The Higbee girls expect to combine depth and speed behind one of the top Class 1 players in the state to stand out above the competition this year. After finishing 19-8 with a tournament title a year ago, head coach Tanner Burton expects big things from his Lady Tigers.

Higbee had a breakout season last year, winning 19 games for the first time since 2017 after back-to-back 10-win seasons. “We had a really nice season putting our athleticism together to be one of the breakout teams in the area,” Burton said.

A big reason why Higbee was so successful a year ago was because of the play of then-freshman Ronnie Welch, who averaged 20.9 points, 7.9 steals, 7.1 rebounds, 7.9 deflections, and 2.9 assists per game. And she did all of that in just 15 games with an injured hand.

“Ronnie Welch came on the scene and made a statement,” Burton said. “We believe she had a fracture in her hand but [she] refused to get medical treatment as she didn’t want to be sidelined. I believe with her at full strength, we would have won 22 to 25 games. The girls really bought into our defensive mindset. It was our best defensive team in decades.” 

A highlight of last season was when Higbee knocked off state-ranked Marion County at home in a game where the Tigers forced Marion’s All-State guard to commit 15 turnovers. The Lady Tigers also entered postseason district play as the No. 1 seed for the first time in program history, before bowing out in the district semifinals.

This year, with a healthy Ronnie Welch, and essentially all of their point scorers returning, the Lady Tigers look to make a splash in Class 1 basketball. Higbee will also add freshman Lauren Spilman, who in junior high last year scored 43 points in one game.

“We should have more depth, versatility, and consistency nightly, which will make us more dangerous,” Burton said. “Having girls who don’t care about who scores, but who work to get the best shot, is a major asset for us. I believe our defense leads to our offense, and we have kids who can play both sides at a high level.”

Higbee will once again take the court with a high-pressure team that relentlessly sprints from baseline to baseline for 32 minutes. Last year, the Tigers played their best defense in 15 years, allowing only 37.2 points per game. They forced 869 turnovers last year in 26 games, with a goal of forcing more than 1,000 this year.

“We executed at a high level last year. We alter our zones and schemes by opponent, which allows us to be harder to scout and prepare for,” Burton explained.

Higbee also allowed only 321 offensive rebounds through 26 games a year ago. “We look to trim that number down also,” Burton explained. “This team has a ton of ability defensively if we can come into the season in game shape. I suspect we will be one of the grittier defensive teams in Class 1.”

Higbee returns nine starters from a team that last year averaged 51.2 points per game. Now a sophomore, Welch enters the season ranked 22nd for the Class of 2025, and ranked seventh as a combo-guard by Prep Girls Hoops Missouri. She will be joined by junior guard Alie Mitchell who averaged six points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.1 steals per game last year. 

Burton said Mitchell comes in with a high basketball IQ. “With the depth around her, it will allow her to come into the offense and transition smoothly early on,” he said. “I believe we have the potential to be one of the best Class 1 squads in mid-Missouri if we put in the work.”

Junior forward Isabelle Welch returns after scoring 5.3 points and pulling down 5.1 rebounds a game in 2021. Another top sophomore, Marilynn Ritter, also returns after averaging 7.7 points per game last year with 4.2 rebounds, and 3.2 steals.

Other probable starters include sophomore guard Raegan Derboven, seniors Emma Johnson at forward, Haily Derboven and Madison Ferguson at guard, and junior guard Addie White.

“I like our depth overall,” Burton said. “I think we will put in the work to become more versatile and dynamic defensively, and teams will just be uncomfortable when they walk into the gym. If we can own that, we have tremendous potential to make waves all season long.

“We try to alter our defensive and offensive schemes to fit our players,” said Burton. “This has been a strength for us in years past and honestly allows our older players to have a lot of versatility when they become upperclassmen. We like to play a really scrappy and gritty defense, and that allows our offense some comfort to flow with what we are given.”

Higbee opened the season at home with a convincing 83-25 victory over Bevier on Tuesday, November 22. The Tigers opened tournament action as the second seed on Monday at the Northwestern Invitation Basketball Tournament at Mendon. The Lady Tigers defeated seventh-seeded Hale 59-19 to advance to the championship side of the bracket. They will next play either Linn County or Brunswick at 7 p.m. on Thursday. The winner will advance to the title game on Saturday.