Your online home for Joplin area sports coverage.

Day: February 21, 2021

GIRLS SWIMMING: Carl Junction finishes sixth at state meet; area athletes earn all-state honors

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

ST. PETERS, Mo. — Four years ago Emma Lacey was part of history when a relay team earned an all-state medal for Carl Junction in its first-ever trip to the MSHAA Swimming & Diving championships.

Lacey was only a freshman when she joined then seniors Kiera Holt, Kinsey Morey and Madeline Wilson on the podium after taking eighth place in the 400-yard freestyle relay in the first year the Bulldogs had a program.

Three years later, Lacey got another all-state medal — actually three — and helped Carl Junction to the best finish in the program’s short history as the Bulldogs tied for sixth place in the Class 1 finals on Saturday at the Rec-Plex Natatorium in St. Peters.

It marked the highest team finish in the program’s four years, topping the 18th place showing back in 2018 when Lacey was a freshman.

“My freshman year we barely had a coach and we had to share a pool with another team,” Lacey said. “I can’t wait to see how they will do and see how far they take it. People have come and gone and helped shape it but the potential here is limitless. We have some good swimmers coming and I’m excited to see what Skylar (Sundy), Carsyn (Smith) and these freshmen do. I can see them going so far.”

Carl Junction opened the day by finishing as the state runner-up in the 200-yard medley relay – though it was a race the Bulldogs had the fastest seeded time entering the race of 24 teams in three heats. COVID-19 pandemic adjustments led to three heats of time finals instead of a usual one day of prelims and another day of finals that had been typical in the past.

The team featured a sophomore (Sundy), a freshman (Chloe Miller) and seniors Sophia Hensley and Lacey. The team finished in 1:50.18, aided by Miller closing with a 24.11 on her two laps, which was the fastest time of any swimmer in the race.

Carl Junction’s Skyler Sundy swims in the the 100-yard backstroke event at the MSHSAA Class 1 Swimming & Diving Championships on Saturday in St. Peters. Photo by Cody Thorn.

It wasn’t enough though as Clayton won the race in 1:48.92, slightly ahead of Carl Junction’s time of 1:50.18. Clayton set a new state record in race and shaved four seconds off of its seed time.

“Even though we did amazing, we feel we could do better,” Miller said. “It makes us so much more competitive. This will make us want to work harder to get first. I’m sad the season is over. I was happy for state but now that it is over I can’t wait to get back (in the pool). I feel we can do great things again.”

While the runner-up finish was the best finish for the program, the eighth-place finish in 2018 kept moving down the chart for best finishes.

The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Lacey, Sundy, Miller and junior Ally Montez swam 1:39.86 to take third place. A pair of St. Louis area schools went 1-2 with Cor Jesu Academy winning with a new state record time of 1:38.23, while Parkway West was second in 1:39.28.

Carl Junction went to the proverbial medal stand – there wasn’t a typical award ceremony due to COVID-19 as well – two more times.

Miller improved her seed time in the 50-yard freestyle and placed fifth in 24.41 seconds. Lacey earned her third and final medal in the 100-yard breaststroke, shaving a little more than a second off her time. Her time of 1:07.94 was almost a four-second drop from her 2020 time, when she placed 13th.

The Bulldogs missed two more chances to have a top-eight medal finish.

Sundy was ninth in the 100-yard backstroke in 1:00.86 and finished eighth in the third heat but was jumped by a swimmer in the second heat and missed a medal. The showing was a higher finish than last year when she took 11th as a freshman.

In that same race, teammate Carsyn Smith placed 19th.

“I’m happy with the results, it is definitely a big step up from last year,” Sundy said. “There are some things I was hoping to do a little better in but also this is way more than I expected coming into the season.”

Carl Junction took second in the second heat of the 400-yard freestyle relay and placed ninth overall with a time of 3:46.87 with Miller, Montez, Sundy and Lacey competing. 

