Class 3 Final Four: Thursday’s Semifinal Standouts

<p>The Final Four of the Class 3 State Tournament got underway with semifinals games on Thursday. The site is the JQH Arena on the campus of Missouri State University in Springfield.</p> <p>Charleston defeated Duchesne 56-53 in the first semifinal game. In the second semifinal, Higginsville defeated Thayer 64-59.</p> <p>It will be Charleston vs Higginsville for the state championship at 4 p.m. Thayer and Duchesne will meet for third place at noon.</p> <p>Here is a look at Thursday’s standouts from the two semifinal games.</p> <h5>Charleston </h5> <p>PJ Farmer: The 2025 guard continued his tremendous post season with a game-high 22 points, along with three rebounds and an astounding eight steals. He is so mature beyond his years as he knows when to sit back and let the game come to him and when to take over. That happened in the third quarter when Duchesne rallied to take a brief 36-35 lead. PJ responded by scoring the next six points on a tough drive, a short jumper and a steal and a layup. He scored 16 points in the seconds half to help the Bluejays stave off the upset-minded Pioneers.</p> <p>Ko’Terrion Owens: The 6'2" 2024 forward had 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. He did most of his damage in the first quarter when he scored nine points to stake the Bluejays off to a early 10-point advantage. He is strong and physical, but he has quick feet and good moves inside to score.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1070112" first="Rico" last="Coleman"] (Pictured): The 6'4" 2023 wing had 13 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals in another strong all-around performance. He was slashing to the basket and getting offensive rebounds. As always, he had another nice chase-down block on defense.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h5>Duchesne </h5> <p>Ethan Kissell: The 6'2" 2022 forward had a team-high 17 points along with five rebounds and four steals to lead the Pioneers. He followed up on a great 22-point performance against Cole Camp in the semifinals. He is a high-energy player who thrives when he's driving to the basket and moving without the basketball, but he can also hit an open 3-pointer.</p> <p>Cam Lee: The 6'1" 2023 guard had a solid performance with 12 points, six rebounds and six assists. He controls the offense well with his passing and playmaking ability. He can also slash to the basket for buckets and hit short jumpers. He is a good athlete and he stays active on the boards from the guard position.</p> <p>Josh Baker-Mays: The 5'10" 2023 guard had 11 points, four assists and two steals in the semifinals. He displayed a nice shooting stroke with a pair of 3-pointers. He has good quickness and burst and he's strong with the basketball, which was important against Charleston's pressure defense.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h5>Higginsville</h5> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1180549" first="Mason" last="Rumsey"]: The athletic 6'2" 2022 guard finished with 25 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots. He is a tremendous all-around player who impacts the game in all facets, which in turn impacts winning. He was under control as he played the entire fourth quarter with four fouls. He is a potent offensive player in the paint, but he can also drive and hit the open 3-pointer.</p> <p>Josiah Golden: The 5'10" 2023 guard had 13 points, six rebounds and four assists in the semifinals. Most important, he provided the game-winning plays down the stretch. He scored on a tough drive with 15 seconds left to give the Huskers a 60-59 lead. He missed the free throw to complete the three-point play, but he grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled. He then sealed the game from the free throw line.</p> <p>Kyzer Gann-Vega: The 6'2" 2022 guard had 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. I love watching him play because his motor never stops running. He is always moving and he put himself in position to make big plays at both ends of the court. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h5>Thayer</h5> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="993527" first="Jordan" last="Andrews"]: The 6'0" 2022 guard scored a team-high 24 points along with five rebounds and two assists. "Red Buckets" from all three levels as he attacked with drives and short jumpers while also hitting a few 3-pointers from long distance. His constant drive to get buckets combined with his creativity makes him so difficult to defend.</p> <p>Gaige Pitts: The 2022 point guard finished with 10 points, six assists and five steals in the semifinals. As usual, he did an excellent job of running the show for his father's team as he distributed the basketball while being able to get his own bucket when needed.</p> <p>Aidan Burns: The 6'3" 2024 wing came off the bench to score 10 points, along with four rebounds, two blocks and two steals. He used his athleticism to be a factor with his scoring around the basket.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>