Connaway, Smith featured on all-EMO team for Indians

The Van-Far boys’ season ended sooner than they wanted but still ended with several things to be proud about.

Before a 77-59 loss to Cairo in districts, the Indians won a season-high seven games to contribute to a final record of 17-11. In the Cairo loss, junior Nikos Connaway led Van-Far with 22 points and senior Cody Smith followed with 21 points in their final games before being named to the Eastern Missouri Conference team.

For Connaway, it has been three all-conference selections in three seasons with the previous two now being the unanimous first-team variety. The Indians had five finish with scoring averages of at least six points per game to show balance, but Connaway led the group with his 19.5 scoring average. Not only that, he averaged 8.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.2 steals to lead the team in those categories as well and shot 43 percent from the floor, 61 percent on free throws and made 30 3-pointers.

In a 75-45 December win at Silex, Connaway scored his 1,000th career point before finishing the season at 1,406 career points. He also grabbed his 500th career rebound in a 57-35 home victory against Wright City to end his junior season at 535 career boards.

In his final season, Smith emerged as a dangerous second scoring option for the Indians, especially in the final stretch of the season. He averaged 8.9 points for second on the team but scored 15.9 points in the final eight games of the season to secure a second-team all-EMO selection. Smith also averaged 2.1 assists, shot 42 percent from the floor, and made 28 3-pointers at a 35 percent clip.

Jensen doubles up on unanimous all-EMO nods

Van-Far senior Mara Jensen capped her career in a big way this season.

Before playing for Columbia College next season, Jensen earned a unanimous first-team Eastern Missouri Conference selection for the second straight season after averaging a double-double for the second time in as many seasons.

The Lady Indians finished 6-20 for a down season that ended in the first round of districts, but Jensen remained a steady presence as she has been during her high school career. She averaged team-highs at 18.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.7 steals and one block while shooting 40 percent from the floor. Junior McKenna Engh-Hoffman was second to her in scoring and rebounding with averages of 7.3 points and 7.3 rebounds.

Despite losing 47-29 to Elsberry in January, Jensen scored her 1,000th career point in the game to reach the milestone after starting her career with torn ACLs. After a shortened freshman campaign, Jensen earned three straight all-conference nods to cap a career that includes 1,169 points, 752 rebounds, 110 steals and 59 blocks.