JACKSON BACK IN DISTRICT FINAL; CAPE CENTRAL GIRLS ELIMINATED BY POPLAR BLUFF

POPLAR BLUFF -- If Jackson High's girls basketball team is to make its fifth straight Class 4A Final Four appearance, it will have to overcome the only team that dealt it a loss this season.

Jackson, 22-1 and ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, will meet No. 2 seed Poplar Bluff today at 6 in the championship game of the District 1 tournament in Poplar Bluff.

Sparked by the efforts of Melissa Palmer and Andrea Koeper, the top-seeded Lady Indians topped No. 4 Farmington 60-42 in a semifinal game Thursday. Farmington's season ended with a 22-6 mark.

In the other semifinal contest, Poplar Bluff overcame a first-quarter deficit and defeated No. 3 Cape Girardeau Central 56-47. The Lady Tigers' season ended at 18-7.

Jackson and Poplar Bluff split the two regular-season games played against one another.

After the Lady Mules nipped Jackson 56-50 in the championship game of the HealthSouth Holiday Classic, the Lady Indians countered with a resounding 66-44 thrashing of Poplar Bluff in a home game on Jan. 4.

In Thursday's semifinal game, Jackson carried a 16-12 edge into the second quarter. A decisive 15-7 bulge in the second period handed the Lady Indians a 31-19 lead at the intermission.

Farmington outscored Jackson 15-12 in the third quarter and trailed 43-34 heading into the final period. The Lady Indians' 17-8 scoring edge in that quarter ensured a victory.

Palmer, a 5-foot-9 senior, finished with a game-high 18 points, and Koeper, a 5-9 sophomore, provided 16 points. Cherish Tillman added 11 points.

For Farmington, which had beaten Sikeston 66-31 in the tourament's opening round, Lisa Boyd had 12 points and Alyson Mell chipped in 11.

In the second semifinal clash, Central burst out to a 13-6 lead after one quarter. But Poplar Bluff controlled the pace in the final three periods, outscoring Central 50-34 during the stretch.

The Lady Mules' 18-10 second-quarter edge gave them a 24-23 lead at halftime. Poplar Bluff proceeded to outscore Central 32-24 in the second half.

For Central, 6-0 sophomore center Katie Dougherty tallied a team-high 16 points, and Heather Jenkins and Dionna Webb each had 10.

Emily Wyatt's 20 points paced Poplar Bluff. Ashley Williams had 12 points and Amy Hendricks added 11.