SIKESTON — St. Vincent wasted little time showing it was ready for the postseason spotlight.
Behind strong defense, balanced scoring and crisp ball movement, the Lady Indians rolled to a convincing 63-33 victory over Twin Rivers on March 2 in a Class 3 state sectional playoff game in Sikeston.
With the victory, St. Vincent improved to 22-7 on the season and pushed the Lady Indians one step closer to another deep postseason run.
“We knew we had to play some tough defense,” St. Vincent coach Mel Kirn said. “Two games ago they scored 101 points, so we knew they could put points on the board. Our girls came out right from the start and played great defense.”
St. Vincent set the tone early.
The Lady Indians jumped out to a 17-10 lead after the first quarter and extended the advantage to 38-19 by halftime, using defensive pressure and rebounding to control the tempo.
Twin Rivers struggled to find consistent scoring opportunities against St. Vincent’s defensive intensity. The Lady Royals managed just nine points in the second quarter and were held to only four points in the fourth period as the Lady Indians continued to pull away.
Kirn credited his team’s ability to limit Twin Rivers’ inside presence.
“They have a junior inside, Mattie Musgrave, who pivots very well,” Kirn said. “We did a good job checking her. She didn’t get any points in the second half.”
Offensively, St. Vincent featured a balanced attack with several players contributing.
Kate Rubel led the Lady Indians with 21 points, while Brie Rubel added 19. Lana Adams delivered a strong performance inside with 16 points while battling on the boards and converting second-chance opportunities.
Kirn said Adams’ physical play in the paint helped set the tone.
“Lana had a great game for us inside,” he said. “She fought for rebounds and put them right back up.”
St. Vincent’s offense flowed smoothly throughout the night as the Lady Indians consistently found open shooters and cutters.
“Our girls just played their game,” Kirn said. “They cut, screened, moved without the ball and found the open person.”
The Lady Indians finished the game shooting 41.8 percent from the field while holding Twin Rivers to just 29.3 percent. St. Vincent also dominated the glass with a 35- 26 rebounding advantage and recorded 14 assists, reflecting their unselfish offensive approach.
St. Vincent also created scoring opportunities through defensive pressure, collecting eight steals and forcing 17 turnovers.
The result was a complete performance on both ends of the floor.
For Kirn, the victory reflected the progress his team had made throughout the season.
“Playing all those tough teams early in the year has helped us tremendously,” he said. “It showed that we can play under pressure and compete with talented teams.”
That experience has helped St. Vincent develop into one of the area’s most consistent teams as the postseason continues.
With strong defensive play, balanced scoring and a confident group of players working together, the Lady Indians continue to show why they remain a dangerous opponent in March.
“When we’re all clicking on the same page,” Kirn said, “we’re tough to beat.”
