RSS FEEDS =
MOBILE EDITION NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBER SERVICES E-EDITION PLACE AN AD LOCAL SEARCH CONTACT US
![](3D"http://media.bnd.com/static/images/mi/third_party/accuweather/defa=) |
Now: =
|
Low: 30=B0
High: 44=B0
|
Welcome
| Log Out =
My Account =
| My=20
Profile
Welcome Guest | Sign In
Web search powered by =
YAHOO! SEARCH=20
Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009
|O'Fallon takes title at tough hoops = tournament
Panthers down Arkansas school for = championship
- =
News-Democrat
![3D"email](3D"http://media.bnd.com/static/images/mi/icons/email.gif"){kind=icon}
E-Mail=20
![3D"print](3D"http://media.bnd.com/static/images/mi/icons/print.gif"){kind=icon}
Print=20
![](3D"http://media.bnd.com/static/images/mi/story_detail/text_resize/txt=)
=20
tool name
tool goes here
Josh Buie was clutch Saturday night for the O'Fallon Panthers.
Buie, a junior guard, scored eight of his 11 points in the second = overtime to=20 spur O'Fallon to an 81-80 victory over Little Rock (Ark.) Hall in the=20 championship game of the invitation-only State Farm Tournament of = Champions in=20 Washington, Ill.
Coming off the bench, Buie scored three points through regulation and = the=20 first overtime. In the second OT, Buie was fouled on a 3-pointer and = made all=20 three free throws, had a steal and layup, then hit a 3-pointer to put = the=20 Panthers up by five.
"He's averaging double-digits off the bench for us, and he came up = huge=20 there," O'Fallon coach Rick Gibson said in a telephone interview. "He = wasn't=20 scoring a lot early, but he kind of took over in that second = overtime."
Little Rock cut O'Fallon's lead to three and had a chance to tie, but = missed=20 a 3-pointer with four seconds left. Little Rock stuck back the rebound = as time=20 expired.
Junior guard Roosevelt Jones scored a game-high 26 points and was = named the=20 tournament's Most Valuable Player. He was one of four Panthers in double = figures, joining Shane Watson (18 points), Chevaughn Lawrence (14 = points) and=20 Buie.
O'Fallon went 4-0 in the prestigious event, beating Springfield 56-51 = in=20 overtime, Sherman (Texas) 74-58 and Peoria Notre Dame 60-56.
Little Rock, which lost in the Class 6A Arkansas state championship = game last=20 year, featured a lineup with four players 6-foot-3 or taller.
"We faced some great competition here," Gibson said. "We faced some = big=20 bodies and quick kids. Our kids are getting battle-tested already in the = first=20 week. That just builds confidence to play tight games against really = good teams=20 and come out on top.
"Now, the kids know not to panic in late-game situations. That's big = because=20 we don't have a lot of guys with a ton of experience. To gain all the = experience=20 we just gained in the first week of the season is big."
Waterloo-Triad Tournament: Travis Felax had a game-high 26 points and = Mason=20 Petrie added 21 as Triad beat Mater Dei 71-61 to claim the championship = of the=20 round-robin event.
Triad (4-0) was the only undefeated team, while Mater Dei went 3-1. = Cory=20 Arentsen had 15 points and Alec Kuhl 14 to pace Mater Dei.
In other games, Kyle Prader pumped in a game-high 20 points to lead = Gibault=20 past Civic Memorial 40-37, while Highland beat Freeburg 56-38 behind 11 = points=20 from Ben Sparlin and 10 from Trent Donaldson.
Effingham St. Anthony Turkey Tournament: Cody McCollum scored a = game-high 29=20 points as Effingham upset the Central Cougars 67-53 in the title = game.
Garrett Gaffner had 19 points and David Wiegmann 16 for the Cougars = (3-1),=20 which fell behind 39-29 halftime. The Bulldogs outscored Central 26-18 = in the=20 second quarter on 11-of-12 shooting.
Central, which returns five of its top six players from last year's = Elite=20 Eight team, was ranked third in the Associated Press Class 2A preseason = state=20 poll.
Jacksonville Crimson Classic: Centralia (4-0) wrapped up the = championship of=20 the round-robin tournament with a 41-26 victory over Jerseyville.
After losing to Centralia 42-26 in the opener Monday, the = Collinsville Kahoks=20 (3-1) won three straight, including a 55-46 victory over Pleasant Plains = on=20 Saturday. The Kahoks were playing Jacksonville in the late game.
Austin Ash (15 points), Daryn Foster (14 points) and Rob Fernandez = (12=20 points) all scored in double figures for the Kahoks against Pleasant = Plains.=20
Leading by one after the third quarter, the Kahoks outscored the = Cardinals=20 15-7 in the fourth quarter to pull away.
Contact reporter Rod Kloeckner at rkloeckner@bnd.com or =
239-2663.
Comments
Commenting allows our readers to share information, insights and = observations=20 about the news stories on our site. We encourage lively, thoughtful = discussion,=20 but ask you to refrain from abusive, racist or profane comments. Do not = attack=20 other posters for their viewpoints, race, gender or sexual orientation. = We do=20 not monitor each and every posting, but reserve the right to delete = comments=20 that violate these rules. Notify us of violations by hitting the "Report = Abuse"=20 button. Repeat or flagrant offenders will lose their commenting = privileges, at=20 our discretion.
Top Jobs
Belleville Top Jobs
![3D"Top](3D"http://media.bnd.com/images/cb_powered.gif")
@Nyx.CommentBody@