Jackson ruins Lady Bulldogs Senior night 41-24

sports@standard-democrat.com

SIKESTON -- Senior night didn't go as planned for the Sikeston Lady Bulldogs.

Taking on Jackson Monday night, the Lady Bulldogs saw a second half comeback attempt thwarted as the Lady Indians held on for a 41-24 win.

"We competed very well," Sikeston head coach Matt Schonhoff said."The story of the game was we had frustration that set in late in the fourth quarter when they got some steals on the break and some easy scores. We made a run in the third quarter to cut it to six points. We had some steals and missed opportunities, then they hit a back-breaking 2-pointer. Their ability to make a shot when needed was the tell-tell sign."

After the Lady Bulldogs pulled out an 8-7 lead to end the first quarter it was a run of 11 straight points by Jackson to start the second that put them in control. Sikeston recovered hitting their first basket of the quarter with 2:33 left in the half, but went into the locker room trailing by six points, 20-14.

Jackson's Rachel Crites (4) defends Sikeston's Mikala Nichols (22) Monday night at the Sikeston Field House. (Chris Pobst photo)

A quick basket by Erica Peet to start the second half closed the Lady Bulldogs back within four points, but another big run by the Lady Indians once again put Sikeston behind the eight ball. A bucket by Mallorie Maintz got the run started and with 4:08 left in the frame Jackson scored eight straight points to take a 28-16 advantage.

"Our ability against good teams (is based on playing) possession by possession," Schonhoff said. "If we can do that then we can be pretty good, but if we don't go possession by possession sometimes we get lost and sometimes we lose focus. That hurts and that happened in the second half."

Facing their biggest deficit of the game, 12 points, the Lady Bulldogs strung together one last rally to close back within two scores of Jackson early in the fourth. Kiera Stewart hit a basket to get things going before back-to-back buckets from Ariana Beard and Tyra Bonner the quarter out with a 6-0 Sikeston run.

Peet sunk 1 of 2 free throws at the start of the fourth to close the Lady Bulldogs back within five points, 23-28, with 7:31 to play.

Sikeston's Tyra Bonner is fouled by Jackson's Kayla Keith (24) Monday night at the Sikeston Field House. (Chris Pobst photo)

Unfortunately for Sikeston, everything seemed to go downhill after that. Jackson's Autumn Reed responded quickly with a bucket and the Lady Indians' held the Lady Bulldogs without a field goal the entire fourth quarter.

In three-and-a-half minutes Jackson scored 10 unanswered points to pull away 38-23 with 3:52 remaining. A free throw from Mikala Nichols was the only damage Sikeston did the rest of the way as the Lady Indians held on for the win.

"We didn't turn it over and we rebounded the ball," Jackson head coach Tyler Abernathy said of his team's big rallies. "That's really it. It sounds simple, but when you don't turn it over they don't get easy looks and when you rebound they don't get second chances.

"That was the big difference (in the fourth) and when you make a few shots it seems like it eases things."

Leading the Lady Indians (11-6) on the night was Cassidi Tomsu with a game-high 14 points, scoring nine of those during the second quarter alone. Rachel Crites added nine points to Jackson's cause.

For Sikeston (8-10), Nichols scored a team-high seven points, hitting her first three shots of the night. Peet finished with five points while Beard and Tyra Bonner had four points each.

As the team's only senior, Nichols was honored before the game and Schonhoff praised her character and improvement as a four-year member of the varsity squad.

"Mikala has had a wonderful career," Schonhoff said. "She plays hard and is a good basketball player. Teams key on her and she's developed into a good player from her freshman to her senior year. She has a lot of heart and hates to lose.

"She does well for us and has represented our school and team very well. There's nothing more that a coach can ask for."

Jackson 7 13 8 13 - 41

Sikeston 8 6 8 2 - 24

JACKSON (41) -- Cassidi Tomsu 14, Rachel Crites 9, Autumn Reid 2, Randa Norman 2, Rylee Stafford 2, Mallorie Maintz 6, Madison Eckley 1, Kayla Keith 5. FG 16, FT 6-15, F 11. (3-pointers: Tomsu 1, Crites 1, Keith 1. Fouled out: none.)

SIKESTON (24) -- Kiera Stewart 2, Tyra Bonner 4, Brandy Peet 2, Mikala Nichols 7, Erica Peet 5, Ariana Beard 4. FG 10, FT 4-7, F 14. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: none.)

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston junior varsity gave Jackson's undefeated junior varsity squad one of it's tougher games of the season before ultimately falling 35-30.

Despite being held scoreless in the second quarter and trailing 14-6 at halftime the Lady Bulldogs entered the fourth only trailing by two points, 21-19.

With just under a minute to play Larysa McClellon hit half of a pair of free throws to knot the game up, 30-30, only to see Jackson's Rylee Stafford hit a 3-pointer with nine seconds to play.

Stafford's shot gave her team a 33-30 advantage and shortly after their next inbound Sikeston threw the ball away for a critical turnover.

Forced to foul, the Lady Bulldogs sent Nikki Sotak to the line, where she missed the front end of a one-and-one, but grabbed the rebound and put in a shot at the buzzer to make up the 35-30 final.

Zayteanna led Sikeston with 10 points and Stafford led the Lady Indians with 15 points.

Jackson 6 8 7 14 - 35

Sikeston 6 0 13 11 - 30

JACKSON (35) -- Krista Martin 2, Nikka Sotak 12, Sam Schnicker 3, Randa Norman 1, Rylee Staffore 15, Nicole Humphreys 2. FG 11, FT 11-17, F 10. (3-pointers: Stafford 2. Fouled out: none.)

SIKESTON (30) -- Zayteanna Williams 10, Alexis Boyd 8, Larysa McClellon 5, Kayla Graham 7. FG 14, FT 2-8, F 14. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: none.)