FENTON – Clayton junior Sabastian Bolden is one of the most prolific three-point shooters in Missouri, and it quickly became apparent that Class 4 Sectional opponent St. James aimed to combat that.
“The scouting report – they know I can shoot the ball and they were trying to take that away from me, so I had to find different ways to help my team score,” Bolden said.
Bolden mercilessly attacked the paint to score 28 points, foul out three players, and power Clayton to a 75-61 victory over St. James in a Class 4 boys basketball Sectional Tuesday at Summit High.
Clayton (22-7), which advanced to the Elite Eight for the second year in a row, will face Dexter (20-9) in a Class 4 quarterfinal at 1 p.m. Saturday at Union High School.
Bolden, who was 88-of-177 from long-range entering the game, attempted only one three-point shot all night, which he made. Instead, he made a beeline to the front of the rim where he either scored, got fouled, or kicked the ball to an open perimeter shooter.
“He draws a lot of attention, he draws a lot of physicality, and he gets beat up sometimes, but we tell him to play through it,” Clayton coach Sumner Ahearn said. “We say, ‘Trust the guys on your team. Go make a play,’”
Bolden made play after play against a St. James defense that yielded only 25.5 points per game during the District 3 tournament and surrendered fewer than 50 points in 18 of its previous 23 games. The Tigers originally tasked defensive stopper Aiden Boone to contain Bolden while teammates kept a close eye on Clayton’s other, dangerous three-point shooters.
Before the midpoint of the second quarter, Bolden had 15 points and Boone had picked up three fouls.
“(Boone) is one of the best defenders that I’ve coached in 20 years. If a kid is able to do that to him, he’s a really good player,” St. James coach Ben Smith said.
St. James adjusted and tried to prevent Bolden from receiving the ball at all. If he did catch it, the Tigers immediately sent a double team at him. A three-ball by Tate Gruver, who led St. James with a career-high 30 points, and a strong drive by Isaac Smith gave the Tigers a 23-20 lead with three minutes remaining before halftime.
With Bolden shadowed, the Clayton bench made the impactful plays that tilted the game in the Greyhounds’ favor. Trevor Espe blocked a shot and made a steal on successive possessions to set up fast break layups. Tyler Fresson’s right wing triple punctuated a 13-4 run and spotted the Greyhounds a 33-27 lead at the break.
After starting the game with two turnovers and a missed layup, and after heavily relying on the excellence of Bolden through the first 15 minutes, the Clayton supporting cast found its groove late in the second quarter.
“There were some nerves to start, but once everybody settled into the game, we stepped on the gas pedal,” senior point guard Matthew Hurst said.
Hurst was the catalyst for an explosive third quarter by the Greyhounds. His drives into the paint produced kick out threes for Jayden Garth and Andrew Kuhlmann. A Damarion Vargas three after an offensive rebound by Bolden gave Clayton its first double-digit advantage.
“We’re at our best when we’re unselfish and trust each other,” Bolden said.
And Bolden stayed on the attack.
Another strong drive sent Boone to the bench with his fourth foul with 1:39 remaining in the third quarter. One second later, Bolden created a fourth foul on Nick Gleason. In all, three Tigers fouled out and two others finished with four personal fouls, most of which were committed while trying to defend Bolden.
“The foul trouble hurt us tonight,” Smith said. “Early on, I thought we were defending the way we needed to defend to contain them, and then with (Boone, Gleason and Isaac Smith) getting in foul trouble, it kind of took our rhythm away.”
Bolden, who made eight threes in a win over Fox and seven in games against Orchard Farm and Mehlville, attempted a season-low one shot from behind the arc Tuesday while getting to free throw line 13 times.
“I expected him to take more perimeter shots, but he really hurt us getting downhill,” Smith said. “He got into the paint, drew fouls and got us out of rotations.”
For St. James (21-8), which produced its first season .500 or better since 2021-22 and first 20-win campaign since 2019-20, the future looks bright.
“They really came together as a team. They played together and they worked hard. It was a very enjoyable season for us and hopefully we can build on it,” Smith said.
Clayton (22-7) finds itself preparing for a Class 4 state quarterfinal for the second consecutive season. Last year, the Greyhounds lost at Potosi 78-63 to prevent a second final four trip in program history and first since 1975.
“Same position as last year. Hopefully, this year it will be a different outcome and we can make it down there (to Mizzou Arena),” Bolden said.
Ahearn added, “We’re excited to keep it rolling.”
For a photo gallery from this game visit: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/Boys-Basketball-Photos/Boys-Basketball-2025-26/Clayton-vs-St-James-Class-4-Sectional
