Lutheran North Girls Basketball Can’t

Stop Strafford’s 4-Title, 115-Game Streak

By Jim Wieners

For the second time in three years Lutheran High School North Basketball were in the Missouri State High School Activities Association Class Three championships but March 7-8 the final four was at JQH Arena, on the Missouri State University campus in Springfield, instead of the University of Missouri in Columbia

In addition, for the second time in three years the Lutheran North met Strafford in the final four. Unlike in 2017, where Strafford won by 33 points (80-47) at the Hearnes Center, the Crusaders had a chance to deny the Indians a four-peat and end a 114-game winning streak and the margin is smaller but the result is the same. Strafford won March 8 by eight points, 61-53, which is their fourth straight Class Three State title. Strafford takes a 115-game winning streak, dating back to 2016, to the start of 2019-2020.

Lutheran North finished the season with a 26-7 record and won the Metro League with a 5-0 mark. Lutheran North hosted Strafford on Dec. 21 and the Crusaders lost 64-55, smaller than the 2017 semifinals but larger than this year’s State Championship.

The Crusaders also lost to Class Four three-peat state champion Incarnate Word Academy, 88-52 on Dec. 8 as the Red Knights won their 10th title (see related article).

The game had six ties and five lead changes. However, the outcome of the game came in the final 1:38 of the fourth quarter when

Strafford went on a 5-0 run in 57 seconds. Then, Strafford added four consecutive free throws after a Lutheran North bench technical foul, with 23 seconds left in the fourth giving Strafford an 11-pont lead.

Lutheran North opened with a 7-0 lead in the first 3:05 of the game before Strafford got on the board. The Crusaders led 16-13 lead after a quarter but Stafford outscored Lutheran North 14-8 in the second quarter to lead 27-24 at halftime. Lutheran North went on a 5-0 run between 3:09 and 1:33 in the third quarter but Strafford outscored Lutheran North 22-17 in the fourth quarter.

Five-foot-nine senior Madison Buford finished her Lutheran North hoop career by scoring 14 points.

In the March 7 semifinal, Lutheran North defeated first-time semifinalist Licking 56-48 after the Crusaders broke a 24-24 half time tie with a 32-24 second half. After trailing 14-12 through one quarter Lutheran North outscored Licking 44-34 the last three quarters.

Buford, whose three pointer with 50 seconds left in the third quarter put the Crusaders up for good (34-33), scored 29 points, making 10 out of 19 shots and seven out of nine free throws, and pulled down 11 rebounds.

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