Update: De Smet Jesuit Defeats Vianney; Advances To State Title Game

5:15 p.m. update

The De Smet Jesuit Spartans advanced to the Missouri Class 5 Championship basketball game Friday with a 58-55 win over Vianney at Mizzou Arena. 

Nolan Berry led the Spartans, scoring 11 of his 17 points in the first quarter. Brad Woodson, beset by foul trouble when he picked up 2 early infractions in the first half, was a one-man show in the fourth for the Griffins. He finished with a game high 22 points.

De Smet Jesuit advances to play Rockhurst Saturday night. The Spartans played Rockhurst in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament in St. Louis this season and were handled by their Jesuit counterparts from the other side of the state. 

Berry, who played with the flu that night, said Rockhurst didn't get De Smet Jesuit's best game that day. 

Enjoy our archived live blog of the game by clicking on the Cover It Live box in this story.

Original Story:

When De Smet Jesuit Head Basketball Coach Kevin Poelker was surprised to hear that Jackson had knocked off Chaminade in state sectionals, he needed help to gather intelligence on an opponent he knew little about. Who did he reach out to? Vianney Head Coach Kevin Walsh. Walsh's Griffins played the Indians and won back in December. 

"Kevin's a good friend of mine. I really like and respect him so we try to help eachother against opponents when we can. that was a good phone call to get," Walsh said Thursday.

Whatever Walsh told Poelker must have helped at least a little. The Spartans pasted Jackson 81-48 Saturday, putting all five starters in double-digits in scoring, to advance to the state semifinals. Their opponent Friday at 3:20 p.m. in Mizzou Arena? Walsh's Griffins.

Watch The Game Live Online 

Patch will have a live blog of the game starting at 3 p.m. along with links to watch the game courtesy of FOX Sports Midwest.

So two teams who have already played eachother twice in conference will battle it out again, with a whole lot riding on it. Despite a pair of De Smet Jesuit wins, Poelker tosses aside any suggestion that his team's victories over Vianney matter now.

"I think all that stuff's out the window. It doesn't matter if you've played them once you played them three times or you've never played them, everybody's going to bring their best and that's all that matters," Poelker said after his squad's win Saturday and before he knew Vianney would defeat McCluer North.

Walsh pointed to another phone call late in the season between the two coaches, where he said he hoped for another shot at the Spartans. Vianney's 2-6 conference record might not show it, but Walsh said his club grew tougher because of it and kept competing despite rugged opponents.

"Though it didn't end up on the right side of the scoreboard for us we thogught we were still growing and improving and getting better. I think it speaks to the quality of our league," Walsh said.

The Spartans defeated Vianney back in January by 24 points just as Nolan Berry was returning from rehab for De Smet Jesuit after breaking his arms in the preseason. The Griffins fell by 14 on the road February 5. Walsh says his team has improved since then, despite a 2-6 Metro Catholic Conference record

"Though it didn't end up on the right side of the scoreboard for us we thought we were still growing and improving and getting better. i think it speaks to the quality of our league," Walsh said.

But the Spartans have been impressive in a 10 game winning streak which began with the February win over Vianney. Berry has been playing with something of a chip on his shoulder on the inside, and teammates on the perimeter have taken turns with marksmanship from the outside, as Jimmy Barton, Brandon Shackleford and Mitch Plassmeyer have knocked down plenty of three pointers, helping create a nearly 19 point margin of victory during the streak.

Walsh said he doesn't expect either team to do much differently when it comes to a game plan. He said his club, which has held playoff opponents below an average of 40 points per game, will defend all five players on the court and not assume that De Smet Jesuit's weapons are limited to Berry and Barton.

Getting To Know You

If the teams know eachother well as conference opponents, Berry and Sean O'Brien, Vianney's inside big man know eachother even better.

although in talking with them during the season, neither said that offered anything in the form of an advantage when it came to playing on the court. 

Their strength coach, Tracy Fober blogged about the dilemma she'll face in the stands Friday.

Berry said the two team's coaches weren't the only ones who thought their squads had a chance to make it this far. "He (O'Brien) thought he had a good team that could make a run. I thought we had a good team that could make a run so working out with him and knowing him for a little bit it would be definitely special to battle him," Berry said Saturday.