By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

The Junior Varsity champoinship game featured the top two teams in the bracket - the No. 1 Bernie Mules and the No. 2 Advance Hornets. Bernie remained perfect on the season after handing the Hornets an embarassing 51-14 loss in front of a capacity crowd at the Bearcat Event Center.

Bernie's potent offense hit six threes in the contest, and held a massive 42-5 lead heading into halftime.

The Mules slowed down in the second half, and despite putting up just one point in the fourth quarter, took a 51-14 victory for the JV Championship.

The Mules had four in double-figures; Caleb Ellenburg dropped 12 points, Matt Vermon and Justin Stanfield added 11 apiece, and Troy Kirkpatrick added 10 points.

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

The No. 2 Advance Hornets and No. 4 Bloomfield Wildcats took the courts to determine who was the third-best Varsity squad in the 2012 SCAA Tournament. The Hornets had a nine point lead at the half, but ultimately the game came down to a buzzer-beater.

The Hornets opened the game with three consecutive three pointers from Tyler Middleton. Ethan Barr came up with a block on Tommy Forkum to set up a Lane Below three point play and give the Hornets a 14-4 lead at the 2:16 mark. Logan Cowart answered with a three for the Wildcats, and Caleb Baker found nothing but net on a half-court shot at the buzzer to bring the score to 19-12 in Advance's favor.

Both squads traded buckets early in the second quarter. The Hornets got a spark from Aaron Veale, who stuck back an offensive board at the 4:53 mark to bring the score to 30-18. Cowart knocked down another trey to cut Advance's lead to nine heading into halftime.

The Hornets led by as much as 10 points in the third quarter, but another Cowart three and six boards from Adam Vandiver were engouth to put the 'Cats within four heading into the fourth quarter.

Vandiver knocked down a pair of free throws at the 6:30 mark to tie the game at 43, and both teams resumed 'trading punches' for most of the fourth quarter. A pair of free throws from Cowart got the Wildcats within one at the 1:48 mark, and a layup from Vandiver tied the game at 54 with just under a minute to play. The Hornets ran the clock down to :08 and called a time-out; on the next play, Lane Below put up a jumper from the elbow as the buzzer went off.

It was good for a 56-54 Hornet victory.

Vandiver led the Wildcats with 16 points. Cowart had 14 points, while Zach Pounds netted 11.

Middleton led the Hornets with 16 points, 15 of which came from shots beyond the arc. Below was a close second with 14 points, but his 15-footer at the buzzer will be what's remebered from the most entertaining game of the 2012 SCAA Tournament.

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

The No. 5 Dexter Bearcats and No. 3 Puxico Indians kicked off the final day of the 2012 SCAA Tournament in a battle for the third-place trophy in the JV bracket. Despite keeping things close throughout the first half, a defensive resurgence in the second half by the Tribe was enough to take a 51-33 victory.

The Indians took a 4-0 lead with a Cory Pratt jumper at the 6:15 mark. Stevie Payne put Dexter's first points on the board with a 15 footer of his own on the next possession, and back-to-back threes from Nick Noble gave the 'Cats an 8-6 lead at the 3:43 mark. The game was tied at 10 with 2:00 left in the first when Pratt hit a three to spark a 7-0 run for Puxico. A pair of free throws from Devin Hampton cut Puxico's lead to 17-14 after the first quarter.

The Tribe allowed Dexter to tie the game midway through the second. After an agressive play at midcourt, Payne left the game after hitting his head on the floor. An offensive rebound and stickback from Jake Murdoch put Dexter down by two at the 1:30 mark; Payne re-entered the game, and came up with a pair of blocks in the last minute of the half. The Indians still held a 26-22 lead heading into halftime.

The Indians dropped in four points to open the third quarter, but Hampton knocked down a pair of free throws to bring hte score to 30-24 at the 4:35 mark. Horton knocked down another three, followed by a jumper from Noble to put the 'Cats down by one. Austin Rodgers hit a three for the Indians to push them to a 39-31 advantage heading into the final eight minutes.

Puxico's defense played extremely well in the fourth quarter, and held the Bearcats to just two points. After a technical foul on Hampton late in the fourth, the Indians cruised to a 51-33 victory and third place in the JV bracket.

Ronnie Weagner led the Tribe with 14 points; Pratt and Tucker added 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Hampton paced the Bearcats with eight points; Noble added seven, while Payne put in six.

The Championship games are set after an exciting third day of the 2012 SCAA Tournament.

Despite upset bids early, seeds held true in the JV brackets, with No. 2 Advance holding off a late surge from No. 3 Puxico and No. 1 Bernie blowing open what was a close game in the fourth quarter against No. 5 Dexter.

In Varsity action, No. 3 Bernie upset No. 2 Advance to move into the title game, and No. 1 Dexter rained threes on No. 4 Bloomfield to earn a shot at defending their title.

It is the third straight year that the Bearcats and Mules have met in the SCAA Tournament Finals.

If you click here

, you can download an updated version of the bracket.


Also, below are some of my best shots from Day Three - if you navigate over to the gallery page, you can buy prints, coffee mugs, posters, trading cards, etc.

See you at the games! -AC

By Annabeth Miller, SMT Editor

It was an exciting night as “part two” of the Stoddard County Tournament began at the Bearcat Event Center in Dexter.

The evening featured two junior varsity and two varsity matchups on the hard court, and fans in the stands enjoying the local basketball action.

This is the first year the county basketball tradition has taken place in the new Bearcat Event Center in Dexter. After years of great county basketball action hosted in Bloomfield, the tournament will now move between the two field houses in a rotation.

Dexter students and staff were busy throughout the BEC with the tasks that create a successful tournament – working the gates, hosting the Hospitality Room, staffing the Concession Booth, selling tournament t-shirts and more.

And fans from throughout the region flock to the BEC, ready for tournament action. In addition to the teams on the basketball court, cheer teams have also been engaged in a county competition this week. Winners – the winning cheer squad and the All-County Cheer Team – will be announced at the Tournament Championship presentations at the conclusion of tournament play Friday night.

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