Stars shine at B.A. Sports All-Star Extravaganza event

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Saturday's B.A. Sports All-Star Extravaganza basketball games were filled with highlight-reel performances.

Ellington's Megan Santhuff and Scott County Central's Brittney Peet put on a defensive clinic in the girls game.

Bell City's Will Bogan dominated the glass and Advance's Alex Steil torched the net in the small-school game.

And in the large-school game, Malden's Alonzo Louis delivered his usual array of no-look passes while Charleston's Justin Clark hit a handful of deep 3s.

Although none of the highlights will be aired on SportsCenter, none of them will be forgotten by the family members and fans who witnessed them -- or by the players who created them.

"It was fun coming out and playing with guys who I've played against for years, played against since I was a little kid, really," Puxico's Dylan Adams said.

More than 60 of Southeast Missouri's finest players were selected to participate in the basketball event while 25 players played in the volleyball all-star game, which was held Friday night. The players were nominated by area coaches and voted onto the team through a ballot system. From there, the fans chose the starting lineups by logging on to the B.A. Sports Web site.

With hundreds of fans filing through the Bess Activity Center to watch the all-day event, the talent that was on-hand did not disappoint.

Ste. Genevieve's Lindsay Rhodes led all scorers in the girls game with 13 points as she led her Allen Christian-sponsored team to a 67-50 victory. Rhodes' most impressive stretch came at the end of the first half when she scored on two jump-steps through the lane and then buried a spinning jumper in the post.

For the opposing team, Santhuff and Peet showed why they were praised all year as defensive stalwarts by their coaches.

Halfway through the first half, Santhuff recorded back-to-back steals and set up Kaci Menz's 3-point play in the second half with a steal at halfcourt.

Peet scored two coast-to-coast layups off steals and recorded a block and a handful of rebounds.

"I might be biased, but I think it's safe to say she is the best defender in Southeast Missouri," Scott County Central and all-star coach Semona Penrod said. "She has so much quickness and she does it with such ease."

Doniphan's Morgan Davis scored seven points in the losing effort, including the first 3-pointer of the game. Dexter's Haylee Finch scored 12 points for the winning side.

In the small-school game, classes 1 and 2, Seil led the way with a game-high 14 points as his Manac-sponsored team won 80-71. Bogan complemented Steil with 10 points and a host of rebounds. During a two-minute stretch at the end of the first half, Bogan hit a turnaround jumper in the post, scored a putback, blocked a shot and hauled in three defensive rebounds.

Neelyville's Josh Miller bagged eight points for the winning side, including a pull-up jumper from 15 feet early in the game while Puxico's Dylan Adams scored seven points.

South Pemiscot's Felix Spates led the losing team with 13 points. Massey, who played post for the Mules, showed he has some good outside game as he hit a long turnaround jumper and a 3-pointer on the way to nine points. He also recorded a huge block from behind against Steil in the second half on a breakaway layup.

In the large-school game, Justin Clark recorded the highest scoring effort of the day as he hit four 3-pointers on the way to 17 points. But Clark's scoring effort wasn't able to overcome Sikeston Julian Beard and his 13 points as the Overturf-sponsored team won 71-58.

For the winning team, Malden's Quentin Franks scored seven points and Doniphan's Nick Webb scored five.

Louis recorded a number of assists, including a behind-the-back dish to Beard for a layup and a double-team kick-out on the baseline to Kelly's Spencer Ayers for two points.

Malden's Robbie Ison scored 13 points in the losing effort and Doniphan's Adam Carpenter scored four.

"It's an honor to be selected to play here," Franks said. "Its a privilege. It's saying that I am one of the best."