Rachel Crader is the editor of semoball.com. She graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in May of 2009 before spending the summer covering the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

Highlights from Rachel's days in college include having a class down the hall from Chase Daniel and having NCAA wrestling champion Ben Askren hold the door open for her at Brady Commons, Mizzou's student center. She spent time covering Mizzou basketball, softball and baseball while working for the Columbia Missourian and is excited to return home to Southeast Missouri to cover local sports for semoball.com.

Rachel has covered three Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournaments for the Southeast Missourian and semoball.com, and she'll see you courtside again this year.

SCC defeats Sikeston...by 19

Posted Thursday, February 11, 2010, at 12:36 AM

Scott County Central avenged last season's loss to Sikeston with a what I'm going a call a surprising 70-51 victory. Did anyone see a 19-point win coming from the Braves?

Will Holifield leaving the game with what appeared to be a concussion obviously hurt Sikeston, but I'm not sure if that amounted to a 19-point swing. He still looked pretty dazed when I saw him after the game. Hopefully he'll be able to make a quick recovery and get completely healthy before the playoffs begin. (Of course, he may get healthy much sooner, which would be even better.)

I know people tend to get a little sensitive when one player's performance is singled out, but I continue to be impressed by Scott County Central's Otto Porter. We all know by now that he is good, but it seems like he does something every time I watch him that surprises me.

On Wednesday it was watching him dribble almost the length of the floor, right through the Sikeston pressure and deliver a perfect pass from the sideline to Bobby Hatchett waiting under the basket. Hatchett dumped the ball off to Trey Johnson (at least I'm 85 percent it was Johnson) for an easy basket. Six-foot-eight high school juniors aren't supposed to be able to do that.

I'm looking forward to following Porter's career in the coming years. I don't yet know what where his ceiling is, which only makes watching him more fun.

Click here to re-live the game through the live updates and chat.

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I am old school when it comes to basketball. I love to watch teams with star players. But in recent years most coaches have made efforts to hide their star players. They try to put five players on the floor that can score in double digits. I love it when a player puts up 30 or 40 points in a game. However, it doesn't seem like it happens as much as it did when I was a boy.

I felt like Holifield's injury had a significant impact on the game. He was really hot when he left the game. Holifield's absence from the game impacted how Scott County Central defended Sikeston the remainder of the game. I think the game would have been closer without the injury. This is one reason Scott County Central and Sikeston should play at the Show Me Center again next season. The series is tied 1-1.

I'm not surprised Scott County Central won this game.

The result of this game provides farther evidence Notre Dame is a better team the some originally thought, including myself. Sometimes it is easy to overlook teams that have better offense than defense. I have been very impressed with Notre Dame's defense in recent weeks. Offense if fun to watch. But most of the teams that advance to the state final four have outstanding defense. I don't know if Notre Dame can get to Columbia but I think they have a chance. Sikeston was really banged up in tonight's game. They have a week to recover before districts. Time will tell if this is enough time.

Scott County Central, Bernie, Kennett, Notre Dame and Sikeston win games playing defense. The defense will always be there even when the shooting is not. Most of the teams that advance to state this year will have good defensive teams.

Nevertheless, if you hit enough 3's you can beat anybody.

I think I'll go to sleep now.

-- Posted by drawmules on Thu, Feb 11, 2010, at 12:47 AM
SIKESTON IS SORRY!..Weak schedule and you are a big 4A school!!!Will can't beat the Braves and if he continued play,the dogs still wouldve lost.There will be no BORGIA rematch because ND better,ND better,ND better!!Were is everyone?!?!?!You have to learn to win when your best shooter is injured Dogs!!!Like an ole Charleston coach told me,"an exscuse is like an #**++-*,everybody got one."Sike,what's yours?Oh,Will.....when the FACT is you play weaker teams to pile up wins and your hot!!!Ranked no.2 behind Borgia?!?!Are you kidding me!?!Let change teams because the Braves are legit with a short bench...

SCC-75

BORGIA-75 OT

-- Posted by DonaldTrump on Thu, Feb 11, 2010, at 3:35 AM
I can't say I'm surprised at another weak schedule comment. Who would you suggest we play, jayjayblue? It's not like we can travel to St. Louis on a regular basis. The school couldn't afford the travel expenses. We play all of the best SEMO teams every year.

-- Posted by yah-yah on Thu, Feb 11, 2010, at 9:18 AM
Sikeston turbo-clocked Charleston this year which is the 4th year in a row Sikeston has defeated Charleston.

