DESMET SIZE TOO MUCH FOR TIGERS 56-34

ST. LOUIS -- Cape Girardeau Central High's boys basketball team ventured north Friday to take on DeSmet, ranked No. 3 in the St. Louis area coaches poll.

The Tigers found out why the Spartans are thought of so highly in St. Louis.

DeSmet's size proved too much for Central as the Tigers fell 56-34. DeSmet snapped a two-game losing spell and improved to 16-2, dropping Central to 7-9.

The Spartans controlled the game early and amassed a 20-9 lead in the first quarter.

"They're a good basketball team," Central coach Brett Reutzel said. "They're a lot bigger than we are, and they have more than we can handle. It was their size more than anything else."

After a tentative first quarter, Reutzel said his team was more aggressive in the second period. Central trailed 36-23 at halftime, but the Spartans' 14-3 scoring edge in the third quarter put the game out of reach.

"We weren't as aggressive as we needed to be," Reutzel said.

Kelly Illers' eight points paced Central and Ross Conner added seven.