CHESTERFIELD • The Parkway North boys basketball team stifled Parkway Central's interior offense in a Class 5 District 4 semifinal showdown Wednesday at Central.
No. 2 seed Parkway North controlled the paint and in doing so earned a 49-45 victory over No. 3 seed Parkway Central.
Parkway North (20-6) senior Darrell Johnson put together an impressive night, scoring 14 points, pulling down 18 rebounds and blocking nine shots.
Johnson and the Vikings will face top-seeded De Smet at 7 p.m. Friday in the district title game.
“It's going to take defense,” Johnson said. “We did it here, (and) we can do it again on Friday.”
De Smet, the defending district champ, downed Hazelwood West 72-52 Wednesday in the other semifinal.
Parkway North survived a monster game by Central guard Zach Carel, who had six 3-pointers and finished with 28 points.
The Viking put plenty of effort in controlling the interior as Johnson and fellow senior Donavin Newsom limited Central's production with its top priority to keep a body on Central senior Zach Biggs. Biggs came into the game averaging 16.9 points, but finished with three.
“(Parkway Central) has been getting their points on us inside the last couple of years,” Johnson said. “In the last game, when we lost to them, they had over 22 offensive boards. We couldn't have it. Coach made sure that we boxed out and that we found Biggs.”
The game was back and fourth until late in third quarter when Parkway North was able to make some space. Johnson scored on a putback and Hines drained a 3-pointer as the Vikings went into the fourth quarter up 35-27.
Parkway Central chipped away, closing the gap to 38-32 with 4:30 left as Moore sank a 3-pointer and Biggs scored his only field goal on a dunk.
A basket by Newsom pushed the Vikings' lead to six points with 1:49 to go before Carel sank two free throws and nailed a wild 3-pointer to make it 47-45 with 29.7 to play. But Parkway North locked up the win with a pair of late free throws.
Parkway North kept things interesting by struggling at the line. The Vikings managed only 12 of 25 on free throws.
“We didn't knock down our free throws in the beginning but we got them in the end,” Johnson, a Ball State recruit, said. “That's what counts.”
The two teams had split in two previous meetings this season.
Follow all of the playoff brackets here. In other district basketball action:
DE SMET 72, HAZELWOOD WEST 52 • The top-seeded Spartans improved to 19-8 and locked up a return trip to the district final.
The Spartans were able to pull away with a 21-9 run in the fourth quarter.
“To execute on both ends and finish was great,” De Smet coach Kevin Poelker said. “We knew they would play with a lot of intensity and that they would be after us. They can get rolling in a heartbeat.”
Coming into the game, the Spartans had lost two of their last three.
Nolan Berry scored 17 points, Eric Moeller 16 and Alec Bausch 14 for De Smet. Bausch also grabbed 10 rebounds.
Hazelwood West wrapped up its season at 13-15. Derrian Johnson Paced the Wildcats with 15 points, and Donald Burton added 14.
