Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament: Bell City bounces Oak Ridge from consolation bracket

After eleventh-seeded Bell City made a 3-pointer on each of its first three possessions against No. 14 Oak Ridge in a consolation quarterfinal of the Southeast Missourian Christmas tournament on Friday, the Blue Jays were forced to play catch up the remainder of the way.

Oak Ridge kept it close until the Cubs pulled away in the third quarter and held on for a 53-39 victory at the Show Me Center to advance to a consolation semifinal against No. 10 Meadow Heights at 1:30 p.m. Monday.

Bell City scored the first nine points of the game before a free throw put the Blue Jays on the board with 4 minutes, 43 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Cubs led by as many as 10 in the first quarter, but a basket by Oak Ridge's Joe Grieme with about 20 seconds left cut the lead to 14-6 going into the second quarter.

"I thought we played a horrible -- probably the worst first quarter we could've played -- we were only down eight," Oak Ridge coach Adam Stoneking said. "I told them when we played bad, we're still in this. They're not doing a good job putting you away, so if they're going to let you hang around you've just got to keep battling. I thought we did. I thought we never gave up, just too many mistakes."

The Blue Jays trimmed it to four points 1:16 into the second quarter at 14-10, and again a minute and half later at 16-12 before Bell City coach CJ Hadley called a timeout.

The teams traded baskets before Bell City took a 21-14 lead on a steal and layup by Cole Nichols.

Oak Ridge cut it to three with a Grieme layup and a pair of free throws by Tyee Curry, but a basket by Bell City's Nate Finney with 25 seconds left in the half gave the Cubs a 23-18 halftime advantage.

"Oak Ridge is not a bad team. I just think it's the little things that we didn't do," said Hadley of what allowed the Blue Jays to remain close. "We just kind of took plays off. We didn't stay consistent. That's what I've been trying to teach my boys this year, that we've got to start staying consistent and stop living and dying by the 3-point line. It's like when our shots are falling, everything's going good. When our 3-pointers aren't falling, it's kind of like we fall apart a little bit."

After hitting 3 of 5 3s in the opening eight minutes, the Cubs went 0 for 4 in the second quarter and made just 4 of 13 field goals. Hadley stressed to his team at halftime that they needed to focus on the defensive end.

"We're not an athletic team, so like I tell my team, we've got to play with all five people," Hadley said. "If all five people aren't on the same page playing defense then our offense don't come. I tell my kids, your defense sparks your offense."

Oak Ridge got a quick basket to start the second half and pull within three points before a 16-4 run gave the Cubs its largest lead of the day at 39-24 with 2:14 left in the third.

Finney had five steals during that stretch that turned into points for Bell City.

The Cubs took a 41-27 lead into the fourth quarter and its lead never dropped to single figures again.

Oak Ridge 6 12 9 12 -- 39

Bell City 14 9 18 12 -- 53

OAK RIDGE (33) -- Steven Masterson 2, Nathan Bolin 10, Tyee Curry 2, Jacob Seabaugh 2, Joe Grieme 15, Clay Maintz. FG 14, FT 10-22, F 17. (3-pointers: Grieme. Fouled out: none.)

BELL CITY (53) -- Nate Finney 12, Brandon Abner 2, Logan Yates 4, Cole Nichols 20, Austin Hicks 6, Bobby Wright 3, Peyton Maddox 6. FG 19, FT 11-18, F 21. (3-pointers: Nichols 2, Hicks, Wright. Fouled out: none.)