Central basketball falls to Cardinal Ritter in Missouri Class 6 semifinal
COLUMBIA — One of the great seasons in Central basketball history will end on Saturday afternoon in a third-place game.
Central (24-7) was overwhelmed by reigning Class 5 state champion Cardinal Ritter (20-11) in a 70-59 loss in an MSHSAA Class 6 Show-Me Showdown semifinal game at Mizzou Arena in Columbia on Friday night.
The historic semifinal appearance was Central's first since 1963. It will play for a third-place finish against the loser of Friday's nightcap between Chaminade and Oak Park in a 2 p.m. game on Saturday.
A Saturday win for the Bulldogs would give them their best finish since 1945 when they finished as state runner-up. They finished fourth in 1962 and 1963.
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Cardinal Ritter basketball took over in the second quarter
The Bulldogs appeared to have settled down late in the first quarter when they ended it on an 11-6 run but it didn't last.
Cardinal Ritter turned up the pressure defensively and forced the Bulldogs to turn the ball over frequently. The Lions extended their lead to nine and appeared to be in control.
Central climbed back within five early in the third quarter only for Cardinal Ritter to find its overwhelming rhythm before leading by 12 by the end of the period.
Central basketball showed heart but couldn't pull off comeback
The Bulldogs were close to bringing the game within striking distance but couldn't get it done. On multiple occasions, they brought the game within single digits before the Lions pulled away.
Tru Wells finished the game with 14 points for the Bulldogs with senior Tyrique Brooks adding 13. Keion Epps scored 12.
Cardinal Ritter's aggressiveness at the basket turned into 30 opportunities from the charity stripe with the Lions capitalizing on 24 of them. The Lions scored 20 points off 15 Bulldog turnovers.
Quenton Parker scored 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting for the Lions with seven rebounds. Four players scored in double-digits.
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Central basketball to play in third-place game
A historic season for the Central Bulldogs will end on Saturday with much to be proud of. The Bulldogs found a winning culture it sought in recent years.
They appear to be here to stay.
Head coach Jordan Epps' work in recent years has been nothing short of amazing. With a group of committed kids, he helped take a winless program in 2018 and 2019 and had them competing for a state championship five years later.
Senior Brooks is the only player the Bulldogs are set to lose. His absence will be felt, as one of the best athletes and scorers in southwest Missouri, but the Bulldogs have enough to overcome.
A talented batch of juniors including Epps, Tru Wells, Trevor Wilson, Devin Sanford and Jordan Pittman will have the Bulldogs competing to get back to this point, and maybe further, next year.
One thing is for certain: Central isn't going anywhere.
Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Central basketball falls to Cardinal Ritter in MSHSAA semifinal
