison 1, Jake Dobbelare 12, Alex Robinson 3, Colby Brown 6, Bryce Weibrecht 11, Jacob Lawrence 2, Jared Thieret 14. FG 14, FT 20-30, F 27. (3-pointers: Weibrecht 1. Fouled out: Weibrecht)

JV -- Perryville won 55-50.