Just five days removed from knocking off #2 ranked Winston in the state quarterfinals, the #1 ranked Stanberry Bulldogs drew the Lewis and Clark Conference champion Glasgow Yellowjackets in the Class 1 boys semifinals on Thursday night at the Hearnes Center in Columbia.
The game was close from tip-to-horn, but the Bulldogs winning pedigree showed up in the fourth quarter, as the Grand River Conference champions pulled away from a 2-point lead at the end of three quarters to a 52-44 win over the ‘Jackets.
The win sends 30-0 Stanberry into the state championship game against #3 ranked Walnut Grove, Saturday night at 8:10 at Mizzou Arena.
Daniel Hailey led Stanberry with 20 points while Cory Luke had 14 and Brad Hailey eight. The Bulldogs, with a win on Saturday night, would become the first school in MSHSAA history to go unbeaten in both football and boy’s basketball (Stanberry won the eight-man football championship in November). Glasgow, falling to 26-4, had 21 points from Bryant Hubbard and 11 from Adam Monnig. Kennedy Davis, the hero of Saturday night’s quarterfinal victory over Mercer, was held to nine points by Stanberry’s front line.
In the other Class 1 boys semifinal at the Hearnes Center, Walnut Grove went to overtime before dumping Gideon, 59-52. Gideon will play Glasgow for third place, Friday night at 7:45 at Mizzou Arena.
