2022-23 Lady Tigers win Class 4 District 3, fall short in overtime in Sectionals
The 2022-23 version of the St. James Lady Tigers had lofty goals this season. The girls set a goal of returning to the Final Four but as it turns out they fell a couple of games short. The Lady Tigers had an injury filled season and were missing players seemiingly every night however, they didn't let that hold them back battling to a 20-8 final record. They also won the Sullivan Tournament and finished 2nd in the Four-Rivers Conference. The hilight of the season however, was winning their district tournament on their home floor. They beat Cuba in the semi-finals and got past a very good Salem team for the district title. In sectionals they ran into Lift for Life Academy Charter out of St. Louis. 32 minutes wasn't enough to settle this one and eventually Lift for Life just made a couple more plays and a couple of more shots than the Lady Tigers did. A lot to be proud of with this group and a lot to be proud of this season.
2021-22 Lady Tigers Finish 4th in the State
Season Overview: The 2021-22 St. James Lady Tigers finished the season 25-7, including an exciting run to the Class 4 Show-Me Show Down in Springfield, Missouri. They were able to win a district championship over the Owensville Dutchgirls. They then traveled to Kirkwood HS for sectionals where they defeated a very good Lutheran South team. They traveled to Jefferson College in Hillsboro, MO for quarterfinals where they defeated Park Hills Central to punch their ticket to the Final Four! They were defeated in the Semi-Finals by John Burroughs School and then lost the 3rd place game to Jefferson City, Helias.
2018-19 Lady Tigers Basketball News
Tigers comeback falls short, another slow start ....
The Lady Tigers lost at home to Blair Oaks on Thursday by a score of 42-39. They got off to yet another slow start and were down as many as 14 in the snd quarter before finding their fight and clawing back into the game. They closed the first half strong and were fortunate to only be down 8 at half. The Tigers dominated most of the second half eve taking a 3 point lead late into the 4th quarter. However, Blair Oaks took advantage of some missed STJ opportunities and mental errors to win the game. The Tigers are now 2-2 and travel to Mtn. View Liberty to face the undefeated Lady Eagles tomorrow. We must bounce back quickly.
The Lady Tigers JV won a very tight contest 42-37 to move to 2-1 on the season.
The Lady Tigers JV won a very tight contest 42-37 to move to 2-1 on the season.
Lady Tigers have strong 2nd half to upend Cuba in Home Opener
The Lady Tigers finally got to play on their home floor on Monday and it started out like the girls had forgotten how to play there. It was a slow moving first half in which Cuba dictated all of the tempo but even then the Tigers managed to grind to a 25-14 halftime lead. The girls did a great job of adjusting after halftime and exploded with their best offensive quarter of the year in the 3rd with 25 points. Ball movement was great and the scoring was balanced. It was really fun to watch this group finally see some shots drop. We move to 2-1 on the season and will host the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons on Thursday.
There was no JV game vs Cuba.
There was no JV game vs Cuba.
Lady Tigers overcome halftime deficit to beat state ranked Comets
#7 and #9 in the pre-season class 3 rankings.
Final was 43-37
The final score was the first time all night the game margin was larger than 4 points. It was a very physical game that was back and forth all night long. We were down 4 at halftime but the kids managed to adjust and played much better in the second half. We did a better job of attacking their pressure and it resulted in fewer turnovers and some easy baskets. The Lady Tigers were down one with under a minute left when Savanna Riccetti buried a 3 from the left corner to put us up 2. We managed to get a stop on the other end and Freshman Aly Bullock was fouled and after a Fatima timeout nailed two FT to put us up 4 with 15 seconds left. Bailey Wells pulled a rebound on the next possession and iced the game with 2 more FT.
Savanna Riccetti was just about as clutch as you can get in this game. She played 32 minutes under extreme pressure and really was the backbone of this win. The kids played so hard defensively and we did a good job of getting over mistakes on offense to still get stops. Great team win on the road for us.
The Junior Varsity Ladies lost a very tough game 28-24. They go to 1-1 on the season.
Our next game will be a varsity only game on Monday against Cuba.
Final was 43-37
The final score was the first time all night the game margin was larger than 4 points. It was a very physical game that was back and forth all night long. We were down 4 at halftime but the kids managed to adjust and played much better in the second half. We did a better job of attacking their pressure and it resulted in fewer turnovers and some easy baskets. The Lady Tigers were down one with under a minute left when Savanna Riccetti buried a 3 from the left corner to put us up 2. We managed to get a stop on the other end and Freshman Aly Bullock was fouled and after a Fatima timeout nailed two FT to put us up 4 with 15 seconds left. Bailey Wells pulled a rebound on the next possession and iced the game with 2 more FT.
Savanna Riccetti was just about as clutch as you can get in this game. She played 32 minutes under extreme pressure and really was the backbone of this win. The kids played so hard defensively and we did a good job of getting over mistakes on offense to still get stops. Great team win on the road for us.
The Junior Varsity Ladies lost a very tough game 28-24. They go to 1-1 on the season.
Our next game will be a varsity only game on Monday against Cuba.
Lady Tigers fall to Licking in the season opener
Final Score
Licking 45
St. James 29
We were outclassed in this one. We need to bounce back and I believe this group of girls to be capable of that. We need to play with more aggression and more confidence.
Junior Varsity won their game to start the year 1-0. Good opening game against a tough opponent. Lots of growth still available however.
Our next game will be Thursday November 29th against a state ranked Fatima team.
Licking 45
St. James 29
We were outclassed in this one. We need to bounce back and I believe this group of girls to be capable of that. We need to play with more aggression and more confidence.
Junior Varsity won their game to start the year 1-0. Good opening game against a tough opponent. Lots of growth still available however.
Our next game will be Thursday November 29th against a state ranked Fatima team.
Basketball District assignments have been released for 2018-19
On Friday Nov. 9th the MSHSAA released the class and district assignments for this season. St. James is in Class 3 District 4.
This district features the following teams:
Belle
Bourbon
Cuba
Grandview (Hillsboro)
Kingston
Dixon
St. James
Steelville
This district features the following teams:
Belle
Bourbon
Cuba
Grandview (Hillsboro)
Kingston
Dixon
St. James
Steelville
2017-18 Lady Tigers Basketball News
Lady Tigers finish the season with a tough loss in districts....
The St. James Lady Tigers finished thier season in the Class 3 District 9 tournament being hosted at Fatima on Monday, February 19th. The Lady Tigers were in unfamiliar territory going into the district as a #6 seed and an underdog. The Lady Tigers fought hard and battled for the full 32 minutes but they just couldn't muster the offense needed to win, eventually falling 43-41. They were down on multiple occasions as many as 7 points but they battled back time and time again. It is the kind of effort that makes a coach proud and the kind of effort we can build on. I would like to say thank you to both Kennedy Fane and Quinn Paulus for their incredible contributions to this team and program over the last 4 years. They will be missed.
The Tigers finish their season 12-14 and 3-4 in Four Rivers Conference play.
The Tigers finish their season 12-14 and 3-4 in Four Rivers Conference play.
Updating the Lady Tiger Varsity season so far 2/8/18
Tiger fans! dropping a quick update on this years Lady Tigers! I have been behind and I apologize but I wanted to keep you up to date as to whats going on with this exciting group of ladies. Our season record as of now stands at 12-10. We are coming off of back to back wins over conference foes Pacific and Owensville. Those two wins came on the heels of a 3 game losing streak however. The last 5 games really are a capsule of this entire season as it has been an up and down ride. This group has played a very tough schedule as usual for St. James and that has provided some major obstacles. The girls have hung in there however and have showed vast improvements in many areas. They are becoming much better practice players (we even had the team ask to extend practice a little bit the other day in order to get something right! Holy COW!!!) and their effort has been consistent lately even when games against super tough foes havn't been going our way. Our attitudes have been good and the team seems willing to learn and be coached which hasn't been the case all season. We have beaten some very good teams this season including Fatima, New Haven, Pacific, and two very exciting games against Rolla (which is always nice:) . We have also stubbed our toes a few times and simply not shown up. We have shown major growth in that area however and I believe we can finish strong! We have 3 of the best teams in our conference left on our schedule including a tough road game against the Sullivan Lady Eagles tonight. I'll keep you up to date on how everything goes and we hope to see you in a gym somewhere
Updating the Junior Varsity season so far 2/8/18
Hello Tiger Fans! Its been a while but we are going to give you a quick summary of the Lady Tiger Basketball season so far this year. In Junior Varsity Action the team is 8-8 right now and coming off of back to back wins. It has been a little bit of an odd year for the Junior Varsity as we have had new faces to mix in due to injuries, we have had a lot of kids sick, and all of this has created missed practices and missed games and caused a lot of turnover in the lineups. It has been tough to get the execution that has normally been a strength of our young Lady Tiger teams. They have continued to work hard however and have had some highlights including finishing in 2nd place in our JV tournament. It seems as soon as this group gets healthy we have 2-3 more get sick and it has been hard to find a flow. They have been working hard in practice as of late however and we have seen great growth from several players. We will look to have a good performance against Sullivan tonight and try to finish out the season strong!
7th Grade Lady Tigers excel going 15-1 and improving along the way!!!
7th Grade Season and Highlights 2017
The 2017 7th grade Lady Tigers matured a great deal from their first game in the summer until their last game of the season in October. One thing that stood out to me in the summer more than anything else, was losing to a team by 44 points during their first Licking Shootout, and then closing that gap against the same team to only 13 points the very next day. That is improvement! This team won the championships of both the Hermann and St. James tournaments on their way to an impressive 15-1 record. Their only loss was their last game by two points in OT against a talented Steelville team. Overall, the 7th graders had an outstanding season while really learning how to play basketball as a team. Coach Perona
The 2017 7th grade Lady Tigers matured a great deal from their first game in the summer until their last game of the season in October. One thing that stood out to me in the summer more than anything else, was losing to a team by 44 points during their first Licking Shootout, and then closing that gap against the same team to only 13 points the very next day. That is improvement! This team won the championships of both the Hermann and St. James tournaments on their way to an impressive 15-1 record. Their only loss was their last game by two points in OT against a talented Steelville team. Overall, the 7th graders had an outstanding season while really learning how to play basketball as a team. Coach Perona
2016-17 Lady Tigers Basketball News
Lady Tigers excel through an injury plagued season. End 27-1
http://www.therolladailynews.com/news/20170308/lady-tigers-grind-through-injuries-for-phenomenal-season
Read the season recap here.
Read the season recap here.
Kenzie Guese joins the 1000 point Club!
St. James Lady Tiger Senior Kenzie Guese added another accomplishment to her impressive career on December 12th during first round play of the Sullivan tournament she surpassed 1000 career points. She was honored with a game ball before the Lady Tigers home game against Steelville this past week. She finished the week strong with a 25 point and 14 rebound performance on the road against Licking. Just a great kid accomplishing great things.
Lady Tigers take the show on the long road to Ste. Genevieve
Two teams who started the night a combined 10-0 faced off Wednesday in Ste. Genevieve. It was a long road trip, on a Wednesday night, and it was a weird start time, but none of that seemed to phase St. James as they jumped out to a fast start in the first quarter and led 17-6. The second quarter was a different story as the defense let up and allowed some easy baskets and kept sending Ste. Gen to the FT line. For the 4th consecutive game however, the Tigers came out of the locker room rolling. Making all of the necessary adjustments and putting up an 18-6 quarter to put the Lady Dragons away. St. James moves to 6-0 on the season but will face a Blair Oaks team looking for revenge on Thursday night.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Hunter Pitts who is having surgery done on her knee today, and also with Miya Goss who is having her knee checked out.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Hunter Pitts who is having surgery done on her knee today, and also with Miya Goss who is having her knee checked out.
Fuhring Joines Exclusive Company
In the history of St. James Lady Tiger basketball, 5 players have scored over 1500 points and on Monday, November 31st in the first half of a game against Tuscumbia Lady Tiger senior Devin Fuhring became #6. Amy Rhea, Allison Edwards, Jennifer Bowen, Ashlee Marlatt, and Evelyn Laycock are the only other names on the list. The scary thing for Devin is she has 20+ games left to play. A big congratualtions goes out to you Devin from the coaching staff and all of Lady Tiger Nation. Job Well Done.
Lady Tigers with 2 Revenge Wins to get off to a 5-0 start to the season
The 2016-17 Lady Tigers have gotten off to a fantastic start this season. 5 games in, and they already have avenged two losses from last year (Jackson & Osage) and have claimed the Eugene Tournament Championship. They have been paced by a defense allowing only about 30ppg and an offense that is getting help each night from different places. Returning two of the best players in the area in Devin Fuhring and Kenzie Guese has helped of course but each night it seems somebody new steps up and delivers a big shot or two and makes a play to put us over the top. Jackson is a very very good class 5 school that will win 20+ games this year and Osage is an upper level class 4 school, both of which beat us last year and returned nearly their entire team. That is a good sign for us. Our work is not done however and we will continue to look for ways to grow as a group.
Lady Tigers set to open the season with a rematch against Jackson
The St. James shootout will feature a rematch of last years game between St. James and Jackson. Last season Jackson won a squeaker ruining the Lady Tigers home opener. The Lady Tigers should have a bad taste in their mouths about that and come out strong. Other games in the shootout on Saturday, Nov. 26th will include.
Owensville vs Park Hills Central
Republic vs Jefferson City
Pacific vs Battle
Cuba vs North County
St. James JV vs Jackson JV
St. James vs Jackson
Owensville vs Park Hills Central
Republic vs Jefferson City
Pacific vs Battle
Cuba vs North County
St. James JV vs Jackson JV
St. James vs Jackson
Highly Successful Middle School Season Comes to a close
The 7th & 8th Grade Lady Tigers seasons came to a close on Oct. 29th. The 7th Grade Lady Tigers ended the season with a 15-1 record which included 2 tournament championships. Their lone loss came to Steelville in the last game of the season but man this group came a long way since the first day of practice and really exceeded expectations. It is a season to be real proud of so Congrats to the 7th graders and Coach Perona.
The 8th grade ladies finished up in style going 16-0 for the second consecutive season. This included two tournament championships in Washington and Owensville. Their combined 32-0 record puts them with some of the best groups to come through St. James. They still have a lot of work to do but they are a deep competitive group that pushes each other. Congrats to the 8th graders and Coach Engelbrecht.
As a coach I am extremely excited about these two teams and I am proud to have them in our program!!!
The 8th grade ladies finished up in style going 16-0 for the second consecutive season. This included two tournament championships in Washington and Owensville. Their combined 32-0 record puts them with some of the best groups to come through St. James. They still have a lot of work to do but they are a deep competitive group that pushes each other. Congrats to the 8th graders and Coach Engelbrecht.
As a coach I am extremely excited about these two teams and I am proud to have them in our program!!!
7th & 8th Grade Lady Tigers come home with Tournament Titles!
What a great start to a season!
The 7th grade lady tigers made 3 lonnnnnnng trips to Hermann this week and walked away with the Tournament championship with a 32-28 victory over Owensville. That moves their season record to 5-0! Congrats to the players and coaches.
The 8th grade version traveled to Washington 3 times this week and also came up with a tournament championship beating Union in an exciting title game by the score of 44-23. The final score does not accurately reflect how close the game was. Entering the 4th quarter the game was 23-17 but a strong push to start the 4th sealed the victory. The 5th straight win to start the year and that makes 21 in a row for this group of young ladies. Congrats Coach E on your first tourney title!
The 7th grade lady tigers made 3 lonnnnnnng trips to Hermann this week and walked away with the Tournament championship with a 32-28 victory over Owensville. That moves their season record to 5-0! Congrats to the players and coaches.
The 8th grade version traveled to Washington 3 times this week and also came up with a tournament championship beating Union in an exciting title game by the score of 44-23. The final score does not accurately reflect how close the game was. Entering the 4th quarter the game was 23-17 but a strong push to start the 4th sealed the victory. The 5th straight win to start the year and that makes 21 in a row for this group of young ladies. Congrats Coach E on your first tourney title!
Middle School Lady Tigers Teams start season off strong.....
The 7th and 8th grade Lady Tigers have started their respective seasons with a bang. The 7th Grade team has started the season off 3-0 with great wins over Washington and Hermann. On Tuesday the 7th Grade squad traveled to Hermann for first round tournament action and battled to a victory against the Union Wildcats. The tournament will resume tonight September 28th, in 2nd round action vs Pacific.
The 8th graders are attempting to complete an undefeated MS career this season after going 16-0 last season. They have picked up where they left off with 3 wins to start their season. They started with good wins over Washington and Hermann last week. Last night in the first round of the Washington Tournament they defeated Pacific to move on to the Semi-Finals tonight, Sep. 28th. I will have more news on both teams after the tournaments are completed.
The 8th graders are attempting to complete an undefeated MS career this season after going 16-0 last season. They have picked up where they left off with 3 wins to start their season. They started with good wins over Washington and Hermann last week. Last night in the first round of the Washington Tournament they defeated Pacific to move on to the Semi-Finals tonight, Sep. 28th. I will have more news on both teams after the tournaments are completed.
