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McCluer North Boys Basketball Nets First Class Five State Championship
BY JIM WIENERS
Last Saturday at the Mizzou Arena, on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia, McCluer North High School won their first Missouri State High School Activities Association Class Five Boys Basketball championship, in their first trip to the finals.
It was the sixth overall MSHSAA State title for McCluer North, which includes three straight Wrestling titles (Class 4A–1987-88 through 1989-90), the only Girls State Basketball title for a Suburban North Conference high school (Class 4A–1985-86) and the last Boys Soccer title played during the winter (single class 1974-75)
It was the first State Boys Basketball title for a Suburban North Conference high school since Riverview Gardens won the Class 4A title in 1991-92, their fourth overall and the third for the Ferguson-Florissant School District, joining McCluer which won the first two Class 4A titles in 1973-74 and 1974-75. It was the first state title for the Suburban North in any sport since Hazelwood East won the Class 4A Boys Track & Field title in 2002.
“This is what high school basketball is all about,” said head coach Randy Reed, right after last Saturday night’s 69-57 win over Kansas City-Rockhurst which was televised statewide by FSN-Midwest. Reed joins Charlie Sherertz (Wrestling), Carol Meyer (Girls Basketball) and Al Trost (Boys Soccer) as head coaches that led McCluer North to state titles. “It was a phenomenal run for McCluer North and the (City of Florissant as well as the Ferguson-Florissant School District) community,” said Reed.
Junior forward Torres Roundtree contributed to more than half of the Stars’ points last Saturday as he put in a personal best 38 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and made three assists. That included making 13 out of 15 shots from the floor including a three-pointer and made 11 out of 16 free throws. “Roundtree kept his cool,” said Reed, “kept everything under control.”
Roundtree gave credit to the Stars for their success. “It was about team,” Roundtree said. “I just stepped up (last Saturday night) a little bit just as the coach expected.” Junior forward Femi John added 10 points, senior guard Brandon Thompson had four assists and junior center Anthony Booker had blocked four shots.
McCluer North trailed only once, 2-0 in the game’s opening minute, and the game was tied twice in the first three minutes of the game before the Stars took the lead for good, 5-3 with 5:11 left in the first quarter. The Stars led by as many as 20 points twice midway through the third quarter before Rockhurst, aided by their raucous student rooting section rallied to get to within eight but got no closer as the Hawklets used up their last time out with 1:23 left in the game. That included hitting six three-point shots in the second half by two senior guards — three each by Conner Teahan (24 points) and Brian Barnthouse (15points).
“I would like to congratulate Rockhurst on their valiant effort,” Reed said. “Their coach (Mark Nusbaum) played (the championship game) his way.”
McCluer North reached the championship game with a 54-39 win last Friday at Mizzou Arena over Suburban West Conference co-champion Lindbergh in the Stars’ first State Semifinal game. Roundtree made eight out of 13 shots in scoring 19 points while eight of his 11 rebounds he pulled were on the offensive boards. John added 15 points and senior guard Ryan Goldkamp made three steals.
McCluer North led almost the entire game as Lindbergh tied it only once in the early minutes of the first quarter. The Stars led by as many as 16 with 55 seconds left in the game.
On March 3 at the University of Missouri-St. Louis Mark Twain Building McCluer North won their first State Quarterfinal game but had to go overtime to defeat Suburban South Conference Champion Webster Groves 48-44. John scored 25 points, Roundtree added 15 to go along with 11 rebounds, Booker had 10 rebounds and Thompson had five assists.
On February 28 in St. Charles at Lindenwood University’s Hyland Performance Arena McCluer North defeated another Suburban West co-champ, Lafayette, 54-46. Roundtree (21 points) and John (14 points) combined to hit 14 out of 17 free throws.
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