By Michael Smith (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
KANSAS CITY — Springfield Central was in for a battle.
The Bulldogs were in a close game with Rockhurst in the Class 6 boys basketball state quarterfinals Saturday at Rockhurst High School, and they needed a difference maker down the stretch.
They had one in their only senior —Tyrique Brooks.
He had a monster second half, scoring 21 of his game-high 25 points in the second half as his offensive explosion helped Central take down the Hawklets 58-48.
“There were points in the game where we were playing slow and we needed someone to get us started,” Brooks said. “There is always someone on our team that does. Today, it just happened to be me.”
The Bulldogs (24-6) will advance to the state final four for the first time since 1963. Central will take on Cardinal Ritter in the semifinals March 15 at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
“This year has been a lot of breaking history,” Central head coach Jordan Epps said. “This group of kids deserves it. They have worked hard and battled through adversity. We did this for our community. Our fans traveled well.”
The Rockhurst defense didn’t have an answer for Brooks, who was hitting shots from multiple areas on the floor. The Hawklets led 13-8 at the end of the first period, but Springfield came back to take a 24-23 advantage going into halftime thanks to 3-pointers from Brooks and junior Keion Epps and a coast-to-coast layup from junior Tayshaun Wells with 32 seconds left.
After that, Brooks took over on offense.
The senior crossed over a Rockhurst defender and buried a long mid-range jumper early in the third period which was the beginning scoring Central’s first nine points, which included a turnaround left-handed dunk from the baseline after junior Bryce Walker fed him a sharp pass, which put his team up 33-29 midway through.
“His athleticism alone gives us a key piece that not a lot of teams have,” Jordan Epps said of Brooks. “Great players step up in big time moments and he’s a great player.”
He scored 14 of his team’s 16 points in the third as Central clung to a 40-39 lead going into the final period. At the beginning of the fourth, he sparked an 8-3 run that included a fadeaway baseline jumper over a contest from a Rockhurst defender and a 3-point shot in which he dribbled behind his back and made a pull-up three from right wing, which helped the Bulldogs get its biggest lead up until that point, 48-41.
“He does a lot of big stuff for us,” Wells said of Brooks. “He is one of the best scorers on the team. The stuff he does gives us a lot of energy.”
Rockhurst still managed to keep it close thanks to a cutting layup from senior Braden Lamley and a trey from sophomore Cohen Robinson, which cut Central’s advantage to 50-46 with 3:50 left in regulation. However, Central went on an 8-2 run to close it out, which was highlighted by a three for junior Devin Sanford and a driving layup for Wells.
Central will have a chance to win a state championship, but even after he graduates, Brooks said he’s confident his team will have success after he is gone.
“We are a young team that I think can make it back next year,” said Brooks, who committed to play basketball at Missouri Southern State University.
Wells added 10 points for the Bulldogs and Keion Epps chipped in with eight.
