ST. MARY'S WINS BUT LOSES KEY PIECE

Bryan Turner wanted St. Mary's to get out of its comfort zone this season. The Dragons did just that Friday at Soldan. The No. 1 small school, St. Mary's won 80-68, but there was drama in the gym.

Senior post Yahuza Rasas was hit with back-to-back technical fouls and ejected in the third quarter for hanging on the rim after a vicious dunk and taunting. Any player or coach ejected during a game is automatically suspended for the next game.

The Dragons' next one is a doozy. St. Mary's (6-0) hosts No. 5 large school CBC (2-2) at 7 p.m. Friday

Turner said St. Mary's has appealed the suspension through the Missouri State High School Activities Association and hopes to hear back prior to Friday's showdown with the Cadets.

“We're going through MSHSAA to see about that,” Turner said. “We sent in a video to show why he shouldn't have been tossed.”

The 6-foot-7 Rasas is averaging 13 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks per game.

Junior point guard Yuri Collins had a strong night in his second game back from a shoulder injury. He scored 17 points, grabbed six rebounds and handed out 10 assists.

The atmosphere at Soldan was what Turner wanted his team to experience. The crowd was intense and there were things that affected the game that the Dragons couldn't control. At one point, the scoreboard was unplugged. Neither team was happy with how the game was called by the officials. There was ample adversity to overcome.

“We have to keep our composure when things are not going our way,” Turner said. “I feel like my guys kind of fell victim to that.”

St. Mary's hosts CBC on Friday followed by home dates with Northwest Academy and Borgia before taking part in the Coaches vs. Cancer Holiday Tournament. - By David Kvidahl of the St. Louis Post Dispatch