On to state! Staley, Liberty make it to the hoops final fours. See who else advanced
Five Kansas City-area teams have reached the semifinal stage of the Missouri high school basketball state tournaments — the Show-Me Showdown — and all will be in action later this week in hopes of making it to their respective championship games.
Boys teams from Van Horn and Liberty won to advance to the semifinals, and the girls teams from William Chrisman and Staley are also one step away from the title games. Barstow advanced last week but withdrew and forfeited this week to Westminster Christian in Class 4.
The William Chrisman girls and Van Horn boys each play in Thursday semifinals at the JQH Arena and Hammons Student Center, two venues located in Springfield on the campus of Missouri State University.
Class 5 Van Horn moved to the semis with a masterful 41-point showing from Washburn-bound senior Jaden Monday as the Falcons beat Mexico 91-83 in overtime. Van Horn plays Cardinal Ritter in a Thursday afternoon semifinal.
In the Class 5 girls quarterfinals, William Chrisman beat Smithville 42-23 to advance to the state final four for the first time since 1993. William Chrisman plays Whitfield in the semis Thursday evening.
The Class 6 Staley girls, who beat Lee’s Summit West 58-43 to reach the final four, the Class 6 Liberty boys, who advanced with a 65-50 victory over Lee’s Summit, and the Barstow boys all play Friday semifinals at JQH Arena and the Hammons Center.
Class 4 Barstow beat Richmond 70-67 in the quarterfinals at Avila University last week to advance and was to meet Westminster Christian this week in a semifinal. Barstow forfeited the game.
Staley plays Incarnate Word at 8 p.m. Friday.
Liberty drew Fort Zumwalt North in a noon Friday semifinal.
The Class 3 Summit Christian boys team and other Class 1-3 semifinalists played their Final Four games last week. KC’s Summit Christian Academy lost 42-35 to Monroe City in the semifinals but beat Lift for Life Academy Charter 56-44 Saturday to earn third place.
Jared Gerdes led Summit Christian with 24 points and 14 rebounds in the third-place game. Indiana Wesleyan pledge Griffin Kliewer added 16 points. Kliewer scored 16 and Lucas Poppen 12 in Summit’s OT loss last Friday.
Semifinal tickets for this week’s games, priced at $9, went on sale to all buyers Saturday night at www.mshsaa.org/Activities/Tickets.aspx. Tickets for the championship and third-place games will go on sale 15 minutes after the conclusion of the last semifinal game for each class/gender.
Here is the full schedule for this week/weekend:
Missouri state hoops tournaments
BOYS
Class 4 semifinals
Vashon vs. Blair Oaks, 10 a.m. Thursday
Westminster Christian def. Barstow, forfeit
Championship game: 2 p.m. Saturday
Class 5 semifinals
Lutheran South vs. Bolivar, 1 p.m. Thursday
Van Horn vs. Cardinal Ritter, 3 p.m. Thursday
Championship game: 2 p.m. Friday
Class 6 semifinals
Chaminade vs. Kickapoo, 2 p.m. Friday
Liberty vs. Fort Zumwalt North, 4 p.m. Friday
Championship game: 6 p.m. Saturday
GIRLS
Class 4 semifinals
Vashon vs. Mt. Vernon, 6 p.m. Friday
Boonville vs. Benton, 8 p.m. Friday
Championship game: 4 p.m. Saturday
Class 5 semifinals
Union vs. West Plains, 5 p.m. Thursday
William Chrisman vs. Whitfield, 7 p.m. Thursday
Championship game: 4 p.m. Friday
Class 6 semifinals
Webster Groves vs. Kickapoo, 6 p.m. Friday
Staley vs. Incarnate Word, 8 p.m. Friday
Championship game: 8 p.m. Saturday
This story was originally published March 15, 2021 at 2:04 PM.