2015-16 Lady Tigers Basketball News
Lady Tigers Season comes to an end with tough Quarterfinal loss
The 2015-16 St. James Lady Tigers had their season come to an end in the Quarterfinals at Drury once again. The eventual state champion Strafford Lady Indians derailed the Lady Tigers final four hopes by a score of 50-40. The Lady Tigers finish the season 23-7, finishing 2nd in the Four Rivers Conference and also winning the Class 3 District 9 championship. It was a game that was closer than the final score but in the end the Tigers just couldn't get enough offense going to pull out the victory. It was a great season though for a team that withstood so much. The heart and character of this team can never be underestimated.
St. James defense once again dominates in sectional win
The St. James Lady Tigers used another outstanding defensive effort to stifle Houston at Wednesdays sectional game at Missouri S&T. Great communication, effort, and focus forced Houston into tough shots and turnovers leading to a 46-30 victory for St. James. This included holding Houston's standout post player Sarah Kelley to only 7 points and only one field goal. She was the focus of the game plan and StJ went out and executed it nearly to perfection on the defensive end. At times the offense struggled but the defense was always there to keep the momentum and the lead for St. James. They will now move on to the state quarterfinal for the 2nd consecutive year and the 3rd time in 4 years. There they will face Strafford who is 27-3 on the season.
Lady Tigers win 2nd consecutive district title over Lady Comets
Class 3 District 9 once again came down to StJ vs Fatima after Fatima upset the 2nd seeded Cuba Lady Wildcats in the district semifinals Wednesday night. For the 3rd consecutive season these two teams would face off for the title and this one would turn out to be the tie-breaker as Fatima won the crown in 2014 and StJ took home the title in 2015. St. James would use a quick start and stifling defense as well as some ball control tactics in the 4th quarter to grind out a 39-23 victory @ Fatima to secure their 2nd straight district championship. Game plan was followed nearly perfectly on the defensive end and Fatima senior scoring machine Sammey Bunch was the focal point of the plan. She was held to 2 field goals and a total of 6 points on the night, and early in the 4th quarter, protecting a 10 point lead, StJ decided to just hold onto the ball. The strategy worked as the Lady Tigers avoided turnovers and extended to a 16 point victory. The Lady Tigers now advance to the state playoffs where they will take on the Houston Lady Tigers at Missouri S&T in sectional action this Wednesday.
A Pair of Lady Tigers join the 1000 point club
On December 7, 2015 Junior Forward Devin Fuhring scored her 1000 point in a non-conference road game at Cuba. She became the 15th player in program history to surpass the 1000 point plateau in what was only the 62nd game of her career. Many more to come for Devin.
On Saturday January 9th, during a road game at St. Joseph's Academy, Senior shooting guard Shauna Rinehart also surpassed the 1000 point mark. In doing so she became the 16th player in program history to reach 1000. She also became only the 2nd lady tiger in history to hit 200 career 3pt shots. Congrats goes out to her for these great accomplishments.
On Saturday January 9th, during a road game at St. Joseph's Academy, Senior shooting guard Shauna Rinehart also surpassed the 1000 point mark. In doing so she became the 16th player in program history to reach 1000. She also became only the 2nd lady tiger in history to hit 200 career 3pt shots. Congrats goes out to her for these great accomplishments.
Defense gets Tigers into the Championship game at Eugene
The Lady Tigers are the #1 seed in the Eugene tourney this week and their defense is playing like they deserve that. In the opening round they held an aggressive Russellville team to 30 points and in the Semi-finals they held a good Blair Oaks team to 23 points. The tempo isn't a normal StJ tempo but we are getting it done on the defensive end of the floor. If we continue to do that we should have a chance in just about every game this year. So far this season the junior duo of Devin Fuhring and Kenzie Guese have carried the scoring load so we will continue to try to get others to chip in any way that they can. Our kids need to continue to find ways to contribute on offense in anyway that they can. Hitting the offensive glass for easy putbacks, stepping into open jumpers in within their range, making proper cuts and learning to come off of screens and read defenses are all ways that we can get the contributions that we need.
The Lady Tigers will play Osage for the championship on Saturday Dec. 5th at 7pm.
The Lady Tigers will play Osage for the championship on Saturday Dec. 5th at 7pm.
Tiger JV earns first win of the season
The STJ Junior Varsity earned their first win of the season Monday with a tough win over Blair Oaks JV 44-41. It was a wild, crazy, sometimes ugly game but any win is a good win. They will be off until Monday Dec. 7th vs Cuba.
Lady Tigers open season with a tough loss to Jackson
The St. James Lady Tigers opened up their season on Saturday November 28th against a very game Class 5 Jackson team. Playing without senior shootist Shauna Rinehart the Lady Tigers knew that they would be in for a tough fight. In a slowly paced game between two quality teams, the very experienced Jackson squad just did the things it took to win a tough game. Every time STJ would make a run, Jackson had an answer, usually from the 3pt line where they stroked in 8 3-pointers. The Tigers had a lead about midway through the 4th quarter but made 3 consecutive turnovers that turned into five Jackson points and ultimately decided the game. It was a tough way to start but also was the measuring stick game that St. James needed to find out who they are. Games like this will make us grow.
The Junior Varsity was also defeated by Jackson JV.
The Junior Varsity was also defeated by Jackson JV.
Eugene Tournament Seeds are out.....
The Tournament will be played at Eugene High School from Monday Nov. 30th thru Saturday Dec. 5th
1. St. James
2. Osage
3. Eugene
4. Blair Oaks
5. Tuscumbia
6. St. Elizabeth
7. Calvary Lutheran
8. Russellville
The St. James Junior Varsity will also play one game during this week against the Blair Oaks JV @ 730 PM on Monday Nov. 30th in the Eugene Elementary Gym
1. St. James
2. Osage
3. Eugene
4. Blair Oaks
5. Tuscumbia
6. St. Elizabeth
7. Calvary Lutheran
8. Russellville
The St. James Junior Varsity will also play one game during this week against the Blair Oaks JV @ 730 PM on Monday Nov. 30th in the Eugene Elementary Gym
7th Grade Finishes Undefeated & 8th Grade finishes strong
The 7th grade Lady Tigers completed an undefeated season at 16-0 after defeating Steelville in the final game of the season. The 8th grade Lady Tigers ended thier season on a positive note also by defeating Steelville for their 3rd win on the year! Thanks to all of the girls for their time and efforts
8th Grade comes up short, but improvement is there
The Middle School Lady Tigers invited Hermann to town on Thursday 9/24 and came up short against a BIG Bearcat team. However, we are seeing great improvement in the kids and steps are being made in the right direction. The 7th Graders moved to 2-0 on the season with a swarming defensive effort. They played hard and unselfish and earned a good victory. The 8th grade will play in the Washington Tournament next week while the 7th grade travels to Hermann for a tournament.
Middle School Basketball begins with a split in Washington
The Middle School Lady Tigers opened their season with a trip to Washington on Sep. 22nd. The 7th grade dominated from the start earning their first win of the season behind a very balanced attack. The 8th grade ladies fought hard but a 11-0 2nd quarter run proved to be the big difference as the lady tigers fell 37-21. Both teams will look to improve going into their next game Thursday @ Home vs Hermann.
2014-15 Lady Tigers Basketball News
Lady Tigers Season Comes to an end with Quarterfinal loss to Buffalo
No story to be told. I just want to credit one of the most amazing group of kids that any coach could ever ask for. You had an amazing season that you will always look back on. Great group of kids who faced all challengers and were scared of nobody. The definition of a team. I love this team and always will.
St. James Lady Tigers get revenge and win Class 3 District 9 over Fatima!
Here is the link to the news article on the district championship game
http://www.therolladailynews.com/article/20150302/SPORTS/150309919/2001/SPORTS
http://www.therolladailynews.com/article/20150302/SPORTS/150309919/2001/SPORTS
Lady Tigers 4-Rivers Conference Champions!!!!
The Lady Tigers traveled to Owensville last night with an undefeated 4-Rivers conference championship on the line......and it turns out they traveled well. The Energy and effort of the girls was on another level all night long and they drove away from Owensville 7-0 in the conference after a 81-51 victory over the rival dutchgirls. Over the last couple of seasons the Dutchgirls have played the Tigers super tough, but last night Otown simply couldn't match the energy and effort of the Lady Tigers. This is a goal accomplished and the coaching staff is so so proud of this incredible group of girls!
Ashlee Marlatt named KLPW Athlete of the Week
St. James senior guard Ashlee Marlatt has been named the KLPW athlete of the week. Go to www.klpw.com, then go to the bottom left hand corner of the home page to get the full story on the Lady Tigers senior guard.
Lady Tigers suffer their first setback of the season against Dexter
It was a long ride to Dexter, and an even longer ride home as the Lady Tigers fell @ Dexter last night 74-63. The Lady Tigers started out slow and Dexter came out very aggressive which led to a 20-13 score at the end of the first quarter as the tigers had trouble matching intensity with the Bearcats. The Tigers regrouped and made a nice 2nd quarter run to get within 3 at the half. Halftime, which has been a great ally to StJ all season long was not friendly on this night. The ladies lost energy again and Dexter was able to start the half on a 7-0 run. It was just too deep of a hole to dig out of for the Lady Tigers. Every night we have a target on our backs and tonight we didn't answer the bell. Dexter deserved to win this game because they played harder than we did. I know this group of kids and they will regroup like champions do.
St. James makes it a 3 in row at the Fatima Tournament
For the 3rd straight season the St. James Lady Tigers have brought home the big hardware at the Fatima Tournament. St. James was able to bring home the title by defeating the Fatima JV, Blair Oaks, and Four-Rivers foe Owensville in the championship game. The title game was a rematch of last years game and the first half was almost a mirror image of last years game. St. James went into the locker room at the half with only a 4 point lead, although they dealt with major foul trouble the entire half. The players who came off of the bench in this game really keyed this victory as we were able to deal with foul trouble and never miss a beat. In the 3rd quarter the Lady Tigers asserted themselves on both ends of the floor to start the quarter on a 12-0 run and never look back. Once they mounted the 16 point lead, the girls were patient and strong and able to maintain their lead for the remainder of the game. A big congrats goes out to Ashlee Marlatt and Alexis Uffmann who were selected to the all-tournament team.
Here is the Link to the St. Louis Post story on St. James vs St. Josephs
Lady Tigers defense holds down state ranked Licking
It was a battle of state ranked teams on Monday night in Licking, MO. In a battle of ranked class 3 teams, #1 St. James (11-0) used a stout defensive effort to handle #10 Licking(10-3). The Lady Tigers got off to a fast start with a 22-4 first quarter and never looked back. They outscored Licking in each quarter to close with a 62-30 victory. Standout guard Ashlee Marlatt had another great performance, but it wasn't her offense that stood out as she held Licking's all-state guard Megan Smith to 7 points on the night. 10 below her average. The rest of the team did their part as well limiting Bailey Osborne to 15 points and holding the rest of the Lady Wildcats nearly scoreless as the remaining players on their roster combined for 8 points. It was a good team victory against a quality opponent. Up next St. James will travel to St. Louis on Saturday to take on state powerhouse St. Joseph's Academy on Saturday at 330pm in the Elite Girls Basketball Shootout.
Lady Tigers move to 10-0 with dominating effort in US Bank Holiday Tournament
The St. James Lady Tigers finished up their Christmas break with a championship celebration in the Rolla Holiday Tournament. From the opening round, the Lady Tigers dominated the competition. In the opening round the met Sedalia Smith-Cotton and rolled to a 77-31 victory. Led in scoring by Devin Fuhring with 25, and Ashlee Marlatt with 20, however 5 other lady tigers chipped in with at least 5 points. In the semi-finals it would be a rematch of last years championship game as the Waynesville Tigers and standout post player Kallie Bildner would come knocking. It wouldn't take St. James long to show their superiority in that game either as they jumped out to a 17-3 lead at the end of one quarter with some stifling half court defense. When the dust settled the Lady Tigers finished off Waynesville 67-30 and the all-state Bildner finished with only 6 points. 3 Lady Tigers led the charge by hitting double digits while the defense on Bildner was led by Kenzie Guese, it was a big time team effort on that end. Those victories led to a championship match-up between St. James and North County. Another hot start led to a run away victory for the Lady Tigers as the used a 52 point first half and a 24-9 3rd quarter to steam roll to a 86-41 victory. The dominant performance led to some rewards as when the 8 player all-tournament team was announced after the game, all 5 St. James starters were a part of the team. Kenzie Guese, Shauna Rinehart, Alexis Uffmann, Ashlee Marlatt and Devin Fuhring (MVP) all were named to the team. Congrats to all of the team on a great week. The Lady Tigers will next travel to Licking to take on the 10-2 Lady Wildcats.
St. James opens up Four Rivers play with a win vs Union
The always tough 4-Rivers conference schedule opened up for St. James when Union traveled into town on Monday night. The game opened with a very fast pace to it and both teams were able to score effectively early. St. James Senior Ashlee Marlatt hit a 3 at the buzzer in the first quarter to give STJ an 18-12 advantage going into the 2nd. Union opened up the 2nd quarter with a little run and St. James was forced into a time-out to talk about some defensive adjustments. After that, this game was all St. James. A busted play at the end of the 2nd quarter left the ball in Marlatt's hands again, and once again she delivered a quarter ending 3-pointer to send St. James to the locker room with a 38-25 advantage. In the second half the defense was fantastic as Union was limited to 12 points in the entire half. Even though St. James offense wasn't clicking at times, we were able to pull away slowly due to our defense getting stops. Marlatt led St. James in scoring with 20 points. Sophomore Devin Fuhring added 18 points and 14 rebounds. Kenzie Guese and Shauna Rinehart added 12 & 9 respectively. It was a solid team effort especially in the second half. We held their two best player to under 20 points combined and that was what the game plan centered around so we were successful there.
The Junior Varsity Lady Tigers moved to 4-0 on the season with a 24-18 win in the JV contest.
The Junior Varsity Lady Tigers moved to 4-0 on the season with a 24-18 win in the JV contest.
Lady Tigers use strong defensive effort to overwhelm Cuba
The St. James Lady Tigers invited the Cuba Wildcats to town on Monday night Dec. 8th. It was a rough start for the Lady Tigers as they struggled to find their offense in the first quarter of the game. They had an 8-7 lead after one quarter. In the second quarter they decided to go about things in a different way as they used defensive pressure to spark their offense and create some easy shots. Shauna Rinehart took the lid off of the basket in the 2nd quarter with a couple of 3pt baskets, and Ashlee Marlatt then finished the quarter with a flurry of steals that led to breakaway lay-ups. In the second half the Tigers would put the clamps down only allowing 9 points total in the half. Devin Fuhring led all scorers with 21 points. The Lady Tigers move to 5-0 on the season and will open up conference play next week by hosting Union and traveling to New Haven.
The Junior Varsity Lady Tigers opened their season with a win over the Cuba JV by a score of 30-27. Sophomore Guard Miya Goss led all scorers with 16 points. The JV moves to 1-0 on the season and will compete in the St. James JV tournament this week.
The Junior Varsity Lady Tigers opened their season with a win over the Cuba JV by a score of 30-27. Sophomore Guard Miya Goss led all scorers with 16 points. The JV moves to 1-0 on the season and will compete in the St. James JV tournament this week.
Potosi Tournament Champions
Strong defense leads St. James to payback victory over Park Hills for title.
For the 3rd straight year the Park Hills Central Lady Rebels and the Saint James Lady Tigers met in the championship game of the Potosi Tournament. Two years ago, StJ won the title, last year, it was Park Hills who took the title. In a matchup of two teams with very high hopes on the season, it was StJ who ran away with the title this season. Using suffocating defense and an unselfish offense to open up a second half lead on the #1 seed Lady Rebels. The first half was back and forth, but in the second half we kept up the pressure defensively and also tried to put pressure on them with our offense and it worked very well. We held their best 3 players to under 30 points combined and that was a big key. We competed on the boards with them all night long, which we knew was a big key. We executed our game plan and won the effort battle. These are all things we talked about before the game and to watch the team go out and execute and battle like it meant a lot to them, it was a proud moment for me and a big win for our team. We will play Cuba on Monday the 8th, @ St. James. With the win StJ moves to 4-0
2nd Half Defensive Lockdown propels Lady Tigers to Championship Game
The St. James Lady Tigers put on a defensive clinic in the 2nd half on Thursday night in the Pool Play round of the Potosi Tournament against Fredericktown. Shots weren't falling in the first half of the game and the Lady Tigers also had some defensive let downs in the opening half. They went into the locker room with a 30-18 lead that felt like it should have been more. After halftime however St. James put F-Town on Lockdown, only allowing 13 second half points, 3 of those a meaningless 3 pointer at the final buzzer. It was the kind of consistent defensive effort that St. James is looking for. We have to find ways to lock people down when we aren't shooting the ball well, and it was one of those kind of nights. We went 8 of 26 from the 3pt line, but our defense was able to hold them down and create some easy opportunities that allowed us to maintain and even extend a lead. We earned a title rematch against one of the best teams in the state in Park Hills Central. They defeated St. James in last years championship game at Potosi. The game will be Saturday at 4:30pm
Lady Tigers open with win in Potosi Tournament
The #2 seed St. James Lady Tigers traveled to Potosi on Wednesday night to take on the #3 seed Arcadia Valley. When the dust settled the final score was St. James 62, AV 47. St. James opened up with a red hot first quarter netting 26 points. They added 18 in the 2nd to take a 44-22 lead into halftime. Their red hot scoring made up for some defensive lapses and hid the foul trouble that was mounting on the team. In the 3rd quarter everything caught up to St. James however as both Kenzie Guese and Devin Fuhring headed to the bench early in the 3rd quarter with 4 fouls. The rest of the game went the way of AV as St. James was beat up on the boards and in some hustle areas. This is very out of character for St. James. We were able to hang on to the lead and win the game bc of the big lead we built up in the first half. I think we were lucky to escape this evening with a win. We have to evaluate and fix some things quickly however as we travel back to Potosi tonight to take on #6 seed Fredericktown is pool play.
