Scott County Central boys basketball team thwarts Risco again

DEXTER, Mo. -- There was still 1 minute, 20 seconds left on the clock when LaMarcus Steward walked over to teammate Dominique Porter in the backcourt while their opponent shot a free throw.

The outcome of Scott County Central's Class 1 sectional against Risco had been decided long before, so the two seniors took a moment to assess what soon would be a 100-76 victory.

Steward leaned in and said a few words to Porter, who was bent over at the waist with his hands on his knees.

"We were saying, 'We did it. We actually did it,'" Steward said. "We're trying to make a statement to everybody."

The statement Steward and his teammates wanted to deliver Tuesday night at the Bearcat Event Center:

Scott County Central's Dominique Porter, center, savors the victory over Risco with Jaylen Porter, left, and Larmarcus Steward at the end of the Class 1 sectional Tuesday, March 6, 2012 in Dexter, Mo. (Fred Lynch)

"That we can go back up there and win it all," Steward said.

The Braves (18-10) are the three-time defending Class 1 champions, but Steward and Porter were the only regulars that returned to the team this season. That gave Risco, a team that was easily dismissed by Scott County Central in the sectional round the last two seasons, reason to hope this year would be different.

"They were talking, saying they were going to beat us," Porter said. "We don't got no problem with them saying that. That's bad on their part because that's just going to make us go 10 times harder."

Porter also talked about making a statement.

"We had a lot of doubters, losing the team that we did last year, so we've got something to prove -- not just to ourselves but to everybody around Southeast Missouri -- that we still are that No. 1 team in 1A," he said.

Scott County Central coach Kenyon Wright talks to Dominique Porter during the fourth quarter. Porter finished with 43 points for the three-time defending Class 1 state champions.

Steward had 25 points Tuesday night, while Porter, a senior and a starter on last year's team, scored 43 points. And he did by routinely making it look look easy.

There were spin moves and short jumpers, offensive rebounds and contested shots in the paint that he made just before falling down. There were also 15 free throws made and just two misses.

"It just comes naturally," Porter said. "I've been playing since I can remember, so I just go out there and know what I've got to do. I can't go out there and play like this is my first time going out there. I've just got to go out there and just play."

Risco (24-4) used multiple defenses to try to slow down Porter.

"We did a box-and-one. We did a triangle-and-two," Risco coach Brandon Blankenship said. "We gave some different looks. We went man. We went zone. We did our press. We went full-court man. We kind of threw everything out there."

ABOVE: Scott County Central’s Dominique Porter, center, savors the Braves’ Class 1 sectional victory over Risco with Jaylen Porter, left, and LaMarcus Steward. The Braves won 100-76 in Dexter, Mo.RIGHT: Scott County Central’s Larandis Banks soars to the basket over Risco’s Jordon Pavy, left, and Christopher Pavy during the second quarter.FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com

None of it seemed to bother Porter.

"It seemed like they were more putting pressure out on the outside and they weren't really worried about our inside, and I think that's what killed them," Porter said.

Porter also had a team-leading 12 rebounds and six steals.

"He's tough," Blankenship said. "He's physical, and he plays a lot bigger than what his 5-10 frame is. You put a bigger guy on him, and he's quicker than the bigger guy. Then you put a guard on him, and he outmuscles the guards, so it was a tough matchup."

Scott County Central jumped out to a 6-0 lead to start the game and never trailed, but the Braves made an uncharacteristic seven turnovers in the first quarter.

"It was the hype," Scott County Central coach Kenyon Wright said. "We let the hype get to us. Instead of just playing levelheaded, we let the hype get us. Luckily, Risco let it get to them, too."

Risco had 11 turnovers in the first quarter and 17 at halftime.

"We play similar styles," Blankenship said. "Obviously, they're better at it than we are. We like to get up and down. The first half we really turned the ball over too much. I think we had 16 or 17 at halftime."

Scott County Central shot 58 percent (38 of 66) from the floor.

"I think the main key tonight was we were way too easy to score on," Blankenship said. "Defensively, we just didn't get it. We didn't get it done. You can attribute that to their quickness, being able to get around us, get to the hole and Dominique Porter being the best player on the floor. That was a big factor, too."

Risco shot 48 percent (29 of 60) for the game, but the Tigers shot just 39 percent (9 of 23) in the first half.

"Once we got settled in, we settled in, and so did Risco," Wright said. "Their 3's just weren't going in like they normally do. They just didn't have a very good shooting night. It's tough to shoot in this gym. It's a lot different."

But it was more of same for Scott County Central, which will try to earn its fifth consecutive trip to the final four against Eminence at 2:15 p.m. Saturday at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff.

"It feels good," Porter said about leading the team this season. "I just tried to step up as a leader and show the rest of them, the younger ones, that this is what you've got to do if you want to win championships."

Risco 13 18 21 24 -- 76

Scott County 22 24 29 25 -- 100

RISCO (76) -- Luke Bixler 8, Christopher Pavy 21, Austin White 6, Jordon Pavy 12, Cody Young 2, Jeremy Fowler 12, Hunter Knight 4, Shawn Eakens 2, Brandon Bixler 9. FG 30. FT 13-19. F 23. (3-pointers: J. Pavy, Fowler 2. Fouled out: G. Bixler, J. Pavy, Knight.)

SCOTT COUNTY (100) -- Larandis Banks 9, Jaylen Porter 10, Antonio Johnson 13, Dominique Porter 43, Lamarcus Steward 25. FG 38. FT 22-28. F 17. (3-pointers: Banks, J. Porter. Fouled out: none.)