Canton Tigers Advance to Championship After 65–50 Win Over Puxico

The Canton Tigers have one game left. They defeated the Puxico Indians 65–50 and will now play for the championship on Thursday, March 13, at 8:00 p.m. CST at Mizzou Arena.

The game opened with Canton winning the tip-off, and after six changes in possession, Puxico got on the board with a jump shot in the paint by Scyler Zimmerman. Both teams had a strong first quarter. Bleu Taylor and Preston Brewer led the Tigers with four points each, while Puxico’s Landan Burchard and Zimmerman each scored five points. Canton held a narrow 16–14 lead at the end of the first quarter.

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Preston Brewer going up for a lay up
(Photo Credit: Ellie Goehl)

In the second quarter, Puxico ran into foul trouble, committing four team fouls. However, it didn’t slow down their offense. The Indians outscored Canton 12–8 in the quarter to take a 26–24 lead into halftime. Burchard led the way with 10 first-half points, including two three-pointers (2-for-4 from beyond the arc). Brewer continued to lead the Tigers offensively, working hard for every basket.

Momentum shifted in the third quarter as the Tigers went on a game-high 12-point run. Rebounding became a crucial factor—Canton out-rebounded Puxico 11–4 in the quarter, with Brewer grabbing four of those boards. The Tigers took control and entered the final period with a 42–35 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Canton kept up the pressure while Puxico struggled on the boards. The Tigers shot 60% from the field for the game and extended their lead to 64–48 before both teams began rotating in their benches. Canton held on to close out the game with a 65–50 win and advance to the championship match.

The Tigers were led by Preston Brewer, who finished with 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 2 assists. Tyler Frazier followed with 14 points, and Drew Gottman added 11 points along with a team-high 7 assists. With the win, Canton improves to 25–5 on the season and moves one step closer to completing their mission.

Bleu Taylor going for a layup (Photo Credit: Ellie Goehl)

Puxico’s Landan Burchard led the Indians with 22 points and 4 assists. Junior Jett Hancock contributed 9 points and 2 assists. The Indians fall to 27–4 and will finish their season playing for third place against the Lincoln Cardinals at noon.

Post Game

In the postgame press conference, Coach Armontrout credited the team’s defense and rebounding as keys to the second-half surge. Tyler Frazier added, “My teammates kept getting buckets, and then in the second half, I could do my part to help.” Bleu Taylor also praised the team’s defensive effort: “I think our defense was amazing, and you know, we just started to do what we were good at.”