The Princeton Tigers came within one win of the program’s first trip to the Missouri high school “Final Four”, the Show-Me Showdown in Springfield, before falling on Friday night to the powerful Platte Valley Athletics, 62-48. Platte Valley, the cooperative name for the combined Jefferson and South Nodaway school districts, had a dominating second-half performance from All-State senior center Chase Farnan, who, while playing with three fouls, gouged the Tigers interior with 16 points after the break, as PV outscored Princeton 29-19 in the final two quarters, extending a 33-29 halftime lead.
Farnan led the way for a well-balanced Platte Valley (28-2) team with 24 points, with Clayton Merrigan providing 16 points, and Trever McQueen hitting 14 points, including four three-point field goals.
Princeton, which had earlier beaten Platte Valley in a double overtime thriller in the Albany Tournament championship game, ends the season with a mark of 25-5. Preston Thomas had 17 points for the Tigers, with Colton Estes adding eight and Austin Kelly seven points.
Princeton fell behind early, by a 23-10 margin, but had a significant surge over the final 3 minutes of the first half, trailing by four, a deficit that would have been one had Kelly’s half-court heave, which was half-way into the basket, stayed in, instead of rattling out.
Friday night’s Class 1 quarterfinal from the St. Joseph Civic Arena was broadcast on KTTN FM 92.3.
In the opener of Friday night’s doubleheader, the Platte Valley girls shut down Norborne, winning 58-37, cutting the Lady Pirates (28-2) hopes short of a trip to Springfield for the following weekend.
From Moberly Area Community College on Friday night, two squads out of the Tri-County Conference saw their seasons end in hard-fought close battles. Despite 35 points, including 18-of-18 free throw shooting from Brooke Littrell, the Green City Lady Gophers were dethroned by #1 ranked Community, 60-53, the third quarterfinal loss in as many years for the Lady Gophers. Tanner Tipton had 10 points in the game for Green City.
The Meadville boys season ended at 26-3, with the Eagles falling to St. Elizabeth on Friday night, by a final score of 82-71.
On Tuesday night, in the sectional round from the St. Joseph Civic Arena, Pattonsburg’s district championship season ended on Hot Country Z 101.7, against the hands of Norborne, in a 69-35 setback. Webby Bailey and Jenna Heath paced the Lady Panthers with 13 points each. Future NCMC Lady Pirate Kennedie Crowe led NHS with 20 points, with Kayla Dooley adding 13, and Katherine Brown and Regan Crowe 11 each.
The Princeton boys won against Orrick in the “Round of 16”, in a 58-43 triumph broadcast on KTTN FM 92.3. Thomas led the Tigers with 23 points, with Estes scoring 14, and Kelly 13, with that 25th win of the season ending up to be the final one for Princeton in the 2019-2020 campaign. Orrick (19-9) had 18 points each from Dylan Comstock and Ethan Wilson.
