Green-Beckham, Hillcrest sink Cassville

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Globe/Roger Nomer Cassville's Evan Stubblefield puts up a shot over Hillcrest's Dorial Green during Wednesday's Class 4 sectional game at the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center.

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March 2, 2011

Green-Beckham, Hillcrest sink Cassville

By Anvil Welch Globe Sports Writer The Joplin Globe Wed Mar 02, 2011, 11:58 PM CST

T.J. Dickinson, boys basketball coach at Cassville High School, was both disappointed and proud after the Wildcats lost 50-36 to Springfield Hillcrest in the sectional round of the MSHSAA Class 4 playoffs on Wednesday night.

“They stood toe-to-toe with a very good basketball team,” Dickinson said of his Wildcats. “They deserved the chance. I believe they proved they deserved the chance. We played all right.

“We missed some opportunities. Hillcrest is very athletic and physical. They (the Hornets) obviously were responsible for some of our problems on both offense and defense.”

Hillcrest, the 2009-10 Class 5 champion and ranked third this season in Class 4, improved to 23-4 and will face Washington Borgia at 1 p.m. at Missouri S& Rolla in the quarterfinals.

Cassville, which was coming off its first district championship since 1983-84 and an opening-round setback, finished 17-10. It had been seeded second in District 12 at Monett.

Hillcrest, which trailed 11-8 after the first period, led 23-18 at the half and 39-29 entering the fourth quarter in the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center at Missouri Southern.

Said Hillcrest coach John Schaefer: “We were sluggish early in the game and Cassville made us pay for it. They can shoot the ball.”

Chris Smith, a 6-2 senior, beat the buzzer with a 2-point field goal to give Cassville its lead after one period. Smith also had a 3 to spark Cassville in the opening quarter.

Dorial Green-Beckham, a 6-foot-5 junior who’s being sought by football programs throughout the country, registered three dunks in scoring 25 points.

Said Schaefer: “Dorial had a strong finish (with 10 points in the final period). He hasn’t completely recovered from a thumb injury.”

Schaefer also said Dorial’s brother, Darnell, a freshman standout, is being treated in a Memphis hospital for leukemia.

Added Dickinson: “Dorial is a special athlete. I think (6-2 senior) Josh Lewright made him work.”

Byron Wlliams, a 6-1 senior, added 11 points for the Hornets.

Joel Maher, a 6-6 junior, scored nine for the Wildcats Lewright added eight.

Cassville trailed by just three points early in the third period as Maher produced two baskets. But the Hornets then scored 10 straight points for a 35-22 lead before a Lewright field goal snapped the string.

Green-Beckham and Williams each had four points in the surge — 6-0 senior Luke Thompson also sank two free throws — with Green-Beckham capping it with a fallaway jumper.

Williams had an unusual field goal during the streak. Cassville had lost the ball on a backcourt violation but the Wildcats didn’t run it down to stop the play and Williams hustled nearly the length of the floor to grab the ball and score.

Green-Beckham’s rebound and layup closed out the first half.