No time for Coach Chronister

Poplar Bluff girls basketball coach Kirk Chronister has won 641 games following Thursday night's 57-56 thriller against visiting Cape Central.

After watching him coach for the last seven years, I knew not to expect a timeout in the closing seconds with the Lady Tigers up one going to the free-throw line or after Poplar Bluff pulled down the rebound with 6.8 seconds left.

"In that situation, I know a lot of times coaches want to call a timeout and set up plays," Chronister said. "I don't like doing that, I feel like it allows the other team to set stuff up. I think we're better off in a situation like that where we have the other team pushing them and that was an example.

"If you call a timeout, first you've got to get the ball indbounds, that takes a couple of seconds. I've always felt that it was to our advantage. The girls knew what we were going to try to do."

Miranda Burroughs pulled down the missed free throw, got an outlet pass to Ruthie Johnson, who dribbled up court and hit Dennisha Rice with a pass under the basket for a last-second, game-winning shot.

Chronister also didn't call a time out after the Lady Tigers took the lead with 33 seconds left. Instead, the Lady Mules brought the ball upcourt just like any other possession and got off three shots before a loose-ball rebound was tied up for a jump ball. Chronister called a timeout to set up the defense for the inbound pass, which the Lady Mules were able to trap and force a timeout by Cape Central.

One more note from the game, Wendi Zickfield gets a lot of attention and rightly so -- she's averaging 20.1 points per game -- but Chelsea Pannier stepped up again, reaching double digits in scoring for the fourth straight game. After scoring 24 in Central's last game, she had 17 points Thursday, including three 3-pointers and a key jumper in the final minute as Central retook the lead. At 1-1 in SEMO play, the Lady Tigers can still make a run at the title with games against Notre Dame (Feb. 2), Jackson (Feb. 10) and Dexter (Feb. 12) still left.

SCHEDULE CHANGESThe Poplar Bluff wrestling team has cancelled its match against Dexter on Jan. 29 and the PB Invitational. The Mules have added duals with Ozark and Lebanon on Jan. 29 at Ozark and another dual with Dexter and New Madrid County Central on Jan. 27 at New Madrid. The Mules will also travel to the Grandview Tournament on Jan. 30-31.

GLENDALE BRACKETThe Mules basketball team will play Beaumont out of St. Louis in the opening round of the Missouri Eye Institute Winter Classic in Springfield on Thursday, Jan. 22. Tipoff is at 4 p.m. with the winner facing either Leavenworth, Kan. or Glendale's JV team at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23. The losers play at 5:30 p.m. Friday.

Other teams in the tournament at Glendale High School are the host, St. Louis CCC, New Rochelle, N.Y. and Warrensburg.

The Mules host Doniphan on Tuesday night.

Here are the updated SEMO Conference standings before Friday's games:

SEMO BOYS CONF. GB W L PCT.

Sikeston 2-0 -- 8 2 .800

Poplar Bluff 1-0 1/2 6 5 .545

Charleston 1-0 1/2 6 6 .500

Notre Dame 1-1 1 9 5 .643

New Madrid 0-0 1 7 4 .636

Jackson 0-0 1 6 4 .600

Cape Central 0-0 1 5 7 .417

Dexter 0-4 3 4 7 .364

SEMO GIRLS CONF. GB W L PCT.

Dexter 3-0 -- 12 0 1.000

Notre Dame 2-0 1/2 8 3 .727

Poplar Bluff 1-0 1 6 6 .500

Cape Central 1-1 1 1/2 5 5 .500

Doniphan 1-2 2 3 4 .429

Jackson 1-2 2 3 5 .286

New Madrid 0-2 2 1/2 3 6 .250

Sikeston 0-2 2 1/2 0 7 .000