Sports

CALABASAS, Calif. — NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and three others were killed in a helicopter crash in Southern California on Sunday, his sudden death at age 41 touching off an outpouring of grief for a star whose celebrity transcended basketball.

The pre-meet seeding led everyone to believe that Jackson would prevail in the SEMO Conference Wrestling Tournament and history indicated that, as well.

Travis Waldner won his third straight conference title, and the Dexter Bearcats placed fifth in the SEMO Conference Wrestling Tournament Saturday at Jackson. The Bearcats accumulated 428 points. Jackson won the team championship with 692. Farmington was second with 564.5, Poplar Bluff was third with 550.5 and Hillsboro was fourth with 547.5...

Jackson diver Hadley Wyatt dominated the competition this weekend at the 21-team City of Roses Invitational at the Central Municipal Pool and earned the lone first-place finish among area athletes.

In the second and third quarters combined, Moberly Area scored four field goals. With a dominant defensive effort, Three Rivers beat the Greyhounds 86-57 on Saturday at the Libla Family Sports Complex after losing to the Greyhounds twice earlier this season...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. - Two weeks after allowing 63 points in the first half to Moberly Area, Three Rivers held the Greyhounds to 43 and were within 10 points at halftime. But the close game became anything but in the first 8 minutes of the second half as the Greyhounds went on to win 99-71 on Saturday at the Libla Family Sports Complex...

PIEDMONT — Ellington's 21-point lead was whittled down to a single point over the course of six minutes Friday night. East Carter, however, was never able to complete the comeback. The Whippets withstood the rally in the third quarter then finished the game as they started it — with a double-digit run — for a 61-48 win to earn a spot in the Black River League Tournament championship game...

PIEDMONT — After overcoming a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit, Dalton Rudd and the East Carter boys basketball team took advantage of their second chance Friday night. Rudd forced overtime at the foul line with 4 seconds left and put the Redbirds ahead for good when he knocked down a pull-up jumper in the paint with 11 seconds left in the extra session...

BROSELEY - Homecoming was good to the Royals. Twin Rivers, bolstered by homecoming festivities that included a National Anthem rendition by a preschool class and Natalie Baxter being crowned Homecoming Queen, led from its first basket until its last and beat Neelyville 60-39 on Friday...

DEXTER — The Dexter Bearcats nearly pulled off a thrilling come-from-behind win Friday night against New Madrid County Central. The Bearcats boys basketball team cut an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to one in the closing seconds before falling short 47-46...

Scott County (11-2) got a victory at Scott City (7-7) on Thursday.

The Webster Groves Statesman did not have a double-digit scorer, but eked out a 41-34 home victory over the Jackson Indians.

SIKESTON — Scoring is one of Poplar Bluff senior Kiley Bess’ strong suits, and she put her full arsenal on display Thursday night when the Mules visited the Sikeston Field House. The Lady Bulldogs had no answer for the St. Louis University commit, as Bess scored 28 points on 11 of 19 shooting...

ESSEX — The Leopold boys basketball team arrived about 15 minutes before game time. However, after limited warm-up time and a slow start, the Wildcats recovered quickly and cruised to a 65-37 victory over the Richland Rebels on Thursday night at Richland High School...

NEELYVILLE — There is now a three-way tie at the top of the Ozark Foothills Conference standings. Two weeks after losing to Naylor, which ended a 28-game conference winning streak, the Neelyville girls basketball team handed Doniphan its first OFC loss, winning 61-52 Thursday...

Six Semoball boys basketball teams and two Semoball girls basketball teams are ranked in the latest state rankings provided by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association. Delta (14-3), which is unbeaten in the month of January, is ranked No. 8 in the Class 1 boys poll...

Wearing a Cape Central wrestling sweatshirt, Davion Steele stands out during practice with his Poplar Bluff teammates. “He wears it sometimes,” senior Quinten Bell said. “We’ve got to remind him he’s at PB now.” Steele said he doesn’t mind the attention his Tigers attire might attract...

Waterfowl numbers across Southeast Missouri remain similar to where they’ve been holding for a while, but next week’s anticipated warmup could push more birds into the region from the south. That’s what Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Waterfowl Program Coordinator Luke Naylor is expecting to happen as parts of his state reach the lower 60s by mid-week...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation invites waterfowl hunters to a series of public workshops around the state in January, February, and March to gather hunter input about duck season dates and zone boundary locations for the 2021-2025 seasons...

