The Lady Chiefs are heading to their first Class 5 state semifinal game since 2010 after beating the Hickman Kewpies 58-49 on Saturday.
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Kickapoo had to battle, but they held off a feisty Hickman team in a close contest. There were four lead changes in the fourth quarter alone as Hickman and Kickapoo traded punches. The score was 50-49 in the final minutes when the Lady Chiefs secured the victory by sinking 8-out-of-8 free throws.
“This team hung in there when they had to,” said Lady Chiefs coach Jim Pendergrass. “They hung in there and they made the plays that they had to in the end and they executed. It was a great team effort tonight, I'm really proud of these kids and everything that they did tonight, everything they've done all year and how far they've come.”
Jordan Sanders had an excellent night all around on Saturday, leading all scorers with 24 points and coming up big on the defensive side of the floor with rebounds and blocks.
“Jordan Sanders did a good job of keeping us in the game in the first half with scoring as well as rebounding the basketball,” Pendergrass said. “She dominated on the boards, she changed their shot attempts and she's a beast out there, that's for sure.”
“We just came together throughout the game,” said Sanders. “We just stuck together and played as a team. We were just flying around and trying to get the ball and get deflections.”
Sanders, a junior, was assisted by a couple of underclassmen with the scoring load. Sophomores Jordan Wersinger and Audrey Warren had 16 and 12 respectively. Wersinger and Sanders each went 4-4 at the line in the final minutes which allowed Kickapoo to pull away.
Warren drew the assignment of guarding Hickman junior Nyjah White in the paint. White tried her best to pound away down low, but Warren was just as physical and held White to just 14 points. Danni Nichols netted a team-high 21 points for the Kewpies, including nine in the fourth quarter.
“They're a great program and they're a lot like Kickapoo with the tradition,” said Pendergrass. “Coach [Tonya] Mirts has a great team. She's been there a long time. Kickapoo and Hickman have a past history that goes back to a lot of quarterfinal games, so this brought back a lot of memories from the old days… They did a fantastic job tonight, their kids execute a lot of things and they're a tough opponent.”
The Lady Chiefs (27-3) are seeking their sixth state championship in school history. They last won state titles in 2003 and 2005.
This year, they’re going to have to go through Liberty (26-3) when they travel to Mizzou Arena in Columbia as one of just four teams left in Class 5.
“This program is tradition-rich,” said Pendergrass. “We've got five state championships and a lot of other teams have been up there [to the semifinals] before, and I'm really glad these kids are going to get to experience this and looking forward to getting to Columbia.”
Kickapoo – 12 – 18 – 8 – 20 – 58
Hickman – 16 – 9 – 11 – 13 – 49
Kickapoo – Jordan Sanders 24, Jordan Wersinger 16, Audrey Warren 12, Aristelle Acuff 2, Laura Vierkant 2, Hannah Collins 2
Hickman – Danni Nichols 21, Nyjah White 14, Cassie Kent 12, Precious Smith 2
