Five boys’ and girls’ teams from the metro area clicked their tickets to the Missouri State High School Activities Association state basketball semifinals this past weekend with victories in the quarterfinals with four of those teams are looking to repeat as state champions.
Let’s recap a busy week on the hardwood with this week’s Monday Morning Wrap Up!
Incarnate Word ran their current winning streak to 66 games in girls’ quarterfinal action as the Red Knights defeated Troy 70-32 at Maryville University Saturday afternoon. The Trojans kept things close in the first quarter before IWA outscored Troy 53-17 over the final three quarters to move on to the Class 6 semifinals. Natalie Potts paced the Red Knights with 17 points and eight rebounds while Saniah Tyler added 13 markers to help the Red Knights in the victory. IWA is looking to win its fifth consecutive state title.
St. Joseph’s Academy won their sixth straight game in a 41-37 quarterfinal win over Jackson Saturday to set up a rematch with long-time rival IWA in the semifinals. The Angels raced out to a 16-4 lead after the first period and held off an Indian comeback in the second half to claim the win. Kayla Jansen led the St. Joe’s attack with 14 points with Kiley Duchardt chipping in 13 points and eight boards in the win. The Angels advance to the state final four for the 18th time in program history.
In Class 5, Webster Groves moved on to the girls’ semifinals with a 41-27 victory over Cape Notre Dame Saturday. The Statesmen grabbed control of the game in the opening quarter and never looked back to advance to the state semifinals for the second straight year. Ellie Paloucek poured in 15 points with Eliza Maupin adding 14 markers to lead Webster Groves.
Whitfield moved on to the Class 5 semifinals with a 44-27 win over Warrenton Saturday. The Warriors are looking to repeat as state champions as they will take on Webster Groves in the semifinals. Brooklyn Rhodes paced the Warriors with 17 points and JaNyla Bush added 11 in the win for Whitfield.
In Class 4 action, John Burroughs advanced to the state final four for the first time since 2003 with a 53-42 win over Hallsville Saturday. Monet Witherspoon led the way for the Bombers with 25 points while Allie Turner added 12 markers in the win.
Over in boys’ action, CBC and Chaminade brought home wins to set up a clash for the third time this season in the Class 6 semifinals.
The Cadets needed a big second quarter to pull away from St. Louis University High in the quarterfinals to garner a 53-40 victory. After trailing the Jr. Bills 14-12 in the first quarter, CBC outscored the SLUH 17-8 to propel themselves to the win. Robert Martin paced the Cadets with 29 points in the win as CBC returns to the state final four for the first time since 2019.
The Red Devils return to the final four after a 57-37 win over Fort Zumwalt South in the quarterfinals Saturday. After taking a 27-23 lead into the halftime locker room, Chaminade held the Bulldogs scoreless in the third quarter to pull away for the win. Nilavan Jotham Daniels led the Red Devil attack with a game-high 24 points to push Chaminade to the semifinals. The Cadets and Chaminade split their two regular-season meetings this season.
Cardinal Ritter is looking to win their third straight title after advancing to the semifinals with a 67-47 win over St. Dominic Saturday evening. The Lions took control of the game in the first half by leading the Crusaders 36-14 at the break and cruised to the victory.
Webster Groves joins their girls’ team in the semifinals after the Statesmen defeated Cape Central 75-65 Saturday in the quarterfinals. Matt Enright led all scorers with 29 points while Ethan Chartrand added 22 markers to pace the Statesmen. Webster Groves moves on to the final four for the first time since they won the title in 2018.
In Class 4 action, Vashon advanced to the state final four with a 69-44 win over state-ranked Mexico Saturday afternoon. The Wolverines are looking to claim their third straight title as they are making their 23rd appearance in the state final four.
The Class 6 semifinals will kick off Thursday afternoon with IWA taking on St. Joe’s at noon at JQH Arena while in the boys’ semifinals, CBC and Chaminade will battle at 4 p.m.
Jim Powers has been covering prep sports in the St. Louis area for 15+ years and a part of the Missouri State High School Activities Association Championship Broadcasts for the past 11 years. Powers is also a part of the Fox 2 Verlo Mattress Prep Zone Friday nights at 10:10 during the football and basketball seasons. If you have a prep sports story, please contact Jim at japowers2421@yahoo.com. Follow Jim at @hssportscaravan
