Banks provides boost at crucial times for Scott County Central boys basketball team

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- When the Scott County Central Braves' lead started to shrink in the second half of Saturday's Class 1 state championship game, senior Dominique Porter knew what he and his teammates needed to do.

"We had to get our mental process in the game," Porter said. "We had to get it together. We couldn't go down here and start arguing and throwing the ball away. We had to get our offense together and stay down on defense and get stops the way we did and make big shots like Larandis made a big shot. That was very important."

So which big shot from sophomore Larandis Banks was the senior thinking about?

"A lot of them," Porter said. "He came through for us. I don't know what the outcome would have been if he didn't hit those shots. My little brother [Jaylen Porter] and Antonio [Johnson], they were there as well -- playing hard, getting rebounds."

Banks said he looked up to Porter and senior LaMarcus Steward this season.

"Dominique, he brings a lot of joy to the team," Banks said. "He'll go out there and battle with anybody. LaMarcus, he's one of the best guards I've played with. He tried to keep things on a level.

"I learned a lot, especially from Dominique. Like, when stuff get hard, just keep going and giving it your all. Never give up."

Banks scored 20 points in the Braves' 79-72 win over Drexel on Saturday at Mizzou Arena.

He shot 61 percent (8 of 13) from the floor, the exact percentage he made during the regular season when he averaged 14.4 points a game.

"He's been a competitor for us all year," SCC coach Kenyon Wright said. "We know that whenever he steps up and wants that shot, we're going to let him take it because he knocks it down more times that not.

"And if he's knocking down that shot, we can beat people. We have a chance. I think he wanted this thing bad. He hit shots last game and this game. He wanted this thing. That sucker spent time in that gym."

Banks was a perfect 4 for 4 from the field in the fourth quarter against Drexel. All four makes came after Drexel scores.

"I think he really stepped up," Dominique Porter said. "As the year went around, he was kind of just playing his role. I mean, he shot it when we needed him to, but not really like he did today. He shot it because he was confident in his shot and he hit those shots, and it helped us out a lot."

Banks scored 10 points in the fourth quarter Saturday.

"I was just trying to keep the team's momentum up," Banks said. "Once our momentum gets down, we just drop for a couple plays, so I was just trying to keep the momentum up, keep the game going."

Banks, like so many players on the Braves' roster, comes with a history of family success at the final four. His mother, Yolanda Banks, was a member of two state championship teams at SCC.

"You've got to have pride," Larandis Banks said. "That's really a big part of it, and play hard and stay together as a team. Anything is possible.

"Pride is the biggest part of our team. We play for each other. We just wanted to show people we could come out here and do this without Bubba [Otto Porter]. People expected less of us this year. We just wanted to come out and prove them wrong."