PB Showdown Day 1

Hopefully, this will work from Peters Gym. See you at 4 p.m.…

It didn't work. Curse the machines. Probably doesn't help that my computer is 10 years old and I use it just once a year. Anyway here's what happened tonight…

Liberty Tech-Jackson, Tenn. 76, Maplewood 68

Harrison, Ga. 85, Sikeston 70

Raytown South 77, Poplar Bluff 47

Union City, Tenn. 79, Little Rock Mills 71

Friday's Games:

Maplewood (6-2) vs. Sikeston (7-2), 4:30 p.m.

Liberty Tech (10-4) vs. Harrison, Ga. (9-2), 5:30 p.m.

Mules (4-5) vs. Little Rock Mills (6-3), 7 p.m.

Union City (14-0) vs. Raytown South (4-3), 8:30 p.m.

Liberty Tech 76, Maplewood 68: Taius Johnson scored 25 points for Tech while Charles Holt added 18 and got a key steal in the final 2 minutes after Maplewood pulled within four.

Tech (10-1) led by as many as 13 in the third quarter but Bryant Allen scored 17 of his game-high 29 points in the second half for the Blue Devils (6-2). After three quarters, Tech led 61-47 but a 19-8 rally by Maplewood cut the deficit to three with 4:27 to go.

Johnson scored in the low post and added a free throw before Holt's steal led to a putback by Ricky Williams and Maplewood never got closer.

Tech, of Jackson, Tenn., hit 8-of-29 from 3-point range but outrebounded the St. Louis school 42-25.

Harrison 85, Sikeston 70: Gerald Smith scored 21 of his 28 points in the first half as the Hoyas used a 13-2 run in the second quarter to beat Sikeston.

Michael Porter scored five of his 23 points in the first half for the Bulldogs and finished with six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Matt Ritch hit four 3-pointers for 18 points while Brandon Washington added 13 but the Bulldogs turned the ball over 21 times.

Matt Sundberg, who recently signed to play at the College of Charleston, scored 19 for Harrison, which finished fifth at the Showdown last year.

The Hoyas led 19-15 after one quarter and by five before a steal by Smith led to a layin by Vincent Martin. Sundberg's steal then led to Martin's 3-pointer that put Harrison up 33-21 with 4:31 left in the half.

The Bulldogs, who trailed 45-30 at halftime, were making their first Showdown appearance since 2000 and Sikeston lost to Harrison by 20 in the first round of the 1999 Showdown.

Union City 79, Little Rock Mills 71: The Golden Tornadoes hit 15 shots from 3-point range but needed a pair of free throws by Lavan Mosley with 41.5 seconds left to hold off the Comets.

The two teams lived up to their nicknames in the first half, combining for 90 points but Union City (14-0) slowed things down the in fourth quarter after Andre Coby hit a 3 at the third-quarter buzzer for a 60-56 lead. Union City hit 10-of-15 free throws in the fourth quarter.

M.J. Brown hit five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 28 for the Tornadoes, who finished fourth at the Showdown last year. Mosley added 20, perhaps none bigger than the two free throws after Mills pulled with 74-71 on Michael Jackson's putback.

Jackson led Mills with 20 points while Nick Hansberry and Chase Norwood scored 13 points each.

The Comets led 21-17 after one quarter but trailed 46-44 at halftime.

Raytown South 77, Poplar Bluff 47: The Mules took an 18-17 lead in the closing seconds of the first quarter on Jay Raulston's 3-point play. Twenty seconds later, Dominique Newton hit a tough 3-pointer at the buzzer and the Cardinals scored eight straight points after that.

Newton scored 28 to lead South (4-3) while Rian Pearson scored eight of his 16 points during the second quarter in which South forced seven turnovers and took control.

Chris Kilgore scored 12 points to lead the Mules (3-4) while Raulston added 11. Riley Raulston scored seven while Eljie Johnson added six.

South led 36-24 at halftime and had eight different players score during a 24-point third quarter.