A big win for the McAuley Catholic girls basketball team at the 38th annual Mercy/Warrior Classic culminated in a jubilant celebration, as junior Kayleigh Teeter scored her 1,000th career point in her team’s 48-37 win over Lamar.
The Warriors got off to a good start, opening the game on a 7-2 run, thanks to two baskets from junior Kennedy DeRuy, a basket from senior Gliza Damaso, and a free throw from sophomore Lily Black. The Tigers responded with a 6-2 run of their own, with the two points being Teeter’s first two free throws of the evening. At the end of the first quarter, McAuley led 9-8.
In the second quarter, Lamar kept firing on all cylinders, scoring 15 points and simultaneously playing good defense by holding the Warriors to just nine points. At one point the Tigers were on a 7-2 run. Teeter added six more points for the Warriors, while DeRuy went 2-for-2 from the line, and freshman Kloee Williamson also made a free throw.
McAuley went into the half with a 23-18 deficit.
McAuley looked like a whole different team coming out of halftime, as they went on a huge 14-3 run that lasted the entire quarter. Teeter really caught fire, hitting three baskets, and going 2-for-2 from the line, giving her seven points in the quarter and inching her closer to the 1,000 point mark. Damaso added three points, and Williamson also hit an impressive 3-pointer. That barrage of points, coupled with holding Lamar to just three points, meant McAuley held a 32-26 lead going into the fourth quarter.
“I told the girls to keep pushing,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “I felt like if we could keep up the intensity on defense we could make some turnovers, and I think that’s what happened. We got some steals and made some easy baskets. Our defense played phenomenal in the third quarter. To hold a team like Lamar to just three points is really saying something about our team’s character.”
As the final eight minutes ticked away, the Warriors continued to add to their lead, and as the outcome of the game became clear everyone instead became focused on another important milestone: Teeter getting to 1,000 career points.
DeRuy made two baskets and went 2-for-2 from the line, giving her 12 points for the night. Williamson and Black each made baskets of their own. With just six minutes left in the game, and still needing three points, everyone else was making baskets, but Teeter had watched the ball just barely jump out of the rim instead of going in.
Then the first foul came, and she went 2-for-2. The entire crowd watched in anticipation as she made an impressive steal, but just barely missed a layup. On the ensuing play she was fouled yet again, and this time she did not miss, making her career 1,000th point with 2:03 to go in the game. The crowd went wild and had a collective sigh of relief.
It turned out that Teeter wasn’t done yet either. She came back and easily made her second free throw, and before the game was over hit two more, going 6-for-6 from the line in the final quarter and giving her 22 points for the night.
“It felt amazing, it was a big surprise,” Teeter said. “I thought I needed about five more games, but then I found out I just needed one more. When it happened that was also a surprise because it was just a free throw, and you don’t get that reaction just for a free throw. There was a lot of pressure, between the 1,000 points, winning another championship, and just playing a good team in Lamar. I wasn’t too concerned about whether or not I was going to get it, I was more concerned about the win. 1,000 points is a personal goal, but the team win was more important.”
“Kayleigh did cut it close, but she’s a competitor and I just kept pushing her,” added Coach Howard. “It was a little emotional. She’s only a junior, to get to that point in her career, she’s the hardest player I have. It couldn’t have happened to a better person, as good as she is on the court, she’s twice the person off of it and a great role model for our community.”
Kara Morey scored 12 points for Lamar, while Josey Adams added seven.
Congratulations to McAuley Catholic junior Kayleigh Teeter for joining the 1,000 point club!! 🔥🔥@JACS1885 @warriorsports_ @SoMo_Sports @J_GlobeSports @koamfox14sports @KSNLocalSports @KODESports @OzarksOzone @scoreboardguy @SWMOBasketball @JoplinSports @FoxSportsJoplin pic.twitter.com/LHRk86XbBE
— Coach Howard (@McAuleyAD) February 5, 2021
WARRIOR CLASSIC ROUNDUP
COLLEGE HEIGHTS BOYS 54, MCAULEY 50
College Heights built an early lead and held off McAuley down the stretch to earn a win at the Mercy/Warrior Classic on Thursday.
The win sends the Cougars to the tournament championship game with a matchup against Joplin JV at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
CHC outscored McAuley 17-11 in the second period to build a nine-point, 27-18 lead by halftime. The margin remained the same heading into the fourth quarter, where the Warriors outscored the Cougars 17-12 but fell shy of making the comeback.
Miller Long led College Heights with 14 points, while Curtis Davenport added 13 and Ethan Meeks 12.
Daniel Wagner led McAuley with 14 points, while Thomas Black also finished in double figures with 12. Matthew Dohmen contributed eight in the loss.
LAMAR JV GIRLS 35, THOMAS JEFFERSON 18
Lamar JV girls outscored Thomas Jefferson 17-9 in the first half, building a comfortable cushion on the way to the win over Thomas Jefferson in the Mercy/Warrior Classic.
Thomas Jefferson held the Tigers scoreless in the first quarter on the way to a four-point lead. Lamar JV rallied in the second to take an eight-point margin into the half before pulling away down the stretch.
Ella Harris and Jaycee Doss led Lamar JV with eight points each, while Sydney Stamps led the Cavaliers with eight points.
