MONTGOMERY CITY — Once the snow and roads were clear last week, Hermann High School (HHS) basketball teams coached by Ashley Aaron and Drew Lansford were finally able to being their hunt for hardware during their respective Montgomery County Invitational Basketball Tournaments.

Aaron’s Lady Bearcats started the week last Wednesday with a 46-43 first-round upset of the third-seeded host Lady Wildcats before coming up just short of another one during a 52-49 semifinal loss to Fatima’s Lady Comets.

They ended their tournament week Saturday in the third-place game against Mexico’s Lady Bulldogs.

Quickly building a double-digit lead in the first half, Hermann withstood several second-half runs by Mexico before leaving Montgomery City with third-place hardware following a 75-57 victory.

“Our girls played hard all week and I could not be any more proud of them,” Aaron said. “We played some great basketball and I’m looking forward to what we can do the rest of the season.”

Selected to the All-Tournament Team at Montgomery County, senior Kealie Lane led the Lady Bearcats against Mexico with a game-high double double of 29 points, 14 rebounds, four steals and three assists.

Madyson Yates joined the Lady Bearcat double double club finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Brynlee Ash chipped in 12 points while Andrea VanBooven made it four Lady Bearcats in double figures with 10 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots.

Kimber Hale added five points and three rebounds to go with three points from Hallie Kallmeyer.

Kalli Landolt chipped in two points eight rebounds while Carlie Walkenbach rounded out the Hermann scoring against Mexico with one point.

Alyssa Miller led three Lady Bulldogs in double figures with 27 points.

Grace Hudson (11) and Payton Shaw (10) also reached double digits in the scoring column for Mexico.

Lady Bearcats vs. Fatima

Taking down the third-seed Montgomery County Lady Wildcats in round one, Aaron’s Lady Bearcats went for their second Montgomery County Tournament upset in as many games during championship semifinal action against the second-seed Fatima Lady Comets.

Leading most of the way against their opponents from Westphalia, Hermann saw the Lady Comets come from behind in the second half putting them on the wrong end of a 52-49 final score.

Adding to her double double from the third-place game, Lane recorded another one finishing with 25 points, 13 rebounds, four steals, an assist and a blocked shot against Fatima.

Ash also reached double figures with 10 points, five rebounds and two steals.

Yates kicked in seven points and five rebounds to go along with five points and four steals from Hale.

VanBooven rounded out the Lady Bearcat scoring against Fatima with two points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots.

Alex Berhorst led Fatima with 20 points.

Lady Bearcats vs. Montgomery County

Opening Montgomery County Tournament play last Wednesday against the host Lady Wildcats, Hermann’s Lady Bearcats looked for blue and white bragging rights along Highway 19.

Nursing a 19-18 halftime lead, Hermann held on for a 46-43 upset behind 16 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots from Yates.

Lane also finished in double figures for the Lady Bearcats with 12 points.

Hale just missed making it a trio of Hermann double-digit scorers finishing with nine points and two rebounds.

Ash threw in four points and four rebounds while Erika Schutt added three points off the bench.

VanBooven rounded out the scoring against Montgomery County with two points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots.

Emma Rodgers led the host Lady Wildcats with 21 points.

Aaron’s Lady Bearcats will return to action tomorrow (Thursday) night hosting South Callaway’s Lady Bulldogs with JV action starting at 6 p.m.

Bearcats vs. Clopton

Falling 68-44 to Fulton’s Hornets during first-round action last Wednesday at Montgomery County, Lansford’s Bearcats bounced back with a 46-45 double-overtime victory over Fatima on a Ryker Ash buzzer beater advancing them to Saturday’s consolation championship game against Clopton’s Hawks.

Trailing 17-16 after three quarters, Hermann turned up the offensive jets outscoring Clopton 20-6 in the final eight minutes of their 37-22 victory giving them consolation hardware.

Kohlt Witthaus led the way for Hermann scoring 10 of his game-high 15 points in the second half.

Ash narrowly missed making it two Bearcats in double figures scoring all nine of his points in the second half.

Kruz Eldringhoff and Tayven Hopkins each added five points followed closely with two points from Corbin Sadler and one point from Aiden Eikermann.

James Matheny led Clopton with nine points.

Bearcats vs. Fatima

Sent to the consolation side of the bracket by Fulton’s Hornets, Hermann looked to keep their hardware hopes alive with a semifinal victory over Fatima’s Comets.

Erasing a 26-20 deficit after three quarters to force overtime, Ash hit a free throw in the closing of the first overtime to force a second four-minute overtime.

Down two in the closing seconds of double overtime, Ash made it a happy bus ride home for the Bearcats with a buzzer beater from 3-point land giving Hermann a 46-45 victory in two overtimes.

Nearly recording a double double, Ash showed the way for Hermann with 18 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a steal.

Kohlt Witthaus also joined Ash in double figures with 11 points, nine rebounds and two assists.

Eldringhoff narrowly missed making it a trio of double-digit Bearcats with nine points, three steals, two rebounds and two assists.

Hopkins and Eikermann each added four points rounding out the Hermann scoring against Fatima.

Blake Kliethermes led Fatima with 17 points while Bryce Wieberg also reached double figures for the Comets with 10 points.

Bearcats vs Fulton

Trailing 39-27 at halftime, Hermann was outscored 27-16 in the second half of their 66-43 first-round loss to Fulton’s Hornets.

Witthaus paced the Bearcats with 14 points and six rebounds while Eldringhoff also reached double figures with 12 points and two assists.

Ash added seven points and three assists while Hopkins and Eikermann each chipped in four points.

Eikermann also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds and dished out a team-best four assists.

Ashton Rucker rounded out the Bearcat scoring against Fulton with three points.

Paul Bruner led the Hornets with 22 points while Thomas Pittman Jr. (20) and Kaden Kleindienst (15) also scored in double figures for Fulton.