Fowler's clutch performance lifts Chaffee over Oran in Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament opener

Chaffee capped the opening slate of games of the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament with a 39-34 win over Oran on Thursday, Dec. 26, at the Show Me Center.

For the No. 9 seed Red Devils, the win snapped a 16-game losing streak against the No. 8 Eagles.

Nolan Fowler scored a career-high 22 points to lead the Red Devils to their first win in the tournament opener since 2018. The sophomore guard chose the biggest stage to have his biggest game.

“It felt good to come out here for everybody on the big court and play,” Fowler said. “I got to play with my friends. The pick-and-roll helped me a lot.”

Chaffee took an early lead with Fowler scoring half of the Red Devils’ first-quarter points, leading to a 10-6 lead. He continued to be a key offensive contributor by scoring seven of Chaffee’s 13 second-quarter points, entering halftime with a 23-16 lead.

Chaffee continued to rely on Fowler’s hot hand in the third quarter, but Oran was beginning to truly make chase. Led by junior Cole Diebold’s 10 second-half points, the Eagles outscored the Red Devils 10-9 in the third quarter and 8-7 in the fourth.

The Eagles were closing in on the Red Devils in the final minutes of the game. The rally was thwarted as Chaffee made five of its eight free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter, including a perfect 2 of 2 from Fowler, which were his only points in the final period.

Seven of Fowler’s 22 points came from the charity stripe.

“They were stressful, but I work on them a lot,” Fowler said about free throws. “It’s no big problem when I work on them a lot.”

Diebold scored 12 total points to lead Oran, while Carson Kern added nine points. The Eagles will play No. 16 seed Oak Ridge in the consolation quarterfinals at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 27.

Chaffee will take on top-seeded Jackson in the quarterfinal round at 4:30 p.m. Friday. A win will have the Red Devils playing in the semifinals, but a loss will drop them to the fifth-place bracket.

“We just got to keep playing as a team and I think we can keep going,” Fowler said.