NIXA, Mo. — Carl Junction only trailed by single digits at the break, but Nixa pulled away with a big third quarter en route to an 84-48 victory over the Bulldogs on Monday night in a Central Ozark Conference girls basketball clash inside the Eagle Fieldhouse.
Carl Junction trailed 39-31 at halftime, but Nixa outscored the Bulldogs 26-10 in the third period.
Receiving votes in the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association’s Class 6 poll, Nixa improved to 18-7 and 6-2 in the COC. Ranked 10th in Class 5, Carl Junction fell to 15-8 and 5-4 in conference play.
Sophomore Destiny Buerge scored 19 points to lead the Bulldogs, while junior Jessa Hylton had 12 and sophomore Klohe Burk added eight.
Macie Conway scored 24 points for Nixa. A junior guard, Conway surpassed 1,000 career points during the game.
The Bulldogs trailed by one at the end of the back-and-forth opening frame, 14-13.
Hylton’s old-fashioned three-point play and Burk’s driving layup gave the Bulldogs a 24-23 lead.
Nixa responded with a 13-2 run, with Conway scoring seven during the surge to give the Eagles a 10-point lead.
Buerge scored five straight points to cut Carl Junction’s deficit in half, but Conway buried a last-second 3-pointer to give the Eagles a 39-31 halftime advantage.
Nixa started the second half on a 19-4 run to pull away for good. By the end of the third period, the Eagles led 65-41.
Top-seeded Carl Junction hosts fourth-seeded Harrisonville at 7 next Monday in the semifinals of the Class 5 District 12 tournament.
NEVADA BOYS 78, MCDONALD COUNTY 53
NEVADA, Mo. — On Senior Night, Nevada senior guard Logan Applegate poured in 37 points and knocked down 10 3-pointers.
Senior Lane McNeley added 19 points for the Tigers and classmate Ben Hines had 13.
McDonald County’s Cross Dowd had 15 points, while Eli McClain had 10 and Pierce Harmon added nine.
The Tigers led 41-18 at halftime.
NEVADA GIRLS 41, MCDONALD COUNTY 38
NEVADA, Mo. — Clara Swearingen scored 13 points to lead Nevada, while Tylin Heathman added 12.
McDonald County was led by Kristin Penn’s 12 points.
The Tigers led 24-13 at the half and 27-23 at the end of the third period before holding on late.
TJ GIRLS END SEASON
HUME, Mo. — Seventh-seeded Thomas Jefferson suffered a season-ending 42-18 loss to second-seeded Hume on Monday in the quarterfinals of the Class 1 District 7 tournament.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Neosho rallied from a four-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Joplin 45-36 for a Central Ozark Conference win to snap an eight-game skid on Monday.
After Joplin built a four-point cushion by the intermission, the Eagles stretched the lead to six early in the second half before Neosho made a defensive adjustment that led to the Wildcats flipping the momentum in the final two periods. The Wildcats led 30-26 to start the fourth only to see Joplin open the quarter on a scoring run that gave the Eagles a 36-32 lead near the midway point. Neosho responded with the final 13 points of the game en route to victory.
“I thought we showed a little toughness, and I thought we were the tougher team at the end,” Neosho coach Ryan Madison said. “We got some pressure to work for us a little bit. … Overall, we had lost eight straight, so we needed that one pretty badly.”
“I thought we played a great first half and executed the game plan for the most part by taking care of the basketball,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said. “In the second half, it was turnovers. It’s making the same pass that we know is not going to work, but we continue to make it over and over again. I told the girls it is the definition of insanity—we keep trying to do the same thing and expect different results. Until that changes, we’re going to struggle.”
CHARITY DOWN THE STRETCH
Converting at the three-throw line was a huge factor for Neosho down the stretch. The Wildcats shot 10 free throws total in the fourth quarter, making all 10 attempts. That includes eight free throws coming in the final 13-0 run.
The only field goals for Neosho in the final period came on a 3-pointer from Michelle Lindsay to start the game-sealing surge and a turnaround bucket in the paint by Olivia Hixon with 1:15 left to give the Wildcats a 41-36 advantage.
“I think we were 15-of-16 (shooting free throws) in the second half,” Madison said. “Free throws are just mental. We told them at halftime to just step up there and relax.
