North Andrew girls falls to Rock Port in Class 1 sectional round

ROSENDALE, Mo. — The Class 1 Missouri State High School Basketball postseason tipped off Tuesday night, and North Andrew hoped its home crowd could help fuel a playoff run. Instead, it was Rock Port that took control early and never let go, defeating the Cardinals 61-40 to advance past the sectional round.

The Blue Jays came out firing, with Avery Meyerkorth setting the tone from the opening possession. The senior blew past the defense for the first basket of the game, and back-to-back turnovers by North Andrew led to four quick points for Rock Port, forcing an early timeout as the Blue Jays jumped out to a 6-0 lead.

Moments later, it was as if the Cardinals were seeing double. Audrey Meyerkorth, Avery’s sister, extended the lead with a layup, making it 8-0 midway through the first quarter.

North Andrew finally got on the board thanks to Ellie Lawrence, who drove hard to the rim for a lay-in. She followed it up with a 3-pointer to score the team’s first five points. Before the quarter closed, Madison Lillard found Lillian Richardson on a pass ahead, and Richardson finished through contact at the buzzer to cut the deficit to 16-7.

The Cardinals struck first in the second quarter, but their offense soon stalled. Rock Port took advantage, using its speed and defensive pressure to build a double-digit lead. Audrey Meyerkorth continued to attack the basket, while Avery Meyerkorth capitalized on a long rebound for a putback, pushing the lead to 20-9. It grew as large as 22-9 before North Andrew found a response.

Most of the Cardinals’ scoring before halftime came at the free-throw line, where Lawrence consistently earned trips after drawing contact. Lillard added a timely shot, and Lawrence scored the team’s final six points of the half, trimming the deficit to 29-19 at the break.

Any hopes of a second-half comeback quickly faded. Rock Port opened the third quarter with a 10-4 run and stretched the lead to 39-25. From there, the Blue Jays kept their foot on the gas and never looked back.

Audrey Meyerkorth led all scorers with 30 points, while Avery Meyerkorth added 13 for Rock Port. Lawrence paced North Andrew with 14 points.

With the win, Rock Port advances to the quarterfinal round, while North Andrew’s season comes to a close on its home floor.