Day: March 5, 2022

Top-seeded Nixa trailed briefly midway through the fourth quarter before rallying back behind a stout defensive effort to earn a 46-43 win over second-seeded Kickapoo in the Class 6 District 5 championship game on Friday inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.

The Eagles (26-3) trailed by three near the halfway point of the fourth quarter before a quick 9-1 run had Nixa in the driver’s seat with 1:46 left to play. The Eagles took a three-point lead into the final seconds and their defense prevented the Chiefs (25-4) from anything resembling a quality look before the final horn sounded.

“I thought defensively, both teams were awesome,” Nixa coach Jay Osborne said. “We had a difficult time scoring and they had a hard time scoring. It was just two great basketball teams battling and we came out on top. We were lucky to win.”

GAME ACTION

Nixa, winners of two straight district titles, took a 33-30 lead into the fourth quarter before a dunk from Kickapoo’s Zaide Lowery and a 3-pointer from the wing by Brayden Shorter in transition tied the game at 37-37 with 5:16 left in regulation.

Shorter earned a steal after a Nixa timeout and Lowery knocked down a 3-ball from the wing to give the Chiefs a 40-37 lead.

Colin Ruffin buried a 3-pointer in response to tie the game back up and Kael Combs converted on the drive during the next Eagles’ possession to give Nixa a 42-40 lead near the midway point of the period. Jaret Nelson scored inside with 2:58 on the clock to give Nixa a 44-41 advantage. The Eagles pushed the lead to two possessions after a score on the drive by Jackson Bell on an inbounds play with 1:46 left to push the lead to 46-41.

Lowery found room with the drive with 40 seconds left to halt the Eagles’ 8-1 run, trimming the deficit to 46-43.

Landon Keisker earned a steal on the defensive end for the Chiefs, giving Kickapoo possession on its end of the floor with 24.7 seconds following a timeout.

Kickapoo passed the ball around the perimeter looking for a game-tying 3-pointer, but Nixa’s vaunted defense refused to allow the Chiefs a look at a high-quality shot. Ultimately, Kickapoo was forced to throw up a desperation heave in the final seconds, which was no good.

“The last 24 seconds, I think our defense was outstanding,” Osborne said. “That was two heavyweight fighters. We have a ton of respect for their players and coaches. They have had an outstanding season and we have had an outstanding season. It is just sad that one of us has to lose.

“In the fourth quarter, I thought our defense was outstanding. They got loose a couple of times but they have so many weapons. You have to give and take a little because you can’t shut them all down, but I am just really impressed with our kids. We didn’t play perfect—missed free throws, stupid turnovers—but we found a way to win. The sign of a good team is finding ways to win.” 

SCORING LEADERS

Combs and Ruffin each had 13 points to lead Nixa in scoring. Nelson and Bell each closed with eight points in the win.

Lowery had a game-high 19 points to lead Kickapoo, while Traedgon Oetting finished with nine points in the loss. 

UP NEXT

Nixa advances to the sectional round of the Class 6 state playoffs and matches up with Lee’s Summit West (14-13) at 7:45 p.m. on March 12 on the campus of Southwest Baptist University.

Top-seeded Kickapoo trailed early in the fourth quarter only to rally back down the stretch with a game-changing surge on the way to a 55-52 win over second-seeded Nixa in the Class 6 District 5 championship game on Friday inside Kaminsky Gymnasium. 

The Chiefs (22-3) led the entire first half but found themselves trailing by one to start the final eight minutes of play. The Eagles (24-5) scored the first two buckets of the fourth quarter to take a two-possession lead, but Kickapoo rallied with eight straight points to regain the lead and never relinquish it on the way to a district title for the fourth time in the last five years.

“It was a fantastic win and credit to our team to keep hanging in and persevering when it got difficult because it didn’t look good (at times),” Kickapoo coach Jim Pendergrass said. “It’s going to be hard. We bent a lot and bent a lot, but we didn’t break. That is a credit to our kids tonight.”

UP NEXT

Kickapoo advances to take on Truman (18-10) in the sectional round of the Class 6 state tournament. Truman defeated Lee’s Summit West 64-50 in the Class 6 District 6 title game.

GAME ACTION

Kickapoo led for the entire first half and took a 24-23 advantage into the intermission before Nixa opened the second half with a quick 8-0 run to take its first lead of the game. An inside score from Macie Conway gave the Eagles a 25-24 advantage before back to back 3-pointers from Rhianna Gibbons and Conway gave Nixa a 31-24 lead with 5:44 on the clock. 

The Eagles held onto the lead through the rest of the third quarter, with Conway knocking down another 3-ball late to send Nixa into the third break with a 41-37 advantage. Nixa expanded the cushion to 45-40 with 5:30 left in regulation. 

Kickapoo flipped the momentum one final time, responding with the next eight unanswered points to regain control with less than two minutes to play. Delainey Wylie started the run with an inside score before Kaya Goldsby scored on the drive to trim the deficit to 45-44. Kya Johnson put the Chiefs in front with a three-point play at the 3:17 mark to give Kickapoo a 47-45 lead. Goldsby added a free throw moments later to close the run with Kickapoos on top 48-45.

The Chiefs knocked down their free throws down the stretch and ultimately closed the win on a 15-7 run.

“We showed a lot of maturity in a time when it was extremely difficult,” Pendergrass said. “We really started doing a better job of executing offensively and defensively. We got to the foul line a few times and we got stops when we had to have them. That is what it is going to take in a close game.”

SCORING LEADERS

Goldsby led Kickapoo with 16 points, while Ysabella Fontleroy closed with nine points. Wylie added eight points and Brooke Turner contributed seven.

Conway led Nixa with 16 points, while Lily Mahy finished with nine points in the loss.