Staley Falcons claim boys Class 6 championship at Missouri state basketball tournament
The Staley Falcons hoisted the ultimate hardware on Saturday in Springfield, winning the Missouri Class 6 boys state championship at Great Southern Bank Arena.
Staley (30-2) took control of the Show Me Showdown title game after leading Kickapoo 19-18 at halftime. The Falcons turned it on in the second half to win 49-32.
It’s the first state championship for the Staley basketball program.
STATE CHAMPS!!!! @StaleyCagers pic.twitter.com/rB1wwAJm50
— Staley High School (@SHSFalcons) March 18, 2023
Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year Kyan Evans led Staley with 16 points and Kayden Fish added 11. Xavier Wilson chipped in eight points, K.V. Stone seven, Jared Lee four and Cameron Manyawu three.
Evans, Fish, Lee and Wilson grabbed six rebounds apiece as Staley outboarded its opponents 33 to 19. The Falcons were tough inside all afternoon but especially in the second half, during which they outscored the Chiefs 24-4 in the paint.
Falcons coach Chris Neff’s squad held 2021 state champion Kickapoo to 28.9% shooting from the floor while finishing the game at 47.6%.
Brayden Shorter led Kickapoo (23-9) with 14 points and Trae Oetting added 11.
Final score for the Boys Class 6 Championship game between Staley and Kickapoo. Staley wins their first Boys Basketball Championship! pic.twitter.com/jkEPWfDIk4
— MSHSAA (@MSHSAAOrg) March 18, 2023
Also Saturday, the Raytown High girls team rebounded from a Friday semifinal loss to beat Eureka 67-53 in the Class 6 game for third place.
Summer Yancy powered Raytown (23-9) with 27 points and 11 rebounds; teammate Lakorria Brown added 12, all on three-pointers.
The Bluejays broke it open with a nine-point run to close out a tight third quarter. Raytown had led by just a point, 26-25, at intermission. Natalie Harty led Eureka (25-3) with 25 points, hitting five 3-pointers.
In the boys Class 5 game for third place, Pembroke Hill fell to Jefferson City 79-76.
Missouri high school tournaments
Boys
CLASS 6
Quarterfinals
Staley 80, Columbia Battle 37
Springfield Kickapoo 49, Lee’s Summit West 43
Troy Buchanan 74, Chaminade 62
Jackson 40, Eureka 36
Friday’s semifinals
Staley 68, Jackson 42
Kickapoo 53, Troy Buchanan 33
Saturday’s championship
Staley 49, Kickapoo 32
Saturday’s third-place game
Troy Buchanan 40, Jackson 32
CLASS 5
Quarterfinals
Pembroke Hill 70, Ruskin 42
Ladue Horton Watkins 42, Westminster Chr. 41
Jefferson City 60, Hillcrest 56
Cardinal Ritter 62, Sikeston 45
Friday’s semifinals
Cardinal Ritter 58, Pembroke Hill 54
Ladue Horton Watkins 69, Jeff City 56
Saturday’s championship
Cardinal Ritter 65, Ladue Horton Watkins 54
Saturday’s third-place game
Jefferson City 79, Pembroke Hill 76
CLASS 4
Quarterfinals
St. Joseph Lafayette 61, Center 41
Vashon 77, Lutheran St. Charles 45
Father Tolton 52, Logan-Rogersville 35
Central (Park Hills) 56, MICDS 52
Thursday’s semifinals
Central (Park Hills) 82, St. Joseph Lafayette 57
Vashon 49, Father Tolton 45
Friday’s championship
Vashon 64, Central (Park Hills) 37
Friday’s third-place game
St. Joseph Lafayette 78, Father Tolton 57
Girls
CLASS 6
In Springfield; at Great Southern Bank Arena and Hammons Student Center
Quarterfinals
Columbia Rock Bridge 58, Park Hill South 57
Eureka 54, Jackson 38,
Raytown 50, Republic 43
Incarnate Word Academy 68, Troy Buchanan 26
Friday’s semifinals
Columbia Rock Bridge 50, Eureka 33
Incarnate Word 67, Raytown 29
Saturday’s championship
Incarnate Word 57, Columbia Rock Bridge 30
Saturday’s third-place game
Raytown 67, Eureka 53
CLASS 5
Quarterfinals
Carl Junction 55, Lincoln Prep 51
Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau) 46, John Burroughs 35
West Plains 58, Jefferson City 38
Lutheran St. Charles 67, Whitfield 33
Friday’s semifinals
Carl Junction 37, Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau) 33
Lutheran St. Charles 71, West Plains 50
Saturday’s championship
Lutheran St. Charles 44, Carl Junction 39
Saturday’s third-place game
West Plains 42, Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau) 38
CLASS 4
Quarterfinals
St. Joseph Benton 53, Nevada 45
Central (Park Hills) 46, Lift for Life 42
Vashon 60, Moberly 34
Southern Boone 36, Ava 27
Thursday’s semifinals
St. Joseph Benton 55, Central (Park Hills) 48
Vashon 55, Southern Boone 40
Friday’s championship
Vashon 79, St. Joseph Benton 77, 2OT
Friday’s third-place game
Central (Park Hills) 57, Southern Boone 39
