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Month: December 2021

PREP WRESTLING: Carthage finishes fourth at dual tourney

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

Carthage High School hosted a dual wrestling tournament on Dec. 29.

When all was said and done, the host Tigers finished fourth.

Carthage defeated Lee’s Summit 32-28 and beat Raymore-Peculiar 42-30. Hickman defeated Carthage 43-36 and Nixa topped Carthage 39-32.

Nixa went 3-1 and was the first place team. 

Carthage coach Kenny Brown explained that three teams tied for second place, but after tie-breakers were used, Lee’s Summit was awarded second, Hickman third and Carthage fourth. Ray-Pec finished fifth. 

Carthage was open at 106, 182, 195 and 220. 

Individually, Carthage’s Dylan Huntley (113 pounds), Grey Petticrew (145) and Braxdon Tate (152) all went 4-0 in their respective brackets.

Going 3-1 were Eli Sneed (138), Davion King (160), Brett Rockers (170/182) and David Recinos (285).

Kip Castor went 2-2 at 132, while Bradyn Tate went 1-3 at 126. Gabe Lambeth went 0-2 at 170 and Antoni Sales went 0-4 at 120.  

Carthage is at Ozark for a COC dual on Tuesday.

NHC ROUNDUP: Maumelle pulls away in 4th quarter to win Gold bracket championship

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NEOSHO, Mo. — Tied at a 53 to start the final quarter of action, Maumelle outscored Mills University Studies 31-20 over the final eight minutes on the way to an 84-73 win in the Gold bracket of the 67th rendition of the Neosho Holiday Classic on Thursday.

Maumelle started the fourth quarter on a 14-5 run to build a 67-58 cushion with 4:53 left in the game on a three-point play by Wade Riley. 

Mills University cut the lead to six on a 3-pointer from QJ King with four minutes to play, but that would be as close to the lead as the Comets would get before the final horn.

Maumelle shot 56 percent from the field in the win and had the 20-8 advantage in second-chance scoring after out-rebounding Mills University 40-23, which included 13 offensive boards.

Nico Davillier led Maumelle with 20 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double. Colby Garland added 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Jamaal Summons had 15 points and three rebounds, while Carl Daughtery and Riley each finished with 13 points in the win. 

Marcus Kendrick had 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting for Mills University. King added 17 points and five assists, while Jabrae Shaw had 14 points, seven boards and three assists.

 

JOSEPH LAFAYETTE 60, MORRILTON (ARK) 43

St. Joseph Lafayette built a 10-point cushion by the end of the first quarter and rode the momentum all the way to a win in the third-place game of Gold Bracket play in the Neosho Holiday Classic on Thursday

Lafayette held a 19-9 lead after the first eight minutes and held on over the final three periods, pushing the lead out double digits in the third. 

Morrilton shot 37.5 percent in the loss while Lafayette converted at a 50 percent clip from the field in the win. St. Joseph also won the battle in the paint 38-24 and outscored Morrilton 21-8 on the break.

Camden Bennett had 24 points and seven rebounds to lead Lafayette. Drake Davison had 13 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Kevin Shell had 12 points and nine boards.

JaCorey Mosley had 20 points and 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double for Morrilton in the loss. Joseph Pinion had 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the loss.

 

EAST NEWTON 71, SAPULPA (OKLA) 63

East Newton rallied from an early deficit to defeat Sapulpa in the fifth-place game of the Gold Bracket in the Neosho Holiday Classic on Thursday.

Sapulpa took a three-point lead into the second period before East Newton rallied to take a 35-33 lead at the intermission. Holding the same margin heading in the fourth quarter, the Patriots outscored Sapulpa 18-12 in the final eight minutes to earn the win.

East Newton had the advantage in paint points, 34-24, and second-chance points, 14-7. The Patriots shot 49 percent from the field in the win, while Sapulpa closed shooting 40 percent from the field.

East Newton finished with five players in double figures, led by Kelton Sorrell’s 16 points. Gabe Bergen finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Robert McFarland had 12 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Marshall Rennner had 10 points and nine rebounds, while Braxton Wolfe had 10 points and three boards.

CJ Hobbs had 17 points, five rebounds and five steals to lead Sapulpa. Kylen Edwards had 15 points, while Jamar Durant added 11 points and five rebounds.

 

WEST MEMPHIS (ARK) 71, MEMPHIS MITCHELL (TEN) 41

West Memphis limited Memphis Mitchell to 28 percent shooting on the way to a win in the seventh-place game of the Gold Bracket on Thursday.

West Memphis dominated in paint points (50-8) and second-chance points (20-3), pulling down 47 rebounds as a team to Memphis Mitchell’s 19.

West Memphis was led in scoring by Kameron Barnes and Keiarras Townsend’s 16 points each. Barnes had nine rebounds and two steals, while Townsend had five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Tyler Lucas and Paul Wooten had 11 points each to lead Memphis Mitchell in scoring. Wooten had six rebounds. Cameron Brown added nine points in the loss.

 

BLACK BRACKET

HUNTSVILLE 71, LAMAR 60

Huntsville built up a 57-51 advantage with eight minutes to play and outscored Lamar 14-9 in the fourth quarter on the way to a win in the Black Bracket third-place game on Thursday in the Neosho Holiday Classic.

Huntsville shot 59 percent from the field and made 7-of-15 3-point attempts in the win. Lamar shot 51 percent in the game and made 8-of-16 shots from the perimeter. Huntsville’s only real advantage came at the free-throw line, making 18-of-20 charity shots. Lamar was 8-of-13 from the stripe in the loss.

Hayden Dotson had 22 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals to lead Huntsville. Kolton Reynolds finished with 16 points, six boards and five assists. Mason Davidson had 13 points and five rebounds.

Lamar was led in scoring by Conner Shoff and Ian Ngugi, who each finished with 16 points. Mason Gastel added 11 points, three rebounds and three assists.