St. James opens its season with a Dominant win
Usually in the first game of the season, you never know what you are going to get. New opponents, opening game jitters, rust, new schemes, and lack of experience all come into play and sometimes the games can be sloppy. That was not the case on Saturday night as the experienced St. James Lady Tigers squad performed brilliantly to overwhelm the visiting St. Charles Lady Pirates. The Tigers used great effort, outstanding execution, and a balanced scoring attack and looked to be in mid-season form.
St. Charles was coming off of a 19 win season and had 4 starters returning including All-State Center Gabby Walker. StJ was ready for the challenge however racing out of the gates with a 27 point first quarter. About the only problem of the night for the Tigers however was they allowed St. Charles to tally 18 in the frame. After that point however, the Tigers went on lockdown outscoring St. Charles 21-8 in the 2nd quarter capped off by an Alexis Uffmann trey at the halftime buzzer.
The second half saw more of the same as the Lady Tiger lead continued to grow to as many as 35 points.
I am very proud of these girls to come out of the gates in this way. So unselfish and so balanced and to play so hard. 5 players scored in double digits and we dominated on the boards against a very very good class 4 basketball team. Sign of great things to come.
St. Charles was coming off of a 19 win season and had 4 starters returning including All-State Center Gabby Walker. StJ was ready for the challenge however racing out of the gates with a 27 point first quarter. About the only problem of the night for the Tigers however was they allowed St. Charles to tally 18 in the frame. After that point however, the Tigers went on lockdown outscoring St. Charles 21-8 in the 2nd quarter capped off by an Alexis Uffmann trey at the halftime buzzer.
The second half saw more of the same as the Lady Tiger lead continued to grow to as many as 35 points.
I am very proud of these girls to come out of the gates in this way. So unselfish and so balanced and to play so hard. 5 players scored in double digits and we dominated on the boards against a very very good class 4 basketball team. Sign of great things to come.
2014-15 Lady Tiger Seniors (not done yet!)
2014-15 St. James Lady Tiger Varsity Basketball Team
ONE goal.team.dream
2014-15 St. James Lady Tiger Junior Varsity Basketball Team
The Annual St. James Boys/Girls Basketball Scrimmage is set for Saturday
Saturday November 22nd, the Boys & Girls High School Basketball team will open their season with the annual Soap Scrimmage. The Girls game will tip off at 4pm. Chili Supper is at 5pm with the Boys game to follow.
2013-14 Lady Tigers Basketball News
Sportswriters All-State and the emissourian.com All-Area Teams announced......
....and the St. James Lady Tigers were well represented. Junior Guard Ashlee Marlatt was named to the Sportswriters 2nd team. Marlatt who average over 15 points a game and set single season and career 3pt shooting records last season was also selected to the MBCA All State team last month. She was also selected to the Four Rivers Conference Team, the Coaches and Media All-District first team, and the emissourian All-Area 2nd team. The rest of the All-State team is set to be released this week.
Speaking of the emissourian All-Area Team. It was released this week and had strong St. James representation. The Washington Missourian puts this team together and it consists of a player of the year, and also a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd team consisting of 5 players each. The teams are made up of Four Rivers Conference Schools as well as area schools such as Borgia and Washington. Below are the teams.
Player of the Year: Janie Arand - Borgia
Coach of the Year: Todd Anderson - Hermann
First Team:
Arand - Borgia
Karinne Lane - Hermann
Haley Diestelkamp - Owensville
Rachel Steinhoff - New Haven
Jamie Gleeson - Hermann
Second Team:
Taylor Lucas - Sullivan
Ashlee Marlatt - St. James
Devin Fuhring - St. James
Kyra Hardesty - Washington
Courtney Kedroski - Washington
Third Team:
Alexis Uffmann - St. James
Kya Hill - Pacific
Ashley Hill - Pacific
Megan Jensen - Borgia
Emily Grahl - Borgia
Fuhring a freshman for the Lady Tigers becomes one of the most decorated freshman in school history making All Conference, Coaches and Sportswriters All-District, and All-Area. She was a consistent force for the Lady Tigers leading them in scoring and rebounding. Uffman, a Junior Guard, also piled up huge honors this year making first team all conference, coaches and sportswriters all district, and all-area. She was the teams QB and led them in Assists and Steals. Congrats to all of our players and the others that were honored. There is a lot of talent on those 3 teams.
Speaking of the emissourian All-Area Team. It was released this week and had strong St. James representation. The Washington Missourian puts this team together and it consists of a player of the year, and also a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd team consisting of 5 players each. The teams are made up of Four Rivers Conference Schools as well as area schools such as Borgia and Washington. Below are the teams.
Player of the Year: Janie Arand - Borgia
Coach of the Year: Todd Anderson - Hermann
First Team:
Arand - Borgia
Karinne Lane - Hermann
Haley Diestelkamp - Owensville
Rachel Steinhoff - New Haven
Jamie Gleeson - Hermann
Second Team:
Taylor Lucas - Sullivan
Ashlee Marlatt - St. James
Devin Fuhring - St. James
Kyra Hardesty - Washington
Courtney Kedroski - Washington
Third Team:
Alexis Uffmann - St. James
Kya Hill - Pacific
Ashley Hill - Pacific
Megan Jensen - Borgia
Emily Grahl - Borgia
Fuhring a freshman for the Lady Tigers becomes one of the most decorated freshman in school history making All Conference, Coaches and Sportswriters All-District, and All-Area. She was a consistent force for the Lady Tigers leading them in scoring and rebounding. Uffman, a Junior Guard, also piled up huge honors this year making first team all conference, coaches and sportswriters all district, and all-area. She was the teams QB and led them in Assists and Steals. Congrats to all of our players and the others that were honored. There is a lot of talent on those 3 teams.
MBCA All-State Teams Released
The Missouri Basketball Coaches Association has released their All-State teams and St. James Junior Guard Ashlee Marlatt has been selected to the team. 20 girls in class 3 from across the state were selected to the team by a panel of coaches representing the different regions of the state. Ashlee averaged over 15 ppg this season and in the process surpassed 1000 career points in her junior season. She also set the single season and career 3pt records this season. She made 86 this season and has 186 for her career. Congratulations Marley!
Academic All-Everything
The Academic all-conference and all-state teams have been released and the St. James ladies as usual were very well represented. Of the 12 eligible letterman on the Tigers roster........12 of them were named to the academic all-conference team. That right, TWELVE. With the time and effort that they put into a basketball season to keep their grades at these kind of levels is an absolutely amazing accomplishment. What a consistent group of girls.
Now, lets talk about Academic All-State. You have to be a senior (take into account senior level classes), you have to play in 75% of quarters in the games, 3.25 GPA, and a 27 ACT score. St. James Lady Tiger seniors Amie Diestelkamp and Emma Rogers both accomplished this feat! These girls simply got it done and should be commended on a great accomplishment.
Now, lets talk about Academic All-State. You have to be a senior (take into account senior level classes), you have to play in 75% of quarters in the games, 3.25 GPA, and a 27 ACT score. St. James Lady Tiger seniors Amie Diestelkamp and Emma Rogers both accomplished this feat! These girls simply got it done and should be commended on a great accomplishment.
Sportswriters Central Region All-District Team Announced
Three members of the St. James Lady Tigers earned their way onto the 2013-14 Sportswriters all-district team. Junior Guards Ashlee Marlatt and Alexis Uffmann both earned first team honors. Marlatt who had a record breaking season for the Tigers from behind the 3pt arc and Uffmann who was selected on the merits of her leading the entire St. Louis Metro Area in assists. Freshman do-it-all forward Devin Fuhring was selected to the second team after leading a 24-3 team in scoring and rebounding.......I know she is a freshman but sounds like a first team accomplishment. I'm sure this young lady will have something to prove next season.
Class 3 District 9 MBCA All-District Team Announced.....
Missouri Basketball Coaches Association
Class 3 District 9 All-District Team
Coach of the Year: Dustin Hays Fatima
Morgan Brandt Junior Guard Fatima
Ashlee Marlatt Junior Guard St. James
Mattie Whitaker Senior Forward Dixon
Devin Fuhring Freshman Forward St. James
Kate Massman Junior Forward Fatima
Isabel Morris Junior Center Osage
Alexis Uffmann Junior Guard St. James
Shelby Whitaker Junior Center Cuba
Shauna Rinehart Sophomore Guard St. James
Kourtney Carey Senior Forward Steelville
Class 3 District 9 All-District Team
Coach of the Year: Dustin Hays Fatima
Morgan Brandt Junior Guard Fatima
Ashlee Marlatt Junior Guard St. James
Mattie Whitaker Senior Forward Dixon
Devin Fuhring Freshman Forward St. James
Kate Massman Junior Forward Fatima
Isabel Morris Junior Center Osage
Alexis Uffmann Junior Guard St. James
Shelby Whitaker Junior Center Cuba
Shauna Rinehart Sophomore Guard St. James
Kourtney Carey Senior Forward Steelville
Four-Rivers All Conference Teams announced.....
All-Four Rivers Conference
First Team
Co-MVP Karinne Lane Senior Guard Hermann
Co-MVP Hailey Diestelkamp Sophomore Forward Owensville
Rachel Steinhoff Senior Guard New Haven
Taylor Lucas Senior Forward Sullivan
Jamie Gleeson Senior Forward Hermann
Alexis Uffmann Junior Guard St. James
Ashlee Marlatt Junior Guard St. James
Kya Hill Senior Forward Pacific
Second Team
Sierra Pryor Senior Guard Sullivan
Devin Fuhring Freshman Forward St. James
Bri Clark Junior Forward Union
Ashley Hill Senior Guard Pacific
Ali Lucas Senior Forward Sullivan
Tesla Reudiger Junior Guard Hermann
Karissa Hoffman Senior Forward St. Clair
Coach of the Year: Jason Merkl Sullivan
Conference Standings
St. James 6-1 Tri-Champ
Hermann 6-1 Tri-Champ
Sullivan 6-1 Tri-Champ
Owensville 4-3
New Haven 3-4
Pacific 2-5
St. Clair 1-6
Union 0-7
First Team
Co-MVP Karinne Lane Senior Guard Hermann
Co-MVP Hailey Diestelkamp Sophomore Forward Owensville
Rachel Steinhoff Senior Guard New Haven
Taylor Lucas Senior Forward Sullivan
Jamie Gleeson Senior Forward Hermann
Alexis Uffmann Junior Guard St. James
Ashlee Marlatt Junior Guard St. James
Kya Hill Senior Forward Pacific
Second Team
Sierra Pryor Senior Guard Sullivan
Devin Fuhring Freshman Forward St. James
Bri Clark Junior Forward Union
Ashley Hill Senior Guard Pacific
Ali Lucas Senior Forward Sullivan
Tesla Reudiger Junior Guard Hermann
Karissa Hoffman Senior Forward St. Clair
Coach of the Year: Jason Merkl Sullivan
Conference Standings
St. James 6-1 Tri-Champ
Hermann 6-1 Tri-Champ
Sullivan 6-1 Tri-Champ
Owensville 4-3
New Haven 3-4
Pacific 2-5
St. Clair 1-6
Union 0-7
Lady Tigers upset in District Finals
The Saint James Lady Tigers season came to an abrupt and unexpected end on Friday night in the Class 3 District 9 championship game. The #2 seed Fatima Lady Comets came to play and spoiled the post-season dreams of the Lady Tigers. From the get-go the Lady Comets played like they had nothing to lose and everything to gain. They played physical, and they played hard, and they played well. The Lady Tigers on the other hand who usually are the more aggressive team on both ends of the court seemed a step slow and seemed caught in the moment. After a very slow start found the Tigers down after one quarter, they bounced back in the second quarter to take a one point half time lead. It seemed as if they had gotten over their early game jitters. Halftime didn't help St. James though as Fatima would take advantage of a very unaggressive St. James team in the 3rd outplaying them on both ends. The Tigers made some runs in the 4th quarter and would get the lead down to as few as 2 points, but the Comets always had an answer and hit FT's down the stretch to preserve the win. St. James ends its season with a 24-3 record.
To The Diesel, Keno, Mean Jean, and Fat Hannah I want to say that this program is blessed for every day you have been a part of it. Your coach is blessed for every minute that he was able to spend with you. Thanks so much for all of your hard work and dedication, but thanks most of all for all the memories. Four fantastic young people who will accomplish great things.
To The Diesel, Keno, Mean Jean, and Fat Hannah I want to say that this program is blessed for every day you have been a part of it. Your coach is blessed for every minute that he was able to spend with you. Thanks so much for all of your hard work and dedication, but thanks most of all for all the memories. Four fantastic young people who will accomplish great things.
Lady Tigers open up district play with a big win over Dixon
The St. James Lady Tigers got off to a fast start in Wednesdays district semifinal game at School of the Osage against the Dixon Lady Bulldogs. The pace was fast and the shooting was hot right from the get go on Wednesday and the Bulldogs just had trouble running with the Tigers. After 1Q the Tigers had already hit 5 3pt baskets and built a 23-8 lead. St. James kept the defense up in the 2nd quarter only allowing 7 points and scoring 17 with a very balanced attack as 5 players had scored at least 5 points by halftime. The third quarter would put the game out of reach as the Tigers kept the pedal to the medal on offense exploding for 28 more points and hitting 7 more 3pt FG. It was a great game for us because I thought we showed the sense of urgency needed this time of year to avoid let downs. Let downs send you home for good this time of the year.
St. James will play the Fatima Lady Comets (21-5) in the championship game Friday night at 6pm
St. James will play the Fatima Lady Comets (21-5) in the championship game Friday night at 6pm
Many more to go......
Junior Guard Ashlee Marlatt has already had a record breaking season as she has basically re-written the 3pt record book for a season and a career. She passed another benchmark in Thursdays loss @ Sullivan when she hit two first quarter FT attempts and surpassed 1000 career points. Many more to come for Marley and I look forward to watching every one of them! Congrats Marley and keep up the hard work.
Loss ends regular season and forces 3-way FRC tie
The St. James Lady Tigers traveled to Sullivan Thursday night with the ability to control their own destiny in the mighty FRC. Coming in at 6-0, the chance was there to go undefeated in conference and win the outright title. However, their opponent the Sullivan Lady Eagles were at home on their senior night and sitting at 5-1 in conference play so if they could win it would force a 3-way championship with St. James, Hermann, and Sullivan all being 6-1. The game had a playoff feel right from the start and it was apparent very early that this was going to be a physical defensive battle. The game was 12-10 stj after one quarter but Sullivan would come back in the 2nd to take a 23-22 lead into the locker rooms. St. James played its best basketball of the night in the 3rd to grab a 32-28 lead heading into the final frame. Sullivan wouldn't go away though as they would open up the frame with a 5-0 run to take a one point lead. The game would go back and forth and eventually the Lady Tigers would cling to a 3 point lead with a couple of minutes to go but we had some mental lapses and made some mistakes down the stretch of the game that cost us. StJ had mental lapses all night really as they turned the ball over much more than usual and hurried through some possessions. We didn't have good spacing on many possessions and we didn't attack at full speed like we usually do. We really let their physicality take us out of our game. We can learn from this. To go 6-1 in this conference is a great accomplishment even though we didn't want to share it. Hopefully we can take some things from this game and apply them to an even bigger game down the road.
The JV Tigers ended their season with a loss at Sullivan on Thursday night. However they fought and played super hard in this game and its the kind of effort we are looking for. They came a long way as the season progressed and were a much improved team. They had a really nice season and we thank them as a coaching staff for all of their efforts.
The JV Tigers ended their season with a loss at Sullivan on Thursday night. However they fought and played super hard in this game and its the kind of effort we are looking for. They came a long way as the season progressed and were a much improved team. They had a really nice season and we thank them as a coaching staff for all of their efforts.
Another Record Falls.....
Junior Guard Ashlee Marlatt sets yet another record from beyond the arc in the St. James game against Owensville on Monday night. Ashlee hit 7 3pt field goals bring her season total to 79. That is a new Lady Tiger record for most 3pt FG in a single season breaking the old record of 77 held by former Tiger standout Amy King. Great Job Marley!!!!
