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IWA Basketball Pads MSHSAA State Record With Ninth Title
By Jim Wieners
Incarnate Word Academy keeps on winning Missouri State High School Activities Association Girls Basketball titles and last weekend was no exception.
However, where the Red Knights played March 16-17 was. IWA won its ninth state title played at the JQH Arena on the Missouri State University campus in Springfield. Their previous seven titles (from 2006 to 2017) were at Mizzou Arena on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia. The 1995 state title was at the Hearnes Center at UM-Columbia . Dan Rolfes is coach of eight of the nine state titles in the 13-year period (since 2006), most in any sport at IWA. Jim Johnson was the 1995 title team coach. Five titles in the last six years (2013-2018) are in Class Four, Three titles (2006, 2010-2011) were in Class Five and the 1995 title was in Class 3A.
The nine State Basketball titles ties the sport at IWA with Girls Soccer (From 1989 to 2009) and it took four coaches to do that with Andy Lodes coaching five titles (from 1993 to 2000). Both Basketball and Soccer currently holds MSHSAA records for each girls sport. Girls Soccer is just getting started in 2018.
Girls Volleyball holds the most titles at IWA with 11 (from 1976 to 2005), second in Missouri to Hermann (12). Five coaches won the 11 titles with Teri Clemens (1982-1985), Karen Piedmonte (1986-1987, 1994) and Lisa Orlet (2003-2005) each coaching three. Last Fall Volleyball, as well as Softball, each finished fourth in State.
IWA finished the 2017-2018 season with a 27-5 overall record with a 7-0 mark in winning the Metro Women’s Athletic Association title. The Red Knights were 25-1 against Missouri High Schools including a 1-1 record against Parkway North including a Red Knight win for the I-44 Showcase title in Lebanon, Mo.
IWA defeated MWAA rivals Ursuline Academy, Whitfield and St. Joseph’s Academy twice each. The Red Knights defeated Ursuline and Whitfield in the Visitation Christmas Tournament before losing to Illinois Class 4A fourth-place finisher Edwardsville in the Viz Tourney final. Incarnate defeated St. Joe’s, third place in Missouri Class Five, in the Webster Groves Winter Challenge before defeating Class Five State Champion Kirkwood.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME — IWA rolled over first time state finalist Carl Junction 69-35 March 17 as the Red Knights finished the season on a nine-game winning streak. Incarnate spotted Carl Junction a 3-0 lead in the first two minutes. After a swap of the lead Incarnate took a 6-5 lead with 3:13 left and never trailed after that. After leading 30-20 at halftime the Red Knights went on a 39-15 roll in the second half and the final score of the game with 1:06 left in the fourth gave IWA the largest margin.
A pair of senior sisters, Nakyala Jackson-Morris and Sonya Morris, scored as many points as the entire Carl Junction team. Nakayla Jackson-Morris scored a game-high 18 points while Sonya Morris added 17.Junior Marisa Warren, who had seven assists, and senior Tyler Flowers, each pulled down six rebounds.
OVERTIME SEMIFINAL SCARE — Incarnate Word found themselves behind 47-46 with 24 seconds left in overtime against Kearney after junior Rickie Woltman — who led the Red Knights with 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks — fouled Emma Couch but Couch made the first of two free throws and missed the second. However Jackson-Morris, with 12 points, scored the game-winning basket and free throw, after a Calli Schwarzenbach foul, then Jackson-Morris stole the ball and the Red Knights escaped with a 49-47 win March 16.
After spotting Kearney a 7-5 lead in the first quarter IWA took over leading 15-9 after one quarter and 27-20 at halftime. However, Kearney outscored IWA 24-17 in the second half and tied the game at 44-44 on a Caroline Kelly three-pointer with 2:46 left in the fourth quarter and that score stayed until overtime.
QUARTERFINAL — At Washington High March 10 IWA defeated Mar Institute-Country Day School 58-43 as the Red Knights outscored the Rams 31-19 after IWA led 27-24 at halftime. Sonya Morris scored 18 points, Warren scored 17 and Jackson-Morris added 12 before fouling out.
SECTIONAL — At Francis Howell Central March 6 IWA defeated St. Dominic 65-44 as Sonya Morris scored 26 points while Warren had 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals.
