BCT 2023: East Prairie clamps down on Van Buren, soar into championship game for first time since 1985

East Prairie's Connor Marcum (5) goes for a layup during a 70-58 win over Van Buren in a semifinal of the 67th Annual Bloomfield Christmas Tournament on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023.

Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — While offensive balance kept the scoreboard humming, it was East Prairie's stifling defense that slammed the door on Van Buren’s championship aspirations in a semifinal of the 67th Annual Bloomfield Christmas Tournament.

The second-seeded Eagles (9-1) secured a 70-58 victory over the Bulldogs (8-2) on Thursday, Dec. 28, advancing to the championship game of the tournament for the first time in 38 years.

“That was a great game,” said East Prairie coach Gary Scott. “It was a tough one but our guys came out ready to play. Overall, we did what we had to do to win the game. I’m proud of their effort and for hanging on at the end. It was a big win for us.”

Both sides dreamt of lifting the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament trophy for the first time, and it was East Prairie who struck first, starting on a 6-2 run fueled by Noah Johnson, Connor Marcum, and Evan Kennedy.

Recognizing Van Buren’s efforts to establish an inside presence, the Eagles deployed a disciplined zone defense, disrupting the Bulldogs’ offensive flow and forcing them into less-than-ideal shot attempts.

“I haven’t seen them shoot because everyone has played them man-to-man,” Scott said. “They’ve beaten some good teams going against a man defense, and we thought we would get a look at them and see what they could do against a zone. It worked out.”

The first frame ended with East Prairie leading 14-8 after Ty Wallace buried a 3-pointer and Marcum scored a couple of transition buckets. The Eagles’ lockdown defense was on display throughout the game, recording several blocks and forcing a staggering 28 turnovers.

“Our guys did a good job defensively,” Scott said. “We just wanted to contest every shot and when you can do that it can make things ugly. We have some length and our guys also have great timing. We did a good job.”

Early in the second quarter, Kennedy, fed by Marcum, splashed a triple from the top of the key, stretching East Prairie’s lead to double digits for the first time.

“[Kenedy] doesn’t shoot a lot in games,” Scott said. “But he’s proven to us in practice that he can hit that shot. He’s got a pretty shot and I wasn’t surprised he made it.”

The Eagles' offense stalled late in the first half, and the Bulldogs battled back to tie it 24-24 with 1:12 remaining.

But Wallace sparked a stunning turnaround with two quick steals, one leading to an assist to Marcum and the other a fastbreak layup he finished himself.

Kennedy added a buzzer-beater putback, giving East Prairie a 30-24 halftime lead.

“Those were big plays,” Scott said. “We had some guys in foul trouble and Van Buren was making a run. It was huge for us to close out the first half that way.”

East Prairie wasted no time in the second half. Marcum found another fastbreak layup, quickly pushing the lead back to double digits.

But the real story became East Prairie's defense. They clamped down, holding Van Buren scoreless for over four minutes and expanding their lead to 22 points. This dominant defensive stretch proved to be the game's turning point.

“That run was the difference in the game,” Scott said. “We were able to spread them out, and we were able to get out in the passing lanes and get some stops, leading to some easy transition buckets.”

Trailing by a seemingly insurmountable margin, Van Buren refused to roll over and clawed back into the game after Nathan Smith narrowed it to 58-48 with 2:50 left.

However, East Prairie held firm down the stretch, forcing key turnovers and sinking free throws to seal the victory.

“We knew they weren’t going to give up,” Scott said. “We were probably a little tired and a little careless with the ball, but we did enough to withstand and hang on.”

Marcum paced East Prairie with 18 points and six assists.

“He did a great job,” Scott said. “He makes things happen when he is on the court by working hard on both ends.”

Johnson and Kennedy joined Marcum in double figures with 15 points each, while Kamron Farmer chipped in 10. Van Buren countered with Elijah Van Wagner's game-high 26 points. The Bulldogs finished with a 31-24 rebounding advantage, while the Eagles maintained a 52 percent shooting clip compared to Van Buren's 42 percent.

East Prairie takes on fourth-seeded Malden (8-2) in the championship game on Friday at 8:30 p.m.

“Malden has opened some eyes the past few nights,” Scott said. “They played well and are impressive. It will be a battle but we’re capable of playing with them. We just have to come out and prove it.”

Van Buren plays in the third-place game against top-seeded Puxico (8-2) at 7 p.m.

EAST PRAIRIE 70, VAN BUREN 58

Van Buren (58) — Elijah Van Wagner 26, Nathan Smith 11, Hayes Towsley 6, Holden Hills 4, Danner Nicholson 4, Bryce Hawkins 3, Benjamin Hawkins 2, Devin Dewolf 2. FG: 23. FT: 10-16. F: 14. (3-pointer: Van Wagner 1, Smith 1. Fouled out: None).

East Prairie (70) — Connor Marcum 18, Noah Johnson 15, Evan Kenedy 15, Kamron Farmer 10, Ty Wallace 9, Braylan Cade 3. FG: 28. FT: 11-19. F: 15. (3-pointers: Kenedy 1, Farmer 1, Wallace 1. Fouled out: None).