Defense takes a night off on Senior Night
On a night in which four amazing Lady Tigers were being honored, The St. James Lady Tigers once again found a way to win. The Owensville Lady Dutchgirls came to town on Monday night and brought their sophomore scoring machine Hailey Diestelkamp with them. It would turn out that there would be scoring from everywhere in this game as the two teams combined for 160 points. Neither team scored less than 16 in any quarter, in fact for St. James 20 would be their lowest total for a quarter. In the first half it was a battle of Owensville's lay-ups against St. James 3's, FT, and points off of turnovers. It was just a weird half. We forced 15 turnovers and shot 10 more FT than them but if we didn't get a turnover Otown was getting easy shots. Its just not how I like my teams to play. I like to be a defensive team that plays fast, not an offensive team that wants to out score you. I think you can do both. That being said we were able to take a 40-38 lead into halftime. The second half was much of the same as the Tigers could never get their footing defensively. However, Otown had just as much a problem stopping us as we did them. Junior Guard Ashlee Marlatt put on a show nailing 7 3pt FG in the game and scoring a career high 31 points. In the process she would break the single season record for 3pt made in a season as she now totals 79 on the year. She just had one of those nights where when she let it go, you knew it was going in. St. James would need every single on of them as the Tigers nursed a 60-57 lead heading into the final quarter. As usual however, it became a FT shooting contest in the end and the Lady Tigers went 12-14 from the stripe to put the game away. I think this was a real good win for us against a fine team, and it was the type of game we really hadn't experienced this year. Usually when we need a big stop we find a way to get it. We will go back to the drawing board defensively and rebuild our fundamentals.
I want to send out a huge thank you to our 4 seniors. The Diesel, Fat Hannah, Jean-O, and Kean-O are all just fantastic young women. We are privileged to have known them and had them be a part of our program.
In JV action the Tigers bounced back with great effort in a 30-22 win over the Lady Dutchgirls. The effort was better, the want to was better, and even though shots weren't falling you can still earn a win by playing the game the right way. I'm proud of these girls for the way they responded.
St. James will return to action in what is basically looking like a FRC championship game @ Sullivan on Thursday.
I want to send out a huge thank you to our 4 seniors. The Diesel, Fat Hannah, Jean-O, and Kean-O are all just fantastic young women. We are privileged to have known them and had them be a part of our program.
In JV action the Tigers bounced back with great effort in a 30-22 win over the Lady Dutchgirls. The effort was better, the want to was better, and even though shots weren't falling you can still earn a win by playing the game the right way. I'm proud of these girls for the way they responded.
St. James will return to action in what is basically looking like a FRC championship game @ Sullivan on Thursday.
STJ moves to 5-0 in FRC
The St. James Girls basketballers just didn't have much time to enjoy their big win on Wednesday night against Miller Career. On Thursday they turn around and another big and physical conference foe was waiting in the form of the St. Clair Lady Bulldogs. In the FRC you just can't take a night off but having said that I knew we would be fatigued. As luck would have it however, St. Clair also had to play a make up game on Wednesday night so the playing field was level. The game opened in a sluggish manner for both teams as fatigue had obviously set in but the Lady Tigers would regroup to put their stamp on the game out scoring the Bulldogs 19-5 in the 2nd frame. STJ would out score St. Clair in each quarter and win going away with a final of 66-32. We hope that St. Clair guard Allison Henson is ok as she left Thursday's game with what appeared to be a hand injury. I thought this game had trap game written all over it so I was pleased with how the girls responded and got down to business even when tired.
In JV action the outcome wasn't as friendly. The junior bulldogs beat a sluggish and uninspired junior Tiger squad by a final of 51-44. Coach E vowed that this type of effort wouldn't happen again. I believe him as losing a game due to lack of effort is the most inexcusable reason.
St. James will return to action on Monday night against Owensville for senior night.
In JV action the outcome wasn't as friendly. The junior bulldogs beat a sluggish and uninspired junior Tiger squad by a final of 51-44. Coach E vowed that this type of effort wouldn't happen again. I believe him as losing a game due to lack of effort is the most inexcusable reason.
St. James will return to action on Monday night against Owensville for senior night.
Miller Career Academy comes to town
The game finally took place. After a couple of reschedules and push backs due to weather the much anticipated game between MCA and StJ took place Wednesday night and it did not disappoint. The extremely talented Miller team showed up to play as we knew they would and right off the bat everyone knew that this game would come down to the very end. The speed and athleticism of Miller Career was slightly foreign to the St. James girls who are used to being the fastest team on the court and it took a while for the Lady Tigers to adjust. However, there was zero backing down from STJ. The game started out with Miller nailing a few 3pt FG to take an early lead but STJ would battle back and tie it at 14 at the quarter. Another early quarter run was made by MCA but once again it was STJ closing the quarter strong to take a 28-27 lead into the break. Then came the 3rd quarter which proved to be the difference, riding the hot shooting touch of senior Ali Kean the Tigers would have 6 different girls score in the quarter and tally 22 points in the frame. None bigger than a buzzer beating DEEP 3pt shot by Sophomore Guard Shauna Rinehart. This allowed St. James to take a 9 point advantage at 50-41 into the 4th quarter. Now that is a position the St. James Tigers are accustomed to. Miller would make a run early in the quarter to cut the lead down to as few as 4 points, but the Tigers would go to their trusty old Spread game and use their ball handling, decision making, and clutch FT shooting to salt away another win against a state ranked team. It was just a great win in a fantastic environment, thanks to all the Tiger fans for packing the place.
In Junior Varsity action the young Tigers would overwhelm MCA by a score of 57 to 12. Lots of balance in the scoring column but Hannah "Stretch" Keeney would lead with 17 points.
St. James next welcomes conference foe St. Clair to town on Thursday night.
In Junior Varsity action the young Tigers would overwhelm MCA by a score of 57 to 12. Lots of balance in the scoring column but Hannah "Stretch" Keeney would lead with 17 points.
St. James next welcomes conference foe St. Clair to town on Thursday night.
Monkey off of their backs
The Hermann Lady Bearcats were not only the #1 ranked team in the state polls heading into Mondays showdown with St. James but the Lady Bearcats had also dominated this series recently winning the last 4 meetings that these teams have had. The Lady Tigers goal was to stop that run and that is what they did in a great game @ Hermann on Feb. 10th. In a hard fought battle the entire way St. James would make all the necessary plays down the stretch and walk away with a 67-63 win. The victory puts St. James in a good spot in conference play as now only them and Sullivan remain undefeated in league play. The hot 3pt shooting of the Lady Tigers was one of the keys as they were 11 of 16 from behind the arc. It moves the Lady Tigers to 20-1 on the season and 4-0 in conference.
The victory was a costly one however as Senior forward Emma Rogers was lost for the season when she suffered a 2nd quarter knee injury. That will be a tough loss to overcome as Emma has all the intangibles that you can't teach or coach. She provides leadership, toughness, unselfishness and those things can't be replaced in a scorebook. She will still be counted on to provide those things for her team just from a different place. She will be missed on the court.
The victory was a costly one however as Senior forward Emma Rogers was lost for the season when she suffered a 2nd quarter knee injury. That will be a tough loss to overcome as Emma has all the intangibles that you can't teach or coach. She provides leadership, toughness, unselfishness and those things can't be replaced in a scorebook. She will still be counted on to provide those things for her team just from a different place. She will be missed on the court.
St. James has a new 3 point Queen
Junior Shooting Guard Ashlee Marlatt is the new career leader in 3pt FG at St. James with 167 as of 2/11/14. She recently passed former standout shooter Amy King on to take first place on the all-time list. Plenty of more to go Ashlee but congratulations!
St. James the #1 seed in class 3 district 9
Class 3 District 9 Girls seeds played @ school of the Osage
1 St. James
2 Fatima
3 Osage
4 Cuba
5 Dixon
6 Steelville
7 Bourbon
The girls games will be played on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. St. James will get a bye in the first round and will play semifinal action on Wednesday the 26th against the winner of Cuba/Dixon.
1 St. James
2 Fatima
3 Osage
4 Cuba
5 Dixon
6 Steelville
7 Bourbon
The girls games will be played on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. St. James will get a bye in the first round and will play semifinal action on Wednesday the 26th against the winner of Cuba/Dixon.
St. James goes on the Road to get a FRC win over Pacific
Any win in the Four Rivers Conference is a good win and the St. James were very happy to return home from Pacific with a victory Thursday night. As expected the Lady Indians came out ready to play and the first half was a back and forth struggle that left both teams tied at the half at 25 each. In the third quarter though the Tigers would pounce. They turned up the defensive pressure and created a mess of turnovers for the Indians. When the dust cleared in the 3rd quarter St. James would take the quarter by a 24-9 margin and never looked back cruising to a 57-45 road victory. The win brings the St. James record to 19-1 and 3-0 in FRC play. It was a tough shooting night for the Lady Tigers but they made enough defensive plays to get some easy baskets in transition that was the key to the victory. Devin Fuhring led the attack with 19 points and Ashlee Marlatt and Kenzie Guese scored 10 apiece. Point Guard Alexis Uffmann had a monster game recording a triple-double with 15 points, 10 assists, and 10 steals in the win. The Lady Tigers will next travel to Hermann to take on the #1 state ranked Lady Bearcats in a game with huge conference implications.
Bearcats battle with the Tigers
Fans who attended the battle in St. James last night were treated to a fantastic high school basketball game. The #3 ranked team in Class 4, the Dexter BearCats made the long trip to take on the state ranked St. James Lady Tigers on Thursday night. This game was all it was cracked up to be. Right from the start both teams were aggressive and physical in a game that would be tight throughout. At the end of the first quarter the game was knotted at 13-13. St. James had a cold shooting first quarter but in the second with the Lady Tigers struggling to score Junior Ashlee Marlatt stepped up and had an 8 point scoring spurt including two 3pt FG to keep St. James right in the game. I thought Marley's little stretch of scoring was huge because we were still trying to figure out Dexter's defense, but thats why she is one of the captains on this team, when we need something, Ashlee does her best to give it to us. St. James would head to the locker room down 30-27. To start the 3rd quarter it looked like Dexter may take control of the game getting up by as many as 6 points, but St. James wouldn't go away as they started to figure out Dexter's matchup zone. Alexis Uffmann started finding Devin Fuhring and Kenzie Guese for lay ups on the interior and a huge pull up jumper by senior Ali Kean really swung the momentum to the Tiger side. Sophomore Shauna Rinehart keyed the end of the 3rd quarter hitting one of her patented corner 3 pt shots and also driving to the hoop for a lay-up to tie the score at the end of the 3rd at 46-46. In the fourth quarter it would be all about the Tiger defense, with Kenzie Guese and Senior Amie Diestelkamp shutting down Dexter's 6'1" Paige Patterson on the inside and Uffmann pulling down seemingly every rebound, the Tigers were just stubborn enough to start to pull away. And just like they have all year, when it came to the FT line to ice the game, the Lady Tigers would put it away. This was a very tough game that took everything that we had. It was a total team effort and we got things from everybody on our team, things that don't show up in the score book. Lindsay Seams didn't score a point, but she set one of the best screens of the night that led to a lay-up for her teammate, and she was in a lot of pain tonight with her shoulder but she set the screen anyway. Emma Rogers didn't score a point, but she played lock down defense and had a beautiful assist at a key point in the game. Ali Kean hit maybe the biggest shot of the game. Every single girl that stepped on the court did their job. As a coach you can't ask for anything more. Great Job Ladies!
Also of note: Junior Point Guard Alexis Uffmann went over the 500 assist plateau for her career moving her into 3rd on the all-time list at St. James. Many more to come!
St. James will next play on Feb. 6th in a conference battle with Pacific.
Also of note: Junior Point Guard Alexis Uffmann went over the 500 assist plateau for her career moving her into 3rd on the all-time list at St. James. Many more to come!
St. James will next play on Feb. 6th in a conference battle with Pacific.
Its Raining 3's on the Bulldogs
The St. James Lady Tigers welcomed its class 5 rival from down the road the Rolla Lady Bulldogs to town on Tuesday night. It was only the 3rd home game of the season for the Tigers and it was obvious that they like their home rims. The Ladies managed to hit 14 treys on Tuesday night and played some stifling defense to go along with it. The Tigers would allow 8 points in the opening quarter and then hold Rolla to 13 points the rest of the game. Scoring was coming from everywhere as 5 different girls hit three point shots including Shauna Rinehart (6) and Ashlee Marlatt (4). Junior Guard Lindsay Seams had one of her better offensive nights of the year as well hitting a couple of threes and scoring 8 points in the victory. The Tigers won the rebounding and turnover battles and that usually leads to success and this night was no different. A good all around effort for St. James who will welcome class 4 powerhouse Dexter to town on Thursday night.
The Junior Varsity Lady Tigers also got back to their winning ways with a double digit win over Rolla. Sophomore post players Hannah Keeney and Chelsea Wisdom led the scoring attack for the JV who will continue their season next Thursday at Pacific.
Great Job Ladies.
The Junior Varsity Lady Tigers also got back to their winning ways with a double digit win over Rolla. Sophomore post players Hannah Keeney and Chelsea Wisdom led the scoring attack for the JV who will continue their season next Thursday at Pacific.
Great Job Ladies.
Tigers win a physical game on the road in Blair Oaks
The Lady Tigers trademark pace early proved the difference in a rematch of last weeks semifinal game with Blair Oaks. After BO scored the first 5 points of the game the lady tigers would rally and outscore the falcons 25-5 the rest of the quarter to take a commanding 25-10 lead into the 2nd. After the break this game would get pretty chippy. Physical play would be the Blair Oaks answer to trying to get back into the game and it proved somewhat effective as the pushing and shoving was allowed and forced a few uncharacteristic St. James turnovers in the 2nd frame. At halftime the lady tigers would settle down and scored well in the 3rd quarter to take a 17 point lead into the 4th quarter. The lead would grow to as many as 24 in the 4th. The lady tigers hung on during a super rough and physical 4th quarter and walk away with a 68-57 victory. I'm just glad nobody got hurt in this game. The Lady Tigers will take the weekend off and welcome Rolla (Tues) and Dexter (Thurs) to town next week.
In the JV game, the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons would defeat St. James 34-28. It was a tight game through out as the JV tigers fought hard against the great size advantage of Blair Oaks. The BO JV is undefeated on the season but STJ hung right in there the entire game. Coming off of a month lay-off I was pretty impressed with how hard we fought. Good things lay ahead for the Tiger JV.
In the JV game, the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons would defeat St. James 34-28. It was a tight game through out as the JV tigers fought hard against the great size advantage of Blair Oaks. The BO JV is undefeated on the season but STJ hung right in there the entire game. Coming off of a month lay-off I was pretty impressed with how hard we fought. Good things lay ahead for the Tiger JV.
St. James goes Back to Back in Fatima Blue and Gold
For the second straight year the St. James Lady Tiger basketballers claimed the Fatima Blue and Gold tournament crown with 3 wins last week, Jan 13-18th.
In opening round action the #1 seed Lady Tigers took on the Eugene Eagles and it was all Tigers all the time. Racing out of the gate and forcing their kind of tempo the Lady Tigers scored 36 points in the opening quarter and never looked back. They would win this one by a final score of 92-26 and would tie a tournament record with 10 3pt FG made. All 9 girls who dressed for the game scored and Ashlee Marlatt netted a career high 29 points.
In the second round St. James would square off with the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons led by All-State guard, and Missouri State signee, LeeAnn Polowy. Once again the Lady Tigers would use a dominant 1st quarter to build a big lead at 21-8. The second quarter saw the Tiger offense stall out however as they would only score 9 with several missed lay-ups and missed open shots. It just didn't seem like we were very focused and BO cut into the deficit to go into halftime only down 30-19. The second half would be a different story as the Tigers were off and running and they would score 48 points in the second half to win this one via the turbo clock by a score of 78-44. The Tiger defense was a important as the offense as they held Polowy to 8 points for the game. PG Alexis Uffmann would have a double double with 15 points and 12 assists and the play of the bench was so important as all 9 Lady Tigers scored in the game. It was a good win, and we played 3 outstanding quarters of basketball.
The Championship round would be a 4-Rivers conference affair as the Lady Tigers would square off with the class 4, 8-2, Lady Dutchmen of Owensville. Right off the bat you could tell that O-town was up for the challenge. With a physical and aggressive defense and standout forward Hailey Diestelkamp on offense, this game would just be a dog fight. St. James also battled foul trouble in the early going as their two leading scorers Devin Fuhring and Ashlee Marlatt spent much of the half on the bench. The game went back and forth and it seemed St. James wasn't use to the physical nature of the dutchgirls defense as their offense sputtered even with their defense forcing 24 turnovers. Usually when we force that many turnovers our offense is tough to stop. In a back and forth game the Tigers went into the 4th quarter up by one at 36-35. An early fourth quarter trey by Ashlee Marlatt led to a 4 point lead. The St. James lead would grow to 6 and thats when the Tigers went to their spread offense making O-town defense come and get them. Good ball security led to O-town having to go the foul game early and St. James would salt away the game at the line shooting an incredible 17-20 from the FT line in the 4th quarter including Uffmann going 10/10 in the quarter. One of the huge keys to this victory was the play of Sophomore Guard Shauna Rinehart. She was strong and offense and fearless and aggressive defensively all night long and provided a spark that we needed especially in the first half when we were in foul trouble, and late in the game with her FT shooting and handling of the Owensville pressure. She forced several key turnovers in the second half with pure hustle.
