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IWA Two Wins Away From 3-Peat
By Jim Wieners
Incanate Word Academy Girls Basketball will attempt to do something they tried three years ago but fell short and that is three-peating at state.
IWA, which began their run to three-peat March 3, continue Thursday, March 19, at Mizzou Arena, on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia, in the final Class Four semifinal game of the day. IWA plays against Bolivar at 8:30 and the winner plays Saturday, March 21 at 4:50 in the Championship game against the winner of the Thursday, 6:50 semifinal game between Mary Institute-Country Day School and Springfield-based Hillcrest. An IWA loss not only ends their hope but will have to play Friday, March 20, in the third-place game at 12:50 and go home one day earlier.
IWA tried to three peat in Class Five in 2012 but lost in the semifinals to eventual state champion, Columbia-based Rock Bridge, who has won three Class Five State titles in a row and is competing this weekend for their fourth straight. Also the drop in IWA enrollment dropped their Classification from Five to Four.
IWA — which began the season by losing two out of three games to Arkansas high schools in a tournament in Dec., 2014 in Fort Smith Southside, Ark. — is 27-2 and has not lost to a Missouri high school since losing in the 2012 semifinals to Rock Bridge and Rock Bridge took IWA to overtime on Feb. 7 in the Webster Groves Winter Challenge championship game before IWA won 53-50.
IWA has only three peated in one sport Girls Volleyball and the Red Knights did it twice. IWA won five straight first (1982-86) and three-peated a second time (2003-2005). Girls Soccer won three out of four (1993-1994, 1996). IWA has won six Girls Basketball titles and has won four titles in the last five years.
IWA began their run to their third straight state title by traveling nearly two miles to Normandy Collaborattive High and won the Class Four, District Six title at Viking Hall. The Red Knights rolled to easy routs over Soldan-International Studies, 84-10 on March 3, and Jennings, 65-27 on March 6. Napheesa Collier scored 52 points (31 against Soldan-International Studies, 21 against Jennings), had 11 assists, 10 steals, 32 rebounds (15 against Soldan-International Studies, 17 against Jennings) and 13 blocked shots (10 aginst Jennings).
In the 73-38 Class Four Sectional win over Miller Career Academy March 10 at Parkway West Collier scored 31 points, made 14 out of 14 free throws and pulled down 16 rebounds. In the 69-30 Class Four Quarerfinal win over St. Charles West March 14 at Francis Howell High Collier scored 31 more and had 10 steals to go with 10 rebounds, including six on offense.
McCLUER NORTH won Class Five, District Seven at home by defeating Ladue-Horton Watkins, 40-37 on March 5, and St. Joseph’s Academy, 45-42 on March 7. The Stars lost the March 11 Sectional at Lindenwood University to Washington, Mo., 53-48. In Class Five, District Seven Kortni Collins scored 26 points while Eriyana Simmons pulled down 15 rebounds.
