Final Four: Friday’s Class 1-2 Semifinal Standouts

<p>The action at the Final Four continued on Friday at Missouri State University with semifinal games in the Class 1 and 2 divisions. The championship game are set for Saturday.</p> <p>The Final Scores</p> <p>Class 1: South Iron 85 St. Elizabeth 51; Stanberry 45 Wellsville-Middletown 40 (OT)</p> <p>Class 2: Bernie 79 Putnam County 75; Norwood 59 LeBlond 55</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In Class 1, defending state champion South Iron will play Stanberry at 8 p.m. The Class 2 state-championship game will pit Bernie vs. Norwood at 4 p.m.</p> <p>Here is a look at the top standout from Friday’s Final Four action at the JQH Arena in Springfield.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h5>Class 1</h5> <p>South Iron</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="984510" first="Drenin" last="Dinkins"]: The 6'0" 2022 Southwest Baptist commit has his team one step closer to a repeat state championship as he scored 28 points, along with five assists and four steals in the victory over St. Elizabeth. He's a three-level scorer who doesn't always have to rely on his 3-point stroke to score big numbers.</p> <p>Champ McMurry: The 6'1" 2022 had a big day with 21 points and eight rebounds in the semifinals. After playing the reserve role last season,  has really stepped up into a prime role this season to keep the Panthers rolling at a high level.</p> <p>Martez Burse: The 2023 guard scored 16 points and had three steals for the Panthers on Friday night. He has good quickness and has fit in well in his first year as a starter. He plays well in the up-tempo game and he can score in transition and with his movement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>St. Elizabeth</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1180601" first="Brock" last="Lucas"]: The 6'2" 2022 Mizzou baseball recruit had 27 points, nine rebounds and two assists against South Iron. He is a versatile offensive player who also knocked down seven 3-pointers. He has been a major player in three consecutive Final Four trips for St. E.</p> <p>Jace Kesel: The 6'5" 2023 forward had a nice double-double against South Iron with 13 points and 15 rebounds. He has emerged as a consistent offensive threat inside this season and he will be the go-to guy as a senior next year.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Stanberry</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1180835" first="Austin" last="Schwebach"]: The 6'5" 2022 forward was dominant in the victory over Wellsville with 18 points, 19 rebounds and five blocked shots. He has been a problem for opposing teams all season with his size and athleticism and high motor around the basket.</p> <p>Tyler Schwebach: The 6'3" 2022 guard complimented his twin brothers' inside dominance with stellar play on the perimeter as he scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds in the semifinals. His size and skill set give him a big advantage against smaller guards who have to try to contain him.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Wellsville-Middletown</p> <p>Isaac Seabaugh: The 2022 guard had 15 points, six rebounds and two assists in the overtime loss to Stanberry. He was very impressive when he was attacking the basket and finishing.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h5>Class 2</h5> <p>Bernie</p> <p>Tristan Johnson: The 2023 combo guard had one of the most impressive all-around performances of the day as he led the Mules to the thrilling victory over Putnam County. He finished with 32 points, seven rebounds, five assists and six steals. He is a very creative scoring threat who owns the mid-range and can attack off the bounce. He was also very active in the Mules pressure defense that forced many turnovers.</p> <p>John Nimmo: The 6'3" 2022 forward had seven points and a team-high 11 rebounds as he battled inside against Putnam's very good front line. He has a stout frame and he knows how to use it around the basket to get position to either post up or rebound.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Putnam County</p> <p>Lance Fowler: The 6'3" 2022 forward is a high-energy player whose motor never seems to stop running. In the state quarterfinals against Sacred Heart, he hustled his way to five steals in an overtime victory. On Friday, he grabbed 16 rebounds to go along with his team-high 20 points in the semifinals. He's always working and he gets the results.</p> <p>Owen Ream: The 6'1" 2024 guard scored 17 points in the semifinal contest against Bernie. Most of his damage was done from long distance as he knocked down five 3-pointers out of nine attempts.</p> <p>Landon Wood: The burly 6'5" 270-pound 2022 finished with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists on the day. He is a physical player down in the low post with his ability to seal and finish, but he also displayed some nimble footwork and skill level in getting to the basket off the dribble.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Norwood</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1181874" first="Garrett" last="Davault"] (Pictured): Garrett DaBuckets was on brand once again as he scored a tournament-high 39 points along with eight rebounds in the Pirates victory over LeBlond. He attacks well and he is automatic around the basket as he made 12 of his 14 field goal attempts. He also gets himself to the free throw line where he was also cash money. His conditioning is tremendous because he always has the ball in his hands in attack mode.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>LeBlond</p> <p>Chris Guldan: The 5'10" 2022 guard scored a team-high 16 points in the semifinal game against Norwood. The veteran guard really came up big in the fourth quarter as the Eagles fought to take a lead. He rose to the occasion with some big buckets on the drive and a timely 3-pointer to give his team a chance to win the game.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>