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Sikeston places second
COLUMBIA -- The Sikeston Bulldogs quest for a state championship ended on Saturday afternoon when the St. Francis Borgia Knights defeated them 77-62 in the Class 4 state championship game at Mizzou Arena.
Borgia superstar Alex Moosmann, a 6-foot senior that has signed to play at Miami, Ohio, led all scorers with 26 points.
It's Borgia's fourth state championship and the school's first since 1998.
The Knights (30-1) defeated the Bulldogs with hot outside shooting and strong play in the post.
They out-rebounded the Bulldogs 37-to-31.
The two teams raced out quickly with a torrid pace. Sikeston held a 17-15 lead, but Borgia finished the first quarter with a 10-0 run to lead 25-17.
Borgia never trailed again.
The Bulldogs trailed 45-34 at halftime and 60-46 heading into the fourth quarter.
Sikeston never went away, however. The Bulldogs trailed just 66-57 with 5:09 left in the game, but the Knights sealed the game from the free throw line, hitting 9-10 in the fourth quarter.
They hit 14-16 in the game.
Sikeston connected on eight 3-pointers, but never could consistently find a way to get the ball inside.
Sikeston junior Julian Beard capped a strong showing at the state tournament with a team-high 14 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Freshman Michael Porter finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
Senior Rod Moore had 13 points and senior Kash Bratcher added 11 points.
Borgia's Shea Carr, a 6-5, 235-pound forward, had 18 points and 11 rebounds.
It's just the second time Sikeston has ever made it to the state semifinals, also accomplishing the feat in 1995, when they took fourth.
Sikeston reached the championship game by defeating Ozark 84-79 on Friday night.
The second place finish is the highest ever for the Bulldogs, who finish the season 23-7.
The Bulldogs will graduate six seniors, including two starters this year.
Complete coverage of the Sikeston game can be found in today's sports section begining on page 9.