The King City Lady Wildkats won a defensive struggle against DeKalb on Friday night, coming out on the top end of a 24-22 final score that sends the Grand River Conference school into the Class 1 state playoffs.
Senior center Brittany Walters scored half of the Lady ‘Kats points, tallying 12 in the victory. King City, down 20-18 after three quarters, outscored the Lady Tigers 6-2 in the fourth quarter to produce the final margin. Jalea Rice led DeKalb with six points.
A two-point shot by Walters, with 56 seconds remaining, provided the final margin. The victory sends King City (15-11) to the St. Joseph Civic Arena on Tuesday night, for a Class 1 sectional showdown with the perennial northwest Missouri power Jefferson. The Lady Eagles won the District 16 championship on Saturday, hammering the South Nodaway Lady Longhorns, 60-27. Sarah Chor had 14 points, Kayla Schmitz 13, and Mikayla Mattson 10 for Jefferson. The Jefferson-King City Class 1 girls sectional is scheduled for an 8:15 tip-off on Tuesday night.
The Mid-Buchanan Lady Dragons, in the Class 2, District 16 final, took down the GRC West champion Stanberry Lady Bulldogs, 70-54. Madi Sager led the Lady Bulldogs with 14 points, with Lily Osborn and Jaden McKune both tallying 13 for Stanberry. The victory sends the Mid-Buchanan girls into the Class 2 sectionals, and a Wednesday night (7:45) meeting with the Lady Chiefs of Santa Fe High School, from Staley High School in North Kansas City.
The Class 2, District 16 boys championship went to Mid-Buchanan, in a 51-38 win over Stanberry on Saturday afternoon. A 25-13 edge in the fourth quarter was decisive in the Dragons getting the victory, ending the Bulldogs hopes of a return trip to the state tournament. Hunter Scaggs led Mid-Buch with 22 points, while Tristin Stoll had 12 points and Brad Hailey 10 for Stanberry.
The Dragons, at 6 o’clock on Wednesday night, will play 26-1 Wellington-Napoleon from Staley High School in the Class 2 sectional round.
