Alyssa Ripley scored 17 points and the Camdenton Lakers survived a 30-point performance by Lebanon junior Kelsey Winfrey en route to a 52-41 victory in a battle between the Hwy 5 rivals.
With the win, Camdenton improves to 17-5 overall and 6-1 in the Ozark Conference. The Lakers only league loss came to state-ranked Kickapoo, and with the win over Lebanon. After capturing the Missouri Class 5 District 10 tournament a year ago, the Lakers could be in the drivers seat to pick up the top seed after its win over Lebanon. The 'Jackets, now 15-7 overall and 5-2 in the Ozark Conference, will host District 10, which also features Waynesville and Jefferson City.
"Our focus right now for us is playing better in each game and learning how to play with one another," Camdenton head coach Staci Caffey said. "I think tonight we did that."
The contest was played in front of a raucous home crowd, something Camdenton senior guard Bailey Rezabek said helped create a fun atmosphere.
"It is so much fun and so much better than a dead gym," Rezabek said. "It was loud and the adrenaline is going and those are the games that you play for — the ones where everyone is watching.
"This game, the Waynesville game and even the Hickman game before that were all in the back of our minds, setting the tone for districts and sectionals after that."
Winfrey, who has committed to play at the University of Missouri, scored 19 points in the first half, and all but five of the 24 points by the Yellowjackets. The 5-foot-8 junior guard ended the half with a 4-0 run and the 'Jackets went to the half trailing, 31-24.
"I thought it was going to be a fast paced game and Winfrey is a great player and that was obviously a key for us, was to contain her, which we obviously did not do," Caffey said. "I think we were able to capitalize on everyone else."
But the 'Jackets came out of the half strong in the third quarter. After Bailey Rezabek hit a 3 early in the second half to give the Lakers a 10-point lead, Lebanon went on a 9-0 run pulling within one point.
That run was fueled in large part by a defensive effort that held the Lakers scoreless until Blair Kurtz scored with 43 seconds remaining in the frame.
Senior Mikalyn Callahan scored first for Lebanon to open the fourth quarter to again pull the 'Jackets within a single point. But this time it was the Lakers that responded, going on a 12-2 run that saw Ripley score nine crucial points. Her final basket, a conventional three-point play with 1:27 remaining, gave the Lakers a 50-37 lead.
"Defensively overall we didn't play that bad, but in the second quarter, defensively that is when they widened the gap and made a run," Lebanon head coach Brendan Kelley said. "From there we were trying to play catch-up all throughout the second half and could never quite get over that hump."
For Lebanon, the loss ended a four-game winning streak and a stretch that saw the 'Jackets win 10 of 11 games. Lebanon (15-7 overall, 6-2 Ozark Conference) has games remaining against Parkview, Rolla and Central before hosting district play.
"Last year when we played Camdenton in the regular season, we beat them, but Camdenton ended up winning the district," Kelley said. "There is always that chance that you can come back and play well in districts and win.
"Ultimately, if we win districts, that is what people are going to remember."
In addition to Ripley's 17 points, the Lakers also got 13 points from senior point guard Bailey Rezabek and nine from Kurtz.
Lebanon also got nine points from Callahan and two from freshman guard Kamryn Mack.
High school girls' basketball
CAMDENTON 52, LEBANON 41
on Monday, at Camdenton High School
Lebanon 16 8 9 8 — 41
Camdenton 10 21 5 16 — 52
Lebanon (15-7, 6-2) — Mikalyn Callahan 9, Kelsey Winfrey 30, Kamryn Mack 2.
Camdenton (17-2, 6-1) — Alyssa Ripley 17, Tegan Shockley 5, Natalie Basham 2, Bailey Rezabek 13, Blair Kurtz 9, Coley Rezabek 4, Sophie Shore 1.