Congats also go out to Alexis Uffmann and Ashlee Marlatt on making the All-Tournament Team. It was a good week to be a Tiger
In opening round action the #1 seed Lady Tigers took on the Eugene Eagles and it was all Tigers all the time. Racing out of the gate and forcing their kind of tempo the Lady Tigers scored 36 points in the opening quarter and never looked back. They would win this one by a final score of 92-26 and would tie a tournament record with 10 3pt FG made. All 9 girls who dressed for the game scored and Ashlee Marlatt netted a career high 29 points.
In the second round St. James would square off with the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons led by All-State guard, and Missouri State signee, LeeAnn Polowy. Once again the Lady Tigers would use a dominant 1st quarter to build a big lead at 21-8. The second quarter saw the Tiger offense stall out however as they would only score 9 with several missed lay-ups and missed open shots. It just didn't seem like we were very focused and BO cut into the deficit to go into halftime only down 30-19. The second half would be a different story as the Tigers were off and running and they would score 48 points in the second half to win this one via the turbo clock by a score of 78-44. The Tiger defense was a important as the offense as they held Polowy to 8 points for the game. PG Alexis Uffmann would have a double double with 15 points and 12 assists and the play of the bench was so important as all 9 Lady Tigers scored in the game. It was a good win, and we played 3 outstanding quarters of basketball.
The Championship round would be a 4-Rivers conference affair as the Lady Tigers would square off with the class 4, 8-2, Lady Dutchmen of Owensville. Right off the bat you could tell that O-town was up for the challenge. With a physical and aggressive defense and standout forward Hailey Diestelkamp on offense, this game would just be a dog fight. St. James also battled foul trouble in the early going as their two leading scorers Devin Fuhring and Ashlee Marlatt spent much of the half on the bench. The game went back and forth and it seemed St. James wasn't use to the physical nature of the dutchgirls defense as their offense sputtered even with their defense forcing 24 turnovers. Usually when we force that many turnovers our offense is tough to stop. In a back and forth game the Tigers went into the 4th quarter up by one at 36-35. An early fourth quarter trey by Ashlee Marlatt led to a 4 point lead. The St. James lead would grow to 6 and thats when the Tigers went to their spread offense making O-town defense come and get them. Good ball security led to O-town having to go the foul game early and St. James would salt away the game at the line shooting an incredible 17-20 from the FT line in the 4th quarter including Uffmann going 10/10 in the quarter. One of the huge keys to this victory was the play of Sophomore Guard Shauna Rinehart. She was strong and offense and fearless and aggressive defensively all night long and provided a spark that we needed especially in the first half when we were in foul trouble, and late in the game with her FT shooting and handling of the Owensville pressure. She forced several key turnovers in the second half with pure hustle.
Congats also go out to Alexis Uffmann and Ashlee Marlatt on making the All-Tournament Team. It was a good week to be a Tiger
Lady Tigers best the Defending Champions in Prepcast Shootout
This is the reason we try to schedule these types of games. The Lady Tigers were invited to participate in the Elite basketball girls showcase called the Prepcast shootout this past off season and they accepted to face the defending class 3 state champions. The reason they made that decision was to face a fantastic challenge that would make them better and I feel that is exactly what happened.
The game started great for the Lady Tigers opening up a 10-2 lead to start the game but the Cougars would answer by outscoring St. James 17-3 for the rest of the first quarter. Once Lutheran settled down and made some adjustments they simply out played St. James for the last 5 minutes of the first quarter. LSC did a real good job of extending their defense and smothering our shooters on the outside. When they did that we did a good job of driving the basketball but we had trouble with their big shot blocker on the inside.
From the start of the second quarter on however this game was simply a dog fight. Neither team seemed to seize control of the game and it was just back and forth. It wasn't until about 3 minutes left in the game that St. James was able to grab a lead and from that point on it was just a matter of which team was going to do what it was going to take to win the game. At that point it was all about who was going to get stops (rebounds), who was going to take care of the ball, and who was going to hit free throws. Those are the things the Lady Tigers managed to do down the stretch. A couple of "young" Lady Tigers stepped up down the stretch of this game to make secure the victory. Sophomore shooting guard Shauna Rinehart went 5 for 5 from the FT line in the last minute and 15 seconds including getting fouled on a 3pt attempt and sinking all 3. Freshman forward Kenzie Guese, who has struggled from the line all year, was fouled with 35 seconds remaining and the Lady Tigers up only 3, she calmly stepped up in a 1 and 1 situation and sank both making it a 2 possession game.
I thought we got exactly what we needed from this game and its the reason we scheduled it. We can learn a lot from this and we will. Our pressure has to get better, we have to get better defending tall post players, but you learn these things from facing quality competition so to get this win was important.
The Lady Tigers move to 12-1 on the season and will play in the Fatima Tournament this week. They square off against the #7 seed Eugene Lady Eagles Monday night at 630pm in first round action.
The game started great for the Lady Tigers opening up a 10-2 lead to start the game but the Cougars would answer by outscoring St. James 17-3 for the rest of the first quarter. Once Lutheran settled down and made some adjustments they simply out played St. James for the last 5 minutes of the first quarter. LSC did a real good job of extending their defense and smothering our shooters on the outside. When they did that we did a good job of driving the basketball but we had trouble with their big shot blocker on the inside.
From the start of the second quarter on however this game was simply a dog fight. Neither team seemed to seize control of the game and it was just back and forth. It wasn't until about 3 minutes left in the game that St. James was able to grab a lead and from that point on it was just a matter of which team was going to do what it was going to take to win the game. At that point it was all about who was going to get stops (rebounds), who was going to take care of the ball, and who was going to hit free throws. Those are the things the Lady Tigers managed to do down the stretch. A couple of "young" Lady Tigers stepped up down the stretch of this game to make secure the victory. Sophomore shooting guard Shauna Rinehart went 5 for 5 from the FT line in the last minute and 15 seconds including getting fouled on a 3pt attempt and sinking all 3. Freshman forward Kenzie Guese, who has struggled from the line all year, was fouled with 35 seconds remaining and the Lady Tigers up only 3, she calmly stepped up in a 1 and 1 situation and sank both making it a 2 possession game.
I thought we got exactly what we needed from this game and its the reason we scheduled it. We can learn a lot from this and we will. Our pressure has to get better, we have to get better defending tall post players, but you learn these things from facing quality competition so to get this win was important.
The Lady Tigers move to 12-1 on the season and will play in the Fatima Tournament this week. They square off against the #7 seed Eugene Lady Eagles Monday night at 630pm in first round action.
Lady Tigers make return to the Rolla Holiday Tournament pay off
The St. James Lady Tigers returned to the Rolla Holiday Tournament to end 2013 and the wait was well worth it. The Lady Tigers rolled into Rolla coming off of their first loss of the season at the hands of Park Hills Central and were looking to learn from the loss. It looks as if the wake-up call worked as the Lady Tiger defense was stifling all week long. In their first round matchup they upended Houston by a final score of 72-18. They faced host Rolla in the semi-finals and rolled to a 71-36 victory. In the finals the Ladies had a rematch of a tightly contested game earlier this season as they faced class 5 Waynesville. They showed up ready to play and beat Waynesville 61-43 to claim the tournament championship. It was great to see the defense come to life in this tournament as we will go as far as that takes us. Making the all-tournament team were Alexis Uffmann, Devin Fuhring, and Ashlee Marlatt who was also named the tournament MVP. I would also like to mention Sophomore shooting guard Shauna Rinehart, who had a great tournament and really broke open some games and stretched defenses in this tournament. I don't get a vote for my own players but if I did she would've made the all tournament team as well. Great team effort by the Lady Tigers.
Slow start, Poor effort lead to Lady Tigers first loss of the season
The rescheduled championship of the Potosi Tournament took place Saturday Dec. 21st and found the Lady Tigers matched up with the unbeaten Park Hills Central Lady Rebels. with a combined record of 15-0 coming into the game this shaped up to be a classic matchup for the title. That wasn't the case early though as the Lady Tigers came out flat and un-inspired. Digging themselves a huge hole in the first half with poor free-throw shooting and some less than stellar defense it seemed like the St. James girls just couldn't get it going. Early in the 3rd quarter they found themselves down as many as 18 points but they wouldn't leave without a fight. With about 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter the Ladies woke up and mounted a furious comeback sparked by their defense leading to open shots. The Tigers would score 20 points in the last 5 minutes of the 3rd quarter and took a brief lead late before PHC scored to take a one point lead into the 4th. That is where the Tigers ran out of steam however and PHC took advantage and ended up winning by a final score of 65-53. I have to give Park Hills credit, because they are a very good team that played a lot better on this day. They definitely deserved the title. I think we will learn more about ourselves from this game than the previous 7, at least I hope we do.
Lady Tigers survive horrific shooting to stay unbeaten in conference
The St. James Lady Tigers traveled to Union on Thursday night for their second conference game of the week and came away with a 69-35 victory. The shooting touch just wasn't there as the Tigers went 3/23 from the 3pt line and an even more unbelievable 12/30 from the FT line. However, the defense played well enough forcing nearly 40 turnovers to secure the victory. The Tigers move to 7-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play. They will next travel to Potosi Saturday for the championship game of the Potosi tournament vs an also undefeated Park Hills Central squad.
The JV Lady Tigers also remained unbeaten by taking apart Union 44-18. They move to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play.
The JV Lady Tigers also remained unbeaten by taking apart Union 44-18. They move to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play.
Scoring in bunches in the Potosi Semi's
The Semi-Finals of the Potosi Tournament were finally played Wednesday night and at the start of the game the St. James Lady Tigers looked to be a little slow from the long trip. Taking on the #4 seed Arcadia Valley, St. James just didn't show up ready to play early but their opponents did. AV came out aggressive forcing the Lady Tigers into several turnovers and taking advantage of a porous defense on the other end to get easy baskets. In between quarters however something clicked for the Lady Tigers and they came out ready to roll. Using their pressure defense and some good rebounding the Tigers were off and running, and also gunning. They scored an amazing 38 points in the 2nd quarter and only allowed AV to score 10. This put STJ up 54-25 at halftime. The 3rd quarter was more of the same as the Lady Tigers dialed up 7 3pt FG in the 3rd quarter alone to score 26 more points in the frame. In the 4th quarter it was turbo clock time and St. James left Potosi with a 94-51 victory. The Lady Tigers will play undefeated Park Hills Central in the championship game on Saturday at 3pm.
Tigers take 4-Rivers opener vs New Haven
The St. James Lady Tigers welcomed New Haven to town on Monday night and it took a little while for them to get going. When they did however, they really started rolling. The lady tigers converted 10 second half (12 total) 3pt FG and opened up a wide lead in the 3rd quarter with some stifling defense and fantastic shooting. When the clock stopped it was the Lady Tigers coming away with a 74-46 win to open up their conference slate. Fantastic effort on the boards by Amie "the Diesel" Diestelkamp, Emma "Mean Jean" Rogers, Kenzie Guese, and Devin Fuhring was one of the big keys to the game because it didn't allow New Haven to get easy offensive put backs which is one of their trademarks. We also did a great job in our pressure defense forcing 28 turnovers and getting our hands on many many more. The biggest key to the win may have been the defensive effort in the first half when our offense was ice cold. When we shoot 20% in a half from the field and 50% from the FT line and go to the half with an 8 point lead, we have to feel good about things. Some statistical keys to the game.....for the 5th straight game the Lady Tigers put 4 girls in double figures scoring.........we out rebounded New Haven "unofficially" 20-16.........we won the turnover battle 28-11.........Lou Uffmann recorded a double double with 11 points and 11 assists..........The front of our pressure was "Awesome".
The Junior Varsity Lady Tigers ran their record to 3-0 on the season with a 29-27 win in their -4-rivers opener as well. It was a hard fought game the entire way with the young ladies from St. James making the plays needed down the stretch to come out with a win. "Stretch" Keeney led all scorers with 17 points.
The Lady Tigers will travel to Potosi Wednesday night for the semi-finals of the Potosi tournament vs Arcadia Valley. Games will be played at the Potosi Middle School. Conference games continue Thursday @ Union.
The Junior Varsity Lady Tigers ran their record to 3-0 on the season with a 29-27 win in their -4-rivers opener as well. It was a hard fought game the entire way with the young ladies from St. James making the plays needed down the stretch to come out with a win. "Stretch" Keeney led all scorers with 17 points.
The Lady Tigers will travel to Potosi Wednesday night for the semi-finals of the Potosi tournament vs Arcadia Valley. Games will be played at the Potosi Middle School. Conference games continue Thursday @ Union.
Lady Tigers notch win #4 at Cuba
The St. James Lady Tigers traveled to Cuba on Monday night for the Phelps vs Crawford County showdown and the Lady Tigers came away victorious. The offense showed a weeks worth of rust, but the defense showed a weeks worth of focus in practice. After a sluggish start allowing Cuba some easy baskets, the Lady Tigers opened it up from the 2nd quarter on and came away with a 62-26 turbo clock victory. It is the Tigers 4th victory in a row to start the season. Some statistical notes from the game, for the second time 10 lady tigers scored in the game and for the fourth time in a row 4 lady tigers scored in double-digits.
In Junior Varsity action the Lady Tigers notched a 44-21 victory to move to 2-0 on the year. Hannah "Stretch" Keeney went Dikembe Mutumbo on everybody in the game. She was quoted as saying "not in my house (insert evil weird laugh)".
Some updates on the schedule. Potosi Tournament make up dates weather permitting will be December 18 and 21st.
St. James JV tournament will be Dec. 11th, 14th, and 18th.
Freshman Girls play @ Rolla this evening. Good Luck Girls.
In Junior Varsity action the Lady Tigers notched a 44-21 victory to move to 2-0 on the year. Hannah "Stretch" Keeney went Dikembe Mutumbo on everybody in the game. She was quoted as saying "not in my house (insert evil weird laugh)".
Some updates on the schedule. Potosi Tournament make up dates weather permitting will be December 18 and 21st.
St. James JV tournament will be Dec. 11th, 14th, and 18th.
Freshman Girls play @ Rolla this evening. Good Luck Girls.
Potosi Tourney starts with a Victory
The top-seeded Lady Tigers traveled to Potosi on Monday afternoon to meet up with the #8 seed Festus Lady Tigers. The St. James version just happened to be far superior on this night. The lady tigers started fast with pressure defense and unselfish offense and opened up a 27-10 lead after one quarter of play. The offense wouldn't quit there as the 3-point specialists for St. James got it going in the 2nd quarter as Hannah Perona, Shauna Rinahart, and Ashlee Marlatt combined for 5 3-pt shots in the quarter and St. James opened up a 55-12 halftime lead and spent the second half working on specific focuses and trying to get better wherever they could. St. James will travel to Potosi on Thursday for a Semi-Final matchup against Arcadia Valley who overwhelmed Fredericktown in the 4-5 matchup.
Statistical notes......10 St. James lady tigers scored in the game including the 3rd straight game having 4 in double figures......Junior Alexis Uffmann flirted with a triple double notching 12 points-9 steals-and 8 assists in less than 2 quarters of actual time on the court.....Devin Fuhring notched her second straight double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds...........this team is extremely unselfish and should be commended for it.
Statistical notes......10 St. James lady tigers scored in the game including the 3rd straight game having 4 in double figures......Junior Alexis Uffmann flirted with a triple double notching 12 points-9 steals-and 8 assists in less than 2 quarters of actual time on the court.....Devin Fuhring notched her second straight double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds...........this team is extremely unselfish and should be commended for it.
Community Bank Shoot-out a booming success
First I would like to thank everyone involved in the shoot-out this year for all of their hard work. It was a great event bringing 10 teams and all kinds of visitors to the St. James community. 5 games and all were hard fought battles! Great Job to Phil West in setting up these match-ups as I believed all teams involved stand to profit from this experience.
Cuba vs Battle
The opening game saw the local Cuba Lady Wildcats and the unknown Battle High School got to battle. It was a back and forth game the entire way, that saw Cuba take a 7 point lead towards the start of the 4th quarter, but Battle High fought back and ended up taking the game away for the schools first ever victory.
North County vs Jefferson City
North County led this contest almost from start to finish. However, Jeff City made a run with some hard nosed defense late, and then hit a big 3 to send the game into overtime. In overtime, Jeff City kept momentum and was able to steal the game away from the Raiders of NC.
Owensville vs Lutheran South
Four Rivers member Otown started Saturday off asleep digging themselves a pretty good hole in the first quarter against the Lady Lancers. After the opening quarter however Owesnville controlled the game and was able to slowly creep back in at halftime, and then take a lead and keep it in the second half. A good win for the 4-Rivers.
Pacific vs Park Hills Central
This was a matchup I was excited to see when they were first released and it didn't disappoint. However, neither team was at full strength for much of the game as foul trouble plagued the star players of each squad. It was basically a defensive battle and when the last second desperation heave of Pacific was just slightly off, The Central Rebels escaped with a 42-41 win.
