December 7, 2016
Top-seeded Sikeston rolls by No. 9 NMCC in SEMO Conference Tournament
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sikeston junior Fred Thatch thought his team, across the board, simply played better Tuesday night. An aggressive tempo and rebounding were the highlights in his mind, topping what the Bulldogs have done during their first two games of the season so far...
By Chris Pobst ~ Standard Democrat
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sikeston junior Fred Thatch thought his team, across the board, simply played better Tuesday night.
An aggressive tempo and rebounding were the highlights in his mind, topping what the Bulldogs have done during their first two games of the season so far.
The stats prove Thatch right as top-seeded Sikeston rolled to an 81-63 win over New Madrid County Central during their first round game of the SEMO Conference Tournament at the Sikeston Field House.
"We pushed the ball more and, overall, got more aggressive on rebounds," Thatch said. "I thought we played better as a team."
Thatch led the charge with 29 points on 11 of 23 shooting from the floor and picked up his 33rd career double-double. Sophomore Trey Jenkins added 14 points while Kevin Jones and Jason Moore each scored 12 for Sikeston, who won their first three games of the season.
Jaurous Haynes scored 17 points and Javarcus Word added 11 points for NMCC, who had a four-game win streak snapped and struggled against Sikeston's defensive pressure from the start.
NMCC, who committed 19 turnovers and shot 28 for 64 from the field, was hot off an upset win over No. 9 Dexter the night before where they held the Bearcats to 11 total field goals.
"Too many mistakes and we didn't defend like we did last night [against Dexter]," NMCC coach Travis Day said. "We didn't have a bunch of turnovers but we gave up way too many easy baskets and wide open looks. Against a good team like Sikeston, you can't do that."
The Bulldogs dominated the glass out-rebounding NMCC 41-27. A big part of their rebounding success was Thatch and Jenkins, who combined for 24 rebounds.
"We rebounded a lot better than we did the first two games," said Thatch, who finished with 11 rebounds. "It can always get better. You can never rebound too good. We're a small team and we're going to go up against taller teams. We have to work extra hard to box out and rebound."
Jenkins added 13 rebounds and his 6-6 frame provided many second chance opportunities. Next to the bullish Thatch, the duo was too much for NMCC to handle.
"I thought we let them bang us around," Day said. "We didn't bang back and accepted them posting us up and stood behind instead of working to get in front. Hopefully this is a learning curve for us. This is big boy basketball and we've got to play big boy basketball."
Sikeston never trailed and jumped out to a 13-2 lead behind six points from Jenkins and five from Thatch.
A quick run from NMCC (4-2) pulled them to within six with 19 seconds left in the first quarter, but Jones drained a three to end the period and give Sikeston a 23-14 lead.
The Bulldogs (3-0) outscored NMCC 19-10 in the second to push its lead to 18 by halftime. Moore, who finished 4 for 8 from 3-point range, knocked down three 3-pointers in the second quarter. His third made it 37-21 with 3:55 left.
The Bulldogs finished 8 for 21 as a team from three.
"Our objective on the 3-point shot is to go inside-out, whether that's the high-post or low-post," Sikeston coach Gregg Holifield said. "We run the offense through that. Our percentage goes up tremendously when we do that."
Sikeston pulled away further in the third period thanks to a 13-point quarter from Thatch. An 11-2 run from Sikeston, which included nine points from Thatch, put the Bulldogs ahead 58-32 with 3:30 to play. Sikeston led 64-38 going into the fourth.
The Bulldogs enjoyed its biggest margin of the night two minutes into the fourth when a basket by Jenkins put them ahead by 31.
Seven consecutive points from Word sparked a 23-10 run by NMCC to close out the game cutting its final deficit to 18.
"We took the press off in the fourth quarter and we got to standing and, you have to give New Madrid credit," Holifield said. "The fourth quarter, we got sluggish. Didn't play well offensively or defensively."
Sikeston shot 31 for 69 from the field and assisted on 22 of their shots.
"I thought the first three quarters we played well," Sikeston coach Gregg Holifield said.
Sikeston will meet fourth-seeded Charleston in Thursday's semifinal at 6 p.m., in a rematch of last year's championship.
The Bluejays rallied back from 17 points to defeat No. 5 Cape Central 67-66 during Tuesday's first game of the night.
It will be the sixth meeting in tournament history between the two and fifth in the last six years. Charleston leads the tournament series 3-2.
"That's just typical Charleston. They're not going to go away," Holifield said. "Cape and Charleston both impressed me. Thursday is going to be a difficult game. They're going to come in ready to play and our players are going to have to be ready. It will be another great Sikeston-Charleston matchup."
NMCC will take on Cape Central in a consolation semifinal tonight at 6 p.m.
"They're going to be tough," said Day. "We just saw them go up 20 on Charleston. They're a good team. I told my guys they can't hang their heads because we have to come back right at it tomorrow. It will be interesting."
NMCC 14 10 14 25 -- 63
Sikeston 23 19 22 17 -- 81
NMCC (63) -- Palmer Campbell 5, JaMonte Sykes 4, Johnny Walker 5, Craig Beasley 5, Javarcus Word 11, Eddie Grandberry 6, Brock Blakey 3, Thailin Marsh 7, Jaurous Haynes 17. FG 28 FT 4-9 F 13. (3-pointers: Beasley 1, Word 1, Marsh 1. Fouled out: none.)
SIKESTON (81) -- Don Larry 4, Trey Jenkins 14, Phayzun Fobbs 2, Peyton Howard 2, Fred Thatch 29, Jason Moore 12, Kevin Jones 12, Camden Sapp 2, Dylon Mills 4. FG 31 FT 11-16 F 12. (3-pointers: Thatch 2, Moore 4, Jones 2. Fouled out: none.)
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