The Lawson Cardinals, a #3 seed coming into the Class 3, District 15 basketball tournament, had as much momentum as any team in Missouri, knocking off Higginsville, Chillicothe, and then Maryville in moving into the state quarterfinals on Saturday night at Lee’s Summit High School.  With momentum on its side, Lawson hoped to continue its upset run against Barstow High School of Kansas City, a 25-3 team that could have as many as three of its players at the Division 1 collegiate level in the next few years.

Unfortunately for the KCI’s Cardinals, Barstow’s combination of speed and power was too much to handle, as the Knights crushed Lawson, early, leading 23-8 after one quarter and 44-16 at the half, in cruising to a 66-31 victory.

Future Nebraska Cornhusker Jeriah Horne led Barstow with 26 points, with point guard Jacob Gilyard tallying 14 points, and future North Carolina Tar Heel Shea Rush adding 12.  Lawson’s only double figure scorer was Tanner Smith, who scored 10 points.  Lawson’s season ends with a record of 23-7.  Barstow heads to Mizzou Arena, and a semifinal meeting with Mountain Grove on Thursday night, with a record of 26-3.

Mountain Grove advanced with a 66-61 quarterfinal victory over Fair Grove.  On the top half of the Class 3 boys bracket, Tolton Catholic ripped Cardinal Ritter, 84-59 while Whitfield took down Caruthersville, 67-63 in overtime.  Tolton, led by one of the top players in America, in guard Michael Porter Jr., will play Whitfield on Thursday afternoon at 3:20 at Mizzou Arena, with Mountain Grove and Barstow to follow at 5 o’clock.

In the Class 3 girls quarterfinals, St. Pius X had a surprisingly easy time with Boonville, winning 58-27.  Strafford was a 50-40 winner against St. James, Southern Boone went double overtime in a 49-43 win over Cardinal Ritter, and Saxony Lutheran clipped Park Hills Central 45-39.  The girls semifinals, at Mizzou Arena on Thursday, will be Saxony Lutheran vs. Southern Boone at 12 noon, with Strafford against St. Pius at 1:40.

The Scotland County Lady Tigers, in Class 2, lost to New Franklin in the state quarterfinals, 36-34 at Moberly Arena Community College.  New Franklin will play Neelyville on Thursday night at 6:40 inside Mizzou Arena.  Neelyville wa a 46-32 quarterfinal winner against Clopton.  The Crane girls hammered Gainesville 64-48, while the Skyline Lady Tigers returned to state with a 43-34 victory over Santa Fe.  Skyline and Crane will due at 8:20 on Thursday night at Mizzou Arena.

The Wellington-Napoleon Tigers are into the Class 2 boys Show-Me Showdown, after a 63-59 triumph over Skyline.  WNHS, at the Hearnes Center on Thursday afternoon (1:40 PM), will play #1 Hartville in the state semifinals.  The Eagles advanced to state with a 71-48 win against Purdy on Saturday afternoon in Springfield.

The other half of the Class 2 boys bracket will feature Bloomfield and Iberia in the state semifinals, Thursday at 12 noon (at the Hearnes Center).  Bloomfield took down Clopton in the quarterfinal round, 63-41, while Iberia ended the postseason run of the Tri-Rivers Conference champion Knox County Eagles, rolling to a 59-25 win on Saturday afternoon in Moberly.