Sports

MSU-West Plains had a chance at a buzzer-beating 3 to force overtime. It didn't go so well. The Grizzlies' top two 3-point shooters worked together at the top of the key with 10 seconds left. Taevon Horton inbounded to the Grizzlies' leading scorer, Sardaar Calhoun, who is making 44% of his 3-pointers and is signed with Florida State...

Three Rivers had a similar start, but a different finish. The Raiders suffered a poor first quarter for the second night in a row. In a loss to Moberly Area on Friday, they never retook the lead after giving up a 17-1 run. On Saturday, they allowed a 16-2 run in the final 6 minutes of the first quarter to Jefferson but rallied to win 75-63 in the Region XVI Showdown in the Libla Family Sports Complex...

MANCHESTER, Mo. — Gavyn Hays pinned all four of his opponents, Quinten Bell had three pins while Lucas Robertson and Gavin Hicks also went unbeaten to win their weight division, leading the Poplar Bluff wrestling team at the Patriot Classic. The Mules reached the finals in eight of the 14 weights to defend their team title by 59 points Saturday...

Poplar Bluff sophomore BreAnn Thresher is looking forward to taking her softball career to an international level next summer with an invitation to join a select group of American players on a seven-day trip to Spain. The team, sponsored by ACIS (American Council for International Studies), will play games in Barcelona and other cities in Spain in July...

The No. 2-seeded Advance Hornets built a 49-26 lead by the end of the second quarter and led by double digits throughout the second half as they beat the No. 5 seeded Malden Green Wave 79-55 in the third-place game at the Oran Invitational varsity boys basketball tournament Friday night. ...

A promising start to the Region XVI Showdown turned sour for the host Raiders. Three Rivers opened with a 5-0 run over the first 3 minutes of the game, but the offense went cold for much of the rest of the first half. Three Rivers fell to 1-2 in the Region XVI Showdown following a 71-63 loss to Moberly Area on Friday at the Libla Family Sports Complex...

The Bell City Cubs snapped a 44-game losing streak with a 65-62 victory over the fourth-seeded Richland Rebels on Thursday night at the Oran Invitational boys basketball tournament. The eighth-seeded Cubs went 0-20 two years ago and 0-22 last season — according to mshsaa.org — and lost their opener 81-34 to Oran in the first round of the tournament. Bell City last won a game Feb. 21, 2017 with a 59-41 semifinal win over Zalma in the Class 1 District 2 tournament...

Following an early start to its season, the Poplar Bluff boys basketball team got a 16-day break to prepare for the SEMO Conference, which starts Monday in Sikeston. “Honestly, it’s been nice, much-needed break,” Mules coach William Durden said. “The first game came a little earlier than expected and this break gave us time to work on stuff...

Christmas is coming early for Raider fans with five Three Rivers games this weekend, four of them at the Libla Family Sports Complex. The 7-5 men host MSU-West Plains (6-7) at 7 p.m. Saturday before heading to St. Louis Community College for the St. Louis Shootout, where they will play Southwestern Illinois College (4-3) at 4 p.m. Sunday The matchup against the Grizzlies will not count against the Region XVI standings...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Hannah Bass knocked down a trio of 3-pointers in the second quarter as the Poplar Bluff senior helped build a lead Thursday night. Katie Pattillo, Hannah Corcimiglia and Emma Johnson each sank a 3-pointer in the opening quarter as the Mules beat Saxony Lutheran 55-23 in the third place game of the SEMO Conference Tournament at Cape Central High School...

VAN BUREN - Ellington opened its season by doing something it hasn't done in 18 years. The Whippets, with just one player on the roster who isn't a freshman or sophomore, held on after opening with a 12-point run to win 70-55 in the Lady Dawg Classic Championship for the first time since 2001...

CAPE GIRARDEAU — The Dexter Bearcats must do three things better if they want to find success this season. The Bearcats’ struggles in those three areas cost them in the seventh-place game of the SEMO Conference Girls Basketball Tournament on Thursday at Cape Central High School...

Two Dexter football players were named to the SEMO South all-conference team announced Wednesday night at the 74th Poplar Bluff Gridiron Banquet in Poplar Bluff. Senior Ryder Foster was named an all-conference offensive lineman, and senior linebacker Austin Guy was honored...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri’s Operation Game Thief (OGT) is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the poacher/s that shot a female adult elk and left it for dead Nov. 18 on National Park Service property near the end of M Highway in Carter County. No meat or other parts of the animal were taken. By the time the dead cow elk was found by conservation agents, the meat was no longer salvageable for donation...

Mother Nature sure didn’t do Missouri’s young hunters any favors over the weekend, making for some tough hunting for the second segment of the youth deer season. Rain Friday, storms Saturday and strong winds Sunday likely kept all but the most devoted hunters at the house, and the wind sure did nothing to boost deer movement...

