It was a game of runs.
The Hickman Kewpies had the first one. The Jefferson City Lady Jays had the winning one.
Jefferson City opened the fourth quarter with a 13-0 spurt Friday night and defeated Hickman 44-38 in the title game of the State Farm Holiday Hoops Invitational at Rackers Fieldhouse.
"This wasn't our best effort, but it probably is our guttiest effort," Lady Jays coach Brad Conway said. "We were behind the 8-ball and fought our way back."
It's the seventh Invitational title for Jefferson City, but the first since 2004.
"We had an opportunity to do something and we wanted to give our best effort," Conway said. "This game was not going make or break our season, but it's great to win it."
McKenzie Gourley kept Jefferson City in it early, scoring 11 points in the first quarter as the Lady Jays took a 13-12 lead.
"She was huge," Conway said. "We talked about attacking the basket and she really gave us a spark when we needed one. She really stepped up."
Hickman then went on an 11-0 run to start the second quarter and led 25-15 at the half.
The Lady Jays were just 1-of-10 from the field in the quarter, but Conway said he wasn't worried about the lack of offensive production in the period.
"We knew our shots would start to fall, we were going to have to win it on the defensive end and in rebounding," he said.
Hickman went cold in the third quarter and after Lexy Haug hit a pair of 3-pointers, Jefferson City had cut the deficit to 25-23. The Kewpies then closed the quarter on a 5-0 spurt and led by seven with eight minutes to play.
Then came the run, sparked by an unlikely source.
On Jefferson City's first possession, Marshi Baird put back a rebound to make it 30-25. On its next trip down the floor, Baird drilled a 3-pointer to pull the Lady Jays to within two.
It was Baird's first 3-pointer of the season.
"She shoots those shots every day," Conway said. "She stepped up and knocked it down, she was wide-open.
"When it left her hand, I had a pretty good angle and I thought it had a chance."
Caitlin Anderson then hit a pair of free throws with 6:20 to play and the game was tied at 30.
Those were the first points of the game for Anderson, Jefferson City's leading scorer this season. But she played a key role in the victory and was selected the MVP of the Invitational.
"She's our quarterback, she controls what's going on," Conway said. "She sees the floor well and is our catalyst, with everybody following her lead.
"She was a facilitator tonight."
After a handful of scoreless trips up and down the floor, Jefferson City took the lead for good with 4:46 remaining when Hickman was whistled for a foul on a shot attempt and then a technical.
Alaina Allsbury hit one of two free throws, then Anderson did the same for the technical call and it was 32-30. Plus Jefferson City retained possession because of the technical and the Lady Jays made it a four-point trip as Haug hit a layup with 4:25 remaining.
Hickman missed a pair of free throws on its next possession before Anderson found Sydney Crockett for a layup and it was 36-30 with a little more than three minutes remaining.
"We hit some shots and Hickman went cold," Conway said.
Cassie Kent finally got Hickman on the board in the fourth quarter, hitting a 3-pointer with 1:06 remaining.
The Kewpies were then forced to foul to stop the clock. Allsbury made two to make the score 38-33, then Gourley hit a pair and it was 40-33 with :51.7 left.
Anderson converted on two from the line with :18.5 remaining to make the score 42-35. Hickman then hit a 3-pointer with :11.5 remaining before Anderson's layup at the buzzer accounted for the final points of the game.
"Free throws win games and we made just enough," Conway said.
Jefferson City (11-0, ranked No. 4 in Class 5 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association) has played a handful of close games this season and that may have been a positive Friday night.
"It's important to know how to win these type of games, you don't want to have a lot of blowouts and not learn how to win the tight ones," Conway said.
Gourley led Jefferson City with 13 points, while Haug added 10. Both were selected to the all-tournament team.
Jefferson City is back in action Jan. 5 at home against Sullivan.
Danni Nichols led Hickman (9-1, ranked No. 2 in Class 5) with 15 points. Nichols and Ny'jah White of the Kewpies were named to the all-tournament team.