Hickman's 1-2 punch was a little too much for St. Joseph Benton.
Na'jay White and Danni Nichols combined for 38 points Thursday night to lead the Kewpies to a 54-45 victory against the Cardinals in the semifinals of the State Farm Holiday Hoops Invitational.
Benton never led in the game as Hickman opened the contest with a 9-1 run on its way to a 20-8 advantage after the first quarter.
The Kewpies led by as many as 16 points in the second quarter before settling on a 30-19 lead at the half. The lead remained in double digits in the third quarter, which ended with Hickman holding a 40-27 lead.
A 3-pointer by Bailey Russell pulled Benton to within nine at 49-40 with 1:24 remaining. But Hickman closed the game by going 5-of-6 at the free-throw line to ice the victory.
Hickman finished 18-of-21 at the line, while Benton was 5-of-10.
White totaled 23 points and 10 rebounds for Hickman (9-0, ranked No. 3 in Class 5). Nichols finished with 13 points.
Russell totaled 12 points to pace Benton (6-3), while Jayde Williams added 11.
Benton will face Blue Springs South in the third-place game at 5:30 p.m. Friday. Blue Springs South fell 45-39 to Jefferson City in its semifinal Thursday.