Two South Central Association basketball teams earned district championships this past week.
The Willow Springs girls, led by reigning conference player of the year Chloe Jones, upset top-seeded Thayer 66-60 Friday night in the finale of Class 3 District 9 inside Tiger Fieldhouse. It was the Lady Bears’ first district crown since 1999.
The Liberty boys snapped Thayer’s streak of 12 straight district titles with a 61-47 victory Saturday in the Class 3 District 9 finals at Cabool.Â
Willow Springs faces Sparta in the Class 3 State Tournament Monday at Cabool High School. Tipoff is 6 p.m. The Lady Bears were one of three district champions the Houston girls faced during the 2025-26 season. Greenwood won Class 2 District 11 and Norwood was the champion of Class 2 District 10.
Liberty will play Seymour at 6 p.m. Tuesday inside Tiger Fieldhouse in the state sectional round.