Area basketball seasons cut short but teams are champions in our book

In the midst of all the closures, cancellations and alterations to business operations, schools and events, it’s easy to overlook sports. But in recent weeks, several local teams have had strong performances, some stopped short of national and state tournaments.

The Southeast Missouri State women’s basketball team finished their 2019-2020 campaign as Ohio Valley Conference tournament champions. Led by OVC Coach of the Year Rekha Patterson, the Redhawks were set to appear in their first NCAA Tournament since 2007. Check out the stories in the Southeast Missourian weekend edition and online at www.semoball.com to relive an incredible season.

Notre Dame boys and girls basketball teams made it to the Class 4 state tournament. Southeast Missourian sports reporter Jeff Long reported this was the first time in school history both the boys and girls qualified for the basketball semifinals at the same time. The girls finished their season 25-4 while the boys final record was 18-9-1.

In the Class 2 semifinal games, Oran boys lost to Skyline while the girls fell to East Buchanan. Meanwhile, Charleston made it to the Class 2 state championship but lost to Cardinal Ritter.

Spring sports are currently in limbo. As the country navigates the novel coronavirus, high school sports are on hold. While sports can seem trivial right now during this global pandemic, it’s still disappointing for the teams not able to finish their seasons — especially for graduating seniors in their final campaigns. Still, congratulations to these teams on exciting finishes and successful seasons. You’re champions in our book.