Steelville High School’s boys basketball team competed in the 70th Annual Bob Sechrest Jr. Central Christmas Tournament in Park Hills beginning on Dec. 27 where they fell in a matchup against Festus. The team traveled back to Park Hills two days later to play against six seeded South Iron on Dec. 29, which will be detailed in next week’s edition. 

Steelville played one final game in the tournament, which will also be detailed in next week’s edition, before having a 10 day break. The Cardinals will play road games in St. James on Jan. 9 and in Potosi on Jan. 12 before returning home on Jan. 14 against St. Clair. 

Dec. 27 versus Festus

The Cardinals were seeded 14th out of 16 teams and were matched up against the three seeded Festus. Steelville was 4-4 entering play, coming off back to back wins against Valley in Aurora.  

The Cardinals received a tough draw against the Class 5 Festus Tigers. Class 3 Steelville was undersized in the matchup and had to scratch and claw for rebounds, which turned out to be detrimental during the game. Fetus boasted six players who stand at 6-foot-3 or above compared to just one 6-foot-4 Cardinal, freshman Chace Grayson. Six-foot-eight junior Nate Womack proved to be a handful for Steelville, who started the game matched up against six-foot-two Cardinal Hunter Starbeck. Starbeck battled admirably, but Womack’s size and brute strength led to numerous second and third chances throughout the evening for Festus. 

Despite being down double digits for the majority of the game, Steelville didn’t stop battling throughout the matchup. Festus started the game on a 13-1 run and took an 18-4 lead toward the end of the first quarter. Steelville senior Nate Gambill buried a pair of three-pointers in the final two minutes of the frame to bring the Cardinals back and make it an 18-10 game at the end of the first. 

Festus quickly responded in the second quarter and outscored Steelville 22-12 in the frame to take a 40-22 lead in the third quarter. But the Cardinals came out in the third quarter using tenacious pressure defense to force numerous turnovers and bring themselves back into the game. Steelville outscored Festus 19-11 in the frame to head into the fourth quarter, down 51-41. 

The Cardinals would get within eight points in the fourth quarter. Festus got hot from the three-point line and the rim tightened on Steelville’s shot attempts, leading to a 71-52 victory for the Tigers. 

Steelville was led by senior guards Malakai Bruno and Jackson Woods who scored 15 and 13 points, respectively. Bruno repeatedly and relentlessly attacked the basket against Festus’ taller players and went to the free throw line nine times, making seven of them. Woods did his damage from the perimeter and mid range, knocking down a pair of three-pointers, a trio of two’s and a free throw. Landon Rutledge scored all eight of his points in the second half and Gambill finished with six points on his pair of three-pointers in the first quarter. Starbeck chipped in five points, Will Bailey drained a three-pointer and Trentin Garrison hit a free throw. Festus had three players score in double figures led by senior Drew Johnson who poured in 18 points and Womack who added 13 points for the Tigers.