CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Brad Shorter was definitely pleased with the effort of his underclassmen-heavy Carl Junction girls basketball team on Thursday night.
Shorter’s young Bulldogs battled until the end but ultimately suffered a hard-fought 63-53 setback to a solid Nixa squad in the championship game of the CJ Classic.
“I think we probably turned a lot of heads tonight,” Shorter said. “Nixa’s a very good basketball team. They’re very well-coached and they have great pieces. I thought our kids played with a ton of heart and just a ton of energy tonight. And that’s what we need out of them. I’m proud. They played hard.”
In other action on the final night of the annual event, Neosho rode a strong defensive performance to a 46-30 win over Joplin for third place, while McDonald County defeated Seneca 37-30 for fifth place and Nevada beat the Carl Junction JV 66-7 for seventh.
NIXA 63, CARL JUNCTION 53
In an intense clash between Central Ozark Conference rivals, the Bulldogs trailed by one with 2:15 to play before Nixa closed out the game on a 9-0 run.
“We missed a few shots, missed a few free throws, but by golly, I thought our kids played as hard as they could,” Shorter said. “We gave ourselves a chance. We have built some tradition here and we have some go-getters. They wanted that game.”
Sophomore guard Destiny Buerge led the Bulldogs with 27 points. She made 11 field goals and 5-of-7 free throws.
Also for the Bulldogs, Hali Shorter and Jessa Hylton scored eight points apiece, Kylie Scott had five, Hannah Lee added three and Allie Wrestler chipped in two. The Bulldogs hit 15-of-23 free throws.
Buerge and Scott were listed on the all-tourney team.
Nixa’s Macie Conway scored 17 points and was named the tourney’s Most Valuable Player. Rhianna Gibbons added 14 for the Eagles, while Ali Kamies scored 12 and Norah Clark had nine. The Eagles made eight 3-pointers and 19-of-28 free throws.
A fast-paced and back-and-forth first period ended with Carl Junction up 15-13, as Lee hit two free throws and Buerge converted a steal into a layup to give the hosts the lead.
In a frenetic and often physical second quarter, the Bulldogs took a five-point lead at 23-18, but the Eagles finished the first half on a 7-1 burst for a 25-24 halftime advantage.
Bringing relentless defensive pressure and shooting well from the perimeter, Nixa pulled away in the third quarter, as Conway and Kamies hit 3-pointers and Jacy Bray turned a Carl Junction turnover into a layup the other way, giving the Eagles a 38-28 lead.
As they did all game, the Bulldogs kept coming. Hali Shorter drilled a trey from the top of the key and Buerge and Scott both converted old-fashioned 3-point plays.
Carl Junction trailed 46-39 heading into the fourth quarter, but the hosts had one last run in them.
Buerge had three hoops, while Hylton made 3-of-6 foul shots, trimming Nixa’s lead to 54-53 at the 2:15 mark.
Nixa’s Gibbons hit two free throws before Clark turned a steal into a layup for a five-point cushion.
The Eagles then made 5-of-8 free throws down the stretch, while the Bulldogs had several empty possessions.
“Nixa’s kids play hard and they play with a lot of class,” Shorter said. “And we want to win with class and we’re going to lose with class. I’m happy with that effort. That was a fun one.”
Despite the loss, Shorter noted his squad gained valuable experience after going 2-1 to start the season.
“I think we learned a ton about our team tonight and this week,” Shorter said. “We learned what we’re capable of. At the same time, we learned the importance of playing hard and seeing what we can get out of it.”
It’s the first loss for Carl Junction’s girls basketball program since March 5 of 2019, when the Bulldogs fell in the sectional round of the state tournament. Of course, last year’s senior-led team went 28-0.
NEOSHO 46, JOPLIN 30
Neosho’s active halfcourt zone defense limited Joplin to four points in the middle quarters.