 

CROOKED OAK (OKLA) 54, MONETT 41

Crooked Oak took the momentum in the second period and never looked back in a win over Monett in the Black Bracket fifth-place game on Thursday.

Tied at 11s after one quarter, Crooked Oak took a 30-21 lead at the intermission after holding Monett to 10 points in the second quarter of play. That margin held up through the final horn.

Crooked Oak shot 45 percent from the floor while limiting Monett to 38.5 percent shooting in the loss. 

Crooked Oak was led in scoring by Tymie Adkins-Freeman, who finished with a game-high 28 points on 11-of-25 shooting. He knocked down four 3-pointers and added six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Daevion Hill had 19 points and four rebounds.

Monett’s Blaine Salsman had 14 points and three rebounds, while Tyler Waterman had 11 points and two assists.

 

MAUMELLE JV (ARK) 67, CASSVILLE 57

Maumelle junior varsity rallied in the middle quarters to earn a win over Cassville in the Black Bracket seventh-place game on Thursday.

Cassville held a three-point advantage after the first quarter. Maumelle JV cut the lead to one by halftime, 28-27, before doubling up Cassville on the scoreboard in the third quarter to take a 51-40 lead with eight minutes left. Cassville was unable to make a run at the lead in the final stretch.

While Cassville dominated in paint points, 42-28, Maumelle JV had a 23-9 advantage in points off turnovers thanks to totaling just seven turnovers as a team while forcing the Wildcats into 19 turnovers.

Evan Taylor had 21 points and three rebounds to lead Maumelle JV, while Elijah Newell finished 15 points and five boards. Prince Islam had 13 points and four steals.

 

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS

GOLD BRACKET

MVP – Nico Davillier – Maumelle

QJ King – Mills University Studies 

Joseph Pinion – Morrilton

Gavin Read – Sapulpa

Camden Bennett – St. Joseph Lafayette

Gabe Bergen – East Newton

Carl Daughtery – Maumelle 

Colby Garland – Maumelle 

 

BLACK BRACKET

MVP – K’dyn Waters – Neosho

Mason Davidson – Huntsville

Eli McClain – McDonald County

Jonathan Dunbar – Cassville

Conner Shoff – Lamar

Tymie Adkins-Freeman – Crooked Oak

 

NEOSHO HOLIDAY CLASSIC: Waters’ MVP performance leads Neosho to Black bracket championship

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NEOSHO, Mo. — If senior guard K’dyn Waters had a dream scenario for the start of his Neosho career, Thursday night’s performance in the Wildcats’ 70-63 win over district rival McDonald County in the Black bracket championship game of the 67th rendition of the Neosho Holiday Classic was certainly a part of it. 

Neosho senior K’dyn Waters flushes home a dunk in the Wildcats’ win over McDonald County in the Neosho Holiday Classic Black bracket championship. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

“All championship games are fun,” Neosho coach Zane Culp said. “Championship games on your home court are fun and championship games on your home court against your rival are really, really fun when you pull it out. 

“K’dyn Waters has been a great movie-in, and not just as a player but as a person. Talk about putting your team on your back, and he does it in such an unassuming way. … He just wants to win, and that is a special breed of kid … He didn’t grow up in Neosho with all of these kids, but he wants to win anyways. It’s like he has been here all along, and we are just happy he is here.”

Waters, a Florida transfer, poured in a game and career-high 38 points on 14-of-22 shooting from the field and 5-of-10 shooting from the perimeter. He added a team-high 12 rebounds, four assists and a steal to finish with a double-double—a performance that earned him MVP honors for the Neosho Holiday Classic.

“It means a lot to me,” Waters said about winning the NHC title and MVP honors. “This is (Neosho’s) first time winning this tournament in almost 20 years and this is my first year here. Being a part of that and being able to perform on that stage, it is a big deal to me.”

The win for Neosho in the Black bracket championship is the first Neosho Holiday Classic title for the Wildcats since the 2003 season.

“It is really special for the program,” Culp said of the Neosho Holiday Classic title win. “For me personally, it is a little more special because I grew up in Neosho and have been coming to this tournament since I can remember, watching my heroes like Tyler Chaney, Trent Barratt, Michael Daugherty and Jon Branscum and having them up in the stands watching us. I am the lucky guy who gets to represent us while we win it for the first time since them. It is just really special for me, and it is special for the town, too. That was a great moment for basketball, and hopefully we are back on track to get (the program) where it was then.”

GAME ACTION

McDonald County’s Eli McClain slams home a dunk in the Mustangs’ loss to Neosho on Thursday in the Neosho Holiday Classic. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Neosho fell into a 20-9 hole after the first quarter after making just 3-of-14 shots from the field. McDonald County shot 53 percent in the opening eight minutes of play, including three team 3-pointers and eight additional points from senior 6-6 forward Eli McClain, who finished with a team-high 27 points and was named to the Neosho Holiday Classic all-tournament team.

“The energy, the effort and the hustle was all there,” McDonald County coach Brandon Joines said. “I’ll also say Eli McClain played an outstanding, phenomenal game. He hit big shots and made big plays all game. I think he left everything out there.”

Waters heated up in the second period, scoring the first Wildcats’ first 11 points of the period— which included two three-point plays and a 3-pointer—to cut the double-digit margin down to two possessions, 25-20, with 5:08 to play. Waters added consecutive scores on the break coming off Mustang turnovers late in the half to cut the lead to 34-31 before McDonald County junior guard Cross Dowd drilled a 3-ball from the top of the key in the closing minutes to send the Mustangs into the intermission on top 37-31.

The momentum shifted into Neosho’s favor out of the locker room, as the Wildcats scored the first 11 points of the third quarter and took their first lead of the game in the process. 

“That was really big,” Culp said of the early surge in the third period. “We told them at halftime that we weren’t taking bad shots, we just weren’t making them. Go out there and make them and play a little better defense and we’ll be in a better spot. That happened right away and it gives you confidence going forward that you’ll be just fine.”