St. James vs Ursuline Academy
The Ursuline Lady Bears, a class 5 private school out of St. Louis, came to town hoping to spoil the St. James home opener but the Lady Tigers were having none of it. A ferocious offensive attack in the first quarter got the Tigers off to a fast start and they never looked back. Ursuline wouldn't quit fighting but every time they had a run, St. James had an answer. The biggest dagger coming midway through the 4th quarter when Ursuline had cut the lead to 6 points and St. James Sophomore Shootist Shauna Rinehart nailed a trey in front of the St. James bench and was fouled completing the 4 point play and taking the air out of the Ursuline balloon. Freshman Devin Fuhring had the first double-double of her career and led the Tigers in scoring. The biggest keys to the game however was a better defensive effort and the balanced scoring attack especially in the first quarter. 3 different lady tigers hit 3-point baskets in the first quarter (5 different girls for the game), and 7 different lady tigers had field goals in the first quarter. Thats tough to defend. The Lady Tigers are 2-0 and begin the Potosi Tourney next week.
Cuba vs Battle
The opening game saw the local Cuba Lady Wildcats and the unknown Battle High School got to battle. It was a back and forth game the entire way, that saw Cuba take a 7 point lead towards the start of the 4th quarter, but Battle High fought back and ended up taking the game away for the schools first ever victory.
North County vs Jefferson City
North County led this contest almost from start to finish. However, Jeff City made a run with some hard nosed defense late, and then hit a big 3 to send the game into overtime. In overtime, Jeff City kept momentum and was able to steal the game away from the Raiders of NC.
Owensville vs Lutheran South
Four Rivers member Otown started Saturday off asleep digging themselves a pretty good hole in the first quarter against the Lady Lancers. After the opening quarter however Owesnville controlled the game and was able to slowly creep back in at halftime, and then take a lead and keep it in the second half. A good win for the 4-Rivers.
Pacific vs Park Hills Central
This was a matchup I was excited to see when they were first released and it didn't disappoint. However, neither team was at full strength for much of the game as foul trouble plagued the star players of each squad. It was basically a defensive battle and when the last second desperation heave of Pacific was just slightly off, The Central Rebels escaped with a 42-41 win.
St. James vs Ursuline Academy
The Ursuline Lady Bears, a class 5 private school out of St. Louis, came to town hoping to spoil the St. James home opener but the Lady Tigers were having none of it. A ferocious offensive attack in the first quarter got the Tigers off to a fast start and they never looked back. Ursuline wouldn't quit fighting but every time they had a run, St. James had an answer. The biggest dagger coming midway through the 4th quarter when Ursuline had cut the lead to 6 points and St. James Sophomore Shootist Shauna Rinehart nailed a trey in front of the St. James bench and was fouled completing the 4 point play and taking the air out of the Ursuline balloon. Freshman Devin Fuhring had the first double-double of her career and led the Tigers in scoring. The biggest keys to the game however was a better defensive effort and the balanced scoring attack especially in the first quarter. 3 different lady tigers hit 3-point baskets in the first quarter (5 different girls for the game), and 7 different lady tigers had field goals in the first quarter. Thats tough to defend. The Lady Tigers are 2-0 and begin the Potosi Tourney next week.
Lady Tigers open up the season with a win at Waynesville
The St. James Lady Tigers opened up their 2013-14 campaign with a road trip to Class 5 Waynesville. The Lady Tigers got off to a good start in the game opening up a 12-4 lead early, but the defense relaxed a little after that allowing Waynesville to score a lot of easy baskets. That allowed Waynesville to gain confidence and the game would prove to be a dog fight for most of the night. St. James would prove to have just enough scoring ability to stay ahead and their lead bounced around between 4-8 points for most of the game. At the final buzzer it was StJ 61 and Waynesville 55. 4 Lady Tigers scored in double figures in the win. The girls need to get back to basics on defense but we sure are happy to come out and get a win to start the season.
The Junior Varsity Lady Tigers also scored a win to start their season as a solid 4th quarter led to a good victory.
The varsity will play next in the Community Bank St. James Shoot out vs Ursiline Academy on Saturday at 5pm
The Junior Varsity Lady Tigers also scored a win to start their season as a solid 4th quarter led to a good victory.
The varsity will play next in the Community Bank St. James Shoot out vs Ursiline Academy on Saturday at 5pm
Lady Tiger Seniors 2013-14
Lady Tiger Varsity Team 2013-14
Lady Tiger Junior Varsity Team 2013-14
Lady Tiger Freshman Team 2013-14
Lady Tigers set to Open Season at Waynesville on Tuesday Nov. 26th
The 2013--14 version of the Lady Tigers are set to open their season @ Waynesville on November 26th. The Junior Varsity will tip off at 6pm and the varsity game will follow. Exciting!
St. James Varsity earns to seed at Potosi
The coaches at the Potosi tournament seed meeting voted the STJ Ladies #1 overall for the upcoming varsity tournament that will take place December 2 thru the 7th. St. James will play the Festus Lady Tigers in the opening round @ 4pm on Monday, December 2nd. Seed went as follows
1. St. James
2. Central (Park Hills)
3. North County
4. Arcadia Valley
5. Frediricktown
6. Potosi
7. Meadow Heights
8. Festus
Both the St. James girls and boys varsity teams will be defending the championships that they won last season in this tournament. The boys earned the 3 seed in their bracket.
1. St. James
2. Central (Park Hills)
3. North County
4. Arcadia Valley
5. Frediricktown
6. Potosi
7. Meadow Heights
8. Festus
Both the St. James girls and boys varsity teams will be defending the championships that they won last season in this tournament. The boys earned the 3 seed in their bracket.
First Day of Practice is here!!!!! yippeeee
7th Graders dominate first round
The 7th grade Lady Tigers took care of business in the first round of the St. James Tournament Monday night with a 41-25 victory over St. Clair. Good full court pressure defense and unselfish offense led to easy baskets all night long. They move on to face top seeded Washington in the winners bracket tonight at the St. James MS. The 8th grade Lady Tigers travel to Owensville for their first round game of the Owensville Tournament this evening as well. Good Luck to all of our young ladies.
M.S. earn a split in Union
The 7th grade ladies went to Union and escaped with a one point victory 26-25 on Thursday. Coach Hodge said that the girls didn't play their best but she was proud of them for doing what it took to win. Coach says the girls are getting better every day. The 8th graders ran into a tough Union squad and lost 34-19. Playing tough teams will only make us better.
7th & 8th Graders split in Day Game at O-town
The 7th graders showed a lot of improvement Tuesday and started off the game a ball of fire, however they couldn't quite hold on in the second half and suffered a 35-28 loss to the Lady Dutchmen. That improvement is what we are looking for because the 7th grade group is still learning to play our way. The 8th graders hammered out a win in O-town by a score of 36-14. Well done girls, keep up the good work!
Middle Schoolers look for improvement coming off of tournament weeks
Both the 7th and 8th grade Lady Tigers are coming off of tournaments last week . The 7th grade managed to bring home some hardware in the Hermann Tournament by going 2-1 on the week and winning the consolation prize. The 8th grade had a rough week losing two very close games to get eliminated from the Washington tournament. Both teams need to hit the court hard for practice this week as they face two tough conference games on the road. The girls will head to Owensville on Tuesday and to Union on Thursday. We wish them luck and know they will make us proud.
Middle School Season starts with a Split!
Its hard to believe but the M.S. basketball season began Tuesday evening. The 7&8 Grade Lady Tigers traveled to Washington for their opener and came away with a split. In the opening game the 7th graders started off slow, made a comeback, but couldn't quite keep up and lost a tough one to open the season. They fought hard however, and never gave up. That will be important as the season goes. The 8th graders opened their season in thrilling fashion with a 35-33 win in overtime. What an exciting start.
The Middle school home opener will be Thursday night against Hermann and both teams will be in tournament play next week. Good Luck Girls.
The Middle school home opener will be Thursday night against Hermann and both teams will be in tournament play next week. Good Luck Girls.
Pre-Season Basketball Meeting
Thursday September 5th at 730 AM. All players interested need to attend.
Lady Tigers make it 16 straight as they take top honors at June 21/22 Licking Camp
The varsity lady tigers made it a repeat of the previous shoot-out by going 8-0 in the latest licking camp. This time may have been even more impressive though as a the road to the title was full of Class 4 powerhouses. In tourney play the Lady Tigers were able to beat Republic, Jefferson City Helias, and fellow four-rivers conference members the Sullivan Lady Eagles en route to the title. Unselfish play and outstanding effort has been the key. The Tigers will travel to Branson this week to finish up the summer game schedule.
Lady Tigers capture the top division title at the June14/15 Licking Camp
The varsity lady tigers were able to go 8-0 and bring home the shoot-out championship in the top division of the Licking Camp this past weekend. Playing mostly bigger schools the Lady Tigers started strong and the battled through fatigue towards the end to bring home the title. The JV Ladies also had a strong camp finishing 5-2. The Ladies will face some tough tests the rest of the summer with many powerhouse schools scheduled in the next two shoot-outs. Great Job girls. Keep up the good work.
Strong start to the summer for STJ
The Lady Tigers have gotten off to a strong start this summer and this past weekend finished 10-1 at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. The Lady Tigers won their first 10 games and then accepted a strong challenge from MICDS out of St. Louis (class 4). MICDS went 24-3 last season and had their season ended by nationally ranked Incarnate Word Academy. We didn't play well but these kind of challenges will prepare us for tough battles during the season. The Lady Tigers will continue their summer slate with Licking Camps the next two weekends and then a 3 day camp in Branson to bring a close to the summer. Looking forward to watching the girls improve and battle through adversity.
Tiger Camp Schedule
The annual St. James Lady Tiger Summer Basketball Camp has been scheduled. It will run June 3-6th at the high school gym.
Grades 3-5 9-10:30am
Grades 6-8 11:00 - 12:30pm
High School 2-4pm
Grades 3-5 9-10:30am
Grades 6-8 11:00 - 12:30pm
High School 2-4pm
Online Registration for UCM Team Camp
All Lady Tiger Basketball girls (high school next year) who plan on attending UCM team camp in Warrensburg this summer need to get registered online as soon as possible. Go to www.jenniesbasketballcamps.com. Fill out the registration form, if you register before May 15th, the cost is $170.
2012-13 Lady Tiger Basketball News
Lady Tigers impressive in the classroom
9 of the 12 varsity letterman on this years St. James Lady Tiger Basketball team made academic all-conference. To make that team requires you not only to be a letter award winner (play in 25% of all varsity quarters), but also to achieve a 3.6 or above GPA over the first 3 quarters of the school year. We had 9 girls make that team. I have also just found out that we had 9 of the 17 young ladies involved in basketball this year make STRAIGHT A's in the 3rd Quarter. Just a super job girls. Although, with all of these brains on the team.....you'd think they'd listen better:)
Buschmann Makes Her Choice.....
Lady Tiger Senior MJ Buschmann has decided to attend Mineral Area College in Park Hills, MO for the next two seasons. We know she will do great things and it will only be the beginning of her journey. I would personally like to thank her for not only her contributions on a great season, but for the lessons she has taught me to help me grow as a coach and for being a part of this family we have here at St. James. We will be following your career very closely "J", and we look forward to hearing great things about you.
Awards Banquet Set
Sunday, Arpil 7th, 3pm at the Elementary School.
Players need to bring a side dish and/or dessert.
Players need to bring a side dish and/or dessert.
Lady Tigers Capture 3rd in the State
What a year to be a Lady Tiger! I know it isn't exactly what we wanted to leave Columbia, MO with, but it is still an incredible accomplishment matching the highest finish in program history. After a disappointing semi-final loss to Cameron (Kansas City), this group of Lady Tigers wanted to go out on a positive note and that they did. With the intense defensive pressure that brought them to state, the Lady Tigers overwhelmed North Technical in the 3rd place game, grabbing the early lead and never looking back.
It is a bitter sweet feeling for this particular coach as it brings a close to a season that I didn't want to end. I would start the season over right now (although my wife might have an issue with that). It is also bitter sweet because we have to say good-bye to two seniors, who are wonderful young ladies and we will always miss. I want to thank MJ Buschmann and Taylour Rinehart for their time and efforts this season. I want to wish them both well at college, their strong character will lead them on to amazing things. I also want to wish MJ good luck in the next stage of her basketball career, we know you will do well.
I want to thank all of the Lady Tigers for working hard and believing in not only myself but this team. Every season is full of ups and downs and this one was no different, and you girls really hung in there and stuck together. It is amazing to see how wins make you girls proud, and how losses make you girls learn. Thanks for a great season, one I will never forget.
Coach Wells
It is a bitter sweet feeling for this particular coach as it brings a close to a season that I didn't want to end. I would start the season over right now (although my wife might have an issue with that). It is also bitter sweet because we have to say good-bye to two seniors, who are wonderful young ladies and we will always miss. I want to thank MJ Buschmann and Taylour Rinehart for their time and efforts this season. I want to wish them both well at college, their strong character will lead them on to amazing things. I also want to wish MJ good luck in the next stage of her basketball career, we know you will do well.
I want to thank all of the Lady Tigers for working hard and believing in not only myself but this team. Every season is full of ups and downs and this one was no different, and you girls really hung in there and stuck together. It is amazing to see how wins make you girls proud, and how losses make you girls learn. Thanks for a great season, one I will never forget.
Coach Wells
Final Four Bound!!!!
This story courtesy of OzarkSportsZone.com
Saturday’s Class 3 quarterfinal between Ash Grove and St. James may as well have been Ali v. Foreman part two.
With the Lady Pirates using their size and physicality to lead them to the Elite 8, and the Lady Tigers relying on speed and athleticism, whoever could pull the other team into their game would find itself in Columbia next weekend.
http://www.ozarkssportszone.com/Pictures-St-James-63-Ash-Grove-54/15698171
“We knew they were big and physical and we aren’t. We thought if we didn’t come out and be super aggressive right off the bat then they would be pushing us around all night,” said St. James coach Terry Wells.
St. James pulled its best Ali, minus the rope-a-dope, scoring the game’s first ten points on its way to a 63-54 win over Ash Grove at Drury’s O’Reilly Family Event Center.
The full court pressure of the Lady Tigers was able to speed up Ash Grove, forcing turnovers that led to easy baskets on the other end.
Offensively, the Lady Pirates couldn’t buy a first quarter basket, going scoreless until the 3:22 mark in the first quarter.
“We got off to a timid start. It wasn’t a lack of effort or focus. Sometimes this stage can make you do uncharacteristic things. And once we made an uncharacteristic mistake, it multiplied on us. We had 13 turnovers in the first half, and it’s tough to be successful doing that,” said Ash Grove coach Brent Milleson.
However, the resilient Lady Pirates responded to adversity, as they had all year. After falling into an 18-6 hole by the end of the first quarter, Ash Grove was down 22-9 shortly into the second quarter whenever sixth man Halee Cashio got the Lady Pirates going.
“I knew we had to get back in the game somehow, so we needed some momentum. I was hoping my threes would start falling and we could get back in it. They did,” said Cashio.
The junior guard hit a pair of threes, igniting an 11-0 Ash Grove run to pull the Lady Pirates within three. After a Lakin Simmerman buzzer-beating layup, the Lady Pirates trailed by just four at the break, 30-26.
“We were able to get a little traction by going smaller and playing with only one of our traditional forwards. Cashio was able to hit a couple of big baskets. She’s made a career out of that. She really gave us a shot in the arm. Emotionally, we were very upbeat at halftime. For ten minutes we pretty much got our tail kicked but we came into the half only down four. We felt like we had dodged a major bullet,” said Milleson.
Ash Grove continued that run into the second half, scoring the first four points of the quarter on buckets by Simmerman and junior forward Katie Skelton.
But, St. James had an answer.
The Lady Tigers, keyed by sophomore guard Ashlee Marlatt’s fourth of five triples in the game, would score eight unanswered points to push the lead back up to 10.
“Credit goes to St. James; they were able to put together another run. We couldn’t get closer than six. We had the ball down six a couple of times but didn’t make baskets. They’re a very good team, very well coached, and they’ve got some good players. They are very poised, when we made runs at them, they answered it and that’s the sign of a good team,” said Milleson.
The Lady Pirates would get no closer than six points the rest of the way, with every Ash Grove run being answered by a play by Marlatt or senior forward MJ Buschmann, who scored a game-high 25 points.
“They are tough kids. MJ and Ashlee are just tough. Anytime we needed a big bucket, they got us one. Anytime we needed a play on defense, it seemed like they made one. I thought Ashlee played her best game of the year. She’s had a great season so that is really playing something,” said Wells.
Buschmann and Marlatt, who finished with 24, combined to score 49 of St. James 63 points.
Ash Grove received 12 points apiece from Cashio and junior Madi Johnson. The Lady Pirates, who’s 24 wins and district title capped arguably the best seasons in school history, have just one senior on their roster.