The Bulldogs finished behind Liberty-Wentzville in the heat, a team that ended up placing fifth overall. Clayton took eighth in 3:46.45 for the final medal.

The final all-state honors went to freshman Abigail Wilson, who took 16th in the 100-yard backstroke in 1:12.83.

Carl Junction finished with 122 points and tied with Webster Groves. Ahead of them in the standings were Clayton (fifth), Cape Girardeau Central (fourth), St. Joseph’s Academy (third), Parkway West (second) and Cor Jesu (first).

“It was such a fast-paced, intimidating meet and the girls showed up again and again and again,” Carl Junction coach Steph Miller said. “It is just mind blowing how fast this meet is. I didn’t know if we’d be in the top 10 for sure but you hoped. We got beat by Glendale (in the regular season) and we beat them here. We don’t have a big team with 50 or 60 girls. We only have 18 but it is quality and it is hard work. Pool time has been scarce the last two weeks. They have been so flexible this year with COVID-19 and wearing masks and the parents aren’t here to watch. There have been some stressors and they just keep performing.”

Three other area teams competed at the Class 1 finals. Lamar placed 37th and Webb City finished 39th in the standings, while Monett didn’t score a point in the meet.

Lamar senior Meghan Watson placed 11th in the 100-yard butterfly, the highest finish for the Tigers. 

Webb City sophomore Skylar Powell took 13th in the 50-yard freestyle race in 25.28 seconds. Watson and Powell earned honorable mention all-state honors.

Also for the Cardinals, sophomore Sophia Whitesell finished 20th in the 200 IM (2:20) and 23rd in the 500 freestyle (5:36).

Webb City’s 200 freestyle relay team of Powell, Ella Holt, Hally Philpot and Avery Mitchell finished 21st and posted a season-best time of 1:48.39. 

The Cardinals were also 21st in the 400 free relay (4:01), with Powell, Philpot, Mitchell and Whitesell competing.

Monett got a 20th-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a team of junior Gwen Lesue, freshman Ava Fritts, sophomore Claire Nation and senior Faith Drewianka.

Carl Junction’s Ally Montez swims in the 200-yard freestyle relay at the MSHSAA Class 1 Swimming & Diving Championships on Saturday in St. Peters. Carl Junction finished third in the race, the second highest finish in program history. Photo by Cody Thorn.

 

Webb City’s Sophia Whitesell competes in the 200-yard individual medley race at the MSHSAA Class 1 Swimming & Diving Championships on Saturday in St. Peters. Whitesell finished 20th. Photo by Cody Thorn.

 

FULL RESULTS: MSHSAA 2021 Class 1 Girls Swimming Results

BOYS HOOPS: Led by Long’s hot-shooting, College Heights rolls in district opener

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

Miller Long couldn’t miss in the opening frame and third-seeded College Heights Christian had a 20-point cushion early on its way to a convincing 70-42 victory over sixth-seeded Greenfield on Saturday in a quarterfinal contest of the Class 2 District 12 boys basketball tournament at Ozark Christian College. 

With the win, the Cougars advance to the district semifinals, where they’ll play at second-seeded Wheaton at 6 on Tuesday night. 

Lighting it up from the start, Long scored College Heights’ first 20 points on eight field goals, four treys and four 2-pointers, as the Cougars built a 22-2 lead. 

“He’s capable of doing that,” College Heights coach Eric Johnson said of Long, a 6-foot-3 junior guard who has scored more than 1,000 points in his prep career. “It was one of those nights for him. We need that kind of play from him in a close game, too, so hopefully that will continue.” 

For the game, Long poured in 28 points to lead the Cougars (15-9). He made 11 field goals, including five 3-pointers, and one free throw. 

Sophomore Curtis Davenport added 11 points for College Heights, while junior Hagen Beck had nine and classmate Ethan Meeks scored eight. The Cougars were able to pick apart Greenfield’s defense with good ball movement. 

