The Kickapoo Lady Chiefs have averaged better than 75 PPG since the start of the New Year, going a perfect 17-0 over that time, but that's not why they are the Class 5 – District 11 champions for the second straight year.
As the saying goes, defense wins championships…
After digging a 17-13 hole following the first quarter, Kickapoo held Branson without a field goal for the entire second quarter, outscoring the Lady Pirates 21-3 on their way to a 65-41 win Friday night in Branson.
Leading the charge in that second quarter was Illinois State commit Jordan Sanders, who blocked three shots and scored eight of her game-high 22 points in the pivotal second quarter.
“We settled in and quit giving them good looks at the baskets; early on we gave up too many layups,” said Kickapoo coach James Pendergrass. “We were also able to increase the pace of pay, which works in our favor because we play well when we can play fast. Sometimes it just takes some time to wear teams down and that was the case tonight from the first quarter to the second quarter. They never wavered on our gameplan and executed it to perfection.”
Kickapoo started the second quarter with a 12-0 run.
The hot start continued with Sanders snagging a steal, taking two dribbles and firing a one-handed pass, Cam Newton style, streaking SBU signee Laura Vierkant for a conventional 3-point play, giving the Lady Chiefs a 32-20 lead following the free throw.
Vierkant finished with 16 points and Kickapoo took a 34-20 lead into the half.
Branson attempted to get back into the game in the second half, cutting the deficit to 51-37 on Ashley Forrest’s first three of the game, but the Lady Chiefs answered with a 14-4 run to end the game.
The senior College of the Ozarks commit finished with 11 points, slightly below her season average of 14 PPG. Junior guard Amanda Kearney finished with just eight points, just a third of the Harding commit’s 24 PPG season average.
“It was an emphasis to try to stop them (Kearney and Forrest),” said Sanders. “We always made sure we knew where they were and kept an eye on them.”
It is difficult to beat a great team multiple times, which Kickapoo found out first hand. Just six weeks ago these two teams met in a 79-34 rout by the Lady Chiefs.
Branson finishes the season with just five losses, all coming to teams that are still alive for state championships in their respective classes (Kickapoo, Republic, Carl Junction and Strafford).
“They’re a really good team,” said Pendergrass. “The first time we shot the ball really well and they turned it over a lot and that led to some easy baskets. We beat a good team tonight; Branson has won a lot of games. Good teams aren’t going to just lay down for you.”
For Kickapoo, the win not only gives the Lady Chiefs back-to-back titles for the first time since 2004-05, but it also sets up an epic rematch with Class 5 No. 1 Republic. The Lady Tigers beat Kickapoo 65-59 on Dec. 20.
Over the last three years the two teams have met four times with Republic holding a 3-1 edge. The largest margin of victory in that span was six points.
“They’re a great team with a great program and a great coach and we always look forward to the opportunity to play them,” said Pendergrass. “We’ve had some fantastic games with them and we’ll try to give them our best shot.”
Kickapoo 65, Branson 41
Branson 17-3-14-7 – 41
Kickapoo 13-21-14-17 – 65
Branson (22-5) – Utz-Depriest 12, Forrest 11, Kearney 8, Jaeger 6, Garrison 4.
Kickapoo (24-3) – Sanders 22, Vierkant 16, Wersinger 13, Warren 8, Acuff 6.
