UPDATE: High School Playoff Basketball Schedule And Results
New Haven Girls (9-19) vs. Canton (23-5) 6 p.m.
Final: Canton 65, New Haven 48 - Season Over
Hermann Girls (25-3) vs. Ava (21-6) 6 p.m.
Final: Hermann 56, Ava 47
Next: Mt. Vernon (27-3) on Saturday, March 13 at the Hammons Student Center on the campus of Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo. Game time is 12:00 p.m.
Recap from Jessica Nelson
Ava opened the 3rd quarter using a 2-3 defense, forcing Hermann's first shot of the second half to be no good. Ava answered with an easy basket underneath which was left wide open by the Hermann defense. Both teams eventually settled in and started trading baskets again. Hermann's Ashley Brooks raced up the court for a lay up with 45 seconds left in the 3rd quarter.
The quarter ended with Hermann on top 42-39.
The 4th quarter had a sense of urgency for both teams and started with an easy lay up for Ava underneath, which was once again left open by the Hermann defense. Krista Lane was called for her 3rd foul 15 seconds into the quarter as Ava pulled within one, 42-41. A long three pointer by Ashley Brooks at the 7:29 mark gave Hermann a 45-41 cushion.
Both teams traded blocked shots and turnovers as the clock slowly wound down with Shelby Winkelmann dodging an offensive charging call and shooting a pair of free throws instead. Hermann went up 47-45 after Winkelmann's second free throw rimmed out; the score was extended to 50-45 Hermann after Brooks dropped another 3 pointer on Ava.
A full court press by Ava resulted in a Brooks turnover with 2:10 left in the game but Hermann settled in again, dropping 2 points here and there on Ava in the closing minutes. Milking the game clock in the last 33.5 seconds, Hermann came away with a 56-47 victory.
Hermann Boys (19-8) vs. Ava (20-6) 7:45 p.m.
Final: Ava 53, Hermann 48 - Season Over
Recap from Jessica Nelson
Four days after wrapping up their first district championship in over 30 years, the Hermann Bearcats boys' basketball team saw their season end with a 53-48 loss to Ava High School.
Ava started the game with a hook shot over Hermann's Greg Wright who answered with his own jump shot at the other end on the following possession. A back and forth tone was immediately set between the two teams and would dictate the pace of the game until late in the fourth quarter.
Jake Schannuth hit a three point jumper at the 5:54 mark in the first quarter; a three point shot by Jake Witthaus on the next Hermann possession didn't fall. On the other end of the court, Ava was also launching three pointers but very few were falling. At the end of the first quarter, Hermann led 14-10.
The second quarter was opened with a good three point shot by Ava but was answered by Schannuth dropping a three on the other end. A turnover by Ava on a bad pass underneath led to a lay up by Philip Wright in traffic at the 6:42 mark. Schannuth scored later in the sixth minute, putting Hermann up 21-13. A steal and subsequent break away basket by Sidney Daller extended Hermann's lead to 10, 23-13. Later in the second quarter, a three second rule violation took away a lay up by P. Wright but Witthaus added the points back on a jump shot with 2:10 to go in the first half, 27-17.
Ava started coming back by hitting a pair of free throws after G. Wright picked up his second foul with 47 seconds left. Hermann regained possession and wore the clock down to 12 seconds when Witthaus dropped another three point shot, extending Hermann's lead to nine, 30-21. Ava would hit another pair of free throws right before halftime; halftime score was 30-23, Hermann.
Hermann was able to keep their lead early in the third quarter, extending it to 10 points at the 5:32 mark. Ava had been getting good looks at three point shots again in the third but few were falling; this changed at the 4:46 mark when they came back within seven points, 35-28. G. Wright was able to pick up a loose ball from Austin VanBooven for a lay up, increasing Hermann's lead back to nine, 37-28. Then mistakes started to doom the Bearcats as Ava's man to man defense forced a turnover at the 3:34 mark in the third quarter in addition to fouls being called on Schannuth and Witthaus.
Ava was back in the game at the 2:25 mark, down 39-35. A three point shot by VanBooven at 2:05 rimmed out; Ava answered with three point shot as they came within one, 39-38. An offensive charge foul against Daller brought the Ava crowd to their feet but Hermann was able to cling to a one point lead at the end of the third quarter, 39-38.
Ava opened the fourth quarter the same way they did in the second quarter with a three point shot. This time, the shot gave them the lead for the first time in the game 41-39. Schannuth tied the game on Hermann's next possession but Ava answered with another basket. P. Wright went back to the bench at the 6:25 mark after picking up a foul; Witthaus picked up his third foul four seconds later. G. Wright was fouled going up for a lay up at the 5:19 mark, missing the front end of a pair of free throws to bring Hermann back within one, 43-42.
Hermann shifted into a zone defense as Ava milked the game clock down to 4:24 in the game before a five second call against them turned the ball back over to Hermann. A lay up by Schannuth put Hermann back in the lead 44-43 but an exchange of turnovers between the teams on the next Ava possession would result in G. Wright being called for his fourth foul of the game at the 2:17 mark. VanBooven hit a pair of free throws with 1:51 left in the game, putting Hermann up by one again, 46-45. Ava would eventually pull away in the final minutes on free throws and win 53-48.
Ava moves on to play Mt. Vernon Saturday afternoon in Springfield, Mo., at Missouri State University. Hermann finished the 2009-2010 season with a 20-9 record.