“After Miller scored our first 20, we got everyone involved and that’s a key to moving on in our next game,” Johnson said. “Teams can shut down one player, so we need everyone involved.” 

Connor Lewandowski scored 11 points for Greenfield (4-17). 

In a blistering start to the win or go home contest, Long made six of his first seven shot attempts. College Heights raced out to a 22-5 lead at the end of the opening frame. 

Davenport’s trey and Caleb Quade’s layup gave College Heights a 31-11 advantage with four minutes remaining in the second quarter. Long didn’t score in the second period, but by the break, the Cougars were up comfortably at 37-15.

Hoops from Davenport and Beck, along with Long’s trey, pushed CHC’s cushion to 46-17.  College Heights was up 55-30 at the end of the third period, and the final outcome was never in doubt in the final frame.

Johnson got all of his subs plenty of minutes in the fourth period.

“We jumped out to that big lead, and at this time of the year you want to keep the intensity going the whole time,” Johnson said, noting his team may have taken its foot off the gas pedal after the break. “We did let up some and we got a little lackadaisical. But it is what it is. The main thing is advancing on. And we got to play all 12 kids tonight, so that was a plus.”

DISTRICT SEMIFINALS

Wheaton (12-10) defeated College Heights 58-54 on Jan. 29. The rematch in the district semifinals will determine who marches on in the postseason.

“It’s going to be a tough game,” Johnson said. “It’s at Wheaton and that’s a tough place to play. They beat us at our place. We didn’t play bad, but they just out-played us. We’re going to have to find a way to stop their shooters. They’ve got four or five kids who can shoot. We just need to play our best game of the year. Hopefully that will happen.” 

The district’s other semifinal will feature No. 1 seed Liberal hosting fifth-seeded Jasper. The Eagles beat No. 4 Verona 51-46 on Saturday. 

The district championship game is scheduled for 5:30 on Feb. 26 at Webb City High School. 

 

 

GIRLS HOOPS: Webb City bounces back with win over Neosho

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Less than 24 hours after suffering a home loss to Republic, the Webb City girls basketball team bounced back nicely.

Led by its senior guard tandem and a third-quarter surge, Webb City earned a 54-35 win over Neosho on Saturday afternoon in a Central Ozark Conference clash inside the Cardinal Dome.

After falling to Republic on Friday night, the Cardinals rebounded in a big way one day later by pulling away for good with a 17-3 run in the third period.

“After a tough loss last night, I thought our kids came out today and did a very good job right from the tip of competing and playing hard,” Webb City coach Lance Robbins said. “I think that says a lot about their resiliency. We were able to put last night’s loss behind us and move on to the next game.” 

Senior guards Jaydee Duda and Sierra Kimbrough combined for 39 points. 

Duda scored a game-high 20 points on six field goals, including three treys, and five free throws, while Kimbrough added 19 points on seven field goals with five 3-pointers. 

“They did a good job,” Robbins said. “Going forward, we’re going to need those two to make shots for us. Hopefully with today’s game they were able to gain a little confidence. Hopefully their play will carry over to next week and then into district play.” 

Also for the Cardinals, Kate Brownfield scored seven points, Peyton Hawkins had six rebounds and Mia Robbins handed out four assists. 

Webb City improved to 8-12 overall and 3-5 in the COC, while Neosho slipped to 8-11 and 0-7 in conference play. 

“We didn’t cover their shooters very well,” Neosho coach Ryan Madison said. “We just didn’t defend very well and we turned the ball over. When you give them extra opportunities, it’s hard to stop them. We have to take care of the ball better and we have to defend better. We didn’t do either of those things very well today. Offensively, we missed some easy ones early and that hurt us.”

Senior guard Olivia Hixson compiled 12 points, five boards and four assists to lead Neosho, while Michelle Lindsay added seven points and Baylie Bowers had six. The Wildcats turned the ball over 24 times to Webb City’s 16.

The first half featured a number of runs.