“Those kids have a chance to do great things. They need to be proud of the fact they advanced as far as any other girls’ team in the history of Ash Grove and that is a tremendous accomplishment. This one hurts, it hurts badly, but it needs to motivate them in the offseason so if they do get a chance to come back on this stage they’ll be in a position to play better,” said Milleson.
Cashio acknowledges the accomplishment, but knows there is more to be had.
“It will definitely motivate us to go farther than this. Getting here was farther than anyone thought we would get, but we aren’t satisfied,” said Cashio.
For the Lady Tigers, up next is the Class 3 Final Four in Columbia next weekend. St. James will take on Cameron for a berth in the state championship game.
“I know they’re big and strong, but that’s about it. We’ll think about this win, enjoy it for the rest of the night and then tomorrow that alarm will go off and I’ll get back at it,” said Wells.
Thursday’s semifinal will tip off in Mizzou Arena at 5 p.m.
Ash Grove 6-20-9-19 – 54
St. James 18-12-11-22 – 63
Ash Grove: Arico 3, Mauss 6, Johnson 12, Cashio 12, Weinreis 7, Simmerman 9, Skelton 5.
St. James: Uffmann 7, H. Perona 1, Bushmann 25, Marlatt 24, McDowell 2, S. Rinehart 3, Diestelkamp 1.
Saturday’s Class 3 quarterfinal between Ash Grove and St. James may as well have been Ali v. Foreman part two.
With the Lady Pirates using their size and physicality to lead them to the Elite 8, and the Lady Tigers relying on speed and athleticism, whoever could pull the other team into their game would find itself in Columbia next weekend.
http://www.ozarkssportszone.com/Pictures-St-James-63-Ash-Grove-54/15698171
“We knew they were big and physical and we aren’t. We thought if we didn’t come out and be super aggressive right off the bat then they would be pushing us around all night,” said St. James coach Terry Wells.
St. James pulled its best Ali, minus the rope-a-dope, scoring the game’s first ten points on its way to a 63-54 win over Ash Grove at Drury’s O’Reilly Family Event Center.
The full court pressure of the Lady Tigers was able to speed up Ash Grove, forcing turnovers that led to easy baskets on the other end.
Offensively, the Lady Pirates couldn’t buy a first quarter basket, going scoreless until the 3:22 mark in the first quarter.
“We got off to a timid start. It wasn’t a lack of effort or focus. Sometimes this stage can make you do uncharacteristic things. And once we made an uncharacteristic mistake, it multiplied on us. We had 13 turnovers in the first half, and it’s tough to be successful doing that,” said Ash Grove coach Brent Milleson.
However, the resilient Lady Pirates responded to adversity, as they had all year. After falling into an 18-6 hole by the end of the first quarter, Ash Grove was down 22-9 shortly into the second quarter whenever sixth man Halee Cashio got the Lady Pirates going.
“I knew we had to get back in the game somehow, so we needed some momentum. I was hoping my threes would start falling and we could get back in it. They did,” said Cashio.
The junior guard hit a pair of threes, igniting an 11-0 Ash Grove run to pull the Lady Pirates within three. After a Lakin Simmerman buzzer-beating layup, the Lady Pirates trailed by just four at the break, 30-26.
“We were able to get a little traction by going smaller and playing with only one of our traditional forwards. Cashio was able to hit a couple of big baskets. She’s made a career out of that. She really gave us a shot in the arm. Emotionally, we were very upbeat at halftime. For ten minutes we pretty much got our tail kicked but we came into the half only down four. We felt like we had dodged a major bullet,” said Milleson.
Ash Grove continued that run into the second half, scoring the first four points of the quarter on buckets by Simmerman and junior forward Katie Skelton.
But, St. James had an answer.
The Lady Tigers, keyed by sophomore guard Ashlee Marlatt’s fourth of five triples in the game, would score eight unanswered points to push the lead back up to 10.
“Credit goes to St. James; they were able to put together another run. We couldn’t get closer than six. We had the ball down six a couple of times but didn’t make baskets. They’re a very good team, very well coached, and they’ve got some good players. They are very poised, when we made runs at them, they answered it and that’s the sign of a good team,” said Milleson.
The Lady Pirates would get no closer than six points the rest of the way, with every Ash Grove run being answered by a play by Marlatt or senior forward MJ Buschmann, who scored a game-high 25 points.
“They are tough kids. MJ and Ashlee are just tough. Anytime we needed a big bucket, they got us one. Anytime we needed a play on defense, it seemed like they made one. I thought Ashlee played her best game of the year. She’s had a great season so that is really playing something,” said Wells.
Buschmann and Marlatt, who finished with 24, combined to score 49 of St. James 63 points.
Ash Grove received 12 points apiece from Cashio and junior Madi Johnson. The Lady Pirates, who’s 24 wins and district title capped arguably the best seasons in school history, have just one senior on their roster.
“Those kids have a chance to do great things. They need to be proud of the fact they advanced as far as any other girls’ team in the history of Ash Grove and that is a tremendous accomplishment. This one hurts, it hurts badly, but it needs to motivate them in the offseason so if they do get a chance to come back on this stage they’ll be in a position to play better,” said Milleson.
Cashio acknowledges the accomplishment, but knows there is more to be had.
“It will definitely motivate us to go farther than this. Getting here was farther than anyone thought we would get, but we aren’t satisfied,” said Cashio.
For the Lady Tigers, up next is the Class 3 Final Four in Columbia next weekend. St. James will take on Cameron for a berth in the state championship game.
“I know they’re big and strong, but that’s about it. We’ll think about this win, enjoy it for the rest of the night and then tomorrow that alarm will go off and I’ll get back at it,” said Wells.
Thursday’s semifinal will tip off in Mizzou Arena at 5 p.m.
Ash Grove 6-20-9-19 – 54
St. James 18-12-11-22 – 63
Ash Grove: Arico 3, Mauss 6, Johnson 12, Cashio 12, Weinreis 7, Simmerman 9, Skelton 5.
St. James: Uffmann 7, H. Perona 1, Bushmann 25, Marlatt 24, McDowell 2, S. Rinehart 3, Diestelkamp 1.
District Champs!!!!!!
The St. James Lady Tigers are the 2013 Class 3 District 9 Champions! After a semifinal win on Wednesday against Cuba, the Lady Tigers would await the Dixon Lady Bulldogs in Saturdays Final. The Tigers would start fast and never look back. Great defense was the key as Dixon All-State Guard Hunter Yoakam had to work for every point and standout post player Mattie Whitaker was pretty much a non-factor. Dixon was held to 49 points which was their lowest point total since early January. It was just a great team effort. The Lady Tigers now advance to sectionals where they will try to dispatch of another Frisco League Opponent when the Licking Lady Wildcats come calling. The game will be Wednesday, February 27th @ 7:45pm on the campus of Missouri S&T in Rolla MO.
Now a couple of big Thank You's
The Community support was amazing as there was a line waiting outside the doors 90 minutes before game time and by the time the Lady Tigers entered the gym the place was packed and the girls received a standing ovation. I think this community provided these girls and their coach with a memory they will never forget. Watching our gym fill up every single night all season and out numbering the Dixon faithful by what had to be a 3:1 margin on Saturday in a district championship game is a great feeling. Thank You for the support and enthusiasm you provide. Second, thanks to every member of the Lady Tiger Basketball team and coaching staff. All of your hard work has paid off and you deserve this opportunity.
I would also like to congratulate Coach Ben Smith and his St. James Tigers on an amazing season that provided a lot of excitement and thrills for this town and this school. You made us all proud.
See You All on Wednesday Night!!!!!
Now a couple of big Thank You's
The Community support was amazing as there was a line waiting outside the doors 90 minutes before game time and by the time the Lady Tigers entered the gym the place was packed and the girls received a standing ovation. I think this community provided these girls and their coach with a memory they will never forget. Watching our gym fill up every single night all season and out numbering the Dixon faithful by what had to be a 3:1 margin on Saturday in a district championship game is a great feeling. Thank You for the support and enthusiasm you provide. Second, thanks to every member of the Lady Tiger Basketball team and coaching staff. All of your hard work has paid off and you deserve this opportunity.
I would also like to congratulate Coach Ben Smith and his St. James Tigers on an amazing season that provided a lot of excitement and thrills for this town and this school. You made us all proud.
See You All on Wednesday Night!!!!!
Lady Tigers fall on Senior Night to FRC foe Sullivan
The regular season came to an end on Thursday night in St. James with two very good basketball teams going toe to toe. the 19-3 Sullivan Lady Eagles and the 21-3 St. James Lady Tigers squared off in a great battle that should prepare both for post-season play. When the dust settled it was the Lady Eagles emerging with a 58-55 win. The game was hard fought the entire way but a scoring drought in the 4th quarter sealed the Lady Tigers fate. We just couldn't come up with that big basket even though I thought we defended strong. We never gave up and had several chances to tie or take the lead but it didn't bounce our way. Sullivan claims a share of the Conference title with Hermann at 6-1 and St. James joins a group with Union and Pacific at 4-3. The Lady Tigers finish the regular season 21-4 and should be battle tested for districts next week.
I'd like to thank our two seniors MJ and Taylour for all of their sacrifice and efforts this season. We are in absolutely no rush to say goodbye to you girls though so we might as well just go on a little run!
Our Junior Varsity won in overtime to finish their season at 16-2 and 6-1 in the conference. Nice season young Tigers.
I'd like to thank our two seniors MJ and Taylour for all of their sacrifice and efforts this season. We are in absolutely no rush to say goodbye to you girls though so we might as well just go on a little run!
Our Junior Varsity won in overtime to finish their season at 16-2 and 6-1 in the conference. Nice season young Tigers.
Big Conference Win in O-Town...
The Lady Tigers traveled to Owensville Monday night to take on conference foe Owensville. It would end up being about their best TEAM effort in some time. The defense was back and the Lady Tigers used it to create easy baskets all night long. I thought our post players were excellent defensively making it tough for Owensville to get any easy baskets and therefore tough to get any rhythm. The defense was credited with 28 turnovers and that led to a lot of easy baskets. The scoring was so balanced that we were tough to guard. We had 7 girls score at least 7 points. We have got to keep that up as Conference Leader Sullivan comes to town on Thursday.
The Junior Varsity Tigers lost their second game of the season in heart breaking fashion by the score of 51-50.
The Junior Varsity Tigers lost their second game of the season in heart breaking fashion by the score of 51-50.
Crusaders sweep Lady Tigers
The Lady Tigers traveled to Jefferson City to take on perennial class 4 powerhouse Helias on Saturday. It would be a slow start for the the Lady Tigers as shots weren't falling early in the first quarter. The lack of offense seemed to effect the defensive energy for the team and that led to the ladies digging a deep hole. To start the 4th quarter the Tigers were down by 14 but came out motivated and hungry. A furious rally led by defensive energy erased the deficit and the game was tied at 42 with just over 2 minutes remaining. Helias came up with a big bucket to break the tie though and even though we had a couple chances we couldn't get the big basket we needed. Helias ended up finishing the game at the foul line. Hopefully we can learn from this and realize the type of energy we need to be at our best. If we play as hard as we did in the second half then good things lie ahead.
The Lady Crusader JV handed the Lady Tigers JV their first loss of the season on Saturday. Although the JV Tigers also had an amazing rally from behind to make the game very close. Lindsay Seams and Shauna Rinehart scored 23 each for the Junior Varsity.
The Lady Crusader JV handed the Lady Tigers JV their first loss of the season on Saturday. Although the JV Tigers also had an amazing rally from behind to make the game very close. Lindsay Seams and Shauna Rinehart scored 23 each for the Junior Varsity.
Lady Tigers bounce back with a win at St. Clair
The Lady Tigers traveled to St. Clair on Thursday night trying to stop a 2 game losing streak. They would run into a very game, very physical Lady Bulldog team who would give them all they wanted. St. James offense opened up early with a fast pace and hot shooting. We were taking and making good shots and it was fun to watch the girls work together. However, the defensive end was an entire different story........I don't really want to talk about it........but the girls made some adjustments at halftime and played better "D" in the second half. This game definitely gives us some things to look at and work on. We have 2 or 3 major focuses over the next week or two to get ready for district play.
The Lady Tigers JV also earned a victory tonight to move to 15-0 on the season.
The Lady Tigers JV also earned a victory tonight to move to 15-0 on the season.
Lady Tigers fall to 2-2 in Conference Play
The Hermann Lady Bearcats came to St. James Monday night and handed the Lady Tigers their second consecutive loss. It was a tale of two halves for the Lady Tigers, but their strong first half couldn't out weigh the poor 2nd. Struggles on the defensive end carried over to the offense as St. James was outscored 40-21 in the second half and 21-7 in the 4th quarter alone. The Ladies don't have time to get down though as a conference road game at St. Clair awaits on Thursday. We just have to get refocused and dig down deep. When times are tough the great teams will come together.....not split apart. Lets get it going on Thursday.
The JV won their game 46-27 to remain unbeaten on the season.
The JV won their game 46-27 to remain unbeaten on the season.
Class 3, District 9 Seeding Results
1. St. James
2. Dixon
3. Fatima
4. Cuba
5. Steelville
6. Osage
7. Bourbon
The girls side of the district bracket will be played on Monday Feb. 18th, Wednesday Feb. 20, and Friday Feb. 22.
2. Dixon
3. Fatima
4. Cuba
5. Steelville
6. Osage
7. Bourbon
The girls side of the district bracket will be played on Monday Feb. 18th, Wednesday Feb. 20, and Friday Feb. 22.
Lady Tigers drop their first game to Conference foe Pacific.....
The Lady Tigers were finally knocked down this season on Thursday night, we will see if they get up? A very physical and red hot Pacific Lady Indian squad traveled on the road to St. James and handed the Lady Tigers their first loss of the season by a score of 67-58. It was definitely a struggle as the Ladies not only struggled to defend but also struggled shooting the ball from the field and at the FT line (especially at the FT line). Our success this year has been because of our defense, when we have played well, we have defended. When we defend, we get easier shots, and when we take good shots, we will most generally make them. Pacific took it to us and deserved to win tonight. They did all the little things and we didn't. We have to see how our girls respond, because that's really all that matters, we still control our own destiny in conference and of course districts. These Lady Tigers have heart and I think we will bounce back. Hermann will travel to St. James on Monday, Feb. 4th
The Junior Varsity Lady Tigers won 52-28 and continue to roll.
The Junior Varsity Lady Tigers won 52-28 and continue to roll.
"D"ing it UP!!!
The St. James Girls Basketball squad invited the Cuba Lady Wildcats to town on Tuesday night and came away with a 68-42 victory. Our offense took a while to get going in the first quarter but our defense was forcing turnovers and when that happens the offense usually comes. Our outstanding defense gave our offense plenty of time as we held Cuba to 2 points in the first quarter and it took a buzzer beater at halftime from 30 feet to allow Cuba to reach 13 by halftime. We have some things to work on after this game. We played defense a little too much with our hands and put Cuba in the double bonus in both halves which we can't do (they shot 29 FT), and when we took our full court press off in the second half we fell asleep defensively so we must get better in the half-court. We just must play all 32 minutes. There were some positives though, we had 4 girls reach double figures in scoring on a night where our leading scorer just couldn't get a basket to fall. I bet MJ had 4 or 5 shots that went all the way down and then hopped out, but other girls stepped up. We shot 39% from the field for the game and still scored 68 points so we will get in some shooting drills in practice and get ready for the incredibly tough schedule we have down the stretch. The Lady Tigers move to 19-0 on the season and will face the #7 ranked team in Class 4 on Thursday, the Pacific Lady Indians.
The Junior Varsity squad beat Cuba last night by the score of 45-8 to move to 12-0 on the season.
The Junior Varsity squad beat Cuba last night by the score of 45-8 to move to 12-0 on the season.
These Cats aren't scared of the Dogs.....
The St. James Lady Tigers rumbled into Bulldog country and came away with a 60-50 win to go 18-0 on the season. The Lady Tigers exploded out of the gate with great defense and dead-eye shooting to build a 25-6 first quarter advantage. In the second, the 11 day lay-off started to show on the Lady Tigers legs but they managed to hold their ground even though the shots weren't falling. The second half tempo was much slower than the Lady Tigers are accustomed too but they didn't seem to mind the grinding style too much. It was a good win for the Lady Tigers.
The Junior Varsity won their game 41-29 to go to 11-0 on the season.
Great Job Lady Tigers!!
The Junior Varsity won their game 41-29 to go to 11-0 on the season.
Great Job Lady Tigers!!
Fatima Tournament Champs!!!!!
In a hard fought rematch with 13-1 Blair Oaks in the championship game of the Fatima Tournament the Lady Tigers emerged victorious by a score of 63-52 on Friday night. Like we expected Blair Oaks came out with a revenge on their minds because of an earlier loss to St. James. The first half was back and forth as both teams were playing hungry. A late basket by "Big" Al McDowell gave St. James the 27-25 lead going into halftime. Struggles at the FT line kept Blair Oaks in the game in the second half but a stout defensive effort in the 4th quarter keyed the St. James win. I thought we wore them down and they started missing shots and making mistakes. This is our 3rd tournament championship of the season. Now we have to move forward towards our goals in conference and districts. Congrats to MJ and Marley on their all-tournament awards and also I want to give credit to both our bench (key to so much of what we do) and Alexis Uffman, who played brilliantly all week long (especially in the championship game). Keep up the hard work girls!
