SPRINGFIELD — A complete turnaround in the second half gave Rock Bridge girls basketball the edge it needed to secure its spot in the MSHSAA Class 6 championship game.
Down three at the start of the second half, a 10-0 run by the Bruins helped push them to a 50-33 win over Eureka in the semifinals Friday at Great Southern Bank Arena.
The Bruins got going early, scoring the first points of the game and holding the lead until the five-minute mark in the second quarter. The Wildcats, however, took charge for the remainder of the second quarter with a 9-0 run, holding Rock Bridge scoreless for over three minutes.
"We had a second quarter that wasn't our best," Rock Bridge coach Jill Nagel said.
Eureka's man-to-man defense got the better of Rock Bridge in the second quarter, but the Bruins did not let that affect their performance for the rest of the matchup.
"It was frustrating, for sure, but I think we all held it together pretty well," Rock Bridge freshman Jayda Porter said.
Porter was the driving factor of Rock Bridge's run to start the second half and a key part in its win, scoring 10 of her 14 total points in the third quarter.
"We had to swing the ball, and then be able to get (Porter) on the block-to-block type look," Nagel said. "At the end of the day the kids have to do it and they made it work."
Eureka is a 3-point shooting team, but it struggled from beyond the arc against the Bruins, shooting 1 of 14.
"Our kids were locked in. ... They are a very good 3-point shooting team, 33% as a team ... but the kids were really locked in," Nagel said.
Bella Corrado also played a role in the second-half shift. On a loose ball, Corrado dove headfirst into tables on the sideline to maintain possesion. Seconds after, she drained a 3-pointer.
"We were just really locked in," Corrado said. "We were just ready. We were all ready to shoot, ready to play. I think we all just went out there and played our hardest. The third quarter, we really saw what Eureka was bringing, and we were just ready."
Corrado was one of three Bruins to score in double figures, along with Porter and sophomore Mari Miller. Corrado had 12 points on the night, and Miller led the team with 16.
Miller was another key component in the momentum shift. Miller's defense played a big role in stopping Eureka from obtaining easy scoring oppurtunities, knocking the ball loose whenever she could.
Miller's aggressive defense was persistent all game, putting her in foul trouble in the second half. But she didn't let that get in her head.
"Just staying focused and getting through it," Miller said. "We all just talked through it the whole time."
Coming into the game, Eureka averaged 60.5 points per game. Rock Bridge held the Wildcats to far below that total.
"We didn't really get a whole lot of open looks," Eureka coach James Alsup said. "When we did, we just didn't put them away."
Although the Wildcats did not have their usual high field-goal percentage, they shot the ball well from the free-throw line. Eureka shot 72.7% from the charity stripe in the first half, while the Bruins didn't attempt a single free-throw in the half.
However, as Rock Bridge found its way to the line late in the game, it made the most of it. The Bruins put the nail in the coffin, shooting 90% from the free-throw line on the night.
Rock Bridge will play Incarnate Word Academy at 4 p.m. Saturday in the Class 6 championship game.
"I thought our kids did a great job of being composed, staying in the moment and just having a great second half and working together well," Nagel said.
Ladue's hot start set the tone in Jays' loss
Jefferson City boys basketball could not overcome Ladue Horton Watkins' on-point shooting, falling 69-56 in the Class 5 semifinals at the Hammons Student Center in Springfield.
Despite Jefferson City's loss, this was the Jays' first semifinal appearance in 19 years.
The Rams set the tone and took control early, starting the game on a 13-0 run.
"Lately here in the postseason, we've struggled to get out the gate," Jefferson City coach Josh Buffington said. "More than anything, we were just giving too many second and third chances."
Ladue led Jefferson City in the rebound battle 30-to-20, giving the Rams plenty of second-chance opportunities.
"You have to be physical in a game like that ... physicality is way up there, especially in these Final Four games," Jefferson City senior Cole Heller said.
The Jays had a slightly better shooting percentage than Ladue, shooting 50% to the Rams' 48.8%. It was converting beyond the arc that put Ladue in command; the Rams shot 44.4% from deep.
After trailing the Rams 32-23 at halftime, the Jays clawed their way back in the fourth quarter and came within four points of the Rams. But that momentum didn't hold, as Ladue's defensive pressure and sharp shooting was too much to handle.
"We hit some nice 3s, obviously early, and we knew that if we made plays and hit shots ... we knew we'd have a chance," Ladue coach Chad Anderson said.
Ladue advances to face Cardinal Ritter in the Class 5 championship game at 6 p.m. Saturday, while Jefferson City play Pembroke Hill in the third-place game at 10 a.m. Saturday at Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield.
"It's great to know you have another game, that you don't have to end on this loss, that you can go right back the next day in less than 24 hours and prove we're here for a reason," Jefferson City senior Tripp Maassen said.