The Cardinals scored the game’s first 12 points, with Duda, Kimbrough and Brownfield accounting for all the scoring. 

Neosho responded with an 11-2 surge, with Hixson and Bowers both knocking down 3-pointers to trim Webb City’s lead to 14-11. 

But the Cardinals answered with an 11-2 burst of their own, with Kimbrough, Hawkins and Malorie Stanley contributing hoops to give the hosts a 25-13 cushion.

Free throws from Hixson and Bowers cut Neosho’s deficit to nine at the break. 

In the third quarter, Neosho pulled within five at 28-23 after hoops from Maelynn Garrett and Reagan McInturff, but Webb City once again responded.

This time, the Cardinals delivered a knockout punch. The Cardinals ended the third quarter on a game-changing 17-3 spurt to take a comfortable 45-26 lead heading into the final frame. Kimbrough and Duda both buried two treys apiece during the third quarter. 

“We started off the game strong and then we had a lull,” Robbins said. “At halftime, we talked about putting the game away in the third quarter. I thought the kids came out, moved the ball well and knocked down shots.” 

The hosts never relinquished their lead in the fourth quarter. 

“I thought at times we were efficient on both offense and defense today,” Robbins said. “Hopefully this is something we can build on going forward.”

Neosho hosts Joplin on Monday, while Webb City is at Carthage on Tuesday.

The Wildcats have three games next week before district play arrives. 

“We just have to keep at it everyday and try to get better everyday,” Madison said. 

HOOPS ROUNDUP: Carthage girls rally to beat Branson; Carthage boys fall to Pirates

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARTHAGE GIRLS 52, BRANSON 38

BRANSON, Mo. — Branson outscored Carthage 14-7 in the first quarter before the Tigers rallied to erase the deficit on the way to the Central Ozark Conference win over the Pirates on Saturday.

Carthage (13-10, 3-5 COC) outscored Branson 15-8 in the second quarter to tie the game up by halftime at 22-all. The Tigers got the better of the Pirates in the third before pulling away down the stretch by outscoring Branson 17-5 in the fourth quarter.

“We were emotionally depleted a little to start the game today after last night’s overtime loss to Ozark, but the girls dug deep in the fourth quarter to pull out the win against a gritty Branson team,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said to SoMo Sports.

Hailey Fullerton led the Tigers in scoring with 12 points, including two 3-pointers. Kianna Yates added 11 points, while Sophie Shannon finished with 10.

“Sophie Shannon was a force inside the first half, then Kianna Yates and Hailey Fullerton took over in the second half to impose our will on Branson,” Moore added.

Carthage hosts Webb City on Tuesday.

 

BRANSON 79, CARTHAGE BOYS 68

The Carthage boys basketball team saw a first-quarter lead slip away in a loss to Branson on Saturday.

Carthage (7-17, 1-7 COC) built a seven-point lead by the end of the first quarter only to see Branson (10-11, 2-4) answer back in the second period to go into the intermission with a 33-29 lead. The Pirates outscored the Tigers by two in the third quarter and five in the fourth en route to the win.

Max Templeman led Carthage with 28 points, while Joel Pugh made five 3-pointers on the way to 17 points. Justin Ray made four 3-pointers and finished with 16 in the loss.

Carthage hosts Webb City on Tuesday.

BOYS HOOPS: Alex Baker’s late free throws propel Carl Junction past Joplin

Posted on by Lucas Davis

With 5.3 ticks left in regulation, senior Alex Baker knocked down both free-throw attempts to send Carl Junction to a 60-58 Central Ozark Conference win over Joplin on Saturday at Kaminsky Gymnasium. 

“When Baker steps up to things, I know good things are going to happen because he is a senior, he is a leader and he is the type of kid every coach wants on their team,” Carl Junction coach Justin Pock said. “He faces challenges, doesn’t complain and just keeps fighting through them.”

“It just shows the heart of our kids,” Pock added. “They’ve continued to fight all year. We’ve had a lot not go our way, but they continue to fight. They never gave up. … It was a dogfight, and it always is when you play Joplin.”

