Weather Trims Down Highland Tournament

Weather Trims Down Highland Tournament

By David Sharp
The 38th Annual Highland varsity basketball tournament set their championship and third place match ups on Saturday, January 9. The first round was completed before scheduled January 6-8 dates were lost to inclement weather.
Consolation round games were cancelled. Third place games are currently slated for Monday, January 11. Championship contests are scheduled for Wednesday, January 13. Boy’s games will start at 6PM with the girls’ game to follow each trophy night date.
Top seeded Macon will take on six seed Palmyra (4-8) for the boy’s championship. The Tigers downed Highland by a 63-49 final score in championship semifinal action. Dallas Job led the Cougars with ten points.
Blayne White led Palmyra with 28 points in a 63-58 boy’s semifinal victory over Canton. Austin Hinkle tossed in 22 Panther points.
Colt Carper led the Tigers with 22 points. Steffen Simmons was in double figures for Canton with 15 points.
Canton and Highland will renew their Lewis County rivalry in the boy’s third place game. State ranked Canton and Macon put on what might be the best area high school basketball game of the season in the girls’ championship semifinals.
Emily Rudkin sank a free throw with no time showing on the clock for a 72-71 Macon win. Third seeded Macon led by 15 points at halftime. Kristyn Caldwell sank a game tying three pointer in the closing seconds.
Tori Niemann led four Lady Tigers in double figures with 22 points. Kristyn Caldwell scored 19 Canton points. Jessi Logsdon had 18 points and Aron Taylor ten. Canton was the second seeded girls’ team.
Emily Rudkin and Shelby Arnold led Macon with 18 points each. Audrey Thrasher had 15 Tigerette points. Upset minded Palmyra grabbed an 11-4 lead over second ranked South Shelby in the other girls’ semi-final.
The top seeded Lady Birds (6-0) stole the ball and reeled off a 13-7 second quarter run to a one point halftime lead. Palmyra had the ball under the South Shelby bucket with five seconds to play in the game trailing 37-35.
 Palmyra threw the ball away and South Shelby survived by a 39-35 final score. Former South Shelby coach Kent O’Laughlin guided the Lady Panthers against his one time assistant Milly Rash.
Taylor Baxter led all scorers with 11 Palmyra points. Britne Wheeler was in double figures with ten points. Jill Barry and Kayla Harvey led the Lady Birds with eight points each.
South Shelby challenges Macon for the girls’ championship while Palmyra and Canton contest third place.
First round Highland Tournament girls’ results include Palmyra defeating Clark County by a 42-25 margin. Canton doused Monroe City 81-23. Macon defeated Highland in the remaining girls’ first round contest.
Four seed Highland bested South Shelby by a 62-26 final score in boys’ first round play. Second seeded Canton defeated Monroe City 51-41. Sixth seeded Palmyra upset third seeded Clark County by a 49-35 final score.