BERNIE — The Bernie Mules withstood a crazy finish to upset top-seeded Campbell 67-62 to win the Bernie Invitational boys basketball tournament. Campbell’s Blake Fowler scored 22 of his game-high 43 points in the final quarter Wednesday night to help the Camels rally from a 16-point deficit at the start of the fourth...

BERNIE — Foul trouble forced the third-seeded Bernie Mules to make a defensive switch in the second half. Coach Jason Long’s strategy paid off in a 51-29 upset of second-seeded and state-ranked Neelyville in the semifinals of the Bernie Invitational boys basketball tournament...

Before the Advance Hornets were celebrating their state volleyball championship, the 1999 Bernie volleyball team was recognized on the 20th anniversary of its fifth state championship of the 1990s. MSHSAA told the story of the Mules’ trip through the Class 1A Final Four on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau...

The Poplar Bluff wrestling team lost half of its starters and the varsity lineup will start the season with nearly half comprised of freshmen. But the Mules return three state qualifiers, not counting Poplar Bluff's first female, as the girls team might be one of the largest in the area...

POPLAR BLUFF — In their very first race of the season, the Poplar Bluff swim team got a consideration qualifying time for state, twice. The Mules finished first and second with both 200-yard medley relays finishing under the 2-minutes, 18.29-second qualifying time. ...

It took John A. Logan 14 minutes to score a two-pointer against Three Rivers. By that point, it was too late. Three Rivers allowed eight total points during the first 14 minutes — a pair of 3s and a pair of free throws — to take a commanding lead early and eventually win 103-58 on Tuesday at the Libla Family Sports Complex...

During signing season, college coaches are often bouncing from high school to high school to ink their next freshman class one recruit at a time. Even if done quickly, it takes time to schedule, travel and complete the process. Three Rivers softball coach Jeff Null took a different approach this year...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — The Poplar Bluff girls basketball team built a double-digit lead in the opening quarter Monday night to beat Cape Central in the opening round of the SEMO Conference Tournament. The third-seeded Mules advanced with a 60-35 win over host Cape Central and will face second-seeded Jackson in the semifinals at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday...

The Dexter girls basketball team fell behind early, and the Jackson Indians beat the Bearcats 66-22 in the first round of the SEMO Conference Tournament on Monday night at Cape Girardeau Central. Madison Lambert scored 18 points, Olivia Ward added 13 and Katherine Emmendorfer chipped in 12 to lead the Indians...

BERNIE — The Bloomfield Wildcats couldn’t match the intensity level of the Bernie boys basketball team Monday night. The third-seeded Mules scored 13 of the first 14 points of the game and rolled to a 71-31 victory over sixth-seeded Bloomfield in the first round of the Bernie Invitational at Bernie High School...

BERNIE — Every time the fourth-seeded Twin Rivers Royals made a run, the Risco Tigers had an answer. The fifth-seeded Tigers overcame an 8-0 deficit and upset the Royals 60-47 in the first round of the Bernie Invitational boys basketball tournament on Monday at Bernie High School...

Last season, the Dexter wrestling team won its first district championship. Coach James Sneed and his team want to make it two in row when February rolls around. “We really don’t talk about that stuff early on,” Sneed said. “Just trying to get in shape and compete. But, yeh, that’s what we’re going to wrestle toward, trying to defend the district title.”...

POPLAR BLUFF - The first half featured 10 lead changes and three ties. The second half, just one lead change and it didn't go the Raiders' way. Three Rivers finished 2-1 in the Peoples Community Bank Thanksgiving Tournament after losing 66-52 to Northeast Oklahoma A&M on Saturday at the Libla Family Sports Complex in Poplar Bluff...

With three-fourths of the legs back for its state-qualifying relays, the Poplar Bluff girls swim team is seeking a replacement for an all-state swimmer. “We’re kind of up in the air,” Mules coach Beth Lewis-Muse said. Fortunately, there are plenty of options among 20 returning lettermen...

VAN BUREN — Neelyville boys basketball coach Patrick Morton was hoping his players had not noticed the preseason state rankings released by his fellow coaches. He was sure the Tigers’ first opponent took note. “You know they’re going to come out and they’re going to be gunning for you and get that win,” Morton said...

The Three Rivers starters had ... tremendous starts. The Raiders outscored Southern Arkansas University Tech 30-9 in the first 5 minutes of each half combined as Three Rivers went on to win 83-74 in the Peoples Community Bank Thanksgiving Tournament on Friday at the Libla Family Sports Complex...

Three Rivers had roughly a 10-point lead for much of the second half, but as has been a recent problem, it let Roane State make things interesting late. In a matchup of Raiders vs. Raiders, Roane State got within two points in the final possessions, but Three Rivers held on for an 89-84 win Thursday night in the Peoples Community Bank Thanksgiving Tournament at the Libla Family Sports Complex...

The rut was over ... there was a full moon ... there’s too many acorns ... there’s not as many hunters out there. There’s been a lot of reasons tossed around as to why this year’s Missouri firearms deer season was so lackluster, and every one of them likely contributed in at least some way...