Joplin (11-11, 2-5 COC) went into the fourth quarter trailing by two before Dominick Simmons opened the final period with a 3-pointer from the wing to give the Eagles a 47-46 advantage. Three ties and two lead changes later, Joplin got a pair of free throws from Always Wright before he stole the ball near mid-court moments later and finished off with the fast-break score with a dunk to give the Eagles a 56-52 advantage with less than three minutes to play.

Baker found room inside on the next trip down the floor, converting in the paint while drawing contact for a three-point play to trim the deficit to 56-55 with 2:10 left.

Simmons and Wright each added a free throw sandwiched around a charity make by CJ’s Blake Poorman to give Joplin a 58-56 lead with 39 seconds left.

Baker again came up big for the Bulldogs (6-17, 3-5 COC), faking a corner shot and driving the baseline for a bucket to tie the game at 58-58 with less than 20 seconds to play.

With time dwindling, Wright let go of a mid-range jumper on the other end that missed off the iron. With a group of players fighting for the rebound, the whistle blew with the result being a loose-ball foul on the Eagles, awarding Baker and the Bulldogs two free throws with 5.3 seconds left.

After Baker confidently sank both shots from the stripe, Wright took the inbounds pass shy of mid-court and knifed his way through the defense for a layup attempt at the horn that was no good, preserving the win for Carl Junction.

“At the end, we actually got the look we wanted and it didn’t go in a two-point game,” Joplin coach Jeff Hafer said. “That part of it, you want to give yourself a chance. So, I am pleased we were at least able to execute that part of it.

“But, it’s the same problem we have. Defensively, we are really struggling. Right now, that’s a toughness thing. Defense is a want-to thing. When we defend and rebound, we win games. We got absolutely destroyed on the glass last night, and I would guess today was very similar. Points in the paint are our Achille’s heal. And it’s not post-ups, it’s guys driving. Until we can defend better, we are going to continue to struggle.”

IMPORTANCE OF CHARITY

Carl Junction made 7-of-10 free throws in the second half, including 6-of-9 makes in the fourth quarter. On the other end, Joplin attempted 19 free throws in the second half, making 11. The Eagles were 7-of-11 from the stripe in the fourth quarter.

“You have to make free throws,” Hafer said. “It’s the difference in that game. … Those are really important. We missed eight in the second half. It’s a tie game, two-point game, and you miss eight free throws. If you make half of them, you win.”

WHITE HOT FIRST HALF

Joplin’s Carson Wampler had a first half to remember, burying six 3-pointers on the way to a career-high 22 points after the first two quarters. 

“Carson is an excellent shooter, and he showed that,” Hafer said. “He missed a few after he hit several, but those are ones we will live with and ones he has to keep taking. I am really happy for him in that regard because Carson can do that. … It’s hard to do, coming in off the bench. That’s his role and he knows that’s his role. To be able to step up and make shots like he did, I was really proud of him for that.”

SCORING LEADERS

Josh Cory led Carl junction with 21 points, while Baker finished with 16 in the win. Poorman added eight.

“I think our inside guys were playing really hard and our guards did a good job of getting them the ball in good spots,” Pock said. “I think that is where one of our strengths lies — inside — with all three of those guys.”

Wampler’s 22 points in the first half led Joplin in scoring, while Always Wright finished with 14 points. Simmons finished with 11 and All Wright scored eight.

DISTRICT TOURNAMENT

Carl Junction is the fourth seed in the Class 5 District 12 tournament and will travel to face top-seeded Webb City at 7 p.m. on March 2.

Joplin is the third seed in the Class 6 District 12 tournament. The Eagles will travel to second-seeded Republic for a 7 p.m. tip on March 2.

UP NEXT

Joplin travels to Neosho on Tuesday.

Carl Junction is at Nixa on Tuesday.

