Missouri high school basketball: Five boys and girls takeaways from past week

Here are five takeaways from the last week of high school boys basketball:

1. On the fifth day of the New Year, the Kearney Bulldogs departed the Park Hill gym with their sixth loss in a span of seven games.

An abrupt turnaround has followed.

Kearney protected its home court with three victories to win the Kearney Classic championship over the weekend. It defeated St. Joseph Benton 48-42 on Saturday, with Logan Hinck and Caden Ritter each contributing 10 points.

The victory came against a familiar face on the opposing sideline. Benton is coached by former Kearney boss Gary Belcher.

After its uninspiring start, Kearney has won four straight to even its record at 7-7.

2. An instant-classic took place in Independence, where Truman outlasted Grandview 83-82 in double overtime Friday.

In their first win since Dec. 28, the Patriots led by nine points in the second half, fell behind by four points in the fourth quarter and then fought back to send it to overtime. Reid Titus scored a team-best 26 points, and Zack Rader added 23.

The Patriots spoiled a 34-point effort from Grandview junior Tyreese Davis. The Bulldogs missed a desperation attempt at the buzzer in the second overtime period.

3. Speaking of memorable games, the Best of Midwest Showcase, held Saturday at Johnson County Community College, featured three games that went into overtime. One of them required three extra periods.

Lawrence Free State defeated Lee’s Summit North 83-81, though Lee’s Summit North’s Cameron Hairston certainly did his best to extend the game. Hairston scored 36 points, and it was his layup as time expired that forced the third overtime.

A day earlier, Hairston scored 27 points in a 80-78 win against Hogan Prep.

Not a bad week.

4. After replacing its entire starting lineup from last season, the Raytown Blue Jays were staring at something of a rebuilding year in 2015-16.

Hasn’t turned out that way.

The Blue Jays, 9-3, have won six in a row entering play Tuesday, though their winning formula has certainly changed from a year ago season. While they possessed one of the top offenses in the area in 2014-15, they are more reliant on defense this season. They have allowed 44.7 points per game during the streak.

5. A week after winning one tournament, Summit Christian Academy has its eyes on another.

The Eagles won the 91st Pleasant Hill Basketball Tournament over the weekend with victories against Pleasant Hill and Pembroke Hill setting up the 64-49 championship decision against Smithville.

Next up: The Eagles will participate in the Culver’s Classic this week with a field that includes unbeaten Lee’s Summit.

Here are five takeaways from the last week of high school girls basketball:

1. Undefeated no more.

Smithville handed O’Hara its first loss of the season Friday, a 61-39 decision behind three players who scored in double figures. Carly Adams had 11 points; Tracy Mosby and Kylee Knott each scored 10 for the Warriors. O’Hara, which has already matched last season’s win total, was held to its lowest offensive output of the year.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier this week. The Celtics, 11-1, play host to St. Pius X, 10-1, on Wednesday, a game that could provide a clearer indication for where both teams fall in the Missouri Class 3 picture.

2. Truman junior point guard Kierra Collier presents a tough matchups for opposing defenses, mostly due to her ability to get to the rim.

Case in point: The past eight days.

Collier averaged 25.8 points per game over a four-game stretch — three of which resulted in victories for the Patriots.

She scored 31 points in a win against Blue Springs South and 33 points in a victory against Ruskin. She also averaged 7 rebounds and 6 assists over the four-game stretch.

3. Kearney opened its Suburban Blue Conference schedule Monday exactly where it left off last season (and where it finished the two seasons before that, too).

The Bulldogs rolled to a 60-40 win Monday against Belton, with Callie Schwarzenbach scoring a team-best 14 points.

Kearney is trying for its fourth straight undefeated conference season.

4. The 1-3 start to the season sure seems like a long time ago for St. Teresa’s Academy.

The Stars rode a nine-game winning streak into Tuesday’s game against Bishop Miege, which ended after press time. The highlight of the winning streak came in Raymore-Peculiar, where Eleanor Lueke scored 68 points across three victories to lead the Stars to a tournament championship.

The schedule gets a bit more difficult from here.

After a game against Bishop Miege, the Stars face Olathe Northwest on Thursday and travel to face Lee’s Summit North on Monday.

Lee’s Summit North remains the last team to beat St. Teresa’s — a game that took place on Dec. 4.

5. For the second straight season, William Chrisman has one of the stingiest defenses in the Kansas City area. The Bears have won four in a row after their 47-37 Suburban White Conference win Monday against Fort Osage. During the streak, they have allowed only 37.8 points per game.

Only one team has topped 45 points this season against the Bears, who are 11-2.

This story was originally published January 20, 2016 at 3:39 PM with the headline "Missouri high school basketball: Five boys and girls takeaways from past week."