COLUMBIA, MO- John Burroughs junior BreAunna Ward was grateful to have a practice run.
During a regular season matchup with Lutheran St. Charles on Feb. 14, Ward shadowed point guard Kyrii Franklin by picking her up full court, denying her the ball and making other Cougars generate offense.
“We didn’t want (Franklin) to get the ball because she was their main ball-handler, so that’s how we practiced it,” Ward said after the Bombers’ Feb. 14 victory.
Exactly one month later, the two teams met again with the Class 5 state championship on the line. This time, Ward drew the assignment of guarding prolific scorer Jordan Speiser the exact same way.
Ward defended masterfully and helped the Bombers hold Lutheran St. Charles to its second lowest point total in three seasons, as John Burroughs defeated Lutheran 57-41 to win the Class 5 girls basketball state championship during the Show-Me-Showdown at Mizzou Arena.
John Burroughs (29-3) won its second state title in the last three seasons, rebounding from a heartbreaking setback to Cape Notre Dame during the state quarterfinal round last season.
“Everybody was working so hard to get back to where we were our sophomore year,” senior Allie Turner said. “A big reason we won this year is that we lost last year. We knew what that felt like and we didn’t want that to happen again.”
Turner was instrumental in orchestrating a torrid start for John Burroughs. She opened the game by swishing a mid-range jump shot, and her second 3-pointer of the first quarter helped the Bombers build a 20-9 lead.
“They jumped on us early and that’s something we usually do to teams,” Lutheran coach Erin Luttschwager said. “We haven’t had that done to us a lot this season. They were just making shots and making plays.”
Meanwhile, the Bombers’ defense did not allow the Lutheran St. Charles offense to gain any traction. Franklin, the Cougars’ floor general, was unavailable due to a right leg injury, and John Burroughs cranked up the defensive pressure.
With Ward preventing Speiser from receiving the ball, the Bombers forced eight first-half turnovers, including a pair of five-second violations. They trapped ball screens and forced the Cougars to produce offense in the midst of chaos.
“They’re a good defensive team, that is what they’re known for,” Luttschwager said. “They’re going to press you full court and then they’re going to continue to hound you in the halfcourt, and we just struggled early on handling that pressure.”
Three-point bombs by Lutheran freshman Addy Cooley and senior Ally Auringer sliced the deficit to 22-17 early in the second quarter before John Burroughs made its most significant run.
Triples by Ward and junior Ashley Mays preceded an old-fashioned three-point play by Alice Crowley. A Crowley steal led to a Turner layup, and when Turner drained a 16-foot jumper, Burroughs completed a 12-0 run and built a 17-point cushion.
“It’s our ability to play with each other and for each other every single play,” said senior captain Monet Witherspoon, who is also the student body president at John Burroughs. “Whenever we play as a team, whenever we share the ball, whenever we recognize who’s on and feed whoever is on fire, we work really well together and we have success.”
Lutheran St. Charles (26-5), the defending Class 5 state champion, was not willing to cede its title peacefully.
Junior Chloe Reed opened the second half with a strong drive on the first Cougars’ possession. Baskets in the paint by Speiser and Kennedy Stowers increased the momentum, and when Reed collected a long rebound and went coast-to-coast, Lutheran St. Charles completed an 8-0 run to slice the deficit to 35-31.
“I was proud of our fight. We came out in the third quarter with a lot of energy and got within four,” Luttschwager said.
But Mays quelled the Cougars’ surge with a left-wing three. Then, the 5-foot-4 junior followed it with a strong baseline drive and assist to sophomore Moriyah Douglass to increase the Bombers’ cushion to nine points.
“I just know when I get in, I’m going to do all I can do to help us win and help the seniors win their last game,” Mays said.
Turner, a Gonzaga commit, connected on a 3-ball to give John Burroughs a 45-35 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. She led all scorers with 24 points on 8-for-13 shooting.
While Turner starred on the offensive end, Ward shined on the defensive end, holding Speiser to 15 points on 4-for-13 shooting, more than eight points below her season average.
“I tried my best to deny her the ball and not let her score as much as she usually does. That was my job,” Ward said.
The Bombers’ job was completed by playing a game of keep-away, where only two baskets were scored over the first 5:26 of the fourth quarter. Victory was sealed at the free throw line where John Burroughs went 10-for-12 in the final minutes.
For Lutheran St. Charles, which played on the season’s final day for the second consecutive year, the quest of becoming a staple at the final four has been thrilling.
“It’s been a fun journey, being with these kids, day in day out, seeing the work they put in and just watching them grow together as a group. We’re thankful to be able to go on this ride with them.” Luttschwager said.
As for the John Burroughs’ story, which took a surprise twist after a stunning quarterfinal loss last season, the final chapter ended exactly how they hoped it would.
“To complete our season like this, it’s really the perfect way to end a high school career,” Turner said.
