Steelville High School’s boys’ basketball team lost its last regular season game on Feb. 18 against Pacific, which is detailed below. The Cardinals finished the regular season with an 11-13 record and headed to districts in Laquey as the number four seed. The Cardinals played fifth-seeded Laquey on Feb. 24, which will be detailed in next week’s edition, and will play number one-seeded Dixon at 5 p.m. on Feb. 26 if they pick up the victory. Steelville went 12-10 last season and went on to win districts as the number four seed following wins over Iberia, Dixon and Fatima in head coach Josh Pritchett’s first season at the helm. 

Feb. 18 vs. Pacific

The Cardinals hosted the Pacific Indians in the final home game of the season. Seniors Blaze Alexander, Malakai Bruno, Nate Gambill, Trentin Garrison, Landon Rutledge, Hunter Starbeck and Jackson Woods all played in front of the home crowd for the last time. Steelville started slowly on offense and were kept in the game by six first quarter points from Starbeck and a three-pointer from Gambill. The Cardinals trailed 13-9 after the first frame before finding their rhythm in the second period. Steelville outscored Pacific 16-8 in the quarter to turn its four point deficit into a four point lead heading into halftime. Pacific punched back in the third frame, and gave Steelville a taste of its own medicine, turning its own four-point deficit into a 41-37 lead going into the final quarter. The Cardinals were unable to string together multiple stops in the fourth quarter and were held to nine points as Pacific spoiled Steelville’s final game of the regular season with a 57-48 victory over the red and white. 

Bruno was the only Cardinal to reach double figures, and tallied a game-high 18 points on numerous tough finishes at the rim. Woods and Starbeck scored nine points apiece, Garrison added six and Gambill and Rutledge each scored three points for Steelville. Sophomores Cole Mohesky and Gavin Haddox scored 16 and 13 points, respectively, to lead Pacific.