Donettes ride defense to district title

KENNETT — The Doniphan Donettes basketball team still has unfinished business.

The Donettes took one more step up the ladder of postseason success with a 54-21 victory over the Fredericktown Lady Blackcats to claim the Class 4 District 1 championship on Saturday at Kennett High School.

Last year’s team featured an undefeated regular season, but a loss to Notre Dame in the district finals. However, this year’s district title, is just another step toward a greater goal: a state championship.

“We played really well defensively,” Doniphan coach Adam Epps said. “That’s what we hang our hats on. After last year, we weren’t going to be denied this time.”

Doniphan had a modest 11-8 lead after the first quarter, but then Carsyn Hagood caught fire again from behind the 3-point arc, hitting three treys, plus adding a deuce and two free throws to score 13 of Doniphan’s 23 second-quarter points.

On the other side, the Donettes’ defense was as impressive as their scoring ability — they held Fredericktown scoreless for the second quarter, and they led 34-8 at halftime.

Hagood scored eight points in the third quarter to add to her eventual game-high 30 points. The Donettes outscored Fredericktown 13-9 in the third and 7-4 in the fourth.

Sarah Owen also scored nine points for Doniphan, while the Donettes' defense kept the Lady Blackcats' roster below double digits individually for the game.

Doniphan raised its record to 25-2, while Fredericktown’s season ended at 17-10.

Next up for the Donettes is a Class 4 sectional game on Tuesday, where they will be at home to take on the Park Hills Central Lady Rebels. PHC (19-6) won the Class 4 District 2 title on Saturday night. Doniphan last played Park Hills Central in the 2023 Class 4 sectional, where Lady Rebels won 46-37 on the way to a third-place finish at state.

Tipoff on Tuesday is scheduled for 6 p.m.