Using a shutdown defensive effort, the Lady Jays won the title of the State Farm Holiday Hoops Invitational for the second time in three years --- but just the second time in 14 years --- with a 35-27 victory over defending tournament champion St. Joseph Benton on Saturday night at Rackers Fieldhouse.

Champions ... it always has a nice ring to it.

"This feels great, it was a great team win," said senior Micah Linthacum, who led the winners with 13 points. "Our sixth man, the crowd, they were getting engaged in the game and my teammates ... we all rose to the occasion."

Indeed.

"Our kids really wanted this," Lady Jays coach Brad Conway said. "Especially the seniors, because it's their last chance both here (at Helias) and in this tournament."

This was anything but easy for the Lady Jays, who've had an easy time of it most of the season. This was only the third time in 12 games they've won by less than 20 points --- and they'd won their first two games in this event by a combined 78 points.

"We needed a game like this," Conway said. "I told the girls that we had to give our best defensive effort tonight and I think they did --- this was by far our best defensive game (of the season). We held them to one shot most of the time; for the most part, they were one and done.

"That was our emphasis, defend and rebound."

Mission accomplished. While enjoying a 36-24 edge on the boards, the Lady Jays (12-0, No. 1 Class 5) held the Lady Cardinal (9-1, No. 6 Class 4) to a frigid 19 percent (9-of-47) from the field.

Baby, it's cold outside ... but it's even colder inside.

"This was two good defensive teams, two teams who concentrate on the defensive end," Conway said. "They caused us problems, but we caused them some problems, as well."

We'll skip the first half, other than to say Benton led 5-4 after one quarter and Jefferson City led 12-7 at the half.

"We were stagnant, offensively, in the first half," Conway said. "At times, we executed pretty well but overall, we struggled. We didn't finish like we should.

"But once we kind of calmed down, I thought we did a better job."

The Lady Cardinal had two good, short offensive stretches in the second half that produced 15 of the team's total points in less than two minutes.

The other 30-plus minutes? 12 points.

In the third quarter, they scored seven points in 92 seconds to take a 15-14 lead, before the Lady Jays regained a 21-17 edge heading into the fourth.

Then, Benton scored eight points in a 22-second span of the final frame --- 3-pointer, forced turnover and score, then another forced turnover and another 3-pointer.

"We just lost our poise for a minute," Conway said.

That erased Jefferson City's 27-19 lead and it was a tie game with 2 1/2 minutes left.

The Lady Jays, however, took the lead for good on a follow-shot by the 6-3 Linthacum, who was playing with a passion you normally don't see.

"That's something she and I have talked about," Conway said, "because we need her leadership in both her play and also vocally."

Benton had an empty trip and then Jefferson City starting milking the clock. More than a minute went by before sophomore Hannah Nilges was fouled with 38 seconds left, and she splashed home both free throws to make it a two-possession game at 31-27.

"We didn't shoot free throws very well," Conway said, "but we hit them when we needed to towards the end."

It was two more free throws by Tournament MVP Caitlin Anderson, a 5-6 senior point guard, with 11 seconds left to make it 33-27.

"She doesn't have to score, because she helps us in all phases of the game," Conway said of Anderson, who had eight points. "It doesn't matter whether it's finding the open player or playing defense ... and she's a great rebounder for a point guard her size."

A steal and score at the buzzer by Nilges (10 points) ended it, as the Lady Jays got a measure of revenge from last year's championship game, a 35-21 Benton victory.

This year in another defensive battle, it went the other way.

As did the championship trophy.

IN THE THIRD-PLACE GAME, the Helias Lady Crusaders used an 8-0 burst to open the second half on their way to a 54-43 win over Hickman.

Helias (9-2, No. 4 Class 4) was in control throughout. The Lady Crusaders led 15-10 after one quarter and 29-23 at the break, before the 8-0 blitz put the game in the comfort zone. The margin was 41-27 entering the fourth.

Sophomore Lindsey Byers, a 5-9 sophomore, scored a game-high 17 points for Helias and sophomore Lainy Lamb added 13. For Hickman, Maci Kuchta poured in 22 points.

In the fifth-place game, the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons outlasted Blue Springs South for a gritty 57-51 overtime win.

The win gives the Lady Falcons a winning record, 2-1, in their first-ever appearance in the event. Blair Oaks outscored South 10-4 in the OT to secure the victory.

Blue Springs South (6-5) held leads of 16-11, 26-23 at the half and 34-33 after three quarters. The Lady Falcons (9-3) used a 14-13 scoring edge in the fourth to push the game to overtime tied at 47.

Brooke Boessen pumped in 22 points to lead Blair Oaks.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

IN AN ALL-OHIO FINAL in the Machens Great 8 Classic, the Kettering Fairmount Firebirds got past the Harvest Prep (Canal Winchester) Warriors 73-67 on Saturday night at Fleming Fieldhouse. It's the second straight year a team from Ohio won the Great 8 on the heels of Upper Arlington's (Columbus) championship in 2017.

To start the day ...

Obviously, the Helias Crusaders didn't want to finish seventh in the Great 8. But you know what?

It's better than eighth -- and did they ever do it with a BANG, making a tournament record 20 3-pointers to break the mark of 19 set by Harvest Prep less than 48 hours previous in the opening round Thursday night.

Harvest Prep had shattered the mark of 13 set by the Jays back in 1998.

