Lady Panthers get statement win to claim Pilot Grove Tournament championship

The Prairie Home girls basketball team got the "signature" win it was seeking at last week's Pilot Grove Tournament.

"You need that one victory to show people you're legitimate," said Lady Panthers head coach Linda Scott. "We played in some tournaments last season and didn't win any. We wanted to take a step forward this year."

Mission accomplished - on both fronts.

Prairie Home used a big third quarter to beat host Pilot Grove, 61-52, in Saturday's tournament final. Entering the game, Pilot Grove was ranked No. 4 in Class 1 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association.

The Lady Panthers, who improved to 5-0 on the season, were led by sophomore forward Shianne Rhorer (24 points, eight rebounds), sophomore forward Rachel Distler (15 points, six steals) and junior center Makayla Zey (11 points, 10 rebounds).

"To beat Pilot Grove on their home court is a huge accomplishment," Scott said. "We were down by one at halftime, but outscored them 19-9 in the third quarter."

Prairie Home began the tournament with a 61-52 victory over Green Ridge on Monday, Dec. 8, then dispatched Otterville, 53-12, on Friday. Following the tournament, the Lady Panthers (6-0) beat Otterville again, 42-26, on Monday. Distler had 12 points, Zey added 11 points and Rhorer scored eight.

Tipton girls update

The Lady Cardinals kept their perfect record intact last week, getting decisive victories over Calvary Lutheran on Tuesday, Dec. 9, and Cole Camp on Thursday. Tipton (7-0) cruised to an 89-27 win against Calvary and 62-41 win against Cole Camp.

Junior guard Destiny Dowell had a combined 42 points and eight assists in the two games, while senior forward Ashton Pace combined for 29 points and 20 rebounds. Cole Camp was a Kaysinger Conference matchup for the Lady Cardinals.

Jamestown 69, Linn 47

Junior guard Mickayla Strother finished with 21 points and eight steals for the Lady Eagles, who improved to 2-3 with their win over Linn on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Junior Mackenzie Strother added 15 points and six rebounds, while junior Lexi Muri had 14 points and seven assists.

Harrisburg 56, Russellville 37

Senior guard Haley Windsor led the Russellville girls with 13 points in the loss to Harrisburg on Thursday, Dec. 11. Sophomore forward McKendra Fischer and senior guard Justice Miller each scored 10 for the Lady Indians.

Tipton boys update

The Cardinals split a pair of games last week, getting a 46-43 win over Belle on Tuesday, Dec. 9, and losing to Kaysinger Conference foe Cole Camp, 58-50, on Friday. Senior guard Dylan Cooper had 11 points and seven assists against Belle, while junior forward Bryce Sanders added 10 points and 11 rebounds. Against Cole Camp, Sanders finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Russellville 61, Jamestown 44

Senior forward Levi Anderson led Russellville with 21 points and 10 rebounds in the victory over the Eagles on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Freshman guard Beau Bryant added 18 points for the Indians, while senior guard Zach Voss scored 11.

Prairie Home boys update

The Panthers went 1-2 at last week's Pilot Grove Tournament. They lost to Green Ridge, 58-56, on Monday, Dec. 8, then beat Otterville, 42-33, on Friday. They dropped their final game to Stover, 46-30, on Saturday. Senior guard Rayce Kendrick had a combined 45 points in the three games, while senior forward Kody Simmons scored 24 at the tournament.