Although his team came away with just one victory at the Rolla Holiday Invitational, coach Brent Kell believes the Houston Lady Tigers got better by facing three Class 5 opponents.
“We’re not satisfied by any means,” said Kell, whose team beat Warrensburg between losses to Waynesville and Sedalia. “But we got better by playing good competition, and that was one of our goals in playing bigger schools.”
Perimeter shooting continues to be a concern for the Lady Tigers. They were a combined 20-for-61 (32.8 percent) from the field in their two losses. They missed 17 of their 22 3-pointers in those games.
“We’ve got to have kids that shoot the ball with confidence,” Kell said. “When we don’t have success and see the ball go through the hoop, we sometimes loose confidence. We can’t do that.”
HHS (6-4) managed just 10 field goals and a season-low point total in a 44-31 loss Thursday morning to Waynesville to open the tournament.
Sophomore Kylee Elmore, a member of the all-tournament team, led Houston with 15 points. Amber Sillyman added five points and a team-best three steals.
Waynesville, which eventually lost to Columbia-Hickman 48-32 in the championship game, took control early with 11 unanswered points to go ahead 13-2. The advantage was nine at the half.
The Lady Tigers, who had six first-half field goals, trailed by as many as 20 points before making a late run. Megan Silveus had a layin and Elmore drained a shot from midcourt at the end of the third quarter as part of a 10-0 run. Alexa Ichord’s jumper made it 38-28 early in the fourth.
But Ichord’s basket was the Lady Tigers’ last field goal of the game as Waynesville held on.
Kell said his players needed to do a better job running halfcourt offensive plays to create more scoring opportunities.
“We aren’t patient enough with some of our set plays,” he said. “When the first two or three options aren’t there, we start dribbling the ball instead of continuing to pass it around”
Houston bounced back from the loss on Friday morning with a 49-39 victory against Warrensburg in the consolation bracket.
Ichord led the way with 20 points, 13 rebounds and three assists. Elmore added 13 points, four assists and three steals.
In Saturday’s consolation final, Sedalia went 12-for-13 at the foul line in the fourth quarter en route to a 40-31 victory.
Ichord scored nine points and Kenzie Scheets added eight for HHS, which managed just two first-quarter points.
The Lady Tigers committed 17 turnovers in the loss.
Box scores
Saturday’s game
| Houston | 2 | 9 | 8 | 12 | – | 31 |
| Sedalia | 7 | 11 | 7 | 15 | – | 40 |
HOUSTON (31) – Kylee Elmore 5. Alexa Ichord 9. Sydney Cremer 1. Kenzie Scheets 8. Amber Sillyman 6. Kayla Herndon 2. FG 10. FT 9-12. F 14. (3-pointers: Sillyman. Fouled out: none).
SEDALIA (40) – Megan Lollis 6. Abby Knight 7. Tayler Gero 1. Elena Sharp 4. Jacqueline Greet 19. Abby Perkins 2. FG 11. FT 14-17. F 14. (3-pointers: Greet, Lollis, Knight).
Friday’s game
| Houston | 15 | 6 | 14 | 14 | – | 49 |
| Warrensburg | 8 | 14 | 5 | 12 | – | 39 |
HOUSTON (49) – Kylee Elmore 13. Alexa Ichord 20. Sydney Cremer 2. Kenzie Scheets 2. Amber Sillyman 5. Kayla Herndon 2. Kaylea Preheim 1. Megan Silveus 4. FG 20. FT 7-15. F 9. (3-pointers: Elmore, Sillyman. Fouled out: none).
WARRENSBURG (39) – Kayla Woolen 3. Taylor Geis 12. Rebekka Strahle 14. McKinsey Cunconan 3. Patience Fleak 7. FG 15. FT 6-7. F 20. (3-pointers: Geis, Cunconan, Fleak. Fouled out: Geis).
Thursday’s game
| Houston | 7 | 7 | 12 | 5 | – | 31 |
| Waynesville | 17 | 8 | 13 | 6 | – | 44 |
HOUSTON (31) –– Kylee Elmore 15. Alexa Ichord 4. Sydney Cremer 2. Kenzie Scheets 2. Amber Sillyman 5. Kaylea Preheim 1. Megan Silveus 2. FG 10. FT 8-14. F 15. (3-pointers: Elmore 2, Silyman. Fouled out: none).
WAYNESVILLE (44) –– Kallie Bildner 8. Chelsey Howser 5. Hannah Finger 4. Hannah Bland 17. Jordan Laughln 5. Lesley Larson 5. FG 18. FT 8-15. F 15. (3-pointers: Howser. Fouled out: Finger.)
Emily Miller scored 26 points to lead the Hickman girls basketball team to a 48-32 victory over Waynesville in the championship game of the Rolla Tournament last night.
The Kewpies (10-1) also got seven points from Jade Holly, who was named the tournament MVP.
Joining Miller and Holly on the all-tournament team was Cherish Walton.
Waynesville was led by Kaillie Bildner’s 19 points.
–Columbia Tribune