February 15, 2017
Mitchell leads Sikeston girls to first conference win over Cape Central
SIKESTON -- It was her last game on her home floor and Sikeston's Tyeshia Mitchell made it one to remember. Mitchell torched the visiting Cape Central Tigers for 35 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Sikeston girls basketball team to a 67-49 win Wednesday at the Sikeston Field House...
By Chris Pobst ~ Standard Democrat
SIKESTON -- It was her last game on her home floor and Sikeston's Tyeshia Mitchell made it one to remember.
Mitchell torched the visiting Cape Central Tigers for 35 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Sikeston girls basketball team to a 67-49 win Wednesday at the Sikeston Field House.
The senior shot 54 percent (14 for 26) from the floor. She added four steals and three emphatic blocks that all sailed out of bounds after contact.
"She just really wanted to take care of business tonight," Sikeston coach Alisha Wills said about Mitchell. "I think with it being the last game at home, that was on her mind."
Wednesday was also Sikeston's first regular season SEMO Conference win after last year's historic run.
The Bulldogs won their first-ever league title out-right last season and tied for the conference title the year before with Dexter. Sikeston lost its first six league games this season and finish with a 1-6 conference record.
"For it to be our last game at the Field House, last conference game, this was kind of the icing on the cake for our seniors," Wills said. "That was the motivation. This was one that we needed to have, especially getting ready to go into district. Especially Tyeshia, I think they just had it in their mind that we had to get things done."
It was a typical game for Mitchell, filled with finishes at the rim and offensive putbacks. But her mindset changed in the second half when she noticed Cape Central's foul total was ticking up.
Mitchell smelled blood and wanted to put the Tigers away the best way she knew how.
Sikeston's leading scorer drove past any Cape Central defender that challenged her and, simply, laid it in.
"I knew they were in foul trouble so the only way to get them out of the game was to drive to the basket," Mitchell said. "I knew I would have success by doing that."
Mitchell, who had 16 points and eight rebounds in the first half, scored 11 of Sikeston's 17 points in the third quarter to push Sikeston's once 30-28 lead at halftime to a 47-38 advantage at the end of the third.
"We struggled really to shut down Mitchell," Cape Central coach Lance Tollison said. "[Sikeston] turned up the pressure on us and we made some bad decisions. If we kind of weather some of that and talk on defense, we probably could have came out a little bit better in the third."
Mitchell had eight points in the fourth quarter. Her last field goal put the Bulldogs ahead 62-43.
Not looking to score as much, Mitchell worked her way to the basket and dished off to Keira Steward, who added 13 points, Antravia Green, who finished with 10 points and six rebounds, and Larysa McClellon, who scored eight.
"That's one thing we've changed and tried to do better was attacking the basket," Wills said. "I think we're starting to see the progress with that."
Mitchell's second half performance made Cape Central's early success seem like a distant memory.
After falling behind 6-0, the Tigers (9-14, 1-6 SEMO Conference) shot 5 for 8 from the floor and led 16-14 after the first quarter.
Sydney Tollison, who finished with nine points, drained a three to give Cape Central a 28-27 advantage with 1:29 to play in the second quarter. That was the last lead they would enjoy.
Mitchell immediately answered on the other end with an offensive rebound, putback and the foul for a 3-point play and a 30-28 Sikeston lead.
"She's tough. There's no doubt about it," Tollison said. "She's a difficult matchup for us and I thought we did a good job in the first half and, really, we just lost her several times in our defense. We just tried to change things and put someone different on her each time."
Sitting at 35-33, Mitchell sparked a run that began Sikeston's separation. She scored six points during Sikeston's 12-0 run. The Bulldogs ended up leading 47-38 going into the fourth and led by as many as 19 before the final horn sounded.
"She's tough to stop," Tollison said. "We're probably going to see each other again in districts and we have to figure out a way to stop her. It's as simple as that."
Sikeston forced Cape Central into 28 turnovers while committing 12 themselves.
"Some of those turnovers were us not making good decisions trying to pass it across the court and things like that," Tollison said. "[Sikeston] does a good job of coming behind you and we have to be aware that they're always going to trail and try to create the turnover that way. We didn't do a very good job of talking and communicating when it came to things like that."
Not only was it a memorable send off for Sikeston's first-ever SEMO Conference Bob Gray Award winner and the Bulldogs' first SEMO Conference win, but it should also give them a leg up on Cape Central during Saturday's Class 4, District 1 seed meeting.
Sikeston and Cape Central share a district with Dexter, Notre Dame, Perryville and Ste. Genevieve.
"During the seed meeting this should help us out a little bit," Mitchell said.
Sikeston will finish the regular season on Wednesday against Ste. Genevieve on the road.
"Right here towards the end when we need to be peaking, coming together and becoming a solid unit we're starting to see that," Wills said. "Right now is when it counts."
Cape Central will host Perryville tonight in their final home game and then go to De Soto next Thursday to finish out the regular season.
Cape Central 16 12 10 11 -- 49
Sikeston 14 16 17 20 -- 67
CAPE CENTRAL (49) -- Zairee Luttrel-Johnson 2, Sydney Tollison 9, Corrie Reece 12, Abby Dumey 3, Scarlet Young 2, Katherine Morton 3, Abbie Reece 12, Ui-Envi Johnson 6. FG 13 FT 19-33 F 23. (3-pointers: Tollison 2, C. Reece 1, Dumey 1. Fouled out: A. Reece.)
SIKESTON (67) -- Kiera Steward 13, Antravia Green 10, Larysa McClellon 8, Olivia Nash 1, Tyeshia Mitchell 35. FG 26 FT 13-32 F 21. (3-pointers: Steward 2. Fouled out: none.)
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