Best of the Midwest Showcase finale worth the wait

The threat of icy weather led to a month-long delay and a change of venue for the second day of 810 Varsity’s Best of the Midwest Showcase. It proved well worth the wait.

Saturday’s six-game slate at Blue Valley Northwest High School ended with a classic. BV Northwest, the No. 1 team in Kansas Class 6A, roared back from a 14-point deficit and beat Chaminade 87-83 in double overtime to cap the six-game schedule.

Chaminade is the defending Missouri Class 5 state champion, but the perennial St. Louis power had no answer for BV Northwest guard Darien Jackson, who finished with 30 points, six rebounds and four assists. One of Jackson’s assists set up a basket by Parker Braun that sent the game into overtime.

“For us to beat a storied program like Chaminade and the players they’ve had there, we’re just tickled to death,” BV Northwest coach Ed Fritz told StLToday.com. “For them to come to our place to play us, that says a lot about their coach and their program.”

St. James Academy was also part of Saturday’s action. The Thunder rolled to a 74-61 victory over Topeka Hayden with Keenan Fitzmorris scoring 19 points to lead four Thunder players in double figures.

The Showcase also featured Webster Groves beating Iowa City West 76-68 in a battle of Midwest powerhouses. Liberty eked out a 68-66 overtime victory over Lawrence High, Lawrence Free State downed Raytown 68-57 and Ottawa beat Barstow 63-57.

This story was originally published February 13, 2017 at 12:14 PM with the headline "Best of the Midwest Showcase finale worth the wait."