COLUMBIA, MO – In full uniform and with one knee intact, Stafford senior Elsie Larsen stood in the front court, awaiting the jump ball.
Larson suffered a season-ending knee injury during the Indians’ district championship game and was relegated to a role of encourager and advice-giver as Stafford advanced to the Class 4 championship game.
But last Thursday, the senior captain joined her teammates on the Mizzou Arena hardwood during the opening possession of the Show-Me Showdown.
“The decision (to start Elsie) was weighing on me. I had the discussion with the coaches, and we decided that we wouldn’t be here without her, and she deserves to start,” said Stafford head coach Dustin Larsen, Elsie’s father.
Elsie Larsen delivered an inspirational assist and sister Kinley Larsen scored 31 points as Strafford defeated Doniphan 75-55 to win the Class 4 state title at the 2026 MSHSAA Show-Me Showdown.
Strafford (29-3) won its sixth state title and first since winning five consecutive championships from 2016-2020.
“To see them do this, I expected nothing less,” said Elsie, who averaged 16.9 points per game and led the Indians in rebounds and assists before her injury. “We push each other at practice and make each other better. I knew people would be ready to step up no matter what happened.”
Strafford won the tip and Elsie quickly entered game mode. She set a back screen, accepted a pass at the top of the key and found Trista Van Horn ducking into the lane. Van Horn’s lefty scoop gave the Indians the first points of the game and prompted a quick substitution timeout from Dustin Larsen.
“It was a really special moment and it all worked out nicely,” Dustin Larsen said. “You don’t know how those things are going to work out, but the energy these girls had as they came into that timeout was amazing.”
For Elsie, who received hugs from her teammates as she put on her warmup jacket and returned to the bench, the moment was more meaningful than she anticipated.
“It meant the whole world, honestly. Being on the court with these girls one last time was just the cherry on top. We just love each other so much,” she said.
With Elsie Larsen out of the lineup, other Strafford players looked to increase their production; specifically, sophomores Kinley Larsen and Trista VanHorn.
Kinley, who scored 32 points in a 55-52 semifinal victory over Cardinal Ritter, continued to find the Mizzou Arena baskets to her liking during the championship game. She scored 31 points, collected nine rebounds and added three assists to pace the offensive attack. Her 18 first half points staked Stafford to a 35-28 halftime lead.
“She likes to score and she can score quickly,” Dustin Larsen said. “The last two weeks, a lot of attention has been paid to her, but she likes the big lights and likes taking the big shots.”
VanHorn shined under the big lights as well. The 6-foot forward dazzled in the post with drop steps, step throughs and turnarounds to the tune of 25 points and 16 rebounds. She seemed to get stronger as the game progressed, scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter to help Strafford pull away.
“When (Kinley) stepped up to take over Elsie’s role, I felt I had to step up as well. I needed to be the person to crash the boards and help bring the team together,” VanHorn said.
Doniphan (29-3) was led by junior Carsyn Hagood, who scored 27 points. Her driving layup sliced the deficit to 43-40 midway through the third quarter. A three-point bomb by sophomore Tara Davis in the final seconds of the third quarter tightened the gap to 50-48.
Hats off to Doniphan. Much respect. They have a great program and they had a great season,” Dustin Larsen said. “We knew they weren’t going to go away. We know that good teams are going to make runs, and we knew we had to stay the course.”
And that course was paved by Larsen and VanHorn, who proved too much for Doniphan to overcome. The two combined for every point during a decisive 13-2 run over a 2:36 span that propelled Stafford to the finish line.
“We set our goal to be here and we practiced every day like a state championship team. We came here knowing that this was the job we had to do, and we handled business,” Kinley Larsen said.
And despite the premature and disappointing end to her season, Elsie refused to allow her injury to end her impact on the Indians’ run to a title.
“My goals stayed the same. It just wasn’t going to be on the court. Everything I wanted to say, I was going to say purposely while being the voice of encouragement. I was still giving 100 percent, even if was on the sideline,” said Elsie, a Colorado State commit.
Kinley added, “Even when she went down, she was still with us. She led me, she led this whole team. She’s always going to be our leader, whether she’s on the floor or not.”
And for 18 seconds, she was on the floor, and it set the tone for a championship performance.
For a photo gallery from this game: visit: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/2023-24-Girls-Basketball/Girls-Basketball-2025-26/Strafford-vs-Doniphan-Class-4-championship