Lady Cougars Win Highland Tournament Championship
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By David Sharp
Highland’s girls battled back from an early 16-9 deficit to win the girls Championship of the 54th Annual Highland Varsity Basketball Tournament. The 2026 Highland Tournament was held January 5-10.
Kirksville (9-2) saw Eva Danielson scored with 12 seconds remaining in the first quarter for the seven point Tiger lead. The Lady Cougars began handling Kirksville defensive pressure better in the second period.
Highland (11-3) tied the game at 18 all on Chevie Sharpe’s three ball with 4:34 remaining in the second quarter. Eva Danielson scored on a Kirksville putback with 50 seconds remaining in the first half for a 26-22 edge.
Addy Abell answered with a three ball at the 35 seconds mark, trimming the Kirksville lead to 26-22. The Lady Tigers scored the final bucket of the half for a 28-25 advantage. Highland outscored Kirksville 16-12 in the second period.
The Lady Cougars wound up winning the final three quarters of the basketball game. Highland sank 16 field goals while allowing eight on the day. The teams connected on five three balls each.
Neither team shot free throws as well as they are capable of doing. Kirksville sank 13 of 22 attempts from the line. Highland went 8-16 from the charity stripe.
“I felt like all of our kids contributed the way they are capable of, Highland coach Ashton Jaco. “Especially in the second half. It’s a long game. It’s a game of peaks and valleys. They definitely went on that run in the first half. When we looked at the scoreboard, we didn’t play particularly well in the first half and we were only down three.”
The Lady Cougars definitely were more effective in the second half. Highland pressured Kirksville defensively. The Lady Cougars took the ball away and ran the court.
Abby Lay tied the game at 33 with a field goal at the 4:30 mark of period three. Highland outscored Kirksville 19-10 in the third quarter. Eva Danielson and Keera Rothweiler exchanged scores resulting in a 37-35 Highland lead with 3:43 remaining in the third period.
Highland took a 44- 38 lead to the fourth quarter. Kirksville began missing scoring opportunities. Highland cracked off a decisive 13-1 second half run. Chevie Sharpe scored five well placed points during a 30 second stretch around the three minute mark of the contest.
Josie Murphy cashed in an offensive rebound for a 55-39 lead with 2:20 to play in the game. Brynn Shahan completed a Kirksville three point play with 1:40 to play in the game. Highland led 55-44.
“We encouraged our kids by telling them we were going to make (second half) adjustments, and here are the adjustments we are going to make,” Ashton Jaco said. “I really tried to be calm and just coach through it. We gave our kids the chance to make the adjustments. And they did.”
Highland last won their girls portion of the Highland Tournament in 2012, when Ashton Luttrull was one of the top girls basketball players in the area.
“We are very similar teams,” Kirksville coach Nick Totta said. “They are a very experienced team, and we are trying to get some experience. We are growing on the job. Over the course of the game, they changed defenses. They made adjustments and we just didn’t respond and make changes the way we needed to.”
“I have to do a better job preparing them,” Nick Totta said. “They are still growing. I just thought that showed up today. That game was very reminiscent of our first game. Both games have ended up in 11 point losses.”
Highland has handed a very good Kirksville High Lady Tiger team their only two defeats of the season to date.
“Highland had big runs toward the end of the game. This time we went to the foul like more times,” Coach Totta said. “But we did not capitalize at the foul line. When you put those things together, it is not good ingredients for a victory.”
“I learned some things about our team. The biggest thing I learned is we aren’t that far away as we head into the rest of our conference season and prepare for districts.,” Nick Totta said.
Eva Danielson led Kirksville with a game high 16 points. Macy Lehmann scored nine KHS points. Megan Kinney scored eighty and Brynn Shahan added seven Kirksville points.
Keera Rothweiler led Highland with 14 points. Josie Muphy was in double figures with ten points. Chevie Sharpe put in nine points. Abby Lay scored eight points. Ella Vaughn and Ali Lundberg added two Cougar points each.