<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4Oug2G_0rtRzo9F00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4Oug2G_0rtRzo9F00" width="1750" height="1104" ></figure>De Smet boys basketball caught fire early and never slowed down, claiming a 75-56 win over Jefferson City in the MSHSAA Class 5 championship game Thursday at Mizzou Arena.The Jays (12-20) sent 23 buses of fans to Columbia, which became evident early as cheers for Jefferson City rang throughout the stadium all afternoon.“Jefferson City is a sports town; that’s why I love coaching there,” Jays coach Josh Buffington said. “It’s a very tightknit community. You know the support of our school, the way they travel really throughout the entire final four but even the postseason — they were dialed in.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=412v5M_0rtRzo9F00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=412v5M_0rtRzo9F00" width="1260" height="1644" ><figcaption>De Smet forward Dillon Duff, left, attempts to move out of the way as guard Ian Thomas, right, reaches for the ball Thursday at Mizzou Arena. The Spartans beat Jefferson City 75-56 to secure the MSHSAA Class 5 title. In Class 4 girls action, Owensville settled for fourth place. Among those playing in semifinal action Friday are the Rock Bridge girls in Class 6. Vanina Dimitrova/Missourian</figcaption></figure>Despite the roaring Jeff City crowd, the Spartans couldn’t miss early. De Smet (27-5) nailed all seven of its 3-point attempts in the first quarter, five of which were made by junior forward Dillon Duff. Duff scored 15 of his 17 points in the quarter, and his confidence was contagious.“I try not to look at the scoreboard,” Duff said. “I just try to keep playing the game and not worry about myself. I didn’t even look at the scoreboard or how many points I had.”Jays junior guard Riley Massey picked up where Duff left off. Massey scored 10 points in the second quarter, which started with a pull-up jumper that touched nothing but the net. Massey then hit a pair of 3-pointers and a layup to give De Smet a 40-22 lead with 1:30 left in the half.“We’ve been knocking on the door for the last several years; you just never know when it’s gonna bust through,” Spartans coach Kent Williams said. “This is a group that bought in from Day 1.”Massey continued his dominance in the second half with help from junior forward Liam Russo.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3g0zsM_0rtRzo9F00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3g0zsM_0rtRzo9F00" width="1627" height="1273" ><figcaption>Jefferson City guard Kendric Johnson dribbles down the court, while De Smet Jesuit guard Riley Massey follows Thursday at Mizzou Arena. Jefferson City fell to De Smet 75-56, finishing second in Class 5. Vanina Dimitrova/Missourian</figcaption></figure>Russo’s personal scoring spurt extended his team’s lead to 49-27. Russo finished with nine points and four rebounds in the win. Massey scored eight more points in the game.The Jays trailed 62-42 at the end of the third quarter. Despite the sizable gap, junior forward Jordan Martin never took his foot off the gas. Martin totaled 23 points, many of which came on tough finishes through contact. Sophomore guard Rowen Buffington added 12 for Jefferson City.“These guys walk out of here proud, heads high, smiles on their face,” Buffington said. “And maybe they don’t realize it now, but they’re gonna recognize down the road all the special things that we did.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3ylD1Y_0rtRzo9F00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3ylD1Y_0rtRzo9F00" width="1750" height="1176" ><figcaption>Owensville junior Alison Daniels (3) looks to pass Thursday at Mizzou Arena. The Dutchgirls finished the season 22-9, coming up just short in the MSHSAA Class 4 third-place game. Halle Paulus/Missourian</figcaption></figure><h2>Chillicothe powers past Owensville for third place in Class 4</h2>Owensville girls basketball couldn’t overcome an 11-point halftime deficit as Chillicothe claimed a 50-39 victory in the MSHSAA Class 4 third-place game.Hornets junior Elizabeth Oliver punished the Dutchgirls all game, using a nine-point second quarter to fuel the Hornets to a 25-14 halftime lead. Oliver finished with a game-high 21 points and added seven rebounds.“Offensively, I think Oliver gave us a huge burst early,” Chillicothe coach Darren Smith said. “She was exceptional.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2DLWo5_0rtRzo9F00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2DLWo5_0rtRzo9F00" width="1184" height="1750" ><figcaption>Chillicothe senior Jolie Bonderer (10), left, Owensville junior Cameron Nowack (11), middle, and Chillicothe junior Elizabeth Oliver (21), right, watches the ball after Owensville junior Alison Daniels (3) scores a basket Thursday at Mizzou Arena. Daniels scored 17 of the Dutchgirls' 39 points in the loss. Halle Paulus/Missourian</figcaption></figure>The Hornets (28-2) won the rebounding contest 32-18, with Oliver at the center of it all. Chillicothe scored 12 second-chance points to pull away from Owensville (22-9) late.“(Rebounding) has been a strength of ours all year,” Smith said. “Rebounding is a lot about positioning, but it’s a whole bunch about want-to, and this group of girls just wants to.”The Dutchgirls came out of halftime full of energy, sinking a flurry of 3-pointers to claw back into the game.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=48HxYJ_0rtRzo9F00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=48HxYJ_0rtRzo9F00" width="1265" height="1637" ><figcaption>Owensville senior Emma Daniels (1) passes the ball during the MSHSAA Class 4 third-place game on Thursday at Mizzou Arena. Daniels scored eight points in the Dutchgirls 50-39 loss to Chillicothe. Halle Paulus</figcaption></figure>Guards Camryn Caldwell and Alison Daniels combined for 10 quick points in the third quarter as Owensville pulled to within nine points of Chillicothe.Alison Daniels and her sister, senior guard Emma Daniels, both hit 3-pointers out of the timeout to cut further into the Hornets’ lead.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3XNQpY_0rtRzo9F00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3XNQpY_0rtRzo9F00" width="1712" height="1210" ><figcaption>Chillicothe senior Jolie Bonderer, left, hugs senior Kayanna Cranmer after the Hornets beat Owensville 50-39 on Thursday at Mizzou Arena. Bonderer scored seven of her 13 points in the second half. Halle Paulus/Missourian</figcaption></figure>Emma Daniels, a Columbia College commit, made her impact felt despite struggling with her shot. She tallied eight points, five rebounds and four assists.“Just to be here my senior year and have some of the same faces that I’ve been seeing all these years, it’s really just a blessing to be here, because I know how much work that everybody around me has been putting in,” Emma Daniels said.Alison Daniels led the Dutchgirls with a team-high 17 points.The Dutchgirls continued to fight but couldn’t string together enough stops as Chillicothe converted late free throws to seal the win.Senior guard Jolie Bonderer, who led the Hornets in scoring this season, scored seven of her 13 points in the second half.“This group’s resiliency goes with their determination to refuse to lose,” Smith said. “They just trust each other. They communicate well on the defensive end, they communicate well on the offensive end, but they just trust each other. It’s not about one; it’s about the group.”</div></body>

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De Smet rolls over Jefferson City to claim Class 5 championship

De Smet boys basketball caught fire early and never slowed down, claiming a 75-56 win over Jefferson City in the MSHSAA Class 5 championship game Thursday at Mizzou Arena. The Jays (12-20) sent 23 buses of fans to Columbia, which became evident early as cheers for Jefferson City rang throughout the stadium all afternoon.

De Smet rolls over Jefferson City to claim Class 5 championship

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