CAPE GIRARDEAU — St. Vincent knew the challenge waiting Tuesday night.
Standing across the floor at Notre Dame High School was Puxico, the top-ranked team in Class 2 with a 28-1 record and a reputation as one of the most explosive offenses in the state.
On this night, the Indians showed exactly why.
Puxico used a blistering shooting performance in the first half to build a commanding lead and defeat St. Vincent 74-56 in a Class 2 sectional playoff game on March 3. The loss ended the season for St. Vincent at 22-7.
“We just ran into a hot-shooting team,” St. Vincent coach Bruce Valleroy said. “They couldn’t miss in the first half. They shot 15 threes and made 11 of them.”
That early shooting barrage set the tone for the night.
Puxico jumped out to a 26-12 lead after the first quarter and extended the margin to 44-23 by halftime. The Indians continued to maintain control in the third quarter, stretching the lead to 60-33 before St. Vincent mounted a late push in the final period.
Despite the deficit, St. Vincent continued to compete throughout the game and closed strong with a 23-point fourth quarter.
Senior Max Wheeler led the way for St. Vincent with a game-high 31 points while also pulling down nine rebounds. Wheeler finished his career as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,635 points, nearly 400 ahead of the next player on the list.
“You know, Max had 31 points for us,” Valleroy said. “He ended his career on a great note. He averaged almost 22 points and 11 rebounds a game this season.”
Colden Prost added 12 points for the Indians, while Liam Nations contributed six and Case Huber finished with five. Clay Ellis chipped in two points.
Valleroy credited his team’s defensive effort against Puxico’s top scorer but said the Indians’ supporting cast made the difference.
“We knew they were No. 1 in the state for a reason,” Valleroy said. “I thought we did a good job on their best player, but some of their role players stepped up and hit some big shots.”
Puxico shot 51.9 percent from the field and knocked down 13 three-pointers in the game, using its perimeter shooting to stretch St. Vincent’s defense throughout the night.
Landan Burchard led Puxico with 14 points, while Colton Stroud added 22 and Jett Hancock finished with 16 as the Indians placed three players in double figures.
St. Vincent shot 43.2 percent from the field and held a 24-22 advantage in points in the paint, but Puxico’s outside shooting proved to be the decisive factor.
Even in defeat, the season represented a strong campaign for St. Vincent, which captured a district championship and finished with one of the best records in program history.
For Wheeler, the night marked the end of a standout career that helped guide the Indians back into championship contention.
“You run into a hot-shooting team like that, you better be on top of your game,” Valleroy said. “You have to give them credit. They had a lot to do with it.”
For St. Vincent, the loss closed the book on a memorable season — one defined by success, milestones and a group of players who helped keep the program among the area’s best.
