Girls Finals, Boys Semis Set at Central Christmas Tournament

(Park Hills) The South Iron and Fredericktown girls will meet for the championship of the 67th annual Bob Sechrest Jr. Central Christmas Tournament. Top seed and newly minted number one ranked South Iron defeated Steelville 61-35 and #6 Fredericktown upset #2 Central 45-43 .

Steelville hit a three to start the game, but South Iron with a 24-0 scoring run. Steelville did hold South to only four second quarter points, but never threatened.

Enzley Dinkins scored 24 in the win. Madison Ayers added 13 points and Anna Parker supplied 12 points.

Coach Jimbo Blackwell tells us what the key was to going on that run in the first quarter…

Tobi Pennock scored 14 for Steelville.

The Panthers improve to 10-1. Steelville goes to the third place game at 8-3.

Full interview with Jimbo Blackwell:

Full interview with Steelville’s Zack Kennedy:

We got our first thriller of the tournament in the second semifinal. The Central girls led by 16 at 38-22 midway through the third, but Fredericktown closed with a 23-5 run and a game winner from P.J. Reutzel….

Reutzel scored 18 to lead all scorers. Coach Micah Reutzel says his team just kept pushing…

Fredericktown, now 6-6 will play South Iron for the title on Friday. 6th ranked Central goes to the third place game at 8-2

Full interview with Micah Reutzel:

After the girls semis, the boys played the quarterfinal round.

The top seed Central boys took care of their rivals from North County 79-38. The Rebels turned an active defense into transition buckets and led by as many as 41 points.

Jobe Bryant led all scorers with 35. Caden Casey gave 17 points for the Rebels.

Coach Brad Gross praised his teams’ defense…

Central goes to the semifinal at 8-1.

North County goes to the 5th place bracket at 5-5.

Full interview with Brad Gross:

(4) Steelville boys defeated (5) Ste. Genevieve 69-55. The led Dragons led by seven with :20 left in the first half, but Steelville hit a three and then continued with 28-8 run the rest of the third quarter to put the game away. Carson Mullen scored 23 with a variety of post moves…

Coach John Tolly says the Cardinals’ defense took over…

Steelville, now 8-1, will play Central in the semis. Ste. Gen goes to the 5th place bracket at 8-2. They will play North County.

Full interview with John Tolly:

Full interview with Ste. Gen’s Rob Coleman:

#7 Seed Potosi upended three time defending tournament champion #2 South Iron 73-69. The Trojans led at the end of each quarter and got up by as much as 12 in the first half, but South Iron came all the way back to lead late in the third.

Potosi used a 14-2 run to help build the lead back to 11 in the fourth. South Iron cut it to two with :13 left , but the Trojans held on for the win.

Gabe Brawley scored 22 in the win. Carter Whitley scored nine of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and Ty Mills gave 15 for the Trojans.

Martez Burse pumped in 32 in the losing effort.

Coach Jackson Conaway says his team was relentless in the win…

Class One number one ranked South Iron falls for the first time all year. They go to the 5th place bracket at 10-1.

Potosi moves to the semis at 8-1.

Full interview with Jackson Conaway:

Full interview with South Iron’s Dusty Dinkins:

In the final game of the night six seed Hillsboro beat three seed Festus by a bucket, 61-58. Neither team ever led by more than eight points. Noah Holland scored 21 for Hillboro and brought everyone out of their seats at the end of a full day of basketball…