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Sports

De Smet Advances To District Final With Win Over Parkway North

De Smet used a hot start in the first quarter to gain an advantage over the Vikings, and move on to a place in the district finals.

De Smet used a complete game attack in the first quarter to run up an early lead over the Vikings, and then nursed the lead over the next three quarters to advance to the finals of the Class 5, District 5 district tournament, with a 61-41 win on home court Wednesday night.

The Spartans forced a couple of early turnovers, the second of which led to a 3-pointer by sophomore Jimmy Barton, to jump out to a 7-0 lead. It was a lead De Smet would not relinquish, as the Vikings dropped to 14-13 in their season finale.

"We gave up too many turnovers and forced too many shots tonight, we need to be ready for the next game, be ready to play better defense and not give up as many rebounds," said Barton, following the game.

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Self-criticism aside, Barton was lethal from three point territory, especially in the first quarter, when he hit three of his four total on the night. Barton joined senior Teddy Corwin to lead the Spartans with 16 points a piece.

De Smet closed out the opening quarter with a 26-12 lead.

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Parkway North struggled to get good looks at the basket throughout the first half, and seemed unable to match De Smet's energy. The Vikings did manage to put together a 6-2 run late in the second quarter to climb back to within 15 points as the teams headed to the lockers.

De Smet's pace cooled in the second half, and North outmatched the Spartan's production to make it a 39-27 game. Junior Darrell Johnson, who led all scorers on the evening with 18 points, used his 6'8" frame to create opportunities inside. Along with senior Dorian Hobbs, Johnson kept the Vikings in the contest deep in to the third quarter.

"I was really proud of how our guys battled tonight, but we could not get the game into single digits...while our team may not be the most skilled we always fight to stay in the contest," said Parkway North coach Russell Vincent.

Hobbs, along with fellow seniors Sam Muzik, Kendall Barnes, and Carl Miller stood out as players who stabilized the Viking team when it was down, both tonight, and throughout the season.

Late in the game, De Smet saw important contributions from sophomore Nolan Berry, who had 13 points on the night, and Michael Rehme, who made a couple of key baskets from short range to maintain a comfortable lead for the Spartans.

De Smet (21-5) advances to take on second-seeded Hazelwood West in the district final on Saturday at 4 p.m. Coach Kevin Poelker acknowledged his team will need to improve in a few areas to continue playing in the post-season beyond the district championship game.

"We started the game the way we wanted to tonight, but then we relaxed and gave up some plays defensively and on our attack, and this time of year you can't give up a quarter, or lose focus  if you want to keep playing," said Poelker.

 

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