CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Sikeston 8th grade boys basketball team improved to 11-0 on the season with a 63-33 win over Poplar Bluff on Wednesday in the Cape Central Junior High Tournament.
Sikeston led 14-9 after one quarter and extended the lead to 31-12 by halftime. They led 50-28 entering the fourth quarter.
"We got off to a slow start but we played very well after that," Sikeston coach Derek James said. "I'm proud of all 10 of the players. They all played hard and got after it."
Sikeston was led by Fred Thatch with 24 points and Austin Branch with 10 points.
The Bulldogs will play their final game of the season tonight against Jackson in the championship game at 6:15.
"It will be a very tough game," James said. "We've played them twice and both games were real nail-biters. Jackson is a very good team so we will have to come out with tremendous energy and effort to beat them."
Poplar Bluff 9 3 16 5 -- 33
Sikeston 14 17 19 13 -- 63
POPLAR BLUFF (33) -- Libla 10, Houston 9, McCain 6, Hoffman 4, McIntosh 2, Webb 1, Dugas 1. FG 14, FT 5-21, F 15. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: none).
SIKESTON (63) -- Fred Thatch 24, Austin Branch 10, Don Larry 6, Dylon Mills 6, Keyth Blissett 5, JeQuan Ray 4, Titus Fields 3, Bryce Bays 3, Matthew Perry 2. FG 22, FT 13-20, F 20. (3-pointers: Thatch 1, Blissett 1. Fouled out: none).