Neosho’s Carter Fenske records a block in the Wildcats’ win over McDonald County on Thursday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Junior guard Carter Fenske opened the run with a 3-pointer from the wing before Waters added a triple from the top of the key to tie the game at 37-all with 6:43 to play. Junior guard Brock Franklin drilled a third straight make from the perimeter for the Wildcats to give his team a 40-37 lead. Fenske closed out the run with a score on the break to push the lead to five.

“It was tremendous,” Waters said of the opening run in the third period. “It was the breaking point in that game because we knew we had to get stops. If we could not get stops, then we lose. We were able to get stops and hold them to low scoring in that half.”

McDonald County regained the lead late in the third quarter when junior guard Sterling Woods knocked down a 3-pointer from the wing with a minute to play to give the Mustangs a 49-47 advantage. 

Neosho ultimately took a 54-51 lead into the last eight minutes of action after Fenske converted from the perimeter at the final horn of the third period.

The Mustangs took the lead back after starting the fourth quarter with the first two buckets, including a deep 3-pointer from Dowd with 6:26 on the clock to give MCHS a 56-54 advantage.

Like he did several times previously in the game, Waters took over to put the Wildcats back in the driver’s seat. After tying the game at 56-all on a second-chance drive to the hoop, Waters pulled up from the tip of the nose on the Wildcat logo at midcourt and buried the shot to lift the crowd from its feet while giving Neosho a 59-56 lead with 5:30 to play.

“I was taught to shoot those,” Waters said with a laugh. “If no one picks me up by the volleyball line, you shoot it.”

Neosho’s Brock Franklin knocks down a 3-pointer from the corner in the Wildcats’ win over McDonald County. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

McClain threw down a dunk off the break to cut the lead to one before Waters answered back with another 3-pointer to make the score 62-58. Following a mid-range make from Mustang senior guard Cole Martin, Waters responded once more with a make from the perimeter to push the lead to five, 65-60, in the closing minutes.

McClain buried a 3-ball with 30 seconds left to cut the deficit to one possession, 66-63, but Neosho converted four straight makes from the charity stripe to seal the championship win.

“It’s a rivalry, it’s a tough game and it’s always a tough environment,” Joines said about the atmosphere. “But, it’s exciting because the stands are full and everybody is into it. There isn’t a neutral fan here. Everybody is cheering for one of these two teams pretty much in that crowd. Congrats to Neosho and hopefully we will get them back when we play them in the regular season.”

STATISTICS

Along with Waters’ 38, Neosho had two other players finish in double figures. Fenske finished with 14 points, three rebounds and two assists, while Franklin had three 3-pointers on the way to 12 points, four assists and two boards. Junior guard Isaiah Green had 10 rebounds, five assists, four points and two steals.

McClain’s 27 led McDonald County, while Martin added 13 points and Dowd 12. Martin had six rebounds and six assists, while Dowd pulled down five rebounds.

BOYS HOOPS: Carthage boys claim Rolla tourney title

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

ROLLA, Mo. — Led by an early barrage of 3-pointers, Carthage took the lead early and never relinquished it in a 58-44 win over Rolla 58-44 on Thursday night in the championship game of the US Bank Rolla Holiday Tournament.

After a seventh straight win, Carthage is now 9-1 on the season.

The Tigers hit five 3-pointers in the opening frame, with Joel Pugh and Max Templeman hitting two apiece and Justin Ray adding one trey.

Carthage led 17-13 at the end of the first quarter.

Templeman drilled his third trey of the game in the second quarter, and two hoops from Britt Coy gave Carthage a 25-17 halftime lead.

After hoops from Clay Kinder, Sylas Browning and Coy, the Tigers took a 37-26 lead into the fourth quarter. 

Coy buried a pair of 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter to push Carthage’s advantage to 43-29.

The Bulldogs used a 7-2 run to pull within nine, but the Tigers responded with seven straight points to lock up the win. 

Pugh scored 17 points, while Templeman added 16. Both players hit a trio of 3-pointers. Coy added 12 points and Kinder had seven. 

Pugh was named the tourney’s Most Valuable Player, while Templeman and Ray were all-tourney selections.

Adam Hounsom led Rolla with 17 points. 

Carthage hosts Nixa on Tuesday night.

 

GIRLS HOOPS: Carthage girls take 4th at Pink & White tourney

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Despite a valiant comeback attempt, Carthage’s girls suffered a 58-46 loss to Cabot (Ark.) in the third-place game of the Pink & White Classic’s Pink Division on Thursday at Drury University’s O’Reilly Family Events Center.

The Tigers found themselves in an early hole, as the Panthers led 21-4. But Carthage won the second half 32-20, but the early deficit was too much to overcome.

“Dead legs dug us a hole to start the game, but these girls are fighters and came out on fire in the second half,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “We challenged them at halftime to come out, play hard and let it fly. And they did just that. We hit four 3-pointers in the third quarter and got right back into the game. Then we kept ramping it up and cut it all the way down to eight points in the fourth quarter.”

Cabot led 38-14 at halftime. Carthage outscored the Panthers 17-9 in the third period and 15-11 in the fourth quarter. 

Junior guard Kianna Yates led Carthage with 21 points. 

“Kianna Yates averaged 22 points per game for us this week against amazing competition,” Moore noted. “She’s such an exceptional player who always leads the charge for us and the rest of the team follows her energy and passion for the game.”

“However, we are more than just one player,” Moore added. “Lauren Choate, Maggie Boyd, Landry Cochran, Sophie Shannon, Daniela Marquez and Trisha Kanas gave us every ounce of energy they had. We press for 32 minutes and we need each of those girls to give their best effort for us to be successful. Because they did, we had an amazing run and they should be so proud of themselves.”

Lauren Choate contributed eight points, while Sophie Shannon added seven points. 