Lady Tigers advance to Finals of Fatima Tourney
In the semi-finals of the Fatima Tournament Wednesday night the Lady Tigers took on a tough Chamois team and came away with a 61-52 victory. I thought we came out with a chip on our shoulder and played with a certain edge defensively. This set the tone early and led to one of our best defensive performances of the season in the first half. We did a good job swarming and we were very aware and focused. Everyone who stepped on the floor did it with a purpose. Our outside shooting got going in the 3rd quarter and we were able to build a big lead going into the 4th. We lost our intensity a little bit in the 4th quarter and allowed them some easy opportunities but that is something we can learn from moving forward. A really solid win for us and now we look forward to a rematch with Blair Oaks who I am sure will have revenge on their minds. Keep up the good work ladies!
Lady Tigers Earn KRCG 13 "Team of the Week" honors
Fatima Tournament 1st Round Results in a win
The Lady Tigers traveled to Osage County to take on the Eugene Eagles in first round play Monday evening. The result was a balanced attack that led to a blow out victory. The StJ Ladies put 4 girls in double figures and added two more players with 8 points nearly getting 6 in double digits. Anytime you do that your going to be successful. I thought that post players Alison McDowell and Amie Deistelkamp played one of their best games of the year as both had double digit points and 5+ rebounds. We only shot 5-25 from the 3pt line but survived with our pressure defense scoring 30+ turnovers. Once again though we took care of the ball only committing 9 turnovers ourselves. Its a good win for us and in the second round we will play a big and physical Chamois Pirates team with Division 1 signee Miranda Brandt leading the way. Lets go Lady Tigers!!!
Freshman dominate Lady Indians
Congrats to the Iron 5 Freshman team for the Lady Tigers. Going in to battle with only 5 girls the Lady Tigers put a whoopin on the Indians from Pacific 43-6! Nice Defense Girls!
Lady Tigers move to 14-0 with win at Salem
It wasn't easy but a great defensive effort in the second half led to a run away victory at Salem on Thursday night. St. James got out to an 8-0 lead but quickly surrendered the lead and clung to a 1 point lead at the quarter. The second quarter saw some sloppy St. James defense lead to easy Salem hoops and at intermission the score was 29-24 St. James. The 3rd quarter the Lady Tigers got down to business clamping down on defense and leading to a 25-7 edge in the quarter. The fourth frame was much of the same as the Lady Tigers were "Super Duper Happy to get out of Salem" with a win. Fatima tournament next week.
The Junior Varsity Tigers remained undefeated with a 70-20 dismantling of the Blue Tigers as well. Very balanced scoring and a great team effort.
The Junior Varsity Tigers remained undefeated with a 70-20 dismantling of the Blue Tigers as well. Very balanced scoring and a great team effort.
#1 seed in Fatima Tournament
St. James Lady Tigers received the #1 seed in the Fatima Tournament which is played January 7-11th. In a tough field that includes Blair Oaks, Fatima, Chamois, Owensville, St. Elizabeth, Linn, and Eugene. We will start play at 4pm on Monday against Eugene. Bus times will be 2 hours before game times for the tournament.
Lady Tigers Secure the Schools 9th Park Hills Tournament Title.....
The 2012-13 version of the Lady Tigers did what 8 other Tiger teams have done in the past by bringing home the 2013 Park Hills Tournament first place trophy on Wednesday night. In a hard fought battle throughout St. James was able to scrape out a 75-65 victory.
St. James was able to get out and run early and opened up a decent lead midway through the first quarter, but the Central Rebels were a game squad fighting back and by the half it was St. James on top by only a single bucket 38-36. As we have done so well lately however, we jumped out in the 3rd quarter with focused defense and balanced scoring to take an 8 point lead into the 4th. The lead would jump to as many as 12 in the quarter, and we did a good job of handling the ball at the end and knocking down free-throws.
We have some areas to improve upon, but I thought we did a good job responding to adversity in this game. We will have to do that each and every time we are faced with it to get to where we want to go.
In Junior Varsity action the St. James JV remained undefeated with a 35-25 victory against a previously unbeaten Central team. Lindsay Seams came out on fire and scored 20 points in the victory. It was the tough defensive effort that keyed the victory.
Great Job Lady Tigers!!!
St. James was able to get out and run early and opened up a decent lead midway through the first quarter, but the Central Rebels were a game squad fighting back and by the half it was St. James on top by only a single bucket 38-36. As we have done so well lately however, we jumped out in the 3rd quarter with focused defense and balanced scoring to take an 8 point lead into the 4th. The lead would jump to as many as 12 in the quarter, and we did a good job of handling the ball at the end and knocking down free-throws.
We have some areas to improve upon, but I thought we did a good job responding to adversity in this game. We will have to do that each and every time we are faced with it to get to where we want to go.
In Junior Varsity action the St. James JV remained undefeated with a 35-25 victory against a previously unbeaten Central team. Lindsay Seams came out on fire and scored 20 points in the victory. It was the tough defensive effort that keyed the victory.
Great Job Lady Tigers!!!
Lady Tigers thoughts and prayers.....
go out to the family, friends, and loved ones of the beautiful young ladies that were tragically lost. Nikki Stanley and Alexa Bartlett will be so sorely missed. May God Bless these families and give them strength in these times that are so tough.
Licking Game Moved, Helias to be rescheduled
The Game scheduled for this Thursday, December 20th against Licking has been moved to Wednesday Dec. 19th at 6pm. The game from Saturday is currently working on being rescheduled for sometime after Christmas Break.
50 Minute Workout
Check out this 5 minute clip for a great workout for individual skill development. This is fantastic for youth age teams, and would also be good for my high school players who had an hour or so to burn trying to get better. Cardio, Ball-Handling, Footwork, and Shooting.
Girls earn a hard fought victory in the conference opener vs New Haven
Traveling to New Haven to play a ball game is never easy and the trip on Monday night was no different. The New Haven Lady Shamrocks proved to be all the Lady Tigers could handle as they provided a tough test from the opening tip. Baskets and rebounds would be tough to come by all night for St. James even though they were forcing some of the turnovers they are accustomed to getting. New Haven controlled the tempo however from start to finish and were able to avoid the big runs that the Lady Tigers are capable of putting on teams.
However, the defensive effort from St. James proved to be just enough to make up for shortcomings in other areas. We shot 23% from the field, and only got one offensive rebound and still managed to win somehow, so that says a lot about how our defense played tonight. Any win at New Haven is a good win.
The Junior Varsity ladies opened up conference play with a win as well beating the young lady shamrocks by a score of 50-35. Great way to start for both teams.
However, the defensive effort from St. James proved to be just enough to make up for shortcomings in other areas. We shot 23% from the field, and only got one offensive rebound and still managed to win somehow, so that says a lot about how our defense played tonight. Any win at New Haven is a good win.
The Junior Varsity ladies opened up conference play with a win as well beating the young lady shamrocks by a score of 50-35. Great way to start for both teams.
St. James JV Tourney Champs
The St. James Junior Varsity finished their home tourney at 3-0 to take home the first place hardware. They started the tournament Wednesday by knocking off Salem JV. Then on Saturday they beat Cuba and then earned a hard fought victory over St. Clair in what proved to be the championship game. Sophomore Guard Lindsay Seams netted an amazing 69 points in the 3 games to help lead the Lady Tigers to the title.
Well done girls.
Well done girls.
Hot Shooting and Hard Pressure Key Home win vs Tough Blair Oaks Squad
The Undefeated Blair Oaks Lady Falcons came to town on Thursday night with a 3-0 record and a tournament championship already in hand this season. However, the Lady Tigers didn't greet them kindly as a first half swarming of pressure and three point bombs would key a blowout victory. The Lady Tigers jumped out to a 24-3 lead after one quarter behind the hot outside shooting of St. James guards. The offensive attack would slow down a little in the second quarter but the defense stayed up and the Lady Tigers pulled away to a 38-8 halftime advantage. The second half was played pretty evenly, and St. James cruised to a 56-31 victory.
Great team effort, everybody contributing, balanced scoring, defense by all, thats a great win against a good team.
The Junior Varsity Lady Tigers managed to stay undefeated as well with a 53-21 victory. They will now finish up the JV tournament this Saturday with games against Cuba and St. Clair.
Great team effort, everybody contributing, balanced scoring, defense by all, thats a great win against a good team.
The Junior Varsity Lady Tigers managed to stay undefeated as well with a 53-21 victory. They will now finish up the JV tournament this Saturday with games against Cuba and St. Clair.
Tigers topple Bulldogs
The Dixon Lady Bulldogs traveled to St. James Monday night to take on our Lady Tigers. It was a tough test as Dixon returns all starters from a 21 win team a year ago. One of those being all-state guard Hunter Yoakam. The Lady Tigers answered the bell though and came out with a dominant first half. Even though shooting went cold in the second quarter, we managed to tighten up defensively and build a good lead. The third quarter started the same as we built up to a 16 point lead, and then the Bulldogs answered. They would fight back hard and get us on our heels and trim the lead to 2 points early in the 4th. A stretch of clutch shots and more importantly tough rebounding allowed the lead to be regained however. We did a good job of handling the ball at the end and hitting free-throws to gain a 12 point victory. NICE!
Undefeated Blair Oaks comes to town next.
Undefeated Blair Oaks comes to town next.
Bringing home the title!!!
The St. James Lady Tigers bring home the Championship Hardware in the Potosi Tournament. It was was a fantastic team effort on both ends of the floor against the "top"-seeded Park Hills Central Rebels. From the opening tip I felt we controlled the game on both ends winning every quarter. I thought this was as consistent of an effort 1st thru 4th quarter as we've had all season.
We had scoring coming from everywhere, and every one in our lineup was contributing defensively. It was just a great way to finish what was a very tough week. We played 3 very solid class 4 schools and came out on top and got better each game. Now, lets prepare for a couple of tough games this week at home.
We had scoring coming from everywhere, and every one in our lineup was contributing defensively. It was just a great way to finish what was a very tough week. We played 3 very solid class 4 schools and came out on top and got better each game. Now, lets prepare for a couple of tough games this week at home.
Lady Tigers open up Potosi Tourney with a win....
The #2 seed Lady Tigers rolled into Potosi Tuesday afternoon and were able to hang on to a 9 point victory over #7 seed Fredericktown. Several times we opened up a big lead and looked as if we might pull away, but Fred-town always seemed to come battling back. This is something I think we can learn from, when a team is on the ropes you have to deliver the knockout punch.
A combination of foul trouble, lack of defensive fundamentals, and sloppy offensive play led to a pretty close game down the stretch. Lets learn from this and move forward, there is something to be said for not being at our best and still surviving and passing the test in front of us however. Lets give the girls from Fred-Town a little credit as well. They were scrappy and never backed down.
Thursday night.....5:30pm.......North County Raiders........something to prove???
A combination of foul trouble, lack of defensive fundamentals, and sloppy offensive play led to a pretty close game down the stretch. Lets learn from this and move forward, there is something to be said for not being at our best and still surviving and passing the test in front of us however. Lets give the girls from Fred-Town a little credit as well. They were scrappy and never backed down.
Thursday night.....5:30pm.......North County Raiders........something to prove???
Lady Tigers Dominate Big Early Season Test with Bowling Green
Pressure, Pressure, Pressure. The Bowling Green Lady Bobcats were greeted by the St. James Lady Tiger defensive pressure Saturday evening in the final game of the 2nd Annual St. James Shootout. Bowling Green had all kinds of fits with the Tiger pressure Saturday night and they were unable to use their huge size advantage. With all 5 BG starters being 5'10" it was important that we make it difficult for them to get into their half court offense and we executed that game plan to near perfection. We made all of the adjustments that were needed to be successful in this type of matchup.
We once again won the rebound and turnover battle by good margins and that allowed us to make the Bobcats uncomfortable. I can't say enough about the front of our press. We made them miserable all night long. Great early season win for us, now on to the Potosi Tournament, where we are the #2 seed. Something to prove?
We once again won the rebound and turnover battle by good margins and that allowed us to make the Bobcats uncomfortable. I can't say enough about the front of our press. We made them miserable all night long. Great early season win for us, now on to the Potosi Tournament, where we are the #2 seed. Something to prove?
Lady Tigers Open with a Win over Waynesville
The Waynesville Lady Tigers made the trip to St. James on Monday and came away disappointed. St. James rolled Waynesville 74-40. Our girls should be proud of themselves as they executed the keys to our game plan perfectly and came away with an impressive victory over a solid team. We won the rebound battle 36-28 (Emma and Amie leading the way....nice job!!!) , our pressure wore them down as we hoped it would, after just a few minutes, Waynesville led 5-3, and shortly before halftime the score was 40-17, that is a 37-12 run....i'd say we wore them out. We also only committed 10 turnovers to Waynesville's 26. That included 16 steals and 26 deflections, that is 42 disrupted passes. I love it. We played 11 girls and all 11 got into the scoring, led by MJ who had 32 which isn't as impressive as the 14-22 shooting she used to get there. Great Job ladies, tough one on Saturday, but I can't wait!
The STJ Junior Varsity also got into the Win column on Monday with a 54-22 route of Waynesville. Forcing 22 turnovers and deflecting 31 more passes was the big key as they Junior Varsity girls were constantly in transition and keeping the pressure on Waynesville offensively and defensively. Its always exciting to start the season out with some success, now we just have to keep getting better and playing harder.
The STJ Junior Varsity also got into the Win column on Monday with a 54-22 route of Waynesville. Forcing 22 turnovers and deflecting 31 more passes was the big key as they Junior Varsity girls were constantly in transition and keeping the pressure on Waynesville offensively and defensively. Its always exciting to start the season out with some success, now we just have to keep getting better and playing harder.
Potosi Tournament Bracket is out.....
The St. James Lady Tigers received the #2 seed in the 2012 Potosi Tournament this year. The will match up in the first round with 7-seed Fredericktown. The first round game will be on Tuesday, November 27, 2012. Brackets will be handed out to the girls with bus times attached. Complete seeding below:
1. Park Hills Central
2. St. James
3. North County
4. Meadow Heights
5. Arcadia Valley
6. Potosi
7. Fredericktown
8. Festus
1. Park Hills Central
2. St. James
3. North County
4. Meadow Heights
5. Arcadia Valley
6. Potosi
7. Fredericktown
8. Festus
Lady Tiger parents don't forget.......
to send me an email at [email protected] so that I have all of your addresses when contact is needed.
Congrats to our Middle School Lady Tigers!!!!
A big congrats goes out to both of our Middle School teams this season. The 8th grade was able to accomplish their goal of going undefeated by sweeping the final week of games against Sullivan, Salem, and Steelville. Great Job to Coach Bowen and the girls. They finish their middle school career with only 1 loss in two years. I can't wait to work with them at the high school level. The 7th grade finished their season strong as well and showed as much improvement as any team I've seen. From the last summer to the end of this season was a dramatic turn around. You deserve to be commended.
Thanks for all of your hard work and keep it up!
Thanks for all of your hard work and keep it up!
Tourney Champs
The 8th grade St. James Lady Tigers finished up a great week in Washington last Thursday by taking out the Pacific Indians in the championship game of the Washington Tournament. The Lady Tigers jumped out to a 24-4 first quarter lead and never looked back. Congrats girls, you earned it.
Washington and Hermann Tourney Updates 9/26/2012
The St. James 8th grade girls will play in the championship game of the Washington Tourney Thursday night at 730pm. They have moved to 4-0 on the season after a first round route of New Haven by the score of 39-14. They then won their semi-final matchup by the score of 37-19. They will play the winner of the Pacific vs Washington game that will be played Wednesday night.
The 7th grade lady tigers move into the consolation Final at Hermann this week. They lost a tight first round matchup to the St. Clair Bulldogs, but then cruised to victory over Owensville in the consolation semifinal. They will play the winner of the Hermann vs Washington matchup which takes place tonight. Good luck to the Lady Tigers.
The 7th grade lady tigers move into the consolation Final at Hermann this week. They lost a tight first round matchup to the St. Clair Bulldogs, but then cruised to victory over Owensville in the consolation semifinal. They will play the winner of the Hermann vs Washington matchup which takes place tonight. Good luck to the Lady Tigers.
Lady Tiger Middle School Teams Earn a Split at Hermann
The 7th Grade girls were defeated by Hermann to run their record to 1-1 this season. However the 8th grade won easily in a shortened contest by the score of 26-2 so their record remains unblemished at 2-0. The 7th grade will again travel to Hermann next week to compete in the Hermann tournament while the 8th grade prepares a week of travel to Washington to compete in the Washington Tournament. Good Luck to all the girls and coaches.
7th & 8th Grade Lady Tigers Sweep Washington Lady Blue Jays
The 7th Grade St. James Lady Tigers easily topple Washington on Tuesday Sep. 18th.
The 8th Graders avenged their only loss from last year as they beat Washington in a hard fought game.
The 8th Graders avenged their only loss from last year as they beat Washington in a hard fought game.