This shootout was a fundraiser for the Show-Me State Games and brought together 10 of Missouri’s top high school basketball teams to play under one roof. Funds were raised, and fans got to watch some of Missouri’s best talent perform where their beloved Tigers play.
With an exception to the Final Four games, this is the only time the RBHS players will get to play in this gym. Varsity starter junior Jackson Dubinski said that playing at Mizzou Arena was a good experience, as well as a challenge for the team.
“The atmosphere is the best you can play in. To know that there have been great players on that floor makes it even that much more special,” Dubinski said. “It just feels better: it’s bigger, the rims are perfect and it’s just fun to play on … you actually enjoy running and hustling.”
Though the court was different, the Bruins took it by storm. The team started off the game with a 7-4 lead against the Blue Jays and never once lost headway. By the end of the first quarter, the Bruins were up 19-12. They continued to rack up the points, and by halftime, the score was 43-23 in favor of RBHS.
The Bruins pushed hard into the second half of the game, leaving Washington in the dust at the end of the third quarter, 63-39. The intensity of the game picked up as both teams pushed into the fourth quarter. When the final buzzer sounded, the Bruins stole the game with a final score of 76-51. Washington was a solid team, Dubinski said; however, they couldn’t keep up with the RBHS boys, who fought hard to win for redemption after their latest loss to Hickman.
“We needed to just forget about all that has happened this past week,” Dubinski said. “It was good to come out and play that well.”
By Brittany Cornelison
[nggallery id=238] Photos by Brittany Cornelison and Kristen Buster