Jenna Cook scored 17 points to lead Cabot. 

Moore noted he was proud of his team’s 2-2 showing in the always-tough tournament. 

“Nobody in this tournament has had to play four tough games like we just did,” Moore said. “I’m so incredibly proud of these kids for how hard they have played this week. In fact, the tournament committee awarded us the Sportsmanship Award for how hard we played. We impressed everyone in the arena with our brand of basketball over the course of the tourney. That’s the ‘Lady Tiger Way.'” 

In addition to finishing fourth in its bracket, Carthage was the recipient of the sportsmanship award.

Carthage (5-6) hosts Strafford at 6 on Tuesday night. The Indians just won the White Division at the Pink & White tourney.

 

NHC GIRLS ROUNDUP: Northside claims championship, East Newton takes 5th

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

NEOSHO, Mo. — Fort Smith Northside captured the Neosho Holiday Classic’s girls championship with a convincing 42-19 win over North Kansas City on Thursday night. 

Northside remained undefeated and improved to 13-0.

The Lady Bears took control early, leading 13-5 at the end of the first quarter and taking a 24-14 advantage into the break. 

By the end of the third period, Northside led 33-17. A 9-2 fourth quarter finished off the win. 

Yonni Releford scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Northside, while Karys Washington added nine points and Erianna Gooden had eight. 

Northside made 13-of-45 field goal attempts (29 percent) and scored 23 points off North KC’s 21 turnovers. 

North KC shot 26 percent (8-of-31). Hailey Black scored seven points to lead North (4-4). 

Northside never trailed in the game. 

 

EAST NEWTON WINS FIFTH-PLACE GAME 

East Newton claimed fifth place honors with a 47-34 win over Huntsville.

The Patriots led 23-12 at halftime and 36-21 at the end of the third period. 

East Newton improved to 6-4. Three players scored in double figures for the Patriots, as Shaw Coburn had 14 points, Makenna Brasier added 13 and Josie Guinn scored 11. 

East Newton made 20-of-45 field goal attempts and scored 14 points off Huntsville’s seven turnovers. 

Huntsville shot 29 percent (12-of-42). Carlie Howerton scored 13 points to lead the Eagles (5-8).  

 

STOUTLAND 44, HUNTSVILLE JV 35

Stoutland claimed seventh-place by finishing strong.  

The Tigers were clinging to a 29-26 lead after three periods of play. Stoutland outscored the Huntsville JV squad 15-9 in the final frame. 

Schona Looney scored 24 points for Stoutland, while Raegan Henry had seven points to go with 10 rebounds. 

Mykenna Kirk scored nine points for the Huntsville JV and Mena Thomas added eight. 

 

Girls All-Tournament Team

Erianna Gooden – Ft. Smith Northside MVP  

Alissa Pillow – Huntsville

Jazlyn King – St. Joseph Lafayette

Khassidy Warr – Northside

Carlie Howerton – Huntsville

Shaw Coburn – East Newton

LaNicia Parker – North Kansas City 

 

Bill Ball Sportsmanship Award

Stoutland

NEOSHO HOLIDAY CLASSIC: Neosho girls settle for fourth after loss to Lafayette

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

NEOSHO, Mo. — A poor start was too much to overcome for the Neosho girls basketball team on Thursday afternoon. 

As a result, the host Wildcats suffered a 51-27 setback to St. Joseph Lafayette in the third-place game of the Neosho Holiday Classic.

Plagued by cold shooting and a number of costly turnovers, the Wildcats found themselves down 35-9 at halftime.

Neosho won the second half 18-16, but Lafayette’s lead was never in jeopardy after the break. 

“Athletically, we didn’t match up with them and they were a little quicker than we were,” Neosho coach Ryan Madison said. “Give them credit. They’ve got some long, quick athletes that can get in you a little bit and put pressure on you. But so do a lot of the teams we’re going to play this season. We went to a zone in the second quarter and I probably kept us in that too long. I didn’t do the best job I could do to give the kids a chance to win tonight. I’ll take the heat on that, and hopefully we’ll play better in our next game.” 

Neosho’s sister act of Beclynn and Maelynn Garrett combined to score 20 of the Wildcats’ 27 points. 

A freshman, Beclynn Garrett scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting. She hit two treys. 

A junior, Maelynn Garrett added eight points after making 4-of-8 shot attempts. Maelynn Garrett also had a team-high five rebounds.

Junior Reagan McInturff had four assists and classmate Raine Harris had two steals. The Wildcats made 11-of-27 field goal attempts and went 3-for-11 at the foul line. 

“The free throw line killed us,” Madison said. “Early in the game, if we could have got some of those to go down it could have kept us in the game.”

Lafayette made 20-of-39 shots, including six 3-pointers. Talicia Rice scored 13 points to lead the Irish, while Honor Mannings contributed 10 points, five steals and four assists. 

The Irish (7-4) scored 27 points off Neosho’s 18 turnovers and had nearly half of their total points in the paint (24). 

Lafayette led 16-5 at the end of the first quarter and the Irish outscored the Wildcats 19-4 in the second period for a 26-point halftime cushion.

In the opening half, Neosho made just 3-of-12 field goal attempts while also turning the ball over 11 times against Lafayette’s aggressive pressure defense. 

Neosho won the third period 8-5 before the Irish outscored the Wildcats 11-10 in the final frame. 

“I thought we picked it up in the second half,” Madison said. “I thought we guarded a lot better in the third quarter. I thought we did some good things in the second half. We put the ball in the bucket better in the second half, too.” 

Madison coached against his former program and his former assistant (Ryan Spinner), as he spent eight seasons in charge of the Lady Irish.

“Coach Spinner does a great job and I was blessed to have him on my staff for eight years,” Madison said. “I know a few of those girls pretty well. It was a little bittersweet to play them. I’m happy for them and I hope they can get a lot of wins this season.”

