Smith-Cotton senior Dante Scroggins worked inside and outside to help the Tiger secure a 58-50 win over Parkview on Friday night in the semifinals of the S-C McDonald’s Boys Classic in the S-C gym.
Scroggins, who finished with 25 points and five rebounds, threw down an alley-oop dunk on a pass from point guard Zion Buckner then drained a three-pointer on the Tigers’ next possession to push S-C’s lead to 10 points with 3:40 left to play. S-C continued its success at the free-throw line to close out the game.
S-C led 13-7 after the first quarter and held the advantage until the Vikings’ Camron Satterfield’s layup tied the game at 20-20 with 2:18 to play in the first half. The teams then traded baskets to settle on a 22-22 score at halftime.
Parkview grabbed its first lead of the game, 24-22, at the 6:31 mark of the third quarter on a shot by Garrett Cunningham. Bucker responded with a three-pointer to give the lead back to the Tigers, 25-24. Cunningham scored on back-to-back inside moves to give the Vikings a 31-28 lead.
The game marked the return of S-C junior Keoni Hale, who missed three games with a foot injury. He scored a basket off of a pick-and-roll play, made a pair of free throws then stole the ball and fed Buckner for a layup to give S-C a 34-31 lead with 1:18 to play in the third quarter, and the Tigers did not trail again.
“It was good to have (Hale) back,” said S-C Head Coach Brennan Scanlon. “We’re coming together as a team. I enjoy coaching these guys. Their work ethic has been good. Right now, we are more together and more of a team than we have been all year.”
Bucker finished with 19 points and seven assists; Hale had five points and six rebounds. Cunningham led Parkview with 19 points, and Satterfield added 13.
“It was a great team win,” Scanlon said. “I’m proud of my guys.”
S-C has a 9-3 record.
S-C will play the winner of Friday’s late game between Webster Groves and Rock Bridge in the championship game at 2:30 p.m. Saturday