California boys place third at Southern Boone Basketball Classic

The California boys basketball team beat Southern Boone, 58-54, to win Saturday's third-place game at the Southern Boone Classic. The Pintos beat Linn, 53-49, in the opening round, but lost to Fulton, 69-58, in the semifinals.
The California boys basketball team beat Southern Boone, 58-54, to win Saturday's third-place game at the Southern Boone Classic. The Pintos beat Linn, 53-49, in the opening round, but lost to Fulton, 69-58, in the semifinals.

A third place finish proved satisfying for the California boys basketball team.

California, the No. 2 seed, bounced back from a semifinal loss to claim third at last week's Southern Boone Classic in Ashland. The Pintos finished with a 58-54 victory Saturday over the host Eagles.

After opening the tournament with a 53-49 victory over No. 7 Linn, California suffered its second loss this season, falling to No. 3 Fulton, 69-58, in Friday night's semifinal round.

"We wanted to get back on the winning page," said Pintos senior guard Jaden Barr. "We're extremely happy with third place and leaving here with two wins."

Although California beat Southern Boone earlier this season in a Tri-County Conference matchup, the Pintos expected a tough battle Saturday. The Eagles, seeded fourth, stayed close most of the second half.

"Southern Boone plays really good here," Pintos head coach Blair Scanlon said. "They played hard, but our kids overcame it. We made some corrections and found a way to win."

California appeared to have control with a 24-16 halftime lead, but the Eagles raced ahead, 32-30, late in the third quarter. The Pintos closed the period with a 7-0 run to regain an advantage.

Senior Drew Norton made a layup and free throw for California to begin the fourth quarter, but again, Southern Boone answered with the next six points. The Eagles took a lead, 44-43 with 4:19 left, but California got layups from junior Landon Mouse, senior Dylan Norton and Barr to open a 49-44 edge.

The Pintos were ahead 52-49 with 40 seconds left, leaving the Eagles with a chance. Southern Boone missed a 3-pointer on its ensuing possession, however, and California scored the next four points to seal the win.

"They're a scrappy team and find ways to hang around," Barr said. "We knew they'd be tough."

Barr finished with 22 points against Southern Boone, while Mouse had 15 and Drew Norton scored 10. Barr also led the scoring attack against Linn and Fulton, finishing with 23 and 16, respectively.

The Pintos, who improved to 17-2 overall, were ranked No. 7 in last week's Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 3 state poll. Along with the defeat to Fulton, California's other loss came to Conway on Jan. 24.

Before Saturday's game, Scanlon attended the district-seed meeting. California earned the No. 2 seed and will face No. 7 North Callaway in the district opener later this month at South Callaway. Tolton Catholic, the top-ranked team in Class 3, is the No. 1 seed in California's district.