Cardinals fall to Ash Grove in district play, Lady Cardinals lose to Marionville in district championship game

The 2025-26 high school basketball season has come to an end for both the boys and Class 2, third ranked girls basketball teams after losses in their district tournament last week.
 
The Cardinals traveled to El Dorado Springs on Tuesday, Feb. 24 for an opening round game against Ash Grove but lost to the Pirates 52-46.
 
Ash Grove jumped out to a 19-9 first quarter before being cooled down by Miller in the second quarter, being outscored 6-4. Miller would go into halftime only trailing by eight points. In the third quarter, Ash Grove doubled up miller, 14-7 to increase their lead to 39-22. The Cardinals rallied in the fourth quarter, scoring 24 points but they would still fall a little short in the end, losing to the Pirates by six points.
 
Hayden Brown led Miller with 12 points and Hayden Schnake added 10 points in the loss.
 
“I couldn’t be prouder of this group,” said head coach Brandon Weiss. “While the season didn’t end exactly how we envisioned, these boys fought until the final buzzer. Being down 15 points entering the fourth quarter and clawing back to within two is a testament to their heart. We have so much to learn from our seniors. Kyle (McWhorter) showed us what it means to show up and compete every single day. Paul (Nunez) defined grit, playing through injuries without a single complaint, a true warrior. And Owen (Weiss) proved that success is built in the unseen hours of hard work. I wish we could have extended our run, but I am honored to have coached this team.”
 
Miller finishes their season with a 12-11 record.
 
Girls basketball
 
The Lady Cardinals season came to end at the hands of Class 2, fifth ranked Marionville again, as the Lady Comets defeated the Lady Cardinals 47-46 in the championship game of the Class 2, District 12 tournament in Marionville on Friday, Feb.27.
 
Ashlynn Helton led Miller with 13 points, Madelyn Leivan added 11 points and Rachel Nunez ended the game with 10 points.
 
The Lady Cardinals reached the championship game by defeating Jasper, 66-32 in the semifinals on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
 
Miller ends the year with a 24-4 record.