Photos by Patrick Spears and Carly Williamson

MARYVILLE – Raul Placeres won his 100th game here Friday night as head coach of the Maryville Scots. And yet he wants one more.
 
Reed Kemp scored 30 points in the 91-73 CCS Tournament Semifinal victory over Asbury. It was his fifth consecutive game with 30 or more points and during the game he broke Maryville's record for points in a season – a record that had stood for 53 years! And yet he wants 30 more.
 
The Scots are in the CCS Men's Basketball Tournament Championship Game for the third year in a row, and yet Saturday's 3 p.m. tip against Huntingdon is miles bigger than the previous two banners they have raised.
 
Because this one carries the magic ticket: Automatic entry into the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament.
 
"That was the goal when we started this season in August and September," Kemp said. "Putting ourselves in a position to win it here at home is what we wanted, and we are focused on doing it Saturday."
 
Preseason Pick vs. Cloud 9
Not since 2019 have the Scots graced the NCAA tourney, but Placeres and Co. are putting it all on the line Saturday against a Huntingdon squad that does not want its Cinderella season to end.
 
Huntingdon knocked off second-seeded and regular season co-champion Belhaven 78-66 in Friday's first semifinal. Now it is 21-5 Maryville versus 21-6 Huntingdon. The Hawks are just two years removed from a dreadful 2-23 season, so it has been a big turnaround under second-year head coach Zac Richards.
 
"That is a team on Cloud 9," Placeres said of the Hawks. "Nobody thought it was going to be them in the championship. Kudos to them because they have had a fantastic year. Coach Richards has done an amazing job to get a team that two years ago had two wins, and now they have 21 going into the championship game Saturday.
 
"I have the utmost respect for him and what he has done."


 
Inside Attack
Friday against Asbury, the shots were not falling from outside so the Scots took it inside. Maryville scored 50 of its 91 points inside the paint and had a 27-12 edge in fastbreak points.
 
The only tie was 10-10, after which the Scots scored nine in a row on their way to a 45-33 halftime advantage. The lead grew to as many as 22 points in the second half before settling at the 91-73 final. It was Maryville's seventh game of 90 or more points in the 2025 calendar year.
 
"We knew we could get to the basket; that was one of our notes for today," Placeres said. "And we did a great job. We held them to 40 percent from the field and we shared it with 21 assists on 34 baskets. When we share it, we win."

One for the Record Books
Kemp scored 19 of his 31 points in the first half, eclipsing the Maryville record of 645 points scored in a season by Dan McKinstry back in 1971-72. The Franklin senior is up to 663 points and counting.
 
Three other Scots were in double figures, with Kyle Cloninger scoring 12, Kobe Franklin 11 and Javi Rosell 10.
 
Franklin registered a career high for the second game in a row, following up his nine points in the regular season finale at Belhaven with his first venture into double figures. Rosell added six assists and Cloninger missed his first collegiate double-double by a single rebound, settling instead for a game-high and season-high nine.
 
Rosell with 112 assists is five away from having the most in a Scots season since Jay Bowyer dished out 124 back in 2015-16.
 
"These guys make me look a lot better as a coach," Placeres said. "Our strength is in our numbers, and we have shown that over the last 10 games since Jackson went down with his injury."


 
Fastest to 100 Wins
Maryville last made the NCAA tournament in 2019, which was the program's 20th appearance – all under legendary head coach Randy Lambert. Now Placeres has become the fastest Maryville head coach to 100 wins, doing so in Game No. 141.
 
And yet he is laser-focused on Win No. 101.
 
"We've had internal pain for the last four years because we've had an NCAA Tournament-caliber team each year, and for one reason or another we haven't been able to taste it," Placeres said. "That has motivated us all year, and Saturday we have 40 minutes to see if we can get it done."
 
NCAA Prize on the Line
Junior forward Chase Morgan says the team is welcoming the pressure that goes with playing at home.
 
"It's always a great feeling to be playing in the championship game at home," Morgan said. "Now you've got the added prize of the NCAA tournament on the line."
 
Over the last three Februarys, Maryville is a perfect 21-0. But they remember what you do in March.
 
"The team that plays the hardest with the most energy will win Saturday," Placeres said. "That's it. There is no pressure tomorrow because we have prepared all year for this moment. We just have to go out there and deliver."