CLASS 1 GIRLS PREVIEW
DEKALB (25-3) VS CHADWICK (25-4)
The two highest ranked teams will meet in the semifinals as 3rd ranked Dekalb and 2nd seeded Chadwick meet today. Being one of the best teams in the state is new to Dekalb, which is making its first appearance in the MSHSAA Show-Me Showdown. Freshman Kelsey Wolfe has led the Tigers in scoring with 13.8 poitns per contest and junior Sammy Jo Pierce has pitched in 13 per game.
Chadwick is back in the final four after taking third place last year. Senior Jessi Peirce is their leading scorer with 16.1 points per game and 6-foot senior Misty Bettis gets 11.7 per contest underneath the basket. They’ve given up just 34 points a game since their district championship win over 10th ranked Thomas Jefferson. They advanced to the semifinals with a 45-29 win over Delta in the quarterfinals.
NEW FRANKLIN (24-5) VS LEETON (27-2)
New Franklin knows what it’s like to be in the playoffs. They also know what it’s like to lose early in the playoffs. This is their 16th trip to the post season since 1982, but their 46-27 win over Novinger in the quarterfinals secured their first trip to the final four. If defense wins championships, they certainly have it. They’ve given up just 27 points per game over the last three contests. They need every bit of that defense—their leading scorer, Kayla Wies, averages just 9.9 points per game.
Leeton is making its first semifinal appearance since 1990, when they finished in fourth place. That was their first trip to Columbia. Junior Haley Stockton averages 12.1 points per game, while sophomore Katie Drendel adds 10 points per contest. The 6th ranked Bulldogs advanced with a 33-29 overtime win over 8th ranked Dadeville in the quarterfinals.