 

GIRLS HOOPS: Dominant first half leads Carl Junction past Joplin

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Carl Junction broke open a one-possession game with a scoring surge at the end of the first quarter backed by a strong defensive effort to build an insurmountable cushion on the way to a 59-41 Central Ozark Conference win over Joplin on Saturday with both teams taking the floor for the second time in less than 24 hours.

“In both games, I thought we started off well,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said about his team following up after a win over Branson on Friday. “This was kind of our focus this week, and it’s been a tough week for everybody with all of the snow and stuff. We haven’t been in the gym as much as we want to, so you expect things to look a little sloppy. 

“Tonight, I wanted to get up and down the floor as much as possible and get into our legs just so we can get back to that conditioning point before we had this big break. It was a great start for us, and I am excited about that. Now, finishing a game and playing closer to a complete game is going to be our focus. We will get there.”

The Bulldogs (15-7, 5-3 COC) led 10-9 with less than four minutes to play in the opening period before switching to a full-court trapping press that led to a 13-2 surge and a 23-11 advantage to start the second period.

“A lot of what we have been trying to do here lately is switch defenses up to create some pressure opportunities so we can score in transition,” Shorter said of his team’s play on the defensive end in the first quarter. “The kids really bought in and did a nice job of forcing a few turnovers and getting some easy buckets. That was the difference in the game.”

Destiny Buerge accounted for seven points in the run and 12 in the first period to lead the momentum swing. Jessa Hylton added five points. 

“The disappointing part is coming out not ready to play,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said. “There is absolutely no excuse for that. Carl Junction played last night just the same as we did. They are a very good team, but for us to come out not ready to play and build off of last night’s momentum is inexcusable.”

Carl Junction didn’t let up on either end of the floor in the second period, holding Joplin (7-15, 0-7 COC) off the scoreboard for the first seven-plus minutes while scoring 13 unanswered points to balloon the lead to 36-11 with 25.4 seconds left in the first half. The Bulldogs scored 18 straight points through the end of the first and start to the second quarter.

“I think that second quarter was big,” Shorter said. “When we came to the bench at the end of the first, we talked about really applying pressure, but doing it in a way that we are not reaching or fouling—just staying down and playing good, solid defense. Taking advantage of turnovers and not giving it right back to them. We’ve had a tendency to do that this year in some games.”

Joplin’s Izzy Yust sank a pair from the charity stripe with 16.4 seconds to get the Eagles on the scoreboard in the second period. 

“I thought we reverted to bad habits,” Floyd said of his team’s play in the first half. “I told the girls the way we try to play basketball with our natural instincts is just not good basketball. We spend too much time in practice doing things the right way to revert to bad habits when it hits the fan. It’s something we have to continue to emphasize and work on. ”

The Eagles flipped the script to start the second half, opening the third on a 12-3 spurt to trim the deficit down to 39-25 with 2:15 on the clock. Brooke Nice highlighted the run with a pair of 3-pointers.

“It was good to see us bounce back in the second half,” Floyd said. “But we can’t dig ourselves a hole and try to fight back in the last two quarters.”

That would be as close as Joplin would get to the lead after Anna Burch scored inside and Hali Shorter sank a 3-pointer to answer. Carl Junction took a 44-27 advantage into the fourth and played with a 20-point cushion for much of the final eight minutes.

SCORING LEADERS

Buerge led Carl Junction with a game-high 27 points, while Hylton finished with 15. 

Emma Floyd led Joplin with 11 points, while Driver scored eight and Nice finished with six.

DISTRICT TOURNAMENT

Joplin holds the fourth seed in the Class 6 District 12 tournament. The Eagles will travel to top-seeded Kickapoo at 7 p.m. on March 1.

Carl Junction earned the top seed in the Class 5 District 12 tournament. The Bulldogs host fourth-seeded Harrisonville at 7 p.m. on March 1 in the semifinal matchup.

UP NEXT

Joplin is at Neosho on Monday.

