By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Kickapoo Lady Chiefs had 30 days to stew – and consult – since losing to Nixa in the regular season.
“We’ve all been thinking of that loss. We knew we were a better team than that,” Kickapoo senior forward Mikayla Pilley said of the 58-53 loss at Nixa on Feb. 10. “But we had a lot to learn from it, and we had a lot to focus on. We wanted to come out stronger.”
Payback came in the form of a district championship Tuesday night, as Kickapoo defeated Nixa 53-44 in the Class 6 District 5 Tournament championship game at Ozark High School.
Pilley (20 points) and junior guard Josie Salazar (14 points) led the way for the Lady Chiefs, who won their second straight district title and ninth in the last 11 seasons.
“(Nixa) is an awesome team, and we knew we’d have a chance to see them again,” said Kickapoo coach Leslie Hanchey. “We’ve been working on taking care of the basketball, finishing through contact and just doing the little things right that we always do.
“Thirty days ago, when things weren’t going our way, we kind of crumbled a bit and got spastic with the ball. Tonight, when things got a little helter-skelter, we came together more. We wanted to do it together.”
To hoist the district crown once again, the Lady Chiefs deployed a defensive tactic they did not use in the first matchup with Nixa.
In the second quarter, Kickapoo unleashed a halfcourt trap that led to 20 unanswered points. Kickapoo went from trailing by six (11-5) to leading by 14 (25-11). Nixa’s first points of the second quarter came on Ceely Young’s 3-pointer with 1:20 remaining before halftime.
The scheme – called “Charley” – was borrowed from the Rolla Lady Bulldogs and head coach Charley Parker, a former Ozark Conference opponent of the Lady Chiefs.
“We saved it (for this game). (Rolla) runs that,” Hanchey said. “I said, ‘Hey, can you teach me how to run that defense?’ We call it ‘Charley’. It’s named after him. It’s just a trap where you go the entire possession and hopefully somebody makes a mistake.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
The Lady Chiefs, going with a guard-heavy lineup to fuel the halfcourt trap, never trailed again once the surge was over. Nixa (25-4 overall, No. 8 in MBCA Class 6 state poll) was held to its lowest point total of the season, and under 50 points for just the fourth time.
“We wanted to throw a lot at (Nixa),” Pilley said. “We switched things up and threw some things at them they weren’t expecting. We’ve been working on that a long time. We’ve always had a lot of good defensive players. We knew that would be our strong suit, and that was what led us to our offense.”
Kickapoo also used “Charley” in Saturday’s semifinal win over Republic.
“I knew if we had the right kids in and we didn’t foul, after what we did against Republic, I knew this (game) would be a good chance to do it again. The girls really like it because it’s high intensity and aggressive,” Hanchey said.
The Lady Chiefs only made three 3-pointers in the game but were 16-for-25 at the free throw line. Nixa finished 10-for-16 at the stripe.
Kickapoo (26-3 overall, No. 6 in MBCA Class 6 state poll) will host Lee’s Summit West in the Class 6 quarterfinal round this Saturday, March 15.
A victory would send Kickapoo to the final four for the third time in four seasons. The Lady Chiefs finished state runner-up in 2022 and 2024.
Pilley is the torchbearer for the 2025 Lady Chiefs, following in the lineage of former teammates Kya Johnson and Bella Fontleroy.
Postgame, Pilley was hoisted onto the shoulders of teammate Anyiah Doig as the Lady Chiefs celebrated the district championship with their student section.
“I’ve been watching a lot of great players ahead of me, like Kya and Bella. Big-name players,” Pilley said. “Just to be able to receive that first-place (district) trophy and hold it over my head, it’s something I’ve been dreaming of since I was in 8th grade. It really meant a lot to me.
“Kya and Bella were both phenomenal leaders, so I’m just trying to follow in those footsteps, do my part and make an impact on the younger players we have.”
Brooke Teter led Nixa with 14 points. The Lady Eagles were seeking their second district championship in five years (2021).
Nixa reached the 20-win mark for the fifth straight season. They’ll graduate six seniors, including three starters.
Kickapoo 53, Nixa 44
Kickapoo 7 20 11 15 — 53
Nixa 11 6 11 16 — 44
Kickapoo (26-3 overall) – Mikayla Pilley 20, Josie Salazar 14, Anyiah Doig 4, Taylyn Whited 4, Allison Scott 3, Katherine Vaughan 3, Lexi Ringgold 2, Ni’ell Ross 2, Amari Perry 1
Nixa (25-4 overall) – Brooke Teeter 14, Ceely Young 10, Taylor Wood 8, Kennedy Nash 6, Gwen Kubik 3, Karis Ferguson 3
