A Look at the St. Dominic Tournament Semifinals

Prep Hoops Missouri was in O'Fallon on Tuesday night to watch the semifinals of the St. Dominic Christmas Tournament. The two featured games were No. 1 seed Sikeston vs. No. 4 Wentzville Holt and No. 2 seed St. Dominic and No. 3 seed Francis Howell Central.   Here is a look at the two semifinal games at the St. Dominic Tournament.   HOLT UPENDS TOP-SEEDED SIKESTON   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Abhijot-Bajwa-II.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Abhijot-Bajwa-II.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3278605" /></a></figure>   The most exciting game of the night was the battle between Holt and defending tournament champion Sikeston. The Indians controlled the first half and led Sikeston 40-35 at halftime. However, the Bulldogs went on a big run to take a six-point lead in the third quarter, but Holt surged right back and took a fourth-point into the fourth quarter. The entire fourth quarter consisted of Holt beating back multiple runs by Sikeston all the way to the final buzzer, which ended up with Holt taking 77-75 victory and a berth in the championship game.   Here is a look at the key players from the Holt-Sikeston game.   Holt   [player_tooltip player_id='2410053' first='Abhijot' last='Bajwa']: The 6'4 2026 guard had a dominant performance with a game high 31 points. He was scoring in the paint on all evening with slashing drives an offensive rebounds. He showed good body control when he attacked the basket. He has really raised his level of play as a senior.   [player_tooltip player_id='1598869' first='Will' last='Salonies']: The 6'0" 2026 point guard scored 17 points and controlled the offense against Sikeston relentless pressure defense. He hit a couple of long 3-pointers in the first half, but he spent much of the evening dribbling through the press and finding open teammates for layups. He is looking strong again after missing the first four games of the season with an injury.   [player_tooltip player_id='2381529' first='Jace' last='Evans']: The 6'4" 2026 forward scored 18 points as he played a strong game in the post. With Holt's ball movement against Sikeston's traps, he was on the back end where he was able to either finish with layups or grab offensive rebounds for putbacks. He is a blue-collar player who gets positive results with his effort.     Sikeston   [player_tooltip player_id='1789998' first='Marquel' last='Murray']: The 6'4" 2026 guard scored a team-high 19 points despite battling foul trouble for much of the evening. He is an explosive athlete who had a few impressive blocked shots at the rim. He is a talented offensive player who was creating off the dribble and elevating from the mid-range to knock down jumpers. He is very effective in iso situations with the ball in his hands.   Qua Allen: A 5'11" 2028 point guard who came up big with 19 points to match his teammate Murray for high honors. He was very active in Sikeston late rally to try to pull the game out. He is physically strong and he had no problem touching the paint on the attack. He also complimented his dribble penetration with a couple of 3-pointers.   [player_tooltip player_id='2573853' first='Shaun' last='Cole Jr: The 6'1" 2028 guard came off the bench to score 11 points. He provides instant offense when he enters the game. He plays in a smooth way, whether he's coming off the screen to shoot the 3-pointer or if he's getting by a defender on the drive. He plays well within himself without trying to force things.   Kobe Smith: The 5'10" scoring point guard scored 10 points on Monday night. He's a potent offensive player when he asserts himself into the offense. He has a nice crossover move where he's low on the dribble. He gets to his spots with quickness to hit mid-range jumpers off the glass. He can also dial it up from 3-point range.     ******   HOST ST. DOMINIC HOLDS OFF FRANCIS HOWELL CENTRAL   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Nolan-Struckmann.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Nolan-Struckmann.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3278606" /></a></figure>   In a battle of St. Charles area teams, host St. Dominic defeated Francis Howell Central 64-52 to move into the championship game. The Crusaders took control of the game in the third quarter when they went to a trapping defense that sped up Howell Central and forced many turnovers.   Here is a look at the key players from the St. Dominic-Francis Howell Central game.   St. Dominic   [player_tooltip player_id='2344218' first='Nolan' last='Struckmann']: The 6'7" 2027 forward is a big stock riser in his class with his all-around versatile play to go along with his size. He scored 11 points while also doing a good job at ball handling and facilitating offense. He is very skilled and the team can run offense through him with his passing skills. He also scored on some nice moves around the basket off the dribble.   [player_tooltip player_id='2458510' first='Austin' last='Ryan']: The 6'0" 2027 guard scored a game-high 14 points to lead a balanced offensive attack. He is a strong lefty who loves to attack the game with tenacity. He plays with a strong motor and he is also one of the team's primary ball handlers.   [player_tooltip player_id='2833673' first='Grant' last='Giesmann']: A 6'6" 2027 forward who also scored 10 points. He is a long and very skilled lefty who the team can also run offense through with his ability to handle and pass the ball. He drops some nice dimes from the high post to open cutters. He can also score inside and on the drive.   Ace Armstrong: A 5'11" 2027 guard who is the Crusaders' primary perimeter shooter from 3-point range. When they spread teams out, he sits in the corner to knock down open 3-pointers. He hit two consecutive triples in the fourth quarter to help the Crusaders provide that final separation from Howell Central.     Howell Central   [player_tooltip player_id='2212592' first='Xavier' last='Morrison']: The 6'5' 2026 forward scored 18 points to lead the Spartans. He was able to battle St. Dominic's tall front line with his quickness and athletic ability. He had a couple of nice defensive plays with a chase down block and a block of a 3-pointer. He was excellent on the drive when he got into the lane with the two-foot jump stop and finish. He was also very good on the offensive boards.   [player_tooltip player_id='2398673' first='Jamarious' last='Britt']: A 2027 point guard who plays the role of both playmaker and scoring threat very well. He distributes the ball well as he was penetrating into the lane and locating open teammates. He can score off the high ball screen by turning the corner and hitting the jumper or the runner in the lane.   [player_tooltip player_id='2423363' first='Jayden' last='Tucker']: The 2027 guard scored 12 points with all of them coming off of his four 3-pointers. I like how to runs hard to the spot to get open and he was shot ready off the catch.

Prep Hoops Missouri was in O'Fallon on Tuesday night to watch the semifinals of the St. Dominic Christmas Tournament. The two featured games were No. 1 seed Sikeston vs. No. 4 Wentzville Holt and No. 2 seed St. Dominic and No. 3 seed Francis Howell Central.