Walker leads Panthers past Delta

Adam Walker hasn't been in attendance, or even alive, to see all the times the Meadow Heights boys basketball team has been eliminated from the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament before the final night of play.

"No, but every year I've came here," he said. "This is the first year I've played in it, but every year we've came here, we've never made it to the last day no matter what. There's kind of a curse on this Christmas Tournament."

With Walker's help, the curse finally has ended.

He didn't do any ritual chanting or perform any acts of magic, but he did score a game-high 22 points in his team's 80-65 defeat of Delta on Tuesday. With the win, the Panthers advanced to the consolation championship game against Leopold at 3 p.m. today.

"That's very important," Meadow Heights coach Tom Brown said of playing a fourth and final game at the tournament. "That's one of our main goals. It's been since '88 or '89 that Meadow Heights has won it, and I don't think they've been in the final night in over 20 years."

It looked early in the game like the Panthers were going to advance with ease past the No. 12 seed, Delta. Meadow Heights led 27-11 after the first quarter, but allowed the Bobcats to make a comeback.

Delta began the second quarter on a 13-0 run and eventually took a 36-33 lead into halftime, when Brown addressed his team.

"He said we weren't doing any of the things we talked about doing," Walker said. "He said you aren't going to win the game like that, so we came out in the second half with better intensity and decided on winning that game."

The Bobcats were able to keep pace with Meadow Heights' furious pace for another quarter, but after entering the fourth quarter with just a one-point lead, the Panthers pulled away.

Delta 11 25 10 19 -- 65

Meadow Heights 27 6 14 33 -- 80

DELTA (65) -- Teddy May 12, Cody Helderman 2, Zach Riegert 13, Seth Blattel 2, Chase Crowden 11, Cody Naramore 4, Cody Schremp 7, Shelby Kight 14. FG 28, FT 6-16, F 21. (3-pointers: May 1, Riegert 1, Crowden 1. Fouled out: none)

MEADOW HEIGHTS (80) -- Adam Walker 22, Dustin Hubler 17, Daylan Davis 6, Trent Kiefer 2, Calen Buerck 24, Ethan Mayfield 7, Trever Hotop 2. FG 27, FT 22-28, F 16. (3-pointers: Walker 1, Buerck 3. Fouled out: none)