Carl Junction travels to Nixa on Monday.

GIRLS WRESTLING: Area athletes advance to state tournament

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. — Eight area athletes secured a trip to the state tournament at the MSHSAA sectional girls wrestling tournament on Saturday at Harrisonville High School. 

The top three in each weight class advanced to the state tournament on March 9 in Independence.

Competing at Sectional 3, the area produced three sectional champs—Seneca’s Isabella Renfro (174 pounds), Monett’s Abigail Jastal (107 pounds) and Cassville’s Annie Moore (112).

Diamond’s Josey Crisp advanced by placing second at 112 pounds, while Nevada’s Claire Pritchett finished third at 235 to advance. 

Also advancing were Cassville’s Kailey Artherton (122), Hailey Roark (132) and Faith James (137). James was the runner-up in her bracket, while Artherton and Roark both placed third. 

Seneca’s Kirsten Bruegel just missed moving on after finishing fourth at 151. 

Carl Junction’s Shiloh Sluder and Joplin’s Erika Washom were unable to advance. Sluder went 1-2 at 117 pounds. Washom went 0-2 at 127 to end the season. 

McDonald County’s Jaslyn Benhumea (102) and Gisel Aragon (159) also competed, but failed to advance. 

MEN’S HOOPS: Big day from perimeter leads MSSU past PSU

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern men’s basketball team made 16 3-pointers en route to a 93-74 win over Pittsburg State on Saturday on Robert Corn Court inside of the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (12-8) was led by Cam Martin, who scored 25 points and added 10rebounds, going 6-of-11 from long range. Winston Dessesow scored 21 points and had seven assists, while Lawson Jenkins had 16 points on five made 3s. Christian Bundy had nine points, while Yagizhan Selcuk had eight points and nine boards.

Pittsburg State (10-10) was led offensively with 14 points from RJ Lawrence off the bench. Martin Vogts chipped in with 13 points.

The Lions opened the game on a 7-1 run capped by a layup from RJ Smith four minutes in. A jumper from Dessesow at the 14-minute mark made the score 12-4, Lions, but a 3 from Martin with 13:16 on the clock started the Southern barrage from long range. Martin made another 3 with 12:36 left and Jenkins followed up with one of his own with 11 minutes to go to make the score 22-11.

Back-to-back 3-pointers from Martin and Dessesow with nine minutes to go put the Lions up 30-15, and a dunk from Smith with 6:49 on the clock put the Lions up 36-19. Jenkins hit a pair of 3s sandwiched between a jumper from Martin with five to go and the Lions went up 20, while a trey from Dessesow the next trip down pushed the lead to 23. Southern led 55-34 at the break.

Southern opened the second half hitting three long-range jumpers and led 64-36 1:10 into action. A dunk from Scott with 16:45 left made the score 71-40, Lions and a layup from Selcuk with 13:53 left put the Lions up 73-46.

A 3-pointer from Dessesow with 11 minutes left made the score 80-57, while a dunk from Bundy off an assist from Jenkins put the Lions up 86-68 with eight to go. A 3-ball from Dessesow with 5:40 to go pushed the lead to 23 as the Lions cruised to the win.

Southern shot 52 percent from the field and 43 percent from the 3-point line. The Lions won the rebound battle 46-34 and had a 36-20 advantage in the paint.

Southern will be back in action this Thursday when the Lions play host to Washburn. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is set for 7:30 p.m.

WOMEN’S HOOPS: Lions have four finish in double figures in loss to Gorillas

Posted on by Lucas Davis

The Missouri Southern women’s basketball team had four score in double figures, but the Lions couldn’t overcome a first-half deficit and fell at home to Pittsburg State 78-60 on Saturday.

Southern (7-13) was led in scoring by 14 points from Amaya Johns, who added seven rebounds off the bench. Carley Turnbull scored 13, while Hailey Grant scored a career-high 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field. Madi Stokes scored 10 and pulled down nine boards with two blocks. The two blocks gives her 43 on the season and puts her in second place all-time on the MSSU single-season block list.

