Three Benton County basketball teams were eliminated back-to-back-to-back in the annual Kaysinger Conference Tournament on Thursday night in Sedalia on the campus of State Fair Community College.
The Lincoln girls won a play-in game on Monday and were hammered by the number one seed Tipton Lady Cardinal, 61-6 on Tuesday in first round action.
On Thursday, Lincoln faltered in the fourth quarter and lost to Green Ridge 30-26. It was tied at seven after one and Lincoln trailed 13-10 at the half. In the third,
Lincoln took the lead 21-19.
GREEN RIDGE (30): S. Rivas, 16; K. Box, 8; K. Box, 4; Devoss, 2.
LINCOLN (26): Helland, 11; Harvey, 5; Gillespie, 2; Mellen, 8.
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The Lincoln boys were up next against a well-balanced Northwest team, who had a height advantage at every position. Northwest clogged up the middle and prevented Lincoln to pass or drive in the paint in the 39-25 loss.
Free throw shooting killed the Cardinals as they were just 3 for 11 from the line and Northwest went 13 for 16. Jason Boss was 9 of 10 from the charity stripe and had 14 points to lead Northwest.
LINCOLN (25): Everhart, 3; Sanders, 4; Smith, 6; Kriesler, 1; Eckhoff, 6; Parrott, 5.
NORTHWEST (39): Boss, 14; Nieters, 8; Caton, 13; Johnson, 4.
Lincoln won a play-in game over LaMonte on Friday and on Saturday lost to number one seed Cole Camp.
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The Cole Camp girls came up next and completed the Benton County sweep with a 47-41 loss to Smithton. The Lady Bluebirds trailed by 11 after three but made a run in the fourth. They cut the lead to five but couldn't complete the rally as turnovers and missed three throws spelled curtains for the girls in blue.
COLE CAMP (41): Degraffenteid, 8; Thayer, 4; Carl, 10; Shoemaker, 7; Moellman, 2; Hesse, 4; Wentworth, 4; Timocschuk, 4.
SMITHTON (47): Houstan, 3; K. Simmons, 9; Goss, 16; Tripp, 8; Simmons, 11.
The Lady Bluebirds won a play-in game over Otterville on Friday and lost on Saturday to Northwest.
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Then on the next Saturday, the Cole Camp boys lost to Stover 57-55 in the third place game with a controversial ending.
Cole Camp's Reid Harrison was surrounded by three players in an attempt to get off a last second shot and no foul was called. The referees ran off the court as the buzzer sounded.
Gentry Dieckman had 29 points before fouling out in the final minutes. Cole Camp trailed 18-14 after one and 34-24 at the half. Stover bombed from the outside and Cole Camp made adjustments after the half and trailed 46-40 after three and tied the game briefly at 46-46 in the fourth.
COLE CAMP (55): G. Dieckman, 29; Bright, 4; Harrison, 11; Strathman, 3; C. Dieckman, 2; Howard, 6,
STOVER (57): Moon, 6; Belt, 11; Mosher, 19; Welpman, 7; Edinger, 6; Viebrock, 6; Nordi, 2.
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Tipton won the girls championship over Northwest, 61-32. Tipton beat everyone else by 30 points or more.
The Tipton boys defeated Sacred Heart 53-47 to win the boys championship.
Tipton is leaving the Kaysinger conference next year.
On a side note, David Williams retired from refereeing after the boys championship game.
