Prior to Thursday night, one of Cora Smith’s favorite basketball games that she’s played in was Rock Bridge’s thrilling buzzer-beating win over Hickman on Jan. 26, 2023. Fast forward 364 days later, and the Bruins 66-41 victory over the Kewpies ranks up with the previous matchup between both schools for Smith.

There’s no bad blood between the programs, but with both teams being cross-town rivals, this game is undoubtedly important for all players involved. The Bruins put their foot on the gas and put themselves at arm's length against the Kewpies, with Smith being one of the main catalysts.'

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Both teams were neck and neck in the first period of play. The Bruins raced off to an 8-2 lead that extended to 13-6, but the Kewpies behind Ashtyn Kluesmeyer and Keyona Hall closed the gap to just a four-point deficit at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter became a different story. With Rock Bridge up six, Smith cashed in her first 3-pointer of the night, which became contagious as Malia Chevious knocked down a pair of triples from 3-point land.

After a forced jump ball by Jayda Porter, Smith knocked down her second 3-pointer, which was shortly thereafter followed by her third.

What was once a single-digit game has extended to a 32-14 Rock Bridge lead following Smith’s third 3-pointer.

“Whenever they’re able to hit shots like that, it just frees everything up, and then we just kind of relax and have fun,” Rock Bridge head coach Jill Nagel said.

The Bruins went into the locker room with a 43-17 lead over the Kewpies. In the second quarter alone, it was all Smith leading the charge with nine points in eight minutes.

“It feels great because it’s tough sometimes,” Smith said. “Like there’s a lot of ups and downs in the season, and sometimes your shot isn’t gonna go in, but you just gotta keep shooting, and when it goes in, it feels great.”

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Smith finished with 12 points on the night, behind Porter’s 18. She also knocked down her fourth 3-pointer in the third quarter, extending the Bruins lead to 51-26, which silenced brief momentum by the Kewpies after a 5-0 run.

“It honestly didn’t feel real. We’ve been working. We’ve been working for this for so long, and it just feels so great that all the hard work that you’ve been putting in that no one sees it’s really paying off, and it just feels great to have your team by you. And it’s a lot of fun,” said Smith on Rock Bridge taking and keeping a huge lead over Hickman.

While the offensive contributions are what most spectators at Rock Bridge High School took note of, it's the opposite end of the court that pleases the Bruins coaching staff.

“What you probably don’t see that the coaches see is how much she quarterbacks our defense for us, especially when we were in the zone defense,” Nagel said. “She is the one telling everyone where they need to bump and where they need to go to, so just a very high basketball IQ to be the coach on the floor and help everybody out.”

Smith is only a sophomore, meaning she has plenty of room to grow in her high school playing career.

“I feel a lot more comfortable this year, and I’ve kind of fit into my role. I know what my job is, and I get that done. I do what I need to do. Tonight it was shoot those threes, but every night like it’s not always about scoring. I do what I do for my team and whatever they need me to do.”

For her on Thursday night, her ability to light it up from behind the arc was more than enough for the Bruins. Rock Bridge extended its winning streak over the Kewpies to 2,922 days.

“It’s a great win. Hickman’s a very good team, and they didn’t shoot as well as they normally do tonight. Hopefully, we had a little something to do with that. But they’re still a very good team,” Nagel said. “I told the kids afterward if this is our biggest win of the year, we’re not going to go very far at the end of the year. We’ve got to keep building and keep getting better, and so that’s what we’re going to do starting tomorrow with practice.”

Rock Bridge will participate in the Webster Winter Challenge in Webster Groves, Mo. on Tuesday. The Bruins will take on Cor Jesu Academy. Hickman will travel to Branson on Monday to take on the Link Academy.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: How Cora Smith’s impact help propel Rock Bridge to a massive victory over Hickman