“I was proud of them. We always talk about how the tougher team wins, mentally and physically. I thought in the second half, we were the tougher team. We got on the floor for some loose balls and did things like that, and we came down and hit our free throws. That’s mental toughness.”
GAME ACTION
After Neosho took a 10-7 lead into the second quarter following a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Reagan McInturff to close the opening period, Joplin closed the first half with all of the momentum. The Eagles started the second quarter on a 9-2 run to build a 16-12 lead before going into the intermission up 19-15. Much like Neosho in the fourth quarter, Joplin shot eight free throws in the second period and made six of them.
“We were attacking,” Floyd said. “(Neosho) was playing an aggressive defense in the first half and we were attacking downhill, getting them in foul trouble and us to the free-throw line. That was the key to success. Then, for whatever reason in the second half, (Neosho) was still aggressive, but we started going sideline to sideline and backwards. I am not sure we shot more than two or three free throws in the second half because we stopped attacking.”
After a steal and score on the break by Joplin’s Brynn Driver, Neosho switched up to a trapping defense, which gave the Eagles problems in the form of turnovers. The Wildcats rallied with a 13-3 run to close the third to take a 30-26 lead into the fourth. Baylie Bowers led the way with eight points in the quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers.
“We just talked about trying to extend it out a little bit and maybe trap a little more on the wings,” Madison said. “For the most part, we did a good job. … We have to have something to speed teams up and we did that right there.”
“I want to see us make a deliberate effort to change the way we play against the zone,” Floyd said when asked what he wants to see from his team in terms of beating the press defense. “The zone is our kryptonite. … I want to see them take pride in what they do and make the adjustment in how we attack a zone.”
Joplin started the scoring in the fourth quarter with a mid-range jumper from Izzy Yust before Brooke Nice sank a 2-pointer. Jacie Jensen added an inside score off an offensive rebound to give Joplin a 33-30 lead. After two free throws by Neosho and a 3-pointer from Yust, the Wildcats closed the door with the next 13 points scored.
SCORING LEADERS
McInturff led Neosho with 11 points, while Bowers and Lindsay finished each with 10 points in the win. Hixon added seven, while Avery Renfro scored five.
Yust scored nine to lead Joplin, while Nice scored eight. Jensen added six.
DISTRICT TOURNAMENT
Neosho opens the Class 5 District 11 tournament as the fourth seed. The Wildcats travel to face top-seeded McDonald County at 7 p.m. on March 2.
Joplin opens the Class 6 District 12 tournament as the fourth seed, and will travel to face top-seeded Kickapoo for a 7 p.m. tip on March 1.
UP NEXT
Joplin travels to McDonald County for a 7:30 p.m. tip on Tuesday before hitting the road against Nixa on Thursday.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
ST. PETERS, Mo. — Carthage didn’t exactly have the ending it wanted, but that didn’t detract from the successful trip to the MSHSAA Swimming & Diving Championships.
The Tigers set a new school record and finished in the top 16 – earning honorable mention all-state honors – in three events on Friday during the Class 2 finals at the Rec-Plex in St. Peters.
The state championships were changed this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the usual two-day event was changed to a one-day format. In addition, the number of state qualifiers were trimmed from 32 to 24, which turned into three heats that were timed finals.
Carthage did well with its limited number of qualifiers as both individual events had one all-stater and the 200-yard freestyle relay made the cut for the top 16 and set a new school record too.
The only blemish was the 400-yard freestyle relay where the Tigers were disqualified.
“We had a great meet and you don’t want the meet to end like that,” Carthage coach Braden McBride said. “The girls really competed today. The good thing is of the six (here) we only have one senior in Nadya Housh. We will miss her a whole lot but we got a young group that will come back and rebound hopefully. I’m proud of how they competed and performed. We haven’t had a lot quality practice time the last two weeks.”
Idle since the Southwest Missouri Championships on Feb. 6, practice time had been limited by inclement weather.
Carthage didn’t have its first competition until a little after 5 p.m. – about 1 ½ after the start of the meet. First up was sophomore Madison Riley, who earned honorable mention all-state status for the second year in a row in the 100-yard butterfly.
Riley was seeded 15th heading into the meet and finished one spot higher with a time of 1:00.40. Last year she took 16th but bettered her time by a second this year.
