MOKANE - Her first shot attempt was an indicator of the type of game Tipton's Myra Claas was going to have.
Claas made a 3-pointer from the left wing for the game's first points - one of six made 3s for the sophomore - and the Tipton Lady Cardinals led wire-to-wire Wednesday in a 70-53 victory against the South Callaway Lady Bulldogs in the Class 3 sectionals.
With the win, the Lady Cardinals advance to the quarterfinals for the second straight season. Tipton will host Clark County (16-7) at 1 p.m. Saturday with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
"She can score from anywhere," South Callaway coach Daniel Burns said of Claas. "She's so quick, she's so athletic. They've got shooters all over the place and then they've got athletic bigs inside that can just dominate. It was tough for us to match up with them. Their speed, they play so fast."
Tipton, the fourth-ranked team in Class 3 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, began the game on a 9-1 run with four of Claas' game-high 31 points plus inside buckets from Kenna Bixler and Macie Edwards.
Paige Clubb then made sixth-ranked South Callaway's first field goal with a 3 before Claas snatched the ball away near midcourt and put in a layup for an 11-4 lead at the 3:37 mark.
Claas was tasked with defending Clubb, who scored 10 points.
"To not only go out there and play great defensive against their All-American nominee, but then to go down the offensive end and also take care of business just speaks to how special a player she is," Tipton coach Jason Culpepper said.
South Callaway fell behind by as many as 12 in the first quarter before a 6-2 spurt in the final couple minutes of the quarter got the Lady Bulldogs within 18-13.
"They kept playing, they kept playing, they keep playing," Burns said. "We went on some runs here and there, we just didn't do enough to win. Congrats to them."
Tipton (24-4) opened the second quarter on a 10-1 run, including a Kiley Bailey 3.
South Callaway never got any closer than seven the rest of the way.
Swift passes got Claas open for a corner 3 to make it 38-25 and Claas pulled up for a 3 at the top of the key for a 41-25 advantage.
DeLaney Horstman, who led South Callaway with 20 points and 18 rebounds, closed the half with a pair of free throws to go into the break down 41-27.
The Lady Cardinals made it difficult on Horstman, though, swarming her in the post and contesting shots that would clang off the rim.
Tipton's physical play inside led to post players Edwards and Briar Cox to eventually foul out.
"We have 10 fouls to their one big, so we can guard her with two girls," Culpepper said. "We've got 10 fouls, we'll throw them all at her."
Horstman was able to capitalize at the free-throw line, making 6-of-8. But the rest of the Lady Bulldogs shot 9-of-18 at the line.
"That was our plan was to attack and get them in foul trouble, and they did," Burns said. "We just didn't make our free throws. I love the execution getting to the free-throw line. We did our job."
After Claas scored 22 points in the first half, the Lady Cardinals got plenty of production from Edwards, Cox, Bixler, Bailey and Courtney Edwards to close out the win.
Macie Edwards, who had 12 points and five rebounds, scored four straight points in the third quarter to push the lead to 47-27.
Bixler stole the ball away late in the third quarter and swirled in a layup to make it 52-35 with 1:22 on the clock.
South Callaway closed the gap to 56-45 two minutes into the fourth quarter on a Horstman three-point play, but the margin was back up to 15 at 60-45 when Cox scored a second-chance bucket.
Cox and Bixler each had eight points to go with 10 and eight rebounds, respectively. Courtney Edwards was a boost in the rebounding department with Macie Edwards and Cox in foul trouble, leading the team with 14.
Hailee Potter made three 3s for South Callaway on her way to 14 points.
South Callaway ends its season at 19-3. Horstman, Clubb, Kendall Dillon and Cassidy Crocker are the graduating seniors for the Lady Bulldogs.
"I knew from the moment I came here how special the group was going to be," Burns said. " They've just been all in. I love them, I'm gonna miss them. I wish them all the best."