VAN BUREN — Ozark National Scenic Riverways is proposing a temporary closure on the taking, pursuing or releasing of all feral swine within the park. The temporary closure would support interagency efforts to eliminate feral swine in Missouri. The temporary closure would align Ozark National Scenic Riverways with its partners and neighbors in the statewide efforts to eliminate feral swine from Missouri. It is a crucial step in meeting the goals of the Missouri Feral Hog Elimination Partnership...

SEMO CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT Seeds for the upcoming SEMO Conference wrestling tournament at Jackson High School with a wrestlers record, grade and school. Not all wrestlers are seeded and total number of wrestlers varies for each weight class. Pool matches start Friday with a double-elimination tournament continuing Saturday:...

Mistavia Murry almost handled Meridian by herself Wednesday in girl’s basketball action. The Charleston player scored 30 points in helping the Bluejays (9-5) win 68-32. Murray got help from Ashanti Jones, who added 26 in the win. The Bluejays are competing in the Scott-Mississippi Conference Tournament this week...

Here’s the schedule for the SCAA junior varsity boys basketball tournament that starts Monday, Jan. 27, at the Bearcat Event Center. Monday, Jan. 27 No. 3 Woodland vs. No. 6 Puxico, 4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28 No. 2 Advance vs. No. 7 Bell City, 6 p.m. No. 4 Dexter vs. No. 5 Bloomfield, 7:30 p.m...

The Bobcats held the Hornets to one point in the first quarter and never looked back as they picked up a 63-33 home victory.

POPLAR BLUFF — The Poplar Bluff boys basketball team turned defense into offense Tuesday night to pull away from rival Jackson. The Mules forced four straight turnovers to score eight consecutive points late in the third quarter, turning a tight game into a double-digit lead...

The Mules won six of the 11 events to score 157 points and pick up a tri-meet victory over the Indians and the Zizzers. Jackson edged out West Plains for second place by a single point 75-74.

PUXICO — Junior Andrew Ellinghouse gave the Dexter boys basketball team a much needed lift in the third quarter. Ellinghouse scored 15 of his game- and season-high 30 points in the third, leading the Bearcats to a 76-40 victory over the Puxico Indians on Tuesday night at Puxico High School...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Three Rivers picked up its fourth straight win, and fourth straight win by less than 10 points. The Raiders beat Arkansas Baptist 92-89 in overtime Tuesday, improving their record in games decided by 10 points or less to 9-4 and 6-1 dating back to Dec. 7...

As of Jan. 14, Kalyssa Hollis had made one 3-pointer all season. The 6-foot-2 forward was 1 for 9 through 19 games. The only person on the team who had attempted fewer 3s this year were fellow post players Brogan Jones and Jamiyah Thomas. That has changed...

The Dexter Bearcats and Bernie Mules could meet for a third time this season in the championship game of the upcoming SCAA boys basketball tournament that starts Monday at the Bearcat Event Center. The rivals split their two meetings this season. The Bearcats beat Bernie 58-56 in the semifinals of the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament, and Bernie won the rematch 60-55 Friday night at the Bearcat Event Center...

In her final home meet, Poplar Bluff senior Paige Bradley won the shortest and longest races Tuesday afternoon, while helping a pair of relays win. Seniors accounted for seven top-three finishes in individual events as the Mules swept the relays and beat Jackson by 82 points...

Poplar Bluff didn’t allow a field goal until for the first 12 1/2 minutes. A pair of free throws in the first quarter was Naylor’s only points until Ebby Moman got a putback with 3 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter. The Mules meanwhile jumped out to a 23-2 lead and went on to win 63-30 Monday night at the Senior High Gym...

WEST PLAINS, Mo. — Another day another close win for the Raiders. The Three Rivers men’s basketball team beat MSU-West Plains 89-83 Saturday for its third straight win by less than 10 points. “Felt pretty good about the group Saturday. I think we are ready to move on. ...

NEOSHO, Mo. — After 21 games, nobody has scored more points than the Three Rivers women’s basketball team in the nation. The Raiders held off a late charge from Crowder to win 84-72 Saturday. “They were putting some points on the board and we were struggling a little bit offensively,” Three Rivers coach Jeff Walk said. “It was a ballgame.”...