The next two events were back-to-back, which made for a short turnaround for Riley and freshman Aubree Santillan.
The two swam on the 200-yard freestyle relay and then got back in the pool for the 100-yard backstroke, the next event.
In the relay, the duo was joined by juniors Cassidy Smith and Hope Fultz and set a little bit of school history with a 16th-place finish in 1:43.70. In the process they became the first relay team in the girls program’s history to earn all-state status.
The relay team was in the third heat – usually made up of the slowest eight teams – with a seed time of 1:44.66. Carthage finished better than Kickapoo, Columbia Hickman and Columbia Rock Bridge, all teams in the second heat.
“It definitely feels good,” said Fultz, who swam the final leg in 26.51 seconds. “I definitely felt like being the underdog the people didn’t expect to come up. We definitely showed up.”
Riley and Smith swam identical 25.98 splits, while Santillan had the fastest laps at 25.23.
Carthage finished a hair behind Staley and Lee’s Summit, which tied for 14th at 1:43.69 — a tenth of a second faster.
“We had two teams just right ahead of us and all four girls are coming back,” McBride said. “It is very exciting.”
This was also the first relay team in for the program to earn an automatic spot at the state meet, instead of going to state with a consideration time.
Santillan and Riley swam in the same heat – No. 3 – in the 100-yard backstroke. Santillan finished in 1:02.37 to take 16th, while Riley finished in 1:06.79 to finish 23rd. Both finished higher than their respective seed times of 20th and 24th.
Santillan, the little sister of Payton Williams, a record holder on the boys side, beat three girls that had seed times in the 1:02s.
“I was standing back there thinking to myself I wanted to do my best and I set my goal to get in the top 16 and it happened,” Santillan said. “I was really happy that I did that.”
She noted she had a case of tired legs during the competition but pushed through with a final lap of 31.52 seconds – faster on the final 50 than four girls that finished ahead of her in the standings.
The final race was the 400-yard freestyle relay, which featured Riley, Fultz, Smith and Housh. The Tigers swam in the third heat but were disqualified after the conclusion of the heat.
Carthage finished 26th in the team standings with six points.
Carthage’s Aubree Santillan competes in the 100-yard backstroke event on Friday in the MSHSAA Class 2 Swimming & Diving Championships in St. Peters. Santillan placed 16th to earn honorable mention all-state status. Photo by Cody Thorn.
Carthage’s Madison Riley competes in the 100-yard backstroke event during the MSHSAA Class 2 Swimming & Diving Championships on Friday in St. Peters. Photo by Cody Thorn.
Carthage’s Cassidy Smith swims in the 200-yard freestyle relay during the Class 2 MSHSAA Swimming & Diving Championships on Friday in St. Peters. The Carthage relay team placed 16th and set a new school record in the event. Photo by Cody Thorn.
Thomas Jefferson outscored Verona by 19 points in the first half to build an insurmountable advantage on the way to the Ozark 7 win.
The Cavaliers (15-5, 2-2) pushed the lead to 37-13 by halftime and outscored the Wildcats 15-5 in the third quarter to seal the win.
Drew Goodhope led Thomas Jefferson with 19 points, while Jay Ball finished with 14. Dhruv Gheewala added 11.
Thomas Jefferson holds the top seed for the Class 1 District 7 tournament and will play the winner of No. 4 Rich Hill and No. 5 Bronaugh at 6 p.m. on Feb. 23.
OZARK 65, CARTHAGE 49
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Ozark used a big fourth quarter to earn a COC win.
Ozark led 18-13 at the end of the first quarter and the visitors were up 31-27 at halftime. The third period was even, 12-12, and Ozark was clinging to a 43-39 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Ozark definitely finished strong. The visitors outscored the hosts 22-10 in the final period.
Max Templeman scored 16 points for Carthage, while Justin Ray had nine and Joel Pugh added eight.
Blaine Cline scored 20 points and Tyler Harmon added 13 for Ozark (17-7, 6-1 COC).
Carthage (7-15, 1-5 COC) is at Branson at 2 on Saturday. The Tigers then host Webb City on Tuesday to conclude the regular season.
