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GIRLS DISTRICT HOOPS: Kickapoo rallies to defeat Nixa in district title game

By:
Lucas Davis

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.

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