Park Hill South senior Avery Simmons (#23) scored or assisted on 11 of the Lady Panthers’ 13 first-quarter points against St. Teresa’s Academy on Dec. 7.
PARKVILLE – Leading 35-31 with 5:15 remaining, the Park Hill South girls’ basketball team (2-2) scored the final 11 points to take down St. Teresa’s Academy (3-3) on Dec. 7.
Park Hill South senior Avery Simmons played all but about 50 seconds and was a huge factor on the night. She scored or assisted on all but two points in the first quarter as the Lady Panthers led 13-9.
Simmons and junior post Ava Kells both had eight first half points, but the Lady Stars hit a last second 3-pointer to bring the score within one possession, 22-20. Sophomore point guard Addison Bjorn was on minutes’ restriction – only able to play eight total in her season debut, easing her way back from injury – and didn’t play in the first half.
The second half started out as a defensive battle with only two points being scored in the first four minutes. Bjorn came in for 4:11 and St. Michael was outscored six to three in that time frame and Kells scored four more points after the point guard subbed out, pushing the lead to 34-23 ahead of the fourth quarter.
The Lady Stars fought back to bring the game to within four points, then Bjorn came back in with 4:19 on the clock and they didn’t score again. Although Bjorn didn’t score in that time frame, she got rebounds and assists – ending with six boards and dishing out three assists – to make her presence felt.
Simmons scored seven points in the final eight minutes, including a deep shot from the right corner, to help put the game away. Simmons had a double-double for the second straight game – after only recording double-digit rebounds once before that – with 19 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.
Kells entered the game without ever scoring more than nine points or grabbing more than five rebounds, but that changed as she finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Maggie Schmidt and Lauren Dittmer both knocked down a shot from behind the arc.
That was the second consecutive home win for Park Hill South, following a 48-44 win over Blue Springs South on Dec. 4. Simmons had 23 points, 10 rebounds and three steals, whereas Tannah Jones had a career-high 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting from deep.
Park Hill South was coming off its first season opening loss since 2020 as Lee’s Summit North (6-0) came out on top, 51-41, on Nov. 29. Simmons scored a career-high 27 points on the night.
Most recently, Park Hill South traveled to Columbia, MO, to play in the Norm Stewart Classic to take on Rock Bridge (4-2) on Dec. 9. In a rematch of the 2023 Class 6 State Quarterfinals, the same team won but by a different score.
Rock Bridge led by as much as 21 points and only trailed for 34 seconds, coming out with a 66-52 victory. Kells ended with 16 points and Simmons had 14 points, while Bjorn scored nine points in her first full game back.