GIRLS
OZARK 57, CARTHAGE 52 (OVERTIME)
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Ozark rallied from a six-point deficit to start the fourth to tie Carthage by the end of regulation before going on to complete the comeback in the overtime period on Friday.
“We played a great first 30 minutes, Carthage coach Scott Moore said to SoMo Sports. “Unfortunately, we didn’t close them out in regulation. Then a couple of missed baskets and free throws in overtime allowed Ozark to pull away.”
Carthage (12-10, 2-5 COC) held a seven-point lead by the end of the first quarter before Ozark trimmed the deficit to 24-22 by the intermission. Carthage pushed the lead back up to six to start the fourth before Ozark rallied down the stretch.
“I’m proud of how hard the girls competed tonight. The loss was not an effort problem, it was an execution issue late that let this one slip away. This one stings because we had an opportunity to knock off one of the hottest teams in our area and we didn’t close them out late in the game. We will learn a lot from this game and use that to our advantage in our next close ball game.”
Brinna Ream led Carthage with 16 points, while Hailey Fullerton finished with 14. Kianna Yates added 12.
“Brinna Ream was unstoppable in the paint tonight,” Moore said. “The girls kept giving her the opportunity to score and we took advantage of that. She carried us at times tonight.”
MOUNT VERNON 84, MCDONALD COUNTY 32
ANDERSON, Mo. — Lacy Stokes poured in 42 points and also had 10 rebounds and eight steals as Mount Vernon improved to 20-3.
Ellie Johnston added 17 points for the Mountaineers, who led 31-11 by the end of the first quarter.
Kristin Penn scored 12 points and Sydney Killion scored nine points for the Mustangs.
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — The Carl Junction girls basketball game started off their Senior Night game with an impressive shutout in the first quarter of a 60-44 win over the Branson Pirates on Friday.
Junior Jessa Hylton led the Bulldogs with eight points in the first quarter and was followed by her teammate sophomore Destiny Buerge, who had seven points. Sophomore Hali Shorter also had a 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs an 18-0 lead at the end of the first period.
“We came out strong, and that’s one thing we’ve been focusing on as a team,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said. “Even after the lull in the second quarter, our kids did respond.”
The Pirates did try to rally in the second quarter, at one point going on a 7-2 run, but they ultimately couldn’t stop the scoring barrage of the Bulldogs.
Buerge added another field goal, while freshman Anna Burch and lone senior Hannah Lee each scored three points. Sophomore Klohe Burk went 3-of-4 from the line and added a field goal to lead her team with five points for the quarter. Going into halftime, the Bulldogs led 30-13.
“Sometimes we go outside of the things we do in practice, and that can be good, but it can also be bad,” Shorter said. “Us recognizing that we need to get into our sets and our offense, and that usually calms us down.”
Hylton continued her big night after the break with an impressive 3-pointer to open the half. She also had two other baskets, and Buerge had three free throws and two field goals to give her seven points.
The two girls kept their team afloat even as the Pirates tried to muster a comeback. Ultimately, it would fall short despite trading runs to end the third quarter and the Bulldogs holding a 43-22 lead going into the final frame.
In the fourth quarter, Buerge was perfect from the free throw line and added a field goal for four points, and getting 20 points on the night.
Junior Loren Lee also got four points, and Burk added a free throw. However, the final quarter was an especially big one for the only senior on the Bulldogs, Hannah Lee, who scored eight points in the quarter. Not only did it give her 11 points in her last home game, but it also gave her an impressive double-double while leading her squad to a 60-44 win.
“Hannah is a special kid and has put in a lot of work over the last four years,” Shorter said. “She’s going to be very successful in whatever she does after high school. She’s a great player and a great person and we wish her luck.”
It was also announced that Coach Shorter was recognized as Section 5 Basketball Coach of the Year. Section 5 includes Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and North and South Dakota.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — After a close first half, visiting Republic pulled away for good in the third period en route to a 50-23 Central Ozark Conference girls basketball victory over Webb City on Friday night inside the Cardinal Dome.
Taking on one of the COC’s top teams, the Cardinals stayed within striking distance for the entire first half.
But the Tigers outscored the Cardinals 27-10 after the break, as a lack of offense was too much to overcome for the hosts.
