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There will be a new champion crowned in this year’s Jefferson Bank Holiday Hoops Classic. The Hickman Kewpies dropped out this season after winning the girls’ tournament championship last year and will be replaced by a team taking its first shot at the Classic.
It’s an experienced group of Helias Lady Crusaders. And they are going to try to use that experience to their advantage. “We are adding new stuff, bringing back some old stuff,” Helias coach Garrett Wiggans said as the Lady Crusaders prepare for tonight’s season opener against the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons at Rackers Fieldhouse. “We are evolving our game.”
The No. 2 seed Jefferson City Lady Jays and top-seeded Helias Lady Crusaders knew they would be in for a battle in the Class 5 District 5 Tournament title game at Washington High School. And that is exactly how it played out, as the Lady Jays took an early lead and held on for dear life late for a wire-to-wire 43-41 victory for their fifth district championship in the past seven seasons.
It was won on the defensive end. “My kids have defensively been playing like this all year long,” Jefferson City Lady Jays coach Kay Foster said after Monday night’s 53-31 victory against the Helias Lady Crusaders at Fleming Fieldhouse.
Helias opened fast and never looked back. The Lady Crusaders scored the first 10 points Wednesday night on their way to an eventual 56-31 win against the Capital City Lady Cavaliers during Central Missouri Activities Conference action at Capital City High School.
Good defense leads to good offense. That was the motto for the Helias Lady Crusaders as they held the Ozark Lady Tigers to 45 points and shot 55 percent from the field to run away with a 63-45 victory Saturday in the Central Bank Shootout at Rackers Fieldhouse.
Helias Catholic High School students raised enough money for Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri to earn a special reward Friday: They watched Helias Catholic teachers and staff shave their beards.
The Helias Lady Crusaders got the shot they wanted, it just didn’t fall. The Lady Crusaders had a potential tying 3-pointer rattle off the rim at the buzzer Wednesday night as Helias dropped a 56-53 decision to the Lutheran: St. Charles Cougars in a meeting of Class 5 ranked teams at Rackers Fieldhouse.
It wasn’t the shot the Helias Lady Crusaders wanted. But it was Plan B that won it. Mikah Edwards hit a layup with :02.5 left Wednesday to lift Helias to a 42-41 victory against Staley in the opening round of the Jefferson Bank Holiday Hoops Classic at Capital City High School.
Last season, the Helias Lady Crusaders used the Jefferson Bank Holiday Hoops Classic as a springboard to the Class 4 Final Four. This season, the Lady Crusaders are looking to use the Classic as a chance to continue a great start.