Here are the Ozarks' Class 4-6 girls' hoops teams that will play in state quarterfinals
Southwest Missouri has four teams in Classes 4-6 that will play Saturday in four different games for a trip to next week's state semifinals. Here's how the Class 5-6 district championships and Class 4 sectionals played out involving local teams.
Republic 57, Kickapoo 50
Class 6
Kaemyn Bekemeier hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to cut the Lady Chiefs' lead to three. It was the momentum the Lady Tigers needed to rally in the second half and beat Kickapoo and advance to their first state quarterfinal since 2020.
Bekemeier finished the game with 19 points after being held to nine in the first half. A tough Kickapoo defense limited her and the rest of the Lady Tigers but they pulled away to advance. Misora Nambara, Molly Blades and Molly Mason made big shots throughout the second half to pull off the win.
More:How the Republic girls rallied in the second half to beat Kickapoo for district title
Kickapoo was a real threat throughout the game until late. Mikayla Pilley stood out in the first half by scoring 11 of her 19 points while Miya Nieto hit three 3's in the game en route to 13 points.
Republic will have a rematch with Raytown on Saturday after the two met on Dec. 17 in the Stephanie Phillips Classic title game. The Lady Tigers won by four behind Bekemeier's 34 points.
Up next: Raytown on Saturday at 7:45 p.m. at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar
West Plains 53, Rolla 40
Class 5
The Lady Zizzers overcame a 16-point deficit to come back and advance to yet another state quarterfinal. West Plains is a win away from reaching the state semifinals for the third year in a row after winning the championship last season.
Allyssa Joyner stepped up and scored 15 points for the Lady Zizzers with Kaylea Dixon and Olivia Lawson each adding 13. The Lady Bulldogs were led by Willow Gideon's 16 points.
The Lady Zizzers will meet up with Jefferson City in the quarterfinals which was ranked No. 7 in the state entering the postseason.
Up next: Jefferson City on Saturday at 5:45 p.m. at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar
Carl Junction 67, Webb City 42
Class 5
To the surprise of no one, the No. 1 team in Class 5 is headed to the semifinals after taking care of its area rival.
Lady Bulldogs star Destiny Buerge finished the game with 36 points as Carl Junction has now won a district title for the eighth-straight year. Webb City standout Sami Mancini scored 23 points with 19 rebounds.
Carl Junction will now play Lincoln College Prep with the Lady Blue Tigers in the midst of a 17-9 season. They did not receive any votes to be ranked in Class 5 entering the postseason.
Up next: Lincoln College Prep on Saturday at 1:45 p.m. at State Fair Community College in Sedalia
Class 4 state sectionals
Ava 37, Aurora 28
Class 4
Ava advanced to the state quarterfinals and it will have an opportunity to reach the state semifinals for the first time in the program's history.
With a 26-25 lead at the end of the third quarter, Ava held the Lady Houns to just three points in the fourth to pull away for the victory. Seniors Sara Mendel and Celia Fossett took over in the fourth to put Ava one win away from history.
A historic win will have to come against Southern Boone which defeated Fatima 33-31 in its sectional on Tuesday. Ava came into the tournament ranked No. 8 in Class 4 while Southern Boone didn't receive any votes. A defensive showdown appears to be on its way.
Up next: Southern Boone on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar
Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL. He's also the co-host of Sports Talk on Jock Radio weekdays from 4-6 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield high school basketball Class 4-6 district championships
