HS Basketball Recap – December 6, 2024

Regular Season Games

This was a “mild upset,” as Charleston is without some key players and Notre Dame is a team on the rise. But you can’t ever count out “The Factory,” and Charleston pulled out an impressive overtime win over the Bulldogs. Charleston 65, Notre Dame 59 Final/OT

Scott City flexed a little bit on the back-to-back Class 3 State Champion Eagles. Of course, New Madrid has an entirely new roster, with Jadis Jones now starring at D1 Lindenwood University. This is a big win for Scott City and proves the Rams have to be a team to be taken seriously. Scott City 73, New Madrid County Central 57 Final

Bluff drops a game to a large school from the St. Louis area. Ladue Horton Watkins 70, Poplar Bluff 49 Final

Jackson 68, Caruthersville 61 Final
Jackson should be the top seed in the upcoming SEMO Christmas Tournament. The Indians had a tough fight against the Tigers, which means Coach Lamont Bell’s team is a squad to keep an eye on. Look for them to make some noise in the Bootheel this year.

Puxico 88, Naylor 41 Final
The Indians continue their strong early-season play. Coach Bryant Fernetti has his squad rolling, already picking up an impressive win over Class 1 defending state champs Chadwick Cardinals. Puxico is balanced and can score from all over the floor. They have to be considered the early-season Class 2 favorites in the SEMO area.

South Iron 63, East Carter 35 Final
The Panthers pick up a big win. Coach Dusty Dinkins’ squad will make the leap to Class 2 this year, clearing the path for local Class 1 teams to possibly make a postseason run. This only further crowds a loaded field of SEMO Class 2 teams.


Bulldog Classic @ Gideon

Delta C-7 85, Gideon 82 Final/OT
Delta C-7 picks up a huge overtime win as they try to get rolling in the early season.

Senath-Hornersville 72, Portageville 41 Final
The Lions pick up a big win over the Bulldogs.

In the third-place game between the Kennett Indians and the Hayti Indians, the game was stopped at halftime due to an altercation in the lobby. According to multiple sources, witnesses saw a gun and fled the area. The championship game between the South Pem Bulldogs and the East Prairie Eagles, an eagerly anticipated game, was cancelled.


Campbell Tournament

Holcomb 51, Clarkton 45 Final
The Hornets beat the Reindeer in a purple-on-purple battle.

Twin Rivers 56, Bloomfield 43 Final
The Royals pick up a nice early-season win over the Wildcats.

Risco 67, Neelyville 59 Final
In a battle of the Tigers, it’s Coach Brandon Blankenship’s crew that picks up a big win over a very solid Neelyville squad. Look for the Risco Tigers to make a run in Class 1 basketball. They have to be the early-season Class 1 favorites in the SEMO area and look like a team that could give the defending state champs, the Chadwick Cardinals, all they want.

Campbell 58, Bernie 47 Final
In the championship game of the Campbell Tournament, it’s the Camels winning their own tournament over the Bernie Mules. This was a battle of two great teams and two great coaches. Look for Coach Fowler’s Camels to try to make another run, like they did back in 2021 when they won the Class 2 state title. Coach Jason Long and the Bernie Mules are no strangers to deep playoff runs either. This might not be the last time these two teams see each other this season.


Fountain City Classic @ DeSoto

Sikeston 88, Ste. Genevieve 51 Final
Who can beat the Bulldogs? Coach Greg Holifield’s squad was already loaded, with PJ Farmer, Tristan Wiggins, and other great players. Now they’ve added star Cape Central Tigers’ transfer Marquel Murray, one of the top players in the SEMO area. Plugging Murray into Sikeston’s full-court pressing, fast-paced style of play should be a lethal addition for the Bulldogs.


Oran Invitational Tournament

Oran 74, Kelly 70 Final
Oran has to be considered one of the early-season surprises. Coach Corey Davis has the Eagles playing hard and sitting at 2-1 in the early season.

Chaffee 48, Westwood Baptist 37 Final
Coach Josh Govreau’s squad ends the week sitting with a 2-1 record and a lot of positive momentum. Chaffee has the size and talent to make some noise in the Scott-Miss Conference this season.

Bell City 58, Richland 47 Final
The Cubs pulled off a shocker, winning the Oran Tournament as the 3-seed. Richland returned their entire team from a season ago, a group that made the state quarterfinals and lost a good ballgame at Chadwick. They entered the season as one of the Class 1 favorites in the area. But Bell City played the Rebels tough last year, and they also returned their entire team. Coach Luke Bixler’s squad is tough, hard-nosed, and they do all of the little things right. Sitting at 3-0, the Cubs have probably improved their stock more than any team in the SEMO area so far. They have firmly placed themselves in the conversation of teams to watch in Class 1.


Woodland Invitational Tournament

Perryville 84, Oak Ridge 68 Final
Coach Chris Hahn and “the system” rack up a lot of points in a win over the Bluejays.

Greenville 48, Leopold 47 Final
Coach Jimmy Lincoln’s squad has proved scrappy in the early season but drops a heartbreaker to the Bears.

Woodland 99, Meadow Heights 52 Final
Coach Shawn Kinder’s squad put up 36 points in the first quarter and never looked back in capturing the championship of their own tournament.


Girls Basketball

SEMO Conference Tournament

3rd Place Game: Sikeston Lady Bulldogs defeated the Dexter Lady Bearcats.

Championship Game: The Jackson Lady Indians picked up a dominant 62-32 win over Notre Dame. Coach Angela Fulton’s squad looks like one of the best teams in Southeast Missouri so far.


Friday night featured thrilling performances, tournament drama, and early signs of contenders across Southeast Missouri basketball.