Alandry Below scored 19 of her 33 points after halftime, and the Advance Hornets rallied to beat the Scott City girls basketball 56-47 in their home opener Monday night. Scott City led 16-11 after one quarter and 29-24 at halftime. The Hornets outscored the visitors 15-2 in the third quarter to take a 39-31 lead into the fourth...

DEXTER -- “Some athletes have that ‘it’ factor. Margo has the ‘it’ factor,” Cleats of Fire coach Kevin Ellis said of Dexter senior Margo Nea. Missouri State University noticed ‘it’ and offered her a scholarship to run cross country and track and field at the NCAA Division I university located in Springfield. She signed her letter of intent on Monday, Nov. 25, at the Bearcat Event Center...

Eleven times, Mathias Ochai was offered a scholarship to play basketball in America and 11 times his student visa was rejected. He doesn’t know why. Nobody ever told him why. The 11th rejection was to play at Three Rivers College. The consulate didn’t even let him through the gates to be interviewed for the visa. Security rejected him at the gate and refused to let him through. When Ochai asked to know why. He was told something was wrong with his application...

Dexter girls basketball is hitting the reset button on its program this season. After 12 years as head coach, Chad Allen has taken over Dexter’s boys basketball program. He went 265-81 as Dexter’s girls coach, won 10 district championships and led his team to the final four on four occasions, including a second-place finish in 2014...

The Dexter boys basketball team will have a new look this season. The Bearcats lost three starters from a team that went 15-12 and won both the SCAA tournament and regular-season championships. Chad Allen, the longtime Dexter girls basketball coach, has taken the reins of the boys program and inherits a young team that features only two seniors, Garrett Henson and Logan Wyman...

ESSEX — First-year Richland boys basketball coach Matt Cline has fond memories of the rural Stoddard County school and this year’s team. Cline coached the Rebels for three seasons before leading Scott County Central for the past four. He returned this year to take over a team that posted its first winning season since 2009-10 when it finished 21-7...

The Advance Hornets hope to get back on the winning track this season. The Hornets’ run of five straight district championships ended last season and they finished with a losing record for the first time in at least a decade. The Hornets finished 12-14 last season and didn't reach the district championship game for the first time since 2012...

The learning curve for the Advance girls basketball team remains rather steep. The Hornets took a step back last season, as their win total from the year before was cut in half. The Hornets finished 3-21 in only their second year of varsity basketball. All three wins came against junior varsity squads and they ended the season on a 16-game losing streak...

POPLAR BLUFF — The Mules were off a running Friday night in their season opener. Kendrick Brown scored 34 points, Luke Becker added 22 and Joseph Hardimon chipped in 21 as Poplar Bluff beat a short-handed Roosevelt team 100-74 at the Senior High Gym...

POPLAR BLUFF — The Poplar Bluff girls basketball team opened the season with a defensive gem Friday night. The Mules kept Roosevelt off the scoreboard for the opening 13 minutes, 5 seconds and didn’t give up a field goal until the very last second of the opening half in a 68-11 win at the Senior High Gym...

Charleston is the top seed for the upcoming SEMO Conference boys basketball team that will be Monday, Dec. 9 through Friday, Dec. 13 at Sikeston. Dexter received the ninth seed in the nine-team field and will face eighth-seeded New Madrid County Central in the play-in game at 5:30 p.m. Monday...

Hard-working and dedicated were two words used to describe Dexter senior Cole Barker on Thursday when he signed a letter of intent to compete in track and field at Missouri Southern State University. “You don’t have to make him do workouts,” Cleats of Fire coach Kevin Ellis said. “You don’t have to make him train. You tell him what to do. He goes and does it.”...

WEST PLAINS, Mo. — Three Rivers has been focusing on getting the ball in the post. On Friday, Lydell Geffrard reaped the benefits. Geffrard was nearly unstoppable as Three Rivers had 36 points in the paint in a 96-64 win over Neosho County on Friday in the MSU-West Plains Classic in West Plains, Mo...

SEDALIA, Mo. — The normally prolific Raider offense wasn’t quite the same against Region XVI competition. Averaging 92.8 points through six games this season, including a 101-point performance on opening night, Three Rivers scored 21 points in the first half as Mineral Area beat the Raiders 61-60 in the Region XVI Showdown on Friday in Sedalia, Mo...

The namesakes of the Bess Activity Center at Three Rivers College are no relation to Kiley Bess. Her father and grandfather worked there, so naturally she was there a lot. “She thought the Bess Activity Center actually meant it was her gym,” said Kiley’s father Brian Bess, the assistant coach of the Three Rivers men’s basketball team...

ADVANCE — Advance coach Erin Hoffman saw something special in Roz Schrader before she became the Hornets’ coach. “I had her my first year here. She was in eighth grade,” Hoffman said. “But the year before that, I remember her from when we (Bernie) played in the junior high county tournament. She kind of stood out to me at that point.”...