Donettes punch ticket to state quarterfinals

DONIPHAN — For the first time in 24 years, the Doniphan Donettes basketball team beat the Park Hills Central Lady Rebels in a postseason game.

The Donettes escaped with a tense and stressful 42-27 victory over Park Hills Central in the Class 4 state sectionals in Doniphan on Tuesday. It was the first win by Doniphan over the Lady Rebels since Feb. 28, 2001, when the Donettes beat PHC 65-50 in a Class 3A sectional contest on the way to a state runner-up finish that season.

The final score gives no indication of how close the game was until less than three minutes remaining in the second half. Doniphan missed shot after shot under the basket for more than three quarters, relying on its defense to carry the team to the end of the game and to advance in the state playoffs.

The Donettes took a 20-12 lead into halftime, but were outscored 10-7 in the third quarter. PHC drew within two points in the third and the fourth, but steel-tough determination from Sarah Owen, Ellie White and Carsyn Hagood gave Doniphan a 15-2 run to end the game and send them into the state quarterfinals on Saturday.

“This has been the hurdle that we've not been able to get over in the past,” said Donettes coach Adam Epps. “We’ve been knocking on this door for a while to get past this sectional game, and this year kicked it in, so I'm so proud of them.”

Hagood led the Donettes with 12 points, while White scored 11 and the duo of Owen and Kensey Killian each had eight.

Park Hills Central’s leading scorer was Allysa O’Connor, who also scored 12 points.

Doniphan improved to 26-2 this season, while PHC ends its 2025 run at 19-7.

The first half was a defensive struggle with neither team able to connect for much on the offensive end. Doniphan had plenty of opportunities thanks to turnovers generated by their defense, but their shooters couldn’t find their touch underneath the basket.

With more than four minutes elapsed in the first, Doniphan led by a mere 3-2. Killian generated a couple of breakaway layups off of steals to help the home team carve out a 10-4 lead at the end of the quarter.

Doniphan found the basket twice to start the second quarter to open a 14-4 lead, but the Donettes only managed six more points before the half, with the combination of missed layups and the Lady Rebels’ defense holding them in check.

Park Hills Central didn’t fare much better, trailing 18-9 with 2:39 left in the half. The Lady Rebels connected on a layup and a free throw to cut the lead to 18-12, but White drove the lane to score a layup at the buzzer to give the Donettes a 20-12 halftime lead.

The opening half of the third quarter couldn’t have gone worse for Doniphan. The Donettes were unable to score on open layups while the PHC defense forced turnovers that the Lady Rebels converted for a 6-0 run to draw within two points (20-18) with 3:47 left in the third.

The Lady Rebels had the Donettes offense completely stymied, with no room under the basket and zero 3-point attempts from Hagood.

“We had a lot of really good opportunities, and we just missed them,” Epps said. “Park Hills Central had a good game plan on us, and it took a while for us to get loose.”

Hagood finally scored from the lane and converted the foul shot for Doniphan’s first three points of the half to make it 23-18 with under two minutes left.

Owen hit two free throws at the end of the third to give the Donettes a 27-22 lead going into the fourth. Park Hills Central outscored Doniphan 10-7 in the third quarter.

Park Hills Central opened the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer to draw within two again at 27-25. Doniphan’s Tara Davis converted a steal-and-score to make it 29-25, and then Hagood connected to extend the lead to 31-25.

A basket from Owen followed by a Park Hills Central turnover gave the Donettes the ball and a 33-27 lead with 2:37 remaining in the game.

“We knew Sarah was going to be a mismatch for them, and they did a good job of doubling her, but she just willed some of them into the basket when it mattered most,” Epps said. “That’s what seniors do.”

White drove the lane for two, then stole the ball on the Lady Rebels’ end and scored to make it 37-27. Hagood followed with two free throws, and Doniphan led by 12 points with two minutes to play. Park Hills Central scrambled to shoot and turned the ball over, leaving them with no choice but to foul.

White connected on three of four free throws to put the game out of reach at 42-27 with 48 seconds left to play.

Doniphan senior Maddie Redus fouled out with 36 seconds left. Park Hills Central missed both free throws, and the Donettes ran out the clock to secure their spot in the state quarterfinals.

St. James beat Ursuline Academy on the other side of the bracket on Tuesday, which means the Donettes will host the 22-6 Lady Tigers on Saturday.

“We battled through adversity, but we’re not done yet,” Epps said. “We got to win another one against a really good team, so we have a couple of days to prepare and get ready for the quarterfinal game here at Doniphan on Saturday.”