For the second straight year, Skyline has a senior class that’s experienced nothing but final fours during their careers.
By next weekend, the Tigers hope to add the program’s first state championship since 2008, to highlight a remarkable five-year run.
Skyline used blanketing defense to put away Pierce City early amid a 67-24 Class 2 girls’ state quarterfinals victory at Drury’s O’Reilly Family Event Center on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers (29-2 overall) are state-bound for the fifth straight season and face Scotland County (27-1) at 8:20 p.m. Thursday at Hearnes Center in Columbia for a semifinals matchup.
“It’s awesome,” said Skyline point guard Kaylee DaMitz, who scored a game-high 20. “Some teams dream about winning a district championship or going to the final four once. The fact that we’ve gone (to state) five times straight is pretty crazy and awesome. It’s such an achievement for our school and a great legacy to leave behind.”
PHOTOS: SKYLINE VS. PIERCE CITY
Skyline scored the game’s first 13 points and never looked back. Skyline led 20-4 after the first quarter, 40-13 at halftime and 63-16 after the third quarter before emptying its bench for the final eight minutes.
The turnovers added up for Pierce City against Skyline’s smothering full-court press.
“We couldn’t keep up with them,” said Pierce City coach Rob Guerin. “Even when we were on defense, and we’re supposed to know be known as a pretty quick team, they made us look like we were standing still a lot.
“When you turn the ball over against (Skyline), it’s going to be two easy points for them most of the time.”
Skyline coach Kevin Cheek said it was a stronger four-quarter effort by his team compared to Wednesday night, when the Tigers road the strength of a big-first quarter lead (18-5) to defeat Newburg 65-54 in the sectional round.
“We talked about the last two days that no matter what the score is at the end of the first quarter, we have to start over and go play again,” Cheek said. “The girls did a nice job of that. I think we were a step or two faster than we were Wednesday night, which doesn’t make sense since it’s the same kids, but I think we had a little more motivation to go out there and get after it.
“I couldn’t tell you very many things that I thought we needed to do better.”
Autumn Garrett and Savannah Owen scored 10 apiece for Skyline. Junior Belle Golubski led Pierce City with nine points.
Skyline limited Pierce City to nine or fewer points in all four quarters.
“We said (pregame) that defense was going to win the game,” DaMitz said. “We wanted to make sure we got continuous stops. We wanted to see how many stops in a row we could get.”
Skyline and its three-player senior class – McKinsey Mountain, Sierra Rutherford and Lauren Wouters – are state-bound for the for the fifth time since the 2012-13 season, when the current seniors were in 8th grade.
Skyline also had a senior class last season that made state all four seasons of high school, but the Tigers’ quest for state championships have been derailed by four-time state champ Crane (2013-16).
For Skyline, program pride is instilled at an early age.
“I sat when I was younger and watched all the girls that were older than me succeed,” DaMitz said. “I want to follow in their footsteps. Whenever you only have a Dollar General and some gas stations in town, you have to go to basketball games.”
Skyline will be making its 13th final four appearance in program history and 10th one as a Class 2 school. The Tigers won state championships in 1996, 1997, 2003, 2004 and 2008.
Current Fair Play boys’ coach Lynn Long coached the Tigers to the two state titles in the 90s while Cheek was the coach for the three title teams this century.
Pierce City ends its season 25-5 overall. It was the furthest Pierce City has been in the state playoffs since 1998, when the Eagles made the final four and finished third in Class 2.
Pierce City graduates three seniors in Kristen Jones, Christine Stellwagen and Kayla Portillo.
“It’s a big stepping stone in the right direction,” Guerin said. “We’re hoping to put some pieces back together and hopefully make it back here again.”
Skyline 67, Pierce City 24
Pierce City 4 9 3 8 — 24
Skyline 20 20 23 4 — 67
Pierce City – Belle Golubski 9, Libbey Strickler 4, Ragan Blinzler 3, Kendyl Hayward 3, Christine Stellwagen 3, Bella Kamplain 2
Skyline – Kaylee DaMitz 20, Autumn Garrett 10, Savannah Owen 10, McKenzie Mountain 9, Lauren Wouters 6, Sarah Cunningham 5, Valen Logan 4, Chloe Cole 3
