Greater Midwest Classic Spring Fling Recap

Sunday’s championship games in the girls’ high school division were a series of barnburners as we had one double-overtime game, one single overtime game and another one that went right down to the wire. Excitement was the order of the day at McCluer North on Sunday.

The finals of the High School Red Division (17U) was a showdown between Team STL Adidas against the Memphis Lady Bobcats. The visitors from the Mid South left town with a 56-51 victory in a game that featured several major shifts in momentum. Team STL Adidas took control of the game in the first half and led 25-15 at one point. The Bobcats outscored Team STL Adidas 27-10 at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half to take a 42-35 lead.

Just when it looked like Memphis was taking control of the game, Team STL responded with an 8-0 run to take a 43-42 lead. Spearheading the run with 6’2” junior Sherise William (McCluer) who scored six of those eight points in the run and 12 points in the final seven minutes. Williams is a tremendous athlete who is starting to come into her own as a basketball player. She has a major upside with her size and leaping ability. She really took over for her team down the stretch. Equally up to the task for her Memphis team was guard Bianca Cage, who came up huge for her team with 16 points in the second half. When Team STL cut the lead to 36-25, Cage banged home two consecutive 3-pointers to push the lead back to seven points. When Team STL took the lead, Cage responded with key baskets and the game-clinching free throws down the stretch......

........ In the other semifinal, the Memphis Lady Bobcats defeated the Missouri Impact 48-46 on a last-second basket by forward Jalen O’Bannon. The 6’0” O’Bannon rebounded a teammate’s missed free throw and scored on a short turnaround jumper in the lane with two seconds left. Cage scored 13 points to lead the Bobcats while post player Kiera Adams added 11 points.

Click here for the full Earl Austin Jr. Recap