By Michael Cignoli (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
WILLARD — For the sixth time in seven seasons, Strafford is headed to the state quarterfinals.
Lauren Jones scored 15 points and Laney Humble added 11 as the Indians cruised to a 59-46 victory over Clever in a Class 3 sectional on Wednesday night at Willard High School.
Ranked second in the state, the District 11 champions led by as many as 28 points early in the fourth quarter before Clever closed the game on an 18-3 run largely against Strafford’s reserves.
It wasn’t enough to prevent Strafford from advancing.
Motivated by last season’s sectional loss that snapped their unprecedented run of five consecutive state titles, the Indians were determined to make it at least one game farther.
Strafford (23-5) will play District 10 champion Licking (24-4) at 6 p.m. Saturday at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
“This is a group of young girls that is special in every way,” Strafford coach Dustin Larsen said. “Every year, it’s a new team because there’s someone new on it or someone that graduated. It’s their own version and that’s what everyone has to understand. Let them be the best version of themselves and take it as far as they can take it. Every day, they’re trying to do their best.”
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The Indians got a notable new addition to the team when Humble moved into the district before the season. The all-state junior, who nearly ended Strafford’s season in last year’s district tournament, joined a lineup that already had all-state senior Emma Compton and several returning players who gained valuable varsity experience as underclassmen last season.
Perhaps none more valuable than the final game.
“We should have pulled through and won that game but we didn’t,” Compton said. “We didn’t have everything we needed. This year, I knew coming in that we’ve had some girls that have stepped up a lot since last year. We had Laney move in. I knew we had a way better chance this year and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished.”
Compton and fellow senior Mattilyn Walker added nine points apiece for Strafford on Wednesday as the Indians narrowly missed out on having four players in double-figures.
“We have so many people,” Jones said. “We can shoot. We can drive. We rebound. We do all of the above. If we utilize all the things that we can do, there’s really nobody that can stop us.”
The Indians were just as impressive defensively, holding Clever to just 15 first-half points. Strafford led 29-15 going into the break and used a 17-4 third-quarter run to pull away.
“I thought we played really well defensively in the first half,” Larsen said. “We missed a few (close shots) around the basket. Just got rushed a little bit. When some of (those shots) don’t go in, sometimes you can get worried about it. The biggest thing is to move on to the next play, pick each other up and have each other’s back. That’s the greatest thing you can do – and that’s exactly what they did. They came out really strong in the second half.”
Riah Robinson scored 20 points for Clever, which finished the year 13-15. All but one of those losses were to out-of-class opponents or in-class teams that are ranked, and the Blue Jays reached the state tournament by securing the school’s first district championship since 1992.
Ranked fourth in the state, Licking will be the third state-ranked opponent Strafford sees during its five-game playoff run. The Indians beat No. 3 Skyline and No. 10 Sparta in the district tournament.
“It’s going to keep you sharp,” Larsen said. “This time, generally, most teams are good. Even if a team’s record isn’t as good, you still run into people that are playing well at the right time. You can’t always look at records, but I definitely think our path has seen some of the strongest teams. We’re blessed that we had the opportunity to play those teams. It made us better each night and hopefully we’ve helped them get better too.”
