McAuley, Walnut Grove clash in quarterfinals
Mar. 6—Not a bad way to help lift the team to the next round of the state playoffs.
McAuley Catholic's Kennedy DeRuy exploded for a game-high 31 points in a 70-45 victory over Montrose in a Class 1 state sectional matchup on Wednesday night inside the Warriors' Gymnasium.
"Before the game, I was like, 'I got to get (the ball) out of my head,'" DeRuy said. "These last few games I haven't been hitting my shots like I have wanted to. Before the game, I was talking to myself and trying to get into the zone. The shots kept falling and I just kept shooting."
The 5-foot-7 junior, who is capable of playing multiple positions on the floor, nailed six 3-pointers to lead McAuley to its first quarterfinal appearance since 2002 and just the third time in school history.
"It feels amazing (to get this far)," DeRuy said. "My team has put in a lot of work in practice throughout the whole year. I mean, we don't stop no matter what opponent comes near us. We are always ready for that fight. I think we really brought it out (against Montrose). It was a whole team win. Everyone did exceptionally well. I think everyone was on their A-game. They knew this was a big game. We came in and got the job done."
But what lies ahead is a matchup against arguably the Warriors' toughest opponent to date at 1 p.m. today at two-time defending state champion Walnut Grove. The Tigers have also won 11 straight district titles.
"Walnut Grove is very good," McAuley coach Mike Howard said. "They have three all-state players on their team. It's going to be a very, very difficult battle. It will be a very difficult challenge for our girls. But I think they will step up. I think they will play hard. When you get this far, you never know what will happen."
Walnut Grove is currently the top-ranked team in the state, according to the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association. The Tigers are led by senior Faith Gilkey, who is averaging around 24 points, six rebounds, four steals and four assists per game this season. The Southwest Baptist signee recently became Walnut Grove's all-time leading scorer.
MaKayla McVey and Lauren Johnson also average double figures for the Tigers. The supporting cast consists of Sadye Crump, Jaedyn Johnson and Morgan Halley.
"We have a very tough opponent in Walnut Grove coming on Saturday, so we are going to work extra hard these next few practices to get it done," DeRuy said. "I don't want to back down. They are a great team. State champions and all, but I don't want that to get into our heads. I want to play our game, how we played (against Montrose). I feel like if everyone is confident, we will do good."
McAuley and Walnut Grove have one common opponent. Both teams defeated Golden City, but the Tigers knocked off the Eagles 68-14 in the Class 1 District 6 championship game on Feb. 25 while the Warriors beat Golden City 38-37 on Feb. 11 during the regular season.
McAuley's probable starters are DeRuy, 5-4 senior Gliza Damaso, 5-5 junior Kayleigh Teeter, 5-10 sophomore Lily Black and 5-3 junior Abbey Cahalan.
Teeter averages almost 18 points per game, and DeRuy is at 15 points.
The first substitutions off the bench are 5-6 freshman Kloee Williamson, 5-6 senior Carmen Colson and 5-6 freshman Avery Gardner.
For the Warriors, one step away from the Final Four means a lot.
"It makes me unbelievably excited," Howard said. "I have never been this far as a coach, so I'm excited about the opportunity. I know our team is excited about the opportunity. We have a couple of days to prepare for it, but we will be ready to go."