After going 1-2 in the tournament, the Wildcats are now 5-6 on the season. 

Madison hopes to see continued progress as the 2022 portion of the schedule arrives next week.

“We had glimpses where we did some good things,” Madison said of the three games. “We’re so much better defensively than we were a year ago. I think we’re doing a better job of rebounding. Those were the first things we wanted to fix…the defensive side and rebounding. Now we have to take care of the ball better. Our ball security has to get better. I do think these last few games have helped us. We would have liked to do better in our own tournament, but I’m still proud of the kids. There are some great girls in that locker room. Hopefully we can rebound and keep getting better all year.”

 

NOTES: Neosho’s McInturff was crowned the girls 3-point champion on Wednesday night, with teammate Beclynn Garrett the runner-up. The annual tournament is sponsored by Branco Enterprises.

GIRLS HOOPS: Carthage falls to Republic in Pink and White semifinals

Posted on by Lucas Davis

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Republic built a six-point lead by halftime and pulled away from Carthage in the final two quarters in the semifinal round of the Pink and White Tournament on Wednesday.

Carthage (5-5) plays Cabot in the third-place game at 4 p.m. on Thursday at the O’Reilly Family Event Center. Second-seeded Republic takes on top-seeded Kickapoo in the championship game at 1 at the same location.

“We battled a tough district opponent for the third day in a row for 32 minutes,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said to SoMo Sports. “The only difference between today and the past two days is that our shots didn’t fall as much on the offensive end.

“Our coaches are incredibly impressed by our effort and energy on both ends of the court. The girls have really raised the bar for themselves this week and I look forward to coaching this team every game we play.

“We are such a young team, that we are constantly learning on the fly. The players have been great listening to the coaches and executing the game plan on both ends of the floor. They are really fun to coach. Sometimes I just step back and enjoy watching them play ball.”

Republic held a 23-16 lead after the first quarter before Carthage whittled the lead to six by the intermission. Republic outscored Carthage 12-7 in each the third and fourth quarters to distance themselves in the win.

Kianna Yates led Carthage with 20 points, scoring 14 points in the first half. Sophie Shannon, Maggie Boyd and Lauren Choate each finished with five points.

GIRLS NHC ROUNDUP: Fort Smith Northside dominates 2nd half in win; East Newton advances to consolation semis

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NEOSHO, Mo. — Fort Smith Northside girls basketball dominated St. Joseph Lafayette in the second half on the way to a 47-19 win in the semifinals of the Neosho Holiday Classic on Wednesday.

The Grizzlies advance to face North Kansas City in the girls championship game set for 5 p.m. at Neosho High School.

Fort Smith Northside held a 20-15 lead at the intermission before outscoring St. Joseph 27-4 in the second half. The Grizzlies limited the Irish to two points in each the third and fourth quarters, holding St. Joseph to 21 percent shooting for the game.

The Grizzlies dominated points in the paint 26-4 and outscored St. Joseph 21-0 in points off turnovers. The Irish had 18 turnovers to the Grizzlies’ 11.

Yonni Releford had 13 points and eight rebounds to lead Fort Smith Northside, while Erianna Gooden and Brenna Taylor each had eight in the win. Gooden had seven rebounds, while Taylor finished with six boards.

Lafayette was led in scoring by Jazlyn King and Modesta Wilhelmsen’s six points apiece. 

Lafayette takes on Neosho in the third-place game at 2 p.m. at Neosho High School.

 

HUNTSVILLE (ARK) 64, STOUTLAND 36

Huntsville took a hold of the momentum early and never relinquished it on the way to a lopsided win over Stoutland on Wednesday in the semifinals of the Neosho Holiday Classic.

Huntsville, which never trailed in the win, built an 11-4 lead after the opening period before pushing the lead to 12 points by halftime. Huntsville put the game away after outsourcing Stoutland 17-6 in the third period.

Huntsville won the turnover battle 28-19, and also outscored Stoutland in points off turnovers, 36-15. Stoutland struggled on the glass, getting outrebounded 36-28, which led to a 16-6 advantage by Huntsville in second-chance points.

Huntsville had three players in double figures, led by Alissa Pillow and Carlie Howerton’s 15 points each. Howerton had six rebounds, while Pillow had four rebounds, five assists and three steals. Emily Buchanan added 14 points in the win.

Raegan Henry led Stoutland with 13 points and 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double, while Schona Looney closed the loss with 10 points and five rebounds.

East Newton takes on Huntsville in the consolation finals at 2 on Thursday.

 

EAST NEWTON 55, HUNTSVILLE JV (ARK) 34

East Newton dominated the middle quarters on the way to win in the consolation semifinal round of the Neosho Holiday Classic on Wednesday. 

After taking a two-point lead following the first quarter, East Newton outscored Huntsville JV 17-9 in the second period and 14-3 in the third quarter to build an insurmountable lead on the way to the win.

The Patriots had the advantage in points in the paint (26-16), points off turnovers (28-9) and second-chance points (19-6).

Shaw Coburn led East Newton in scoring with 15 points to go along with three steals and two rebounds. Alyssa Coffey finished with nine points and eight rebounds. 

Mykenna Kirk led Huntsville JV in scoring with 15 points, while Kylee McCubbin added nine points and six rebounds.
East Newton takes on Huntsville in the consolation finals at 2 on Thursday.

NEOSHO HOLIDAY CLASSIC: Turnovers costly in Neosho’s semifinal loss to North Kansas City

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NEOSHO, Mo. — The turnover bug bit Neosho hard in the Wildcats’ 39-17 loss to North Kansas City in the girls semifinal round of the Neosho Holiday Classic on Wednesday at the Neosho Junior High.

Both teams were tied after the first quarter before the Hornets forced the Wildcats into several turnovers while building a 13-10 lead by halftime. Kansas City North started the second half on a 10-0 run and never looked back en route to the win.

