For the past three seasons, the same pesky opponent has upended the Liberty Christian girls basketball team’s hopes of reclaiming the state title. This time the Eagles would not be denied.
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For the past three seasons, the same pesky opponent has upended the Liberty Christian girls basketball team’s hopes of reclaiming the state title. This time the Eagles would not be denied.
They returned home from the Missouri Christian Schools Athletic Association Tournament triumphant, having defeated Blue Ridge Christian 46-29 in the championship game on Saturday.
“That was the game we wanted for a year,” said Coach Butch Clark. “We lost last year and didn’t believe we should’ve lost. Most of that was on me, because we didn’t adjust until halftime. We outplayed them in second half but couldn’t make up the deficit.”
This time the Eagles made certain not to fall behind early, establishing an 8-7 lead after one quarter and leading 23-20 at halftime.
“It was a low scoring game for us, but that really wasn’t unexpected,” said Clark. “We didn't shoot the ball very well, and a lot of that was on them. They’re a really strong defensive team and have got some physical players.”
Liberty Christian came out strong in the third quarter, building a 39-26 advantage. Junior Andrea Mueller led the push with 16 points and eight rebounds.
“Once we got our transition game going in the third quarter, we were able to open it up a little bit,” said Clark. “We only hit two three-pointers the whole game, so it helped us to push the tempo.”
Sophomore Alli Meyer posted a double-double, pulling down 11 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists from her point guard position.
“Alli was spectacular,” said Clark. “We pulled down boards and got it to her in the open court.”
In the past the Eagles have struggled to battle with Blue Ridge in the paint, but that changed on Saturday.
“They’re relentless on the offensive boards,” said Clark. “We did a great job today on the boards and more than held our own. It was a really good team effort.”
Junior Adison Roden scored 10 points and grabbled six rebounds, while sophomore Kylee Ball also pulled down six boards.
“When we opened it up in the quarter we had two starters on the bench,” said Clark. “We had some kids playing out of position and coming off the bench. They did a strong job on the defensive end and got us through a rough patch. Holding a team to nine points in the second half like that will win you a lot of ballgames.”
The victory concluded a campaign in which the Eagles prepared by loading their schedule with opponents from the Missouri State High School Activities Association. While their overall record of 24-6 may not compare admirably to previous years, the overall journey and end result was satisfactory for Clark.
“It was a great experience to play teams from all different levels this season,” said Clark. “I think it helped us prepare a lot. You go into a place like Clopton to start the season on their home court, and they’re in your face for 32 minutes. That will get you ready. We played a lot of good teams and didn't lose to anyone who was a bad team.”