“It wasn’t perfect, but overall, I was pretty happy,” Neosho coach Ryan Madison said. “We played a little zone because we still have some things to iron out in our man-to-man. When we have Baylie Bowers and Oliva Hixson up top, they’re really disruptive. They’re long and they get in the passing lanes. They also do a good job of anticipating. I’d rather play man, but I was thrilled. I thought our 2-2-1 slowed them down, even when we didn’t get steals. We got a lot of fingers on passes.”
After scoring 13 points in the opening frame, the Eagles were limited to two points apiece in the second and third quarters.
“The girls played hard, but this one’s on me,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said. “I didn’t have the girls well-prepared coming in. It’s simply on me. It was poor coaching on my part. The girls are playing hard and putting out great effort. If they continue to do that, good things are going to come.”
Senior guard Olivia Hixson led Neosho with a game-high 18 points. She hit four 3-pointers and was named to the all-tourney team.
“She’s an awfully good player,” Madison said. “She’s been in the gym her whole life. She shoots it well. She handles it well. She’s sneaky quick. And she’s our leading rebounder. She’s just a really good player.”
Raine Harris added nine for the Wildcats, while Bailey Bowers had seven and Reagan McInturff added six.
Joplin’s Emma Floyd scored 11 points and Brooke Nice added nine. Brynn Driver scored six and Ella Hafer had four points in the first quarter before leaving after tweaking her knee.
Joplin led 13-11 after treys from Hafer and Nice and free throws from Emma Floyd.
But Neosho finished the first period on a 6-0 run, as Hixson drilled a trey, Bowers made one free throw and Michelle Lindsey scored in the paint for a 17-13 advantage.
Hixson scored eight of her team’s 10 points in the second quarter, including a pair of treys, and the Wildcats took a 27-15 lead into halftime.
Neosho closed the third quarter on an 8-2 run to take a comfortable 35-17 lead, and Hixson’s corner 3-pointer gave Neosho a 40-20 advantage with 4:30 to play.
The Eagles scored 13 points in the final frame, but it wasn’t enough.
“Playing three games in four nights, and with the short bench we had, there are some tired girls tonight,” Floyd said. “They continued to fight. We could have mailed it in, but they continued to battle until the end. I’m really proud of the effort.”
The Wildcats went 2-1 at the event.
“When you win two games in a tournament it’s a good week,” Madison said. “It was a good tournament for us. We showed flaws at times, but we played pretty well.”
The Eagles, who will host their own invite next week, went 1-2 at the tourney and are now 3-2.
“I’ve got to do a better job of putting the girls in positions where they can succeed,” Floyd said, noting offensive struggles. “They’re playing hard. I need to find something offensively that suits our strengths better.”
MCDONALD COUNTY 37, SENECA 30
This one was close all the way, but the Mustangs finished strong by outscoring the Indians 12-5 in the final six minutes after the game was deadlocked at 25.
Samara Smith hit a key 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to push the Mustangs in front for good.
Smith scored 12 for the Mustangs, while Aliya Grotjohn led Seneca with 17 points.
McDonald County led 12-10 at the end of the first quarter and 21-16 at halftime. The Mustangs were up 24-22 after three periods.
NEVADA 66, CARL JUNCTION JV 7
Blake Howarth recorded his first victory as Nevada’s head coach, as the Tigers beat the Carl Junction JV squad for seventh place.
A Lamar native, Howarth went from assistant to head coach after longtime coach Brent Bartlett retired from coaching.
After a pair of overtime losses to start the season, Nevada took control early and led 36-4 at halftime.
Abbey Heathman and Clara Swearingen scored 11 points apiece for Nevada. Neavada’s Tylin Heathman was named to the all-tourney team. Loren Lee scored four points for Carl Junction.
The Carl Junction JV was a late addition to the field, as Rogers (Ark.) was unable to attend due to COVID restrictions.
CJ Classic All-Tournament Team
Tylin Heathman, Nevada
Olivia Hixson, Neosho
Kylie Scott, Carl Junction
Destiny Buerge, Carl Junction
Norah Clark, Nixa
Alison Kamies, Nixa
Macie Conway, Nixa (MVP)