“We knew we were going to get pressured a little bit,” Neosho coach Ryan Madison said about North Kansas City’s defense. “They were going to get on us. They were more athletic than us. We just didn’t execute our game plan very well. We tried to run a few quick hitters and things—we just didn’t run them correctly. We had chances at backdoor cuts but we just didn’t run stuff right.

“We have to do a better job of taking care of the ball. I think some of that is youth and inexperience. I think we will get better. … I did see some good things offensively, we just have to finish layups and make our free throws. When we get those open looks, we have to knock them down.”

Neosho’s Raine Harris drives to the hoop while being defended by North Kansas City’s Yar Manyiel during their semifinal matchup on Wednesday in the Neosho Holiday Classic. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

THIS N’ THAT

Neosho, which shot 19 percent in the loss, committed 30 turnovers to North Kansas City’s 14, leading the Wildcats to be outscored 24-3 in points off turnovers. The Hornets, which had an 18-2 advantage in fast-break scoring, took command inside the lane as well, outscoring Neosho 24-4 in paint points.

STATS

LaNicia Parker had 14 points, four rebounds and eight steals to lead North Kansas City, while Yar Manyiel had seven points, two assists and two steals. 

Eight players scored for Neosho, with Maelynn Garrett leading the way with four points and three rebounds. Raine Harris had three points and four rebounds, while Taigen Mitchell had two points and five rebounds.

GAME ACTION

After a back-and-forth first quarter that ended with both teams tied at 7s, North Kansas City took the momentum thanks in large part to forcing Neosho over. The Hornets outscored the Wildcats 6-3 in the second quarter, with Neosho totaling nine turnovers, 17 total giveaways in the first half. Despite the giveaways, the Wildcats only trailed by three at the intermission, 13-10.

“They got out into the passing lanes a little more and made it hard just to get into the offense,” Madison said in the difference between scoring in the first and second periods. “They also did a better job of bumping our cutters and letting us cut through to the basket. I also thought we missed some people (on flex cuts).”

After Garrett sank a free throw to start the scoring in the second and give the Wildcats a 8-7 lead, North Kansas City scored the next six points to take a 13-8 advantage. Parker highlighted the second quarter for North KC with a pair of layups off the break following steals.

North Kansas City cemented the momentum in its favor after scoring the first 10 points of the third quarter to take a commanding 23-10 lead with more than five minutes expired in the period. The Hornets first two baskets came off Neosho turnovers that went for scores on the break by Kennady Washington and Parker. Manyiel added a euro-step layup before Hailey Black knocked down a mid-range jumper from the free-throw line to highlight the run.

“We came out in the third quarter and ran a quick hitter and ran the wrong one,” Madison said of the run to start the second half. “Then the next trip down, we ran it but we didn’t run it right. None of the five players on the floor ran it correctly. That is frustrating because it wasn’t really anything they did. That is self-inflicted. We have to do a better job in those situations of knowing what we are doing when we are running stuff.”

The Hornets limited the Wildcats to one point in the third quarter and took a 24-11 lead into the fourth period, pushing the lead to more than 20 midway through and playing with that cushion to the final horn.

UP NEXT

Neosho takes on St. Joseph Lafayette in the third-place game at 2 p.m. at Neosho High School. Coach Madison spent eight seasons in charge of the Lady Irish before stepping down in 2018.

“Their head coach was my assistant and they run the exact same stuff that we run,” Madison said of the matchup with St. Joseph Lafayette. “We kind of learned it together. I told our girls it will be two teams running the exact same thing so no one is fooling anybody tomorrow. 

“Any coach will tell you that two wins in a tournament is great. Last year, we were fortunate to do that most of the time. This year in our first tournament, we didn’t. Again, here we are and if we don’t get this one, we will be one again. Hopefully the kids will come out with some pride for our gym, our tournament. We get to play in the big gym and should have a great atmosphere and a great crowd. Hopefully we will be ready to go and come out and rebound from this.”

 

NEOSHO HOLIDAY CLASSIC: Wednesday’s scores, Thursday’s schedule

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

NEOSHO HOLIDAY CLASSIC GLANCE

Wednesday’s results

BOYS GOLD DIVISION 

Mills University Studies 70, St. Joseph Lafayette 61

Maumelle 77, Morrilton 55

Sapulpa 68, West Memphis 52

East Newton 67, Mitchell 53

 

BOYS BLACK DIVISION 

McDonald County 65, Lamar 53

Neosho 62, Huntsville 44

Crooked Oak 72, Maumelle JV 69

Monett 46, Cassville 40 (OT)

 

GIRLS BRACKET

Northside 47, Lafayette 19

North KC 39, Neosho 17

Huntsville 64, Stoutland 36

East Newton 55, Huntsville JV 34

 

Thursday’s schedule

At Neosho High School

10:30 a.m. — East Newton vs. Sapulpa – Boys Gold Bracket 5th place 

12:00 p.m. — Lamar vs. Huntsville – Boys Black Bracket 3rd place 

2:00 p.m.  — Neosho vs. St. Joseph Lafayette – Girls Bracket 3rd place 

3:30 p.m.  — St. Joseph Lafayette vs. Morrilton – Boys Gold Bracket 3rd place 

5:00 p.m.  — Ft. Smith Northside vs. North Kansas City – Girls Bracket Championship

6:30 p.m.  — Neosho vs. McDonald County – Boys Black Bracket Championship

8:00 p.m. — Mills University Studies vs. Maumelle – Boys Gold Bracket Championship

 

Neosho Junior High

10:30 a.m. — Maumelle JV vs. Cassville – Boys Black Bracket 7th place 

12:00 p.m.  — West Memphis vs. Memphis Mitchell – Boys Gold Bracket 7th place 

2:00 p.m.  — Crooked Oak vs. Monett – Boys Black Bracket 5th place 

3:30 p.m.  — Stoutland vs. Huntsville JV – Girls Bracket 7th place game

5:00 p.m. — Huntsville vs. East Newton – Girls Bracket 5th place game

BOYS HOOPS ROUNDUP: Webb City earns win in KC; Carthage advances to tourney title game

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY 71, HOLLAND HALL 60

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A strong second half propelled the Webb City boys basketball team to a 71-60 victory over Holland Hall (Okla.) on Wednesday at the inaugural 12 Courts of Christmas event at Hy-Vee Arena.