-- Posted by semohoops on Thu, Feb 11, 2010, at 9:32 AM
Well all know jayjay is a bandwagon hopper on whoever beats Sikeston. It makes him feel better because his team is not good enough to beat them. When did a coach have time to tell you anything? While you were passing out water and washing jocks?

No excuses from last night. SCC put it on em'.

-- Posted by sportsfanatic on Thu, Feb 11, 2010, at 9:48 AM
Call me what you want,but the fact still stands.....yes the Sikeston Bulldogs have beaten Charleston the last few games,but as good as the Bulldogs are suppost to be....they have yet to win a Missouri State Championship!!!!!!!!

-- Posted by DonaldTrump on Thu, Feb 11, 2010, at 3:17 PM
I have one issue with the Sikeston basketball team, and that is rebounding, and that is why they lost the game last night, they don't seem to care about rebounding the ball, and if they don't rebound at districts they will lose it's as simple as that, because ND is a fundamental team with great rebounders.

-- Posted by semo2014 on Thu, Feb 11, 2010, at 3:30 PM
Its time for someone to say it from Charleston....thats not traditional Bluejay Basketball.The last 12 years have been horrible!!!!Great teams and 1 state title.It is the Coaching Staff and this is not a jab against any of those boys to men,im just sayin.......the teams to date are more into the style of the uniform and the pretty girl at the concession stand and putting up Kobe Bryant numbers,or a move seen on NBA LIVE on the X-BOX.The days of Mac,Spencer,Gillispie,Fitzgerald or over.The days when young men went to class,practice,actually in the house after a practice are gone.No,coaches didnt make them do it,they got trained into wanting to,other than the parents!!!!!.Grades,grades,grades first and after all those players i would say about 77% are living nice lives today.

-- Posted by DonaldTrump on Thu, Feb 11, 2010, at 3:40 PM
LETS TALK GIRL HOOPS.WAY TO GO LADY BULLDOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!IT SEEMS LIKE NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE LADIES,BUT I NOTICE YOU GALS,GOOD JOB!!!!

-- Posted by DonaldTrump on Thu, Feb 11, 2010, at 3:41 PM
Sikeston could play a tougher schedule if they wanted to. Look who SCC plays, DallasLincoln, Jackson Tenn, Carbondale, & Sikeston. Last year they drove to Columbia to play Harrisburg, a highly ranked 3A school. SCC seeks out schools that are much larger than them. Sikeston should schedule some ranked 5A teams early in the year, that would get them ready for conference play and help in the state playoffs.

-- Posted by igobybob on Thu, Feb 11, 2010, at 8:19 PM
Friday night: Cape Central 57, Sikeston 50.

-- Posted by whitey11 on Fri, Feb 12, 2010, at 11:38 PM
I was SHOCKED the Bulldogs lost to Cape Central,what's wrong?????

-- Posted by DonaldTrump on Sat, Feb 13, 2010, at 6:26 AM
Will Sikeston make it out of districts?Did they loose to Cape because of Will?What does the Bulldogs football schedule look like for 2010?Do they really have heart?

-- Posted by DonaldTrump on Sat, Feb 13, 2010, at 6:31 AM
Nothing is necessarily wrong with the bulldogs. When Cape plays their game, they are capable of beating anyone--hence victories over ND, PB and Sikeston this year.

My point is Sikeston was hyped up to be the best team in the area then got thrashed by SCC and surprised by Cape in the same week. Could do them good with a week prior to districts.

-- Posted by whitey11 on Sat, Feb 13, 2010, at 7:28 AM
I can't wait till districts. This season has been so screwy. This has definitely been a great basketball season thus far. Congrats to Cape for a great victory, if I were to cheer for another team in the bootheel (and I don't normally) it would be CT :-)

-- Posted by sbulldog4life on Sat, Feb 13, 2010, at 2:41 PM
I'm VERY ready for districts.

-- Posted by FarmBoy06 on Sat, Feb 13, 2010, at 2:43 PM
jayjayblue, i totally agree with you about the old charleston teams. if you watched the game saturday night when they played maplewood you saw good old time charleston defense being played by maplewood who coincidentally is coached by a charleston alum who played for and learned from lennies mcferron that defense wins games. the charleston team was wore down by half and looked very out of shape. keep an eye on maplewood they may 3 peat in class 3A and this after losing many players to graduation. i also saw the sikeston-cape game friday night and was very unimpressed with sikeston. they may of had a bad night but they do not shoot the ball very well 8 of 24 from the free throw line is horrible. if they don't straighten things out they will not get out of districts. good luck to all area teams during upcoming district play

-- Posted by runner50 on Mon, Feb 15, 2010, at 7:28 AM

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