Nixa basketball captured the program's 21st overall district title with its 56-53 victory over Kickapoo and is headed back to the state tournament for the first time since 2022.
Click here to recap the game and view video highlights and photos.
En route to the title, Nixa knocked off Neosho 71-37, Glendale 72-57, and Kickapoo 56-53 and improved its record to 27-2.
The win advances Nixa to the Class 6 state quarterfinals, where the Eagles face District 6 champion the Rockhurst Hawklets (23-4), on Friday, March 14, at 6 p.m. Rockhurst beat William Chrisman 76-34, Lee's Summit West 46-41, and Raymore-Peculiar 60-42 in their tournament.
The game is at Nixa High School (514 S Nicholas Rd, Nixa, MO 65714).
Admission to the game is $10 and must be purchased online here or at the link below. Tickets go live for the general public on Friday, March 14, at noon. Tickets will be digital only, and no cash or passes will be accepted.
The Missouri Basketball Coaches Association (MBCA) ranked both teams in the top 10 in the final regular-season polls, Nixa No. 4 and Rockhurst No. 6. This elite eight matchup marks the first outing between the two.
Entering the contest, Nixa has a slight advantage on offense, averaging 64.3 PPG to Rockhurst's 62.5 PPG. The Hawklets have a two-point advantage on the defensive side, allowing 46.8 PPG to the Eagles 48.6 PPG. The two also did not face any similar opponents in the regular season.
Nixa is appearing in its fourth state quarterfinal since 2010, reaching the state final in two of those appearances. The Eagles were runners-up in 2012 and 2022, falling to Rockbridge in Class 5 and Christian Brothers College in Class 6.
Rockhurst reached the quarterfinals a year ago but fell to Springfield Central. The Hawklets made three additional appearances, reaching the final four and winning it all in 2013 in Class 5 over De Smet.
Other quarterfinal matchups include St. Louis University High School (SLUH) (15-12) vs. Lafayette (15-14), Chaminade (18-10) vs. Ft. Zumwalt North (20-9), and Blue Springs South (22-7) vs. Oak Park (28-1).
The final MBCA polls also ranked Oak Park (No. 1) and Chaminade (No. 3).
Click here for the Class 6 state tournament bracket.
Nixa's quarterfinal game will be live broadcasted on MSHSAA.tv for $10 here or at the below link.
An audio-only cast with a live scoreboard can be viewed for free on the Nixa Public Schools YouTube page (@nixapublicschools) here or at the link below.
Important State Quarterfinal Information Links:
Class 6 State Tournament Bracket
Admission ($10)
Live Broadcast ($10)
Live Audio-Only Cast