Coming off a tough down-to-the-wire 55-53 loss to rival Blair Oaks in a loser's bracket game Friday, the sharp-shooting Crusaders rebounded by blasting Hopkinsville (Ky.) 66-24.

The math is easy: Helias scored a hard-to-believe 60 of its 66 points on 3-pointers.

And this math may be even harder to believe: the Crusaders shot 65 percent from beyond the arc, a blistering 20-of-31.

You can't do that in an empty gym.

Helias hit 10 3-pointers in the first half, and most of them came in the second quarter. After a sluggish first quarter when the Crusaders took an 8-6 lead, they found the range beyond the arc --- making a startling eight of nine --- and outscored the Tigers 26-5 to blow open a 34-11 advantage.

The Crusaders (3-6) opened the second half by hitting three straight 3s, and they knocked down five in the third quarter as the lead grew to 49-23.

Then in the fourth, when the Crusaders outscored the disinterested Tigers 17-1, Helias drained five more 3-balls to complete the shooting clinic. And they did it despite playing most of the fourth quarter with the running clock.

Here's the record-setting, 3-point breakdown:

^ junior Colby LeCuru (four 3-pointers, 12 points);

^ junior Isaac Johnson (four, 12);

^ senior Nick Brandt (three, 11);

^ senior Ben Cooper (three, 11);

^ junior Jake VanLoo (three, nine);

^ and freshman Malcolm Davis (three, nine)

In the third-place game, the Mt. Lebanon (Pittsburgh) Blue Devils took out their frustration from Friday night's last-second loss to Harvest Prep with an 86-57 win over the Jefferson City Lady Jays.

The Blue Devils took charge early by bolting to a 22-9 lead after one quarter, and enjoyed leads of 38-24 at the half and 65-47 entering the fourth.

For Mt. Lebanon (8-2) --- which traveled to and from the event by plane --- Hayden Mitchell sizzled the twines for 23 points and Jake Hoffman scored 18. Brennan Jeffries paced Jefferson City (6-5) with 16 points and Ben Folz had 13.

The Blair Oaks Falcons and Father Tolton traded punches and counter-punches throughout most of the fifth-place game.

The Falcons (6-5) opened the game with an 9-0 run, before the Trailblazers (9-2) answered with 12 straight points on their way to a 19-14 lead after one quarter. The lead grew to as many 11 in the second, before Blair Oaks got back within 33-26 at the break.

As the teams were headed to the locker room at the end of the half, Blair Oaks coach Ryan Fick was whistled for a technical foul. But Corbin Porter missed both technical free throws to start the third quarter and the Blazers' ensuing possession came up empty.

The Falcons would get within four, before the Blazers rebuilt a 49-40 lead heading into the fourth. Blair Oaks then had one final flurry thanks to Eric Northweather, who banged home consecutive late 3-pointers to cut the deficit to 66-63 with 30 seconds left.

But the Blazers, who defeated the Falcons 68-61 two weeks ago in Columbia, withstood the charge.

Northweather scored 29 points in the losing cause and Trent Martin had 10. Nate Schwartze led the Blazers with 17 points and Deuce Tatum added 16.

SPEAKING FOR ALL FANS, here's a big shout-out and thank you to all involved for making this three, wonderful days of basketball.

HOLIDAY TOURNAMENTS

MACHENS GREAT 8

At Fleming Fieldhouse

THURSDAY

FIRST ROUND

Harvest Prep (Canal Winchester, Ohio) 83, Blair Oaks 64

Mt. Lebanon (Pittsburgh) 69, Helias 54

Jefferson City 57, Hopkinsville (Ky.) 52

Kettering Fairmount (Ohio) 73, Father Tolton 68

FRIDAY

WINNER'S BRACKET SEMIFINALS

Harvest Prep 73, Mt. Lebanon 71

Kettering Fairmount 58, Jefferson City 49

LOSER'S BRACKET SEMIFINALS

Blair Oaks 55, Helias 53

Father Tolton 68, Hopkinsville 65

SATURDAY

SEVENTH-PLACE GAME

Helias (3-6) 66, Hopkinsville (8-6) 24

FIFTH PLACE

Father Tolton (9-2) 71, Blair Oaks (6-5) 65

THIRD PLACE

Mt. Lebanon (8-2) 86, Jefferson City (6-5) 57

CHAMPIONSHIP

Kettering Fairmount (7-2) 73, Harvest Prep (7-1) 67

STATE FARM INVITATIONAL

At Rackers Fieldhouse

THURSDAY

FIRST ROUND

Jefferson City 58, Blue Springs South 28

Columbia Hickman 41, Poplar Bluff 40

Helias 62, Eureka 57

St. Joseph Benton 47, Blair Oaks 31

FRIDAY

WINNER'S BRACKET SEMIFINALS

Jefferson City 68, Hickman 20

Benton 43, Helias 29

LOSER'S BRACKET SEMIFINALS

Blair Oaks 53, Eureka 42

Blue Springs South 44, Poplar Bluff 28

SATURDAY

SEVENTH PLACE

Eureka (5-5) 69, Poplar Bluff (2-9) 54

FIFTH PLACE

Blair Oaks (9-3) 57, Blue Springs South (6-5) 51, OT

THIRD PLACE

Helias (8-2) 54, Hickman (4-7) 43

CHAMPIONSHIP

Jefferson City (12-0) 35, Benton (9-1) 27

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Going deep: 3-balls
rule opening night
of Machens Great 8

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