Years ago, Neelyville senior J'Kayla Fowler got into a fight with a teammate on the bus.
As punishment, coach Becky Hale made the two of them run laps around the gym for an entire practice, holding hands while carrying a weight ball with their other hand. The faster Fowler kept getting in trouble again because the other girl was running slow, so she kept running without her. She'd get yelled at, have to wait for the girl to catch up, and hold her hand again.
"In the end we became good friends," Fowler said.
All but two of the Tigers have been coached by Hale since seventh grade, six years for Fowler and fellow senior Mackenzie Hobbs.
"She becomes your mom," Hobbs said.
That imprint has created a program with a killer instinct that has won 10 consecutive district championships, reached the state quarterfinals six years in a row, and on Thursday, will play in the MSHSAA Class 2 Show-Me Showdown for the second time in three years.
"We have that (killer instinct) because of her. She is always pounding into our heads we have to prove a point, we are a small school and everybody thinks they can just push us over but they shouldn't. We always have an 'X' on our backs and that inspires us," said junior Jentri Worley, who leads the team in scoring with 20.5 points per game. "I think we haven't seen the worst of (Hale). I feel like there's still more wrath behind her."
Hale is an intimidating presence on the sidelines, chewing on the refs, hollering instructions at her team, glaring at nobody in particular. Her voice is regularly hoarse after a game, if not entirely gone. It brings no comfort to the team, which feels like Hale always has a fuming reserve tank.
"Even if its gone after the game it will be back the next day," Hobbs said.
Junior Autumn Dodd's impression of Hale goes something like this ... one second she'll be calmly giving detailed, thoughtful instruction, and an instant later it's just big, angry barking dog noises.
"I feel like at this point we are kind of used to it, but we know that when she gets to that point, it is go time. We have to back up what she is yelling at us," junior Nicole Smith said. "I think it really helps us to push to our goals and get done what needs to be done."
What Neelyville needs to get done is defeat its fourth straight state-ranked opponent to reach the championship game.
The fifth-ranked Tigers (24-4) topped undefeated and second-ranked Thayer in the district championship by 16 points, then beat No. 6 Hartville by 15 points and No. 7 Oran by 18 points.
Up next is top-ranked and defending state champion Skyline (29-2). The Missouri Coaches poll was last updated Feb. 14.
Skyline is led in scoring by senior Kaylee DaMitz, who is averaging 20.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. A 5-foot, 6-inch guard, DaMitz is shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 36 percent on 3-pointers. She also leads the team with 108 assists.
Senior Chloe Cole and junior Autumn Garrett are both averaging 12.4 points. Garrett leads Skyline in rebounding at 5.1 per game while Cole it the team's top 3-point shooter. Like DaMitz, Cole is shooting 36 percent from beyond the arc but she has made 91 for the season compared to 54 for DaMitz.
Cole is shooting 38.3 percent overall while Garrett leads the team with a 52.6 field goal percentage.
Skyline has so far rolled through the state playoffs, beating Richland by 21 points and fourth-ranked Blue Eye by 37. This is Skyline's sixth consecutive appearance in the semifinals.
It hasn't played a game decided by single digits since Feb. 1.
Two years ago, Neevlyille beat New Franklin by 18 points in the semifinals before losing 78-57 to Crane in the championship game, which was Crane's fourth straight state championship. It beat Skyline each time in either the semifinals or finals.
"We went to the Crane game and I think it just hit us, 'Woah, no wonder they are the three-time defending champs.' We played their ball, we didn't play our ball," Worley said.
In its return trip, Neelyville is younger but more experience with six current players who were on that second-place team.
"We are a little nervous, not much. We've seen it before but the environment is different. We know what we have to come into," said Hobbs, who is averaging four points and three rebounds.
Added Worley, "This one feels different because I feel like we've been up there before and we know what to expect ... We learned how to play in a bigger environment with bigger stakes."
Neelyville has a big three in Worley, Dodd and Fowler to rival Crane's big three.
After Worley's 20.5 points and 5.2 rebounds, Dodd is getting 19.5 points and 3.9 rebounds. Both she and Worley have more than 100 assists.
"I'm looking forward to the bonding experience," said Dodd, who played for Neelyville when she was younger but transferred from Poplar Bluff before this summer. "I'm looking forward to being a team. I feel like this is my family so it makes even better to be here."
Fowler, who is signed to play for Three Rivers College next year, is averaging 13.2 points and a team-best 8.6 rebounds. The athletic 5-foot, 9-inch forward is often at the top the defense and press.
In the quarterfinals, her defense led an effort that held Oran point guard Leah Cauble, who is averaging 36 points, to nine points in the first half.
Worley, a 5-10 guard, also presents matchup problems. She is shooting 49.2 percent overall and 37.7 percent on 3-pointers. Dodd is shooting 53.2 percent and is 42.9 percent on 3-pointers. Fowler, who hasn't attempted a 3 this season, is shooting 67.1 percent from the field.
Another four players are scoring at least four points per game and six are grabbing at least three rebounds. One of whom is junior Tori Harlow, who is shooting 48.4 percent on 3-pointers.
Neelyville plays Skyline at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at the JQH Arena in Springfield, Mo. The championship game is at 2:40 p.m. Friday at JQH Arena while the third-place game is 11 a.m. Friday at the Hammons Student Center.