Class 4 Show-Me Showdown - Semifinals

Kearney (26-3) vs. Republic (20-8)

8:20 p.m., Friday, March 12

Mizzou Arena, Columbia

The Kearney boys basketball team plays Republic in the Class 4 semifinals. Game updates will be posted at the end of each quarter.

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Pregame

With 6-9 senior center Dillon Starzl and 6-7 senior forward Grant Cozad, the Bulldogs will have quite an advantage in tonight's semifinal contest. Republic does not have a starter standing taller than 6-3.

Kearney has won six consecutive games coming into the state final four this weekend. Republic has won five straight, but the Tigers had dropped five in a row before their current win streak. Senior guard Kevin Stander (17.6 points per game) sets the tone for the undersized, but quick, Tigers.

End 1st Quarter - Kearney 11, Republic 4

Two minutes into the game, Grant Cozad has injured his left ankle on an ally-oop attempt. He has to be helped off the court and is taken immediately to the locker room.

Even without Cozad, there's a whole lot of Bulldog defense in the early going. Republic has two baskets in the first quarter, and one of those came on a fastbreak layup.

HALF - Kearney 24, Republic 9

The Bulldogs have not shot the ball well (40 percent), but it hasn't mattered. Republic can't even get looks at the basket against Kearney's stellar man-to-man defense.

Dillon Starzl (12 points) has outscored Republic by himself. Damen Williams knocked down a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to give Kearney more momentum heading into halftime.

Cozad, which injured an ankle early, never returned from the locker room. He will try to go in the second half.

End 3rd Quarter - Kearney 36, Republic 16

Kearney scores the first nine points of the second half and opens a 33-9 lead. Republic finally scores four and a half minutes into the third quarter.

Cozad appears to be fine and scores his first three points of the game. Starzl leads all scorers with 16 points.

FINAL - Kearney 43, Republic 31

Kearney fails to score in the first four and a half minutes of the quarter. Republic's Stander has four 3-pointers in the quarter and pulls his team to within 40-28 with under two minutes to go.

Starzl scores a team-high 16 points for the Bulldogs. Stander poured in 21 for Republic.

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Semifinal - St. Francis Borgia (29-0) vs. Soldan International Studies (22-5)

Borgia, the top-ranked team in the state polls, started red hot and opened up a 15-2 lead. The Knights cruise into halftime up 39-32, while shooting 75 percent (6 of 8) from 3-point land. Nathan Scheer leads all scorers with 17 points at the half.

Soldan makes a run in the second half, while Borgia goes ice cold from the field. Soldan closes within two points in the third quarter but trails 58-51 after three quarters.

Borgia leads by about 10 points most of the fourth quarter. Scheer, who finished with a game-high 28 points, fouls out with four minutes to go. Soldan closes to within six points but could get no closer.

Borgia 83, Soldan 72 FINAL