Woodland advances to Class 3 Quarterfinals with 82-67 win at East Prairie

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — Opportunity like this doesn’t come around often.

For East Prairie and Woodland, it never had. But when they came, the Cardinals (23-6, 7-0 SCAA) took full advantage, turning a tight battle with the Eagles (22-6, 6-1 Scott-Mississippi) into a history-making 82-67 win in the sectional round of the MSHSAA Class 3 State Tournament on Monday, March 3.

“It’s kind of surreal,” said Woodland coach Shawn Kinder. “It hits me and I don’t know if I want to cry, laugh, shout or whatever, and I know these kids feel the same way. Right now, we’re just trying to keep a routine while still getting better every day.”

East Prairie came out firing, stringing together stops and quick buckets to bolt ahead 9-0 before Woodland even had a chance to settle in. But the Cardinals used a timeout to regroup, and buckets from Kameron McCormick and Korbin Kinder provided a much-needed response.

Still, the Eagles continued to push the lead back to nine on multiple occasions, with Ty Wallace, Connor Marcum, and Tripp Shoemaker each drilling a 3-pointer.

Korbin Kinder, however, took control late, stringing together back-to-back baskets, including a 3-point play with the foul, cutting the gap to 20-16 at the end of the first quarter.

“Our pressure defensively gave us the momentum we needed to get going,” Shawn Kinder said. “We started the game out looking sluggish. Not moving the ball, being lazy with our passes and not hitting shots. We had to do something to change it up.”

The tide began to shift after Woodland’s switch to a zone defense, a change that helped slow East Prairie’s fast-paced offense. The Cardinals capitalized on their new defensive strategy, and Peyton Meek finished a 2-on-1 break to tie the game 27-27 with 4:41 left in the second quarter.

“We mixed it up more than we usually do,” Shawn Kinder said.

Less than a minute later, Korbin Kinder put the Woodland ahead for the first time with a strong drive to the basket.

East Prairie responded with a spin move from Noah Johnson to knot the game at 31-31 with 2:40 left on the clock, but Woodland regained the advantage quickly on a score in transition by Jackson Shock.

The Cardinals led 40-36 at halftime.

“We got off to a slow start but we picked up, fought back in it,” said Woodland’s Lane Lee, who finished with a game-high 22 points.

The teams exchanged buckets for much of the third quarter, with East Prairie staying within striking distance. However, as the quarter neared its close, Woodland began to distance itself, pushing the lead to double digits. A 3-pointer from Lee extended the Cardinals’ advantage to 53-43, and with just 1.7 seconds left, Kobin Kinder completed a strong drive to the basket, converting the layup through contact to push Woodland's lead to 61-48, its largest of the game.

“It was just about limiting the turnovers and making sure we were getting good possessions,” Lee said. “We just had to calm down and play ball.”

Along with Lee’s performance, Woodland got strong contributions from Kobin Kinder (20 points), Shock (13), and Calvin Layton (10), whose balanced scoring played a key role in the Cardinals’ victory.

"Korbin Kinder did a great job rebounding and attacking the basket,” said Shawn Kinder. “Jackson Shock hit some big shots, and Calvin Layton was tough down low, doing a solid job on East Prairie’s best player. Our defensive rebounding and transition finishing were key to the win."

As Dixieland Delight blared through the gym — a tradition for East Prairie to kick off the fourth quarter — it was quickly drowned out by the chant of "We are Woodland!" The powerful noise from the Cardinals’ fans, who made up a quarter of the sell-out crowd, overtook the music, signaling a shift in momentum.

“I didn’t know what song was playing or who was shouting, Shawn Kinder said. “I just knew we had to continue to guard, rebound and finish the game.”

In the fourth quarter, Woodland executed with precision, making the most of every possession. Its drives to the basket weren’t just about getting to the rim—they used the threat of penetration to collapse the defense and the Cardinals waited until the last moment to dish out passes to open teammates, making it nearly impossible for the Eagles to recover.

This kind of cohesion doesn’t just happen—it’s the result of nearly a decade of playing together, building chemistry, and developing familiarity.

“I’ve been with them all the way,” said Shawn Kinder, who has coached the group since they were in second and third grade. “This group knows each other. They do a lot together, even off the basketball floor, and it shows in their play.”

The Cardinals appeared to have the game in hand when Lee's 3-point play extended the lead to 18 points early in the fourth quarter.

However, the Eagles answered back with seven unanswered points from Marcum a short time later, narrowing the margin to 72-62 with 3:12 remaining.

Woodland didn’t buckle under pressure, though, responding with key plays down the stretch to clinch the win.

Despite the late surge, Woodland held firm, answering each challenge with composed execution.

With the win, Woodland advances to the quarterfinals round of the state tournament, where it will host Jefferson (20-8) on Friday, March 7, at 6:30 p.m.

“We just have to keep playing the way we’ve been playing, and keep working towards our goal,” said Kameron McCormick. “Just staying motivated, and not letting ourselves get down. We had to fight to get back in it tonight, and we’re going to keep coming no matter what.”

East Prairie was led by Johnson, who finished with 20 points, while Marcum added 18 and Tavion Ware contributed 14.

“We played hard, but Woodland just outplayed us,” said veteran East Prairie coach Gary Scott. “They’re a really good team. Our guys left it all on the court, we just came up short. I’m very proud of our seniors and what they accomplished, not only this year but over the course of their careers.”

WOODLAND 82, EAST PRAIRIE 67

Woodland 16 24 21 21 — 82

East Prairie 20 16 12 19 — 67

Woodland (82) — Lane Lee 22, Korbin Kinder 20, Jackson Shock 14, Calvin Layton 10, Peyton Meek 4, Hayden Vangennip 2. FG: 35. FT: 7-8. F: 12. (3-pointers: Lee 3, Shock 2. Fouled out: None).

East Prairie (67) — Noah Johnson 20, Connor Marcum 18, Tavion Ware 14, Ty Wallace 6, Tripp Shoemaker 6, Chase Childers 3. FG: 27. FT: 6-12. F: 11. (3-pointers: Marcum 4, Shoemaker 2, Childers 1. Fouled out: None).