BY JIM MISUNAS
ST. JOHN – Quincy Smith and his St. John teammates won one for Coach K.
Smith sparked a second-half rally for a dominating 44-33 semifinal victory over rival Macksville in the 50th Mid-Winter Basketball Classic. Smith ignited an 11-3 scoring run with five points and a steal that led to Chase Fisher’s basket. Fisher’s high/low assist to Tanner Halling turned a 22-21 lead to 33-24 after three periods.
The Tigers (9-2) played with high intensity without head coach Clint Kinnamon, who missed the game. St. John avenged a 51-38 championship game setback to Macksville in Larned’s Gene Keady Classic. The Tigers play another familiar rival Central Plains in Saturday’s championship game.
Tanner Halling scored 16 points and Fisher chipped in 10 points as the Tigers executed its high/low passing game. The Tigers’ tandem of Halling and Fisher also controlled the paint defensively.
Macksville (8-3) was paced by Kreed Parr with 15 points and four 3-pointers. Karson Waters had three steals. The Mustangs shot 27 percent (12-44), 4-18 on 3-pointers with 12 turnovers.
Macksville 5 14 5 9 – 33
St. John 7 11 16 10 – 44
MACKSVILLE—Parr 5-13 1-1 15, Lickiss 3-9 0-0 6, Waters 2-7 2-3 6, Rein 2-9 0-0 4, Mead 0-3 2-4 2, Totals 12-44 5-8 33.
ST. JOHN—Tanner Halling 16, Fisher 10, Smith 8, Osborne 7, Eddy Calleros 2, Witt 1.
CENTRAL PLAINS BOYS 75, WICHITA DEFENDERS 48 – Brett Liebl scored a career high 32 points to spark the No. 1 ranked 2A Central Plains Oilers past the Wichita Defenders. Liebl scored 14 first-half points and 18 second-half points.
The balanced Oilers (11-0) featured Devin Ryan (11), Myles Menges (11) and Alex Barton (10) in double figures. Central Plains play rival St. John in Saturday’s championship game of the 50th Mid-Winter Classic.
WD 15 8 22 24 – 48
CP 17 19 18 21 – 75
WICHITA DEFENDERS (10-4)—Brown 5 2-3 14, Kaz Ammonds 1 4-6 6, Kip Ammonds 1 0-0 2, Martin 4 0-0 8, Walters 3 0-0 8, Schmidt 3 1-3 7, Mefford 1 0-0 3, Totals 18 7-12 48.
CENTRAL PLAINS (11-0)—Liebl 14 4-6 32, Menges 3 4-6 11, Devin Ryan 3 2-2 11, Barton 3 4-5 10, Hickel 3 2-2 9, Oeser 0 1-2 1, Heredia 0 1-2 1, Totals 26 18-25 75.
KC CHRISTIAN 60, NICKERSON 56 – Brandon Engel scored 20 points and Kansas City Christian outscored Nickerson 11-3 to escape with a 60-56 consolation victory in the Mid-Winter Classic.
NHS 18 6 17 15 – 56
KC 11 14 20 15—60
NICKERSON—Jones 18, Peterson 11, Frederick 10, Powell 9, Broomfield-Tate 6, Nisly 2.
KC CHRISTIAN—Engel 20, Tally 12, Hill 11, Trujillo 11, Tywater 4, Schuchardt 1, Kernschield 1.
