Battle head coach Ben Pallardy knew it wouldn’t be easy for his third-ranked Spartans against Kickapoo. Both teams began the second half knotted up at 25, but the Chiefs built their largest lead in the third quarter at 33-29.

But against the second-ranked team in the state, the Spartans weathered the storm, with junior point guard Vernell Holt Jr. leading the way for Battle.

The chipping away at the Chiefs lead began when Holt drove to the bucket for a tough layup bucket, making it a one-point game.

On the next offensive trip down, Holt dished a pass to senior guard D’mario Ashford, who knocked down a 3-pointer, giving Battle a lead it wouldn’t relinquish in its 51-46 victory over Kickapoo. This was followed up by another tough finish at the bucket by Holt extending the lead to three, continuing a message that Pallardy told him at halftime.

“He just told me to keep getting to the basket, getting to the rack, and keep drawing fouls,” Holt said.

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Holt continued his impressive stretch into the fourth quarter by assisting Keshun Jackson on a basket while knocking down a 3-pointer of his own to go along with another successful drive and finish. Battle’s lead extended to as much as nine in the fourth quarter, and by the time Kickapoo gained some sort of momentum, it was a little too late to mount a comeback.

“He just came aggressive. He was ready to go. He’s not afraid of the moment, what I saw from Vernell is he just took it on,” Pallardy said.

When both teams faced off last season, Holt scored 21 in a 62-60 victory over the Chiefs on Jan. 26, 2023. He topped that mark on Friday night by tallying 22 points in the Spartans five-point victory in what he says is one of the best basketball games he’s participated in as a player.

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“It felt good. I missed a couple of easy ones, but it worked out,” Holt said.

It was Holt who helped the Spartans keep pace with the Chiefs early in the first quarter. He tallied Battle’s first nine points by attacking the paint. It’s a part of his game that he excels at.

“Getting to the paint, mid-range shot, that’s my shot. Nobody could really guard it for real,” said Holt on where he feels he thrives.

With the clock ticking down in the first quarter, Holt drove into the paint from the top of the key, slashing his way through the Chiefs defense before finishing with an and-one, electrifying the packed home crowd.

“He scored like our first nine points, and to the rest of the guy's credit, they were looking for him, and they were setting screens for him. We were trying to get him loose,” Pallardy said. “Vernell is amazing. He’s grown up so much, I just love coaching. I love Vernell, and I’m just so happy for him.”

His performance perfectly encapsulated the honor he received a couple of hours before the Spartans and Chiefs tipped off. With his contributions in track and field, Holt, along with his teammate Tate McCubbin, who was selected for basketball, were both added to Battle’s Wall of Honor.

“He’s one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen,” Pallardy said. “He plays football, he runs tracks, he plays basketball, and he excels at all three. He’s just a great kid. Everybody loves him and I just couldn’t be more proud of him.”

“It’s a nice accomplishment of working hard and getting to where you want to get,” Holt said.

The Spartans win on Friday night was the teams seventh victory over a 10-plus-win team this season. It snapped a 10-game winning streak for Kickapoo that dated back to Dec. 7 and is just its second loss of the season.

Freshman Brandon Rooks added eight points, while star senior forward McCubbin added seven of his own in the winning effort. All of McCubbin’s points came in the second half, exhibiting the team effort to stay together through a full four quarters.

“I just loved our composure. Even when we made some mistakes, of course, you’re gonna make mistakes, we bounced back,” Pallardy said. “We didn’t dwell on it. We went to the next play. I’m just really proud of our guys and just the poise and composure we showed was unbelievable.”

Battle will have three days off before returning to the court again. The Spartans will play three games in the Southern Boone Classic next week. They will start by facing Warrenton on Jan. 29 before facing Ft. Zumwalt South on Jan. 31 and Southern Boone on Jan. 3.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Behind Vernell Holt Jr., Battle comes away victorious in a high-ranked matchup vs Kickapoo