JOPLIN — Top-ranked Rockhurst held Kickapoo to just 5 points for the first 14 minutes of the second half Saturday afternoon, enough to win the Class 6 quarterfinal 42-29 and book their ticket to Columbia for the Show-Me Showdown later this week.
The Hawklets, ranked No. 1 in Class 6, led by just a single basket heading into the second half, but eventually built a 20-point lead, 41-21, before sending in the reserves with about two minutes left in the contest.
“We didn’t get a ton of great looks and that had a ton to do with Rockhurst and what they do defensively,” Kickapoo coach Mitch McHenry said. “It’s hard to keep a team that has that much size and is that skilled kind of locked down, or keep them from scoring and we just struggled in the second half with putting the ball in the hole.”…