Pittsburg State (13-7) had three in double-figures. Kaylee DaMitz led the way with 17 points, while Sydnee Crain added 16 and Tristan Gegg finished with 15. DaMitz added eight rebounds and three assists.

The Gorillas jumped out to a 10-2 lead at the 6:19 mark of the first quarter, but a 3-pointer from Turnbull and a layup from Layne Skiles cut the deficit to 10-7 with 5:35 to go. A pair of free throws from Stokes cut the lead to two with three minutes to go. The Gorillas led 18-16 the next trip down before closing the quarter on a 10-0 run to lead 28-16..

The Pittsburg State run reached 20-2, as the Gorillas led 38-18 halfway through the second quarter. 

PSU pushed its lead to 60-30 midway through the third, but a 10-3 run from the Lions made the score 60-43 and forced a Gorillas’ timeout. A free throw from Pittsburg State as time expired made the score 66-42 after three.

A layup from Megan Jackson off an assist from Turnbull got the Lions within 17 with 5:41 to go on the clock, and a pair of free throws from Johns with two minutes to go brought Southern within 18 of the lead but that would be as close as they would get.

The Lions shot 84 percent from the free-throw line and out rebounded the Gorillas 42-38 in the contest. Points in the paint were even at 28, while the Southern bench out-scored the Gorillas’ 29-19.

Southern will be back in action this Thursday when the Lions play host to Washburn. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is set for 5:30 p.m.

BOYS HOOPS: McAuley wins district opener, advances to semifinals

Posted on by Jason Peake

The second-seeded McAuley Catholic boys basketball team secured a 61-40 win over seventh-seeded Northeast Vernon County on Saturday in their Class 1 District 7 tournament opener. 

The Warriors will host third-seeded Hume at 6 on Tuesday in the district semifinals. 

The Warriors spread the ball around with sophomore Rocco Bazzano-Joseph hitting a 3-pointer, seniors Thomas Black and Daniel Wagner getting three points and four points, respectively. Junior Jeffrey Horinek also made two field goals, and the quarter was capped off by senior Matthew Dohmen hitting his second 3-pointer of the quarter at the buzzer to give McAuley a 20-11 lead.

Dohmen kept his day going by adding five points, including another 3-pointer, in the second. Black, and seniors Joe Lupicki and Jack Jones all added baskets of their own while holding NEVC to just six points. Horinek also added two field goals to give him eight points in the half. At halftime, the Warriors led the Knights 36-17.

Coming out of the gate, the Warriors went on an impressive 8-2 run. 

Wagner went off coming out of the locker room and hit four field goals, racking up eight points in the third quarter alone, giving him 12 points for the game. Dohmen and Black also helped press the Warriors towards a near 30-point lead with Dohmen getting four points, and Black getting six. 

The Knights tried to keep pace, but were unable to overcome the Warriors’ offense as McAuley had a 54-28 lead into the final frame.

With such a large lead, McAuley opted to pull most of their starters near the end of the third quarter, and the Knights tried to take advantage. 

Northeast Vernon County outscored McAuley 12-8 in the fourth quarter, with the Warriors only getting baskets from Dohmen and Horinek. 

Dohmen had 19 points in the game, and Horinek had 12. 

Despite cutting into the lead late, the Knights still fell to the Warriors. 

“We had to put our starters back in the fourth when our lead slipped from 32 down to 21,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said. “We wanted to get our younger guys some experience, but you still have to play defense even in situations like that. I thought out interior passing was good, and so was our halfcourt defense. We’re starting to play a little bit better than we have in the past, and I hope we start to gel, which is what you want this time of year.”

Experienced sports journalists providing great local sports coverage in Southwest Missouri.

Schools

SOMO Sports

SOMO Sports

Learn more about how you can advertise on SOMO Sports!

LEARN MORE

Web design: BigPxl