Platte County senior Morgan Johnson received a free pass of sorts in leading the Pirates (28-2) to a 62-50 Class 4 girls semifinal win over Miller Career Academy at the Show-Me Showdown basketball tournament at Mizzou Arena Thursday.
After observing game film of the Pirates, Phoenix coach Martin Jenkins steered clear of conventional wisdom and opted to keep a closer eye on Johnson’s teammates, instead of applying the usual double-, triple- or even quadruple-teams the 6-foot-4 senior is used to.
“I think we had to pick our poison,” Jenkins told the Kansas City Star. “What we’ve noticed in watching film is that the other girls are very effective. If she gets 25 or 30 and the other girls get double figures, then I think we lose by more. If she gets 30 and we stop all the others, we maybe could hit a three and maybe pull it out.”
The loose defense allowed Johnson to tie the Class 4 girls Show-Me Showdown single-game scoring record of 41 points in the 12-point win. She scored 27 points in the second half alone.
Johnson also established a tournament record by blocking nine shots and added 11 rebounds to her semifinal line.
She connected on 17-of-21 field goals and 7-of-8 free throws in tying the record, which is also held by Hickman Mills Kim Scroggin and Brandie Roberts of Northeast (Cairo).
Johnson followed her semifinal performance with another one for the ages Saturday.
The University of Iowa recruit scored 24 points, pulled down a tournament single-game record 26 rebounds and blocked 14 shots to re-establish her own swat record in an 81-75 title win over Webb City (26-5).
Her two-day total of 23 blocks erased the previous record of 17 set in 2005 by North Shelby’s Cody Stoneburner.
Kelsey Knox kept the Cardinal defense honest Saturday by scoring a game-high 26 points in the title game and dishing out four assists.
Webb City countered Johnson and Knox by getting 23 and 21 points from Hailey Roderique and Kaitlin Jaeger respectively in the high scoring title match up. Nicole Hudson added 18 points for the Cardinals.
Boys Basketball: Starzl makes family grade
Following Thursday’s 58-40 semifinal win over Miller Career Academy, Kearney’s Dillon Starzl became the third member of his family to qualify for a Missouri state basketball championship game with the Bulldogs.
The 6-8 junior equaled the success of his mother, Dana, who finished as a state runner-up with the Bulldogs in 1986. Starzl’s grandfather, Dave, took it a step further by playing a key role on Kearney’s first-ever state championship team in 1961
Starzl’s title run came to a halt when the Bulldogs (21-10) lost 59-41 to champion St. Francis Borgia (28-3) in the Class 4 boys state basketball final Saturday.
More Boys Basketball: Future looks bright for Chaminade
Three sophomores led Chaminade (27-4) to the Missouri Class 5 state basketball championship following wins over second-ranked Columbia-Rock Bridge (27-3) and top-ranked Grandview (29-2) last weekend.
Brendan Kelly (21), Bradley Beal (19) and Brandon Hannah (14) combined for 54 points in the Flyers' 66-65 win over the Bruins in one of Friday’s semifinals.
Beal then led the way with 30 points in the 80-70 title game win over Grandview Saturday. Hannah and Kelly added 16 and 6 points respectively in the finals.
Girls Basketball: Nixa claims Class 5 title
Bethanie Funderburk scored a game-high 22 points and Nixa (29-2) shut down Blue Springs (28-3) star Drew Roberts in a 56-39 win over the Wildcats to secure the girls Class 5 championship.
While Roberts struggled to 1-of-13 shooting and 2 points, Cee Cee Burris and Mackenzie Sykes scored 11 and 10 points respectively to lead the way for the Wildcats.
The Eagles jumped out to a 29-15 advantage at halftime.
Missouri Boys Show-Me Showdown Results
Class 5 Boys
Sectionals
Parkway West 68, Poplar Bluff 43
Chaminade 79, Kirkwood 66
Columbia-Rock Bridge 59, Waynesville 46
Branson 69, Springfield Catholic 67
Hazelwood Central 69, Lafayette (Wildwood) 60
Oakville 59, Fort Zumwalt South 47
Grandview 79, Lee’s Summit West 69
Liberty 79, William Chrisman 67
Quarterfinals
Chaminade 53, Parkway West 51
Columbia-Rock Bridge 56, Branson 53
Oakville 68, Hazelwood Central 48
Grandview 68, Liberty 65
Semifinals
Chaminade 66, Columbia-Rock Bridge 65
Grandview 73-63
Finals- Chaminade 80, Grandview 70
Consolation- Columbia-Rock Bridge 54, Oakville 40
Class 4 Boys
Sectionals
Sikeston 68, Farmington 38
St. Francis Borgia 49, St. Mary’s (St. Louis) 31
Jefferson City-Helias 66, Logan-Rogersville 45
Aurora 61, Webb City 55
Miller Career Academy 62, Jennings 60
St. Charles West 54, Moberly 40
Hickman Mills 51, Pleasant Hill 40
Kearney 55, Lafayette (St. Joseph) 43
Quarterfinals
St. Francis Borgia 50, Sikeston 41
Jefferson City-Helias 78, Aurora 70
Miller Career Academy 54, St. Charles West 41
Kearney 34, Hickman Mills 33
Semifinals
St. Francis Borgia 69, Jefferson City-Helias 49
Kearney 58, Miller Career Academy 40
Finals- St. Francis Borgia 59, Kearney 41
Consolation- Jefferson City-Helias 57, Miller Career Academy 42
Missouri Girls Show-Me Showdown Results
Class 5 Girls
Sectionals
Parkway North 42, Poplar Bluff 36
Nerinx Hall 41, St. Joseph’s Academy 37
Columbia-Rock Bridge 50, Waynesville 30
Nixa 62, Neosho 36
Hazelwood Central 61, Parkway South 53
Fort Zumwalt West 46, Oakville 43
Blue Springs 44, Raytown 36
Liberty 41, Truman 30
Quarterfinals
Nerinx Hall 39, Parkway North 29
Nixa 44, Columbia-Rock Bridge 39
Hazelwood Central 50, Fort Zumwalt West 47
Blue Springs 59, Liberty 40
Semifinals
Nixa 41, Nerinx Hall 23
Blue Springs 58, Hazelwood Central 47
Finals- Nixa 56, Blue Springs 39
Consolation- Hazelwood Central 58, Nerinx Hall 38
Class 4 Girls
Sectionals
Dexter 60, Farmington 57
Sullivan 66, Notre Dame (St. Louis) 40
St. James 62, Logan-Rogersville 45
Webb City 74, Republic 62
Miller Career Academy 46, McCluer South-Berkeley 34
St. Dominic 56, Boonville 50
Notre Dame de Sion 70, Grain Valley 35
Platte County 66, Staley 49
Quarterfinals
Dexter 46, Sullivan 39
Webb City 60, St. James 39
Miller Career Academy 44, St. Dominic 39
Platte County 51, Notre Dame de Sion 41
Semifinals
Webb City 58, Dexter 47
Platte County 62, Miller Career Academy 50
Finals- Platte County 81, Webb City 75
Consolation- Miller Career Academy 54, Dexter 50