The Blue Jays used a 20-9 third quarter to pull away from the Hornets and pick up the home victory.

SEDALIA, Mo. — Kendrick Brown, Joseph Hardimon and the Poplar Bluff boys basketball team got off to a good start Saturday morning. Hardimon scored seven first-quarter points as the Mules jumped out to a double-digit lead and rolled past Foundations College Prep of Chicago 74-28 to place seventh at the McDonald's Classic at Smith-Cotton High School...

ST. CHARLES, Mo. — Poplar Bluff didn’t have an individual champion but placed six wrestlers in the top three of their weight class as the Mules claimed the team title at the St. Charles Invitational on Saturday. Grace Kearby won an individual title with a pin and Katlyn Pickard reached the final as Poplar Bluff finished third as a team on the girls side...

The Miller Career Academy girls basketball team took advantage of strong even-numbered quarters Saturday to beat the Dexter Bearcats 60-43 at the Jackson Showcase. Sydney Asberry scored seven points and Dulcie Pullen had six in the first quarter where the Bearcats took a 15-13 lead.

Two Dexter wrestlers won their weight divisions Saturday at the Owensville Invitational. Bryston Pemberton (19-5) won the 120-pound class, and Travis Waldner (29-0) won his 170-pound division. The tournament uses a different format with some divisions using a scramble format and others using a round robin format. The round robin format features A and B divisions...

SEDALIA, Mo. — Down just five at the end of the first quarter Friday, the Poplar Bluff boys basketball team turned the ball over on their first three possessions to start the second and found themselves quickly behind by double digits. “I think we had more turnovers than shots in the first half,” Mules coach William Duren said...

The Advance girls basketball team went 10 of 16 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and rallied to beat the East Prairie Eagles 47-44 Friday night at East Prairie High School. The Hornets took the early lead, building an 11-4 advantage after one quarter and a 21-17 lead at halftime...

DEXTER — The Bernie Mules were knocking down 3-pointers right and left in the first half. After halftime when their shots didn’t fall as often, the Mules rebounded many of their misses en route to a 60-55 victory over the Dexter boys basketball team...

Of all the potential candidates for the inaugural Three Rivers College Hall of Fame class, five stood above the rest. Gene Bess, J.P. McLane, Paula Corder King, Matt Palmer and the 1979 National Champion Raiders basketball team. Coach, contributor, two players and the school’s first championship squad...

ELLSINORE — Naomi Crowly scored all nine of her points in the second quarter as East Carter surged ahead Thursday night in a 50-36 win over Van Buren. The Redbirds used a 21-7 second quarter to go from down 9-6 to up 11 heading into halftime. Makenna Moore sank a pair of third-quarter 3-pointers while Brooklyn Kearby scored nine of her team-high 16 points in the second half for East Carter (9-6)...

SEDALIA, Mo. — Another slow start put the Poplar Bluff boys basketball team behind double digits early Thursday night in the opening round of the McDonald's Classic at Smith-Cotton High School. Rock Bridge scored 10 consecutive points midway through the opening quarter as the Mules stumbled out of the gate in an 82-59 loss to the defending MSHSAA Class 5 champions...

ADVANCE, Mo. — Another strong night from Scott County Central senior Samantha Coffee lifted the Bravettes to a win over Advance on Thursday. Coffee had 17 points, on 6 of 13 shooting, and seven rebounds, as Scott County Central defeated Advance 46-35, at Advance High School...

DEXTER — The Neelyville girls basketball team strung together two long runs to build a big lead and beat the Dexter Bearcats 60-40 Thursday night at the Bearcat Event Center. The Tigers strung together a pair of 13-0 runs. The first started in the opening quarter and ended in the second, and the second rally began in the second and continued into the third...

Shawn Robards won a hard-fought match that went the distance to the delight of his coaches and teammates, and the Dexter wrestling team beat Kennett 63-18 Thursday at Dexter High School. Robards beat Preston Ragland 9-8 in the 195-pound bout behind a strong finish to the third period with his teammates and coaches cheering him on...

It was a near perfect start for the Raiders. The Three Rivers women’s basketball team scored the first 15 points in just 4 minutes and went on to beat Arkansas State Mid-South 109-52 Wednesday at the Libla Family Sports Complex. “Our defensive intensity coming out was some of the best its been all year long,” Three Rivers coach Jeff Walk said. ...