In the first-ever meeting between the schools on the hardwood, the Cardinals trailed by three at halftime, 31-28.

But Webb City outscored the Dutch 23-8 in the game-changing third quarter to pull away for good. 

That gave Webb City a 51-39 lead heading into the final period. The fourth quarter was nearly even, 21-20 in Webb City’s favor, and the Cardinals never gave up their lead.

Four players scored in double figures for the Cardinals, who improved to 6-2 on the season.

Cohl Vaden led the way with 19 points, while Dante Washington added 17 points. Trey Roets scored 15 and Kaden Turner added 11. 

Jadon Cool scored 19 points for Holland Hall of Tulsa. 

Webb City hosts McDonald County on Jan. 4.  

Webb City’s Cohl Vaden scores inside against Holland Hall on Wednesday at the 12 Courts of Christmas event in Kansas City. Photo by Cody Thorn.

CARTHAGE 62, WARRENSBURG 27

ROLLA, Mo. — Second-seeded Carthage rolled to a convincing 62-27 semifinal win over third-seeded Warrensburg to advance to the championship game of the 35th Rolla US Bank Holiday Tournament.

Carthage, now 8-1, will play Rolla for the tournament championship at 6 p.m. on Thursday. 

Max Templeman scored 15 points to lead the Tigers, while Joel Pugh added 12 points. Pugh became Carthage High’s all-time leader in made 3-pointers. 

Justin Ray added 11 points and Clay Kinder contributed eight points. 

Carthage got off to a fast start, leading 17-2. The Tigers held a 37-13 lead at halftime.

Carthage outscored Warrensburg 18-7 in the third period to take a comfortable 55-20 into the fourth quarter. 

 

NEOSHO HOLIDAY CLASSIC: Dominant fourth quarter lifts Neosho to comeback win; Wildcats will face rival Mustangs in title game

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

NEOSHO, Mo. — In a stunning turnaround, Neosho erupted for 24 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to earn a 62-44 come-from-behind victory over Huntsville (Ark.) in the Black bracket semifinals on Wednesday at the 2021 Neosho Holiday Classic.

With the win, the Wildcats (7-2) will meet the rival McDonald County Mustangs (6-4) in the bracket’s championship game at 6:30 on Thursday night. 

“You want to be in the championship no matter who you’re playing, but it’s a little more fun when you’re playing a team from right down the road,” Neosho coach Zane Culp said. “It should be a really fun atmosphere. It’s going to be a fun game to watch.” 

A spot in the title game wasn’t looking very likely for the tourney hosts midway through the third period. The Wildcats, who trailed by nine with 3:47 left in the third period, entered the fourth quarter down six.

But as soon as the final frame arrived, the hosts appeared to flip a switch in what was a remarkable turn of events.  

Simply put, Neosho dominated the fourth quarter on both ends of the floor, holding the Eagles scoreless over the final eight minutes of action while exploding for 24 points.

“If you hold a team to zero points in the fourth quarter, you’re probably going to win,” Culp said with a smile. “The boys responded to a tough third quarter. Huntsville’s good. They fight and they’re tough. We tried to get them out of sorts with a halfcourt trap and it worked. And like I said, if you hold a team to zero points in a quarter you’re in good shape. It was a fun fourth quarter.”

The hosts got off to a great start, as Carter Fenske’s third trey of the first quarter and a hoop from K’dyn Waters gave the Wildcats a 17-7 lead. But the Eagles finished the opening frame on a 6-2 run to pull within six at 19-13.

Huntsville outscored Neosho 18-11 in the second period to take a 31-30 lead into the break. 

The Eagles led throughout the third quarter and went up 41-32 on a bucket from Mason Davidson. Huntsville’s lead was 44-38 at the end of the third quarter.

“If you would have told me at that point that we were going to win by 18 I probably would have said you were crazy,” Culp said. 

But things suddenly changed as the final period of the contest began, as the Wildcats found their stride offensively and defensively.

Brock Franklin sparked the Wildcats with seven straight points, a corner 3-pointer and two pull-up jumpers from near the foul line. Those points gave Neosho a 47-44 lead.

From there, the Wildcats continued to roll. Waters, Isaiah Green and Franklin all contributed hoops as the hosts pulled away. A trey from Waters made it 57-44. 

On the other end, the Eagles simply couldn’t get a shot to fall. 

Free throws from Waters, Kael Smith and Michael Day extended the lead to 18 down the stretch.

“We just kept chipping away and then all of a sudden we were up 10,” Culp said of the late rally. “When you’re getting stops, offense is easier. And we didn’t turn the ball over as much in the fourth quarter. We’d been averaging nine or 10 turnovers a game this season and we had 10 in the first half.”

Waters scored a game-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting and also had four assists and four rebounds to lead the Wildcats (7-2). Despite what appeared to be a bloody nose, Franklin made 5-of-8 field goal attempts for 12 points. 

“Brock Franklin hit three or four shots in a row and guarded their best player all night,” Culp said. “I’m really proud of him.”

Fenske added 11 points, while Smith and Green contributed eight and seven points, respectively. Smith had a team-high six rebounds and three blocked shots, while Green handed out four assists.

Neosho made 24-of-42 field goal attempts (57 percent), including 6-of-14 from behind the arc.

Huntsville made 17-of-51 shots from the floor. The Eagles misfired on all 17 attempts in the final frame. Davidson scored 16 points to lead Huntsville (8-4). 

McDonald County knocked off Lamar 65-53 in the other semifinal (See related story). 

