Semoball

Poplar Bluff's Hardimon wins Gibbs Award; Mosby, Bess share top honor in SEMO Conference

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Poplar Bluff's Dominique Hardimon was presented with the John Gibbs Award as the most outstanding player in the SEMO Conference on Wednesday night at the 61st annual Poplar Bluff Letter Club Basketball Banquet while Kiley Bess and Dexter's Chaylea Mosby shared the the Bob Gray Award.

Mosby became the first three-time winner of the Gray Award, which was shared for the fourth time in its 35-year history. It was also presented to a Dexter player for the eighth time in the last 11 years. Bess is Poplar Bluff’s first Gray Award winner since Tierra Johnson in 2005 and the ninth Lady Mules player honored.

Hardimon is the first Mules player since Ben Hansbrough in 2006 to take home the Gibbs Award.

Mosby finished her career at Dexter with 2,386 points, setting the program record along with most points in a game (49), most 3-pointers in a game (8) and career (385).

This season the 5-7 guard scored 610 points, averaging 23 per game, with a team-leading 7.4 rebounds per game and was an 82 percent free-throw shooter.

Mosby was a four-time All-SEMO Conference player.

Bess scored 609 points this season, becoming the all-time career scoring leader. She will enter her senior season with 1,686 points after passing Mary Kalich’s record 1,635.

Her points per game average of 23.4 was just shy of Kalich’s program record of 24.3 set in 1991.

Bess averaged 26.85 points during conference play to lead the league and her 82.95 percent shooting performace at the foul line also led the conference. For the season, the 6-footer shot 83 percent at the free-throw line, sinking 185, and was a 36.4 percent 3-point shooter. She also averaged 6.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.7 steals and 2.0 blocks per game.

Hardimon scored 1,939 career points, finishing third in career scoring all-time at Poplar Bluff at 1,501.

The senior averaged 20.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He led the league in scoring at 22.8 points in conference games and averaged 10.3 rebounds.

The 6-3 forward shot 63 percent from the field, had 12 double-double performances and topped 30 points three times including 36 against Sikeston in a 103-96 home loss in which he had 11 offensive rebounds.

Hardimon earned All-SEMO honors for the third straight year. As a freshman at South Pemiscot, he scored 438 points.

Sikeston’s Parker Long claimed the free-throw shooting title.

Jackson’s Tyler Abernathy was named the girls coach of the year while Sikeston’s Gregg Holifield was honored on the boys side. Holifield earned his 500th career win this season and the Bulldogs claimed the conference crown for the fifth straight year. The Jackson girls also defended their conference title.

The Tom Hoover Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Marty Mishow who covered area basketball for the Southeast Missourian and area newspapers.


ALL-SEMO CONFERENCE

Boys

Kinyon Hodges, Cape Central, 6-3, sr.

Chauncey Hughes, Cape Central, 6-0, sr.

Blessin Kimble, Charleston, 6-5, jr.

Terridean Bogan, Charleston, 5-9, jr.

Carter Dame, Notre Dame, 6-3, sr.

Dominique Hardimon, Poplar Bluff, 6-3, sr.

Trey Jenkins, Sikeston, 6-7, sr.

Kevin Jones, Sikeston, 5-11, sr.

Owen Long, Sikeston, 6-2, sr.

Parker Long, Sikeston, 6-2, sr.

Coach: Gregg Holifield, Sikeston

Scorer: Dominique Hardimon, Poplar Bluff

FT Leader: Parker Long, Sikeston

Girls

Chaylea Mosby, Dexter, 5-7, sr.

Maycie Martin, Dexter, 5-10, sr.

Kalli Mayfield, Jackson, 5-10, sr.

Mik Liley, Jackson, 5-10, sr.

Alexis Allstun, Jackson, 6-0, sr.

Julia Williams, Notre Dame, 5-3, sr.

Megan Heisserer, Notre Dame, 5-4, jr.

Kiley Bess, Poplar Bluff, 6-0, jr.

Emma Brune, Saxony Lutheran, 5-7, jr.

Taydrianna Barnett, Sikeston, 5-8, jr.

Coach: Tyler Abernathy, Jackson

Scorer: Kiley Bess, Poplar Bluff

FT Leader: Kiley Bess, Poplar Bluff


FINAL STANDINGS

Girls

x-Jackson 24-5 7-0

Dexter 19-9 5-2

Notre Dame 21-8 5-2

Poplar Bluff 12-15 5-2

Saxony Lutheran 22-8 2-5

Sikeston 11-16 2-5

Kennett 11-15 1-6

Cape Central 9-17 0-7

Boys

x-Sikeston 26-1 8-0

Cape Central 26-4 7-1

Notre Dame 15-12 5-3

Poplar Bluff 18-7 5-3

Jackson 18-11 4-4

Charleston 21-11 4-4

Dexter 15-12 1-7

Kennett 13-13 1-7

NMCC 12-14 1-7

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