“I thought we did a good job defensively throughout the course of the game,” Cardinals coach Lance Robbins said. “I thought we did a pretty good job to hold them to 50 points. They are a good basketball team and they score the ball well. I thought our zone caused some problems for them early, but we just couldn’t get anything going offensively. We just have to continue to get better.”
Senior guard Sierra Kimbrough scored nine points to lead Webb City (7-12, 2-5 COC), while classmate Jaydee Duda added seven. Kimbrough announced her commitment to Bethany College this week.
The Tigers, who are receiving votes in the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association’s Class 6 poll, improved to 16-7 overall and 7-1 in the COC.
Sophomore guard Kaemyn Bekemeier led Republic with 25 points, while senior guard Savana Powell-Goodman added nine.
The Tigers scored the game’s first eight points, but the Cardinals received a trey from Duda and a runner in the lane from Kimbrough, cutting their deficit to three by the end of the low-scoring opening frame.
Led by their solid defense, the hosts stayed within a possession or two of the Tigers for most of the second quarter.
Two charities from Kimbrough, a mid-range jumper from Malorie Stanley and a free throw from Josie Spikereit cut Republic’s lead to three.
But the Tigers finished the first half on a 7-1 burst for a 22-13 halftime advantage.
“If we would have made layups and free throws, we could have been up five or six at the half,” Robbins noted.
Republic separated for good by outscoring Webb City 13-3 in the third quarter. Bekemeier scored seven points during the spurt, which gave the Tigers a 35-16 lead.
The Cardinals’ only points of the third frame came on a Kimbrough trey.
Republic outscored Webb City 15-7 in the fourth quarter for the final margin.
Webb City is right back at it tomorrow afternoon, as the Cardinals host Neosho at 1 p.m. Neosho suffered a 70-29 loss to Nixa on Friday.
“It’s a quick turnaround for us,” Robbins said. “It’s going to be a battle with Neosho. We’ll have to play well and continue to play defense like we did tonight. We have to find some offense and score the ball better.”
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — The Carl Junction boys basketball team played a close game all night against the Branson Pirates, but ultimately prevailed in a 66-61 win.
“This game meant everything to the seniors,” Carl Junction coach Justin Pock said. “They’ve been through a lot. And we’ve had a season where we’ve had some defeats, and sometimes guys quit, but these guys don’t quit.”
In the first quarter of their Senior Night festivities, three seniors had some fun. Blake Poorman got the game started with an amazing dunk. Sincere Williams added a beautiful 3-pointer and Alex Baker went off for 10 points. The Pirates ultimately took the lead off a 3-pointer made at the buzzer, giving Branson an 18-17 lead going into the second quarter.
Not to be outdone, the Carl Junction juniors then took center stage in the second quarter, with Josh Cory getting 10 points and Kyler Perry adding a three of his own.
Cory racked up nearly all of his points on the night on the same assist play, seemingly scoring against the Pirates on it every chance he got. Williams also went 1-for-2 at the line, giving the Bulldogs a 31-27 lead at halftime thanks to a 5-2 run to end the second quarter.
“We just have to keep our head, and keep making the next play,” said coach Pock. “We just had to play through the closeness, and I thought our guys did that.”
Coming out of the locker room, the Bulldogs appeared ready to put the game away by going on a 9-2 run and led 40-33 with about three minutes left in the third quarter. Cory continued his scoring party with a field goal and 3-of-4 from the line. Williams also scored five points and senior Mylas Derfelt added a free throw.
The Pirates came roaring back quickly with an 8-0 run of their own in less than two minutes, briefly taking the lead. Both teams exchanged shots and headed into the fourth quarter with a tied game of 42-42.
Once again, the Pirates were unable to stop Cory who scored on the same play four more times in the fourth, giving him 23 points on the night.
Williams went 4-for-4 from the line, getting 13 points for the game. Derfelt added another basket, and Perry also made two free throws to keep the Bulldogs in it. Finally, after two quiet quarters, Baker finished off Senior Night with two field goals and five free throws, giving him 19 points and the Bulldogs a win in their regular season home finale.
“I just told our guys to keep driving and keep going,” Pock said. “We knew they were going to come back and keep trying, and we just had to withstand it and I thought we did that. We just have to keep getting better and I think we’ve done that. We’re not done yet.”
