JACKSON, Mo. -- Puxico ran through every defense to try and stop Oran's Leah Cauble. They didn't work.
Cauble finished with 34 points, 26 of them in the first half, as the Eagles beat Puxico 75-24 in the MSHSAA Class 2 sectional playoff Wednesday night.
"We came out trying to face guard her and we couldn't keep up," Puxico coach Jordan Hill said of Cauble.
Puxico (18-9), which won its first girls district championship last season, has now lost in the first round of the state playoffs against Oran two years in a row.
Oran, ranked seventh in the most recent Missouri coaches poll, scored the final 13 points of the first quarter and the final 14 points of the second to lead 38-14 at the half.
Katelyn Streeter opened the third quarter with three straight 3-pointers in the first minute of the second half to put Oran up by 33, and the Eagles played with a running clock in the fourth quarter.
"I'm very proud of them. They've worked hard to get to where they are and I think people forget we are in (the early) stages of our program," said Hill, highlighting that Puxico brought back girls basketball in 2009 and had its first varsity season in 2012. "We were so glad just to be here playing in a sectional game. Nine years ago, we were lucky to score two points. We were glad to play Oran, who is a better team. We wish we had a better showing against them, but ultimately we were thankful for the opportunity."
The Indians won four games in that first varsity season, then nine two years in a row, then 13, and then 20 when they won their first district championship last season.
Puxico was competitive for the first six minutes of the game as both teams struggled to find offense.
The Indians were tied at 2, 4 and again at six as the clock passed the three minute mark.
"We were pumped up, ready to play," Hill said.
There were also a pair of lead changes, then Cauble put Oran (23-4) ahead for good with buckets on three straight possessions.
Then she scored what appeared to be the final bucket of the quarter with two seconds left, but Kaylee Payne stole the inbounds pass and made her desperation shot at the buzzer to put Oran ahead 17-6.
Puxico was still down 10 with four minutes left in the first half when again Oran finished with a punishing run.
After a pair of free throws by Payne, Cauble scored nine straight points, including a putback through a foul with six seconds left.
She missed the free throw, but Payne grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled on her own putback.
Her free throw sent Oran into the locker room with a 38-14 lead.
"Halftime was mildly, not excitable. There wasn't much to say at that point," Hill said. "We're either hitting shots and rolling and playing well or we're not. We knew coming into this that we were the underdogs. We kept telling them to give it everything they've got because we have nothing to lose."
Payne and Streeter both had 12 points and Jessie Long added 10 to give Oran four players in double figures.
Sophia Hancock and Faith Oliver both eclipsed Puxico's career scoring record this season. Hancock, a junior holds the mark with more than 1,300 points and Oliver will graduate second on the list.
"Two years ago we only had six players, five players, so we were small. Just seeing the talent we have from a small school, it is amazing that we've become so close, become a family," Hancock said. "It is an awesome experience with our crowd, too. We have a great support system with our town. They've donated stuff to us, our school supports us. It is a great feeling."
Hancock had 11 points against Oran and Oliver had seven.
Oran will face another state-ranked team in No. 5 Neelyville (23-4) in the quarterfinals at 1 p.m. Saturday at Three Rivers College.