Huntsville (8-4) will take on Lamar (5-4) at noon on Thursday in the bracket’s third-place game.

NEOSHO HOLIDAY CLASSIC: McDonald County advances to Black bracket title game with win over Lamar

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

NEOSHO, Mo. — The McDonald County Mustangs took care of business, and now, longtime rivals will square off in the championship game of the Neosho Holiday Classic’s Black bracket.

McDonald County’s boys took control in the first half en route to a 65-53 win over Lamar on Wednesday in the division’s semifinals.

The Mustangs (6-4) will take on the rival Neosho Wildcats (7-2) at 6:30 on Thursday night for the bracket championship. In the other semifinal, Neosho used a strong fourth quarter to beat Huntsville 62-44. 

“Both teams accomplished their goals of getting to the championship game and I’m sure it will be a dogfight like it always is,” McDonald County coach Brandon Joines said of the matchup with the Wildcats. “The emotions are always high when we play Neosho. If we play our game, limit turnovers and be aggressive defensively, I think good things will happen for us. I think Neosho wants to play a similar style as we do, so it will come down to who can play with confidence and who can hit shots. We’ll see which team can make it happen.” 

The Mustangs led 21-15 at the end of the first quarter and never trailed the rest of the way. McDonald County was up 32-23 at halftime and extended the advantage to 52-39 by the end of the third quarter. 

The Mustangs took their biggest lead at 61-45 with four minutes to play. 

“I thought we played pretty well,” Joines said. “We got the ball inside and worked it back out when we needed to. We made good decisions with the ball and we limited turnovers. We made them play at our pace. When we do that, we’re tough to beat.”

Four players scored in double figures for the Mustangs. Eli McClain and Teddy Reedybacon scored 13 points apiece, while Cross Dowd added 11 and Cole Martin had 10. 

Two others, Pierce Harmon and Sterling Woods, contributed eight points apiece. Reedybacon had 12 rebounds, while Woods had five assists and Harmon grabbed four steals. 

McDonald County hit 25-of-54 shots (46 percent), including 7-of-20 from long distance. 

Lamar made 22-of-58 field goal attempts (38 percent), with 7-of-28 from beyond the arc.

Conner Shoff scored 14 points to lead the Tigers, while Austin Wilkerson had 10 points and five rebounds. Joel Beshore handed out three assists. 

Lamar (5-4) will meet Huntsville (8-4) at noon on Thursday in the bracket’s third-place game. 

 

MONETT 46, CASSVILLE 40 (OT)

The consolation bracket clash between Big 8 Conference foes was deadlocked at 35 at the end of regulation before Monett outscored Cassville 11-5 in the extra session. 

Monett’s Wyatt Sitton-Barrows scored 14 points to lead the Cubs (5-4), while Cameron Erwin added 12. Jonathan Dunbar scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Cassville (3-6). 

Monett will meet Crooked Oak for fifth place at 2 p.m. on Thursday at the junior high. Crooked Oak edged the Maumelle JV team 72-69. 

Cassville will take on Maumelle JV for seventh place at 10:30 at the junior high.

 

GOLD DIVISION

EAST NEWTON 67, MEMPHIS MITCHELL 53

Gabe Bergen scored 21 points and Kelton Sorrell added 11 for the Patriots. 

East Newton never trailed in this one. The Patriots led by six at the end of the first quarter and by 10 at halftime. 

The Patriots, who made 25 of 49 field goal attempts, were up 56-39 entering the fourth quarter. 

Tyler Lucas scored 20 points for Mitchell, while Kaden Smith added 16. 

The Patriots meet Sapulpa at 10:30 on Thursday for fifth place. 

PREP HOOPS: Carthage squads earn tourney wins, advance to semifinals

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

CARTHAGE GIRLS 57, LEBANON 56

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Carthage’s girls knocked off third-seeded and previously undefeated Lebanon 57-56 in the quarterfinals of the Pink & White Classic on Tuesday at Drury University.

The 11th-seeded Tigers (5-4) advanced to the Pink Bracket’s semifinals, where they’ll take on second-seeded Republic at 4 on Wednesday.

“Huge win for the program today,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “The girls played so hard against an undefeated Lebanon team. We controlled the pace of the game from the tip to the final buzzer. I’m so proud of how hard these girls are playing right now. They are so fun to coach and the fans are really enjoying our brand of basketball.”

Junior guard Kianna Yates led Carthage with 22 points.

“Kianna Yates is a constant catalyst for our team and she’s playing amazing basketball right now,” Moore said. “When she’s in control, the rest of the girls feed off of her energy and we get to another level.”

Also for the Tigers, Maggie Boyd scored 15 points, while Lauren Choate contributed eight points and Daniela Marquez had six.

“Freshman Maggie Boyd had a great game today,” Moore said. “She plays so hard on both ends of the floor and in positions 1-4 for us. Her activity and position flexibility allows us to play big or small whenever we want.

“Fellow freshman Lauren Choate raised her game today and hit a couple of crucial threes for us. She was slowed by an early-season injury and is just now getting up to full varsity speed. She will continue to improve with every minute she plays.

“Junior Daniela Marquez is providing great energy for us. She’s getting a ton of rebounds, loose balls and steals. Not always showing up under her name in the scorebook, but definitely helps us win these competitive games.” 

Carthage trailed 18-9 at the end of the first quarter. The Tigers outscored the Yellowjackets 20-16 in the second period, and trailed 34-29 at the break.

The third quarter was even, 14-14, and Lebanon was clinging to a 48-43 lead entering the final period.

Carthage outscored Lebanon 14-8 in the fourth quarter. 

Yates made a go-ahead free throw with four seconds left. The second attempt was off the mark, but the Tigers’ point guard secured the offensive rebound and time expired. 

Lebanon fell to 8-1. Raegan McCowan paced the Yellowjackets with 25 points. 

 

CARTHAGE BOYS