SAPPINGTON – The undefeated Jackson girls basketball team needed a test after plowing through the first half of their season with an average margin of victory of 40 points.
Francis Howell obliged.
In a high-intensity, back-and-forth slugfest that included eight lead changes, Jackson outlasted Francis Howell 56-53 Thursday to win the championship of the Lindbergh Invitational for the second consecutive season.
Jackson (16-0), which won a game decided by fewer than 30 points for only the third time, was led by sophomores Lauren Dorey and Kate Deck, who scored 19 and 17 points respectively.
“Coming into this tournament, we knew we were going to be tested. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Our chemistry needed to show, and it did,” Dorey said.
Dorey and Deck provided the offensive punch through the first three quarters, but Jackson’s two seniors, Lilly Watkins and Jayla Smith were the catalysts for the decisive run to begin the final frame.
Tied at 44, Watkins gathered an offensive rebound and fed Dorey for the go-ahead basket. Smith followed with a hoop in transition and Jackson built a 52-44 lead midway through the fourth. Neither Watkins nor Smith scored during the first three quarters, but each made several impactful plays in the fourth.
“Jayla and Lily are great leaders. They didn’t score a lot, but they played great defense and had a lot of rebounds and assists. It’s not always about points, it’s about everything else you can do,” Deck said.
Francis Howell (13-3) was no stranger to nailbiters, having played in four games decided by one possession and winning them all, including a 57-56 thriller against Marquette in the tournament semifinal.
Sophomore Veronica Simmons scored eight of her team-high 15 points in the fourth quarter to bring Francis Howell within striking distance. She snapped a Jackson 8-0 run with a pair of free throws, hit a tough runner in the lane, and then converted a breakaway layup after a midcourt steal by junior Mikayla Gavlick.
The combination of intensified, full court pressure and Simmons shot-making ability pulled the Vikings within 52-50 with two minutes remaining.
“It was getting away from us, so we had to start putting more pressure on them, trying to rush them a little bit, and it worked,” Francis Howell coach Scott Cleer said. “And we made a concerted effort to keep the ball in Veronica’s hands, which allowed her the chance to make plays and get to the free throw line.”
Gavlick almost put the Vikings ahead with a left wing three that went halfway down the cylinder and popped out, but on the ensuing trip down the court, Watkins found Smith cutting to the hoop to produce the game-clinching basket for Jackson. Smith scored all five of her points in the decisive fourth quarter.
“For a young team that hasn’t been in a tight situation like this too often this season, seeing how we kept our composure is what I’m proud of the most,” Jackson coach Angela Fulton said.
Jackson needed to find that composure early to avoid a Vikings’ runaway. Senior guard Amya Porchia calmly negotiated full court pressure, senior Riese Grier scored interior baskets and after Simmons and Gavlick drained three-point missiles, Howell opened a 15-6 lead midway through the first quarter.
“(Francis Howell) is a good team, they were making shots left and right, so we had to adjust our defense on the fly, and I thought we adjusted pretty well,” Fulton said.
Jackson moved its full court press into the half court, giving the appearance of a 2-3 zone and then trapping furiously once the ball crossed the timeline. Deck scored a pair of baskets on steals and breakaway layups, and Jackson began to slice into the deficit.
“We struggled to get started offensively, so our defense had to play a big role in bringing us back. We got steals and that translated to easy transition buckets which boosted our confidence,” Deck said.
Deck began to find success on straight-line drives, which prompted Francis Howell to change into a 1-3-1 zone. With the 5-foot-4 Porchia on the back line, the Jackson guards fed Dorey in the post. Dorey scored nine of her game-high 19 points during the final four minutes of the first half and Jackson took a 30-27 lead into halftime.
“They were getting to the basket too easily, which is why we had to go to a zone in the first half,” Cleer said. “Credit to them. They’re so balanced on offense, they’re very athletic, they create pressure and they get up and down the floor. They’re a great team.”
In the third quarter, Deck and Dorey continued to find offense for Jackson while the long- range accuracy continued for Francis Howell. Gavlick, Porchia and junior Addison Almeling drained threes and the teams entered the fourth quarter tied at 42, setting up a rare opportunity for Jackson to make winning plays in a high-pressure situation.
“We just had to stay together and play for each other,” Deck said. “We made sure we picked each other up and we were there for each other.”
Jackson finished 25-2 last season, losing to Cor Jesu in a district championship game on the very same Lindbergh court where they played on Thursday. Deck and Dorey were freshmen on that team and have used that loss as motivation.
“We’re still a young team but that is no excuse. We know we need to step up and play together if we want this to be our year,” Dorey said.
Deck added, “Going out on a loss last year gave us fuel for this year. We’re hungry to go to state. That’s what we’re shooting for.”
What’s Upcoming:
Jackson will continue to be tested with matchups against defending Class 4 state champion Doniphan (15-1), two-time defending state runner-up Principia (18-2) and district nemesis Cor Jesu (13-1) among the games remaining on the schedule.
Francis Howell hosts Gateway Athletic Conference powerhouse Troy (14-4; 5-0) on Tuesday in a game that will go a long way in determining the winner of the GAC South.
“This is the gauntlet part of our schedule. We played Marquette twice, who is really good, and we were fortunate to win both of those, and we have Troy on Tuesday, who’s a monster. If we can get through this gauntlet only losing this game (to Jackson), I’ll take it,” Cleer said.
More Class 6 monsters:
Kickapoo moved to 16-0 with a win on Thursday. Staley (16-2) and Incarnate Word (12-2) have not lost to a team from the state of Missouri, and Lee’s Summit West (14-2) is 3-1 in games against teams that played in state championship games last season.
Photo gallery from this game: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/2023-24-Girls-Basketball/Girls-Basketball-2025-26/Francis-Howell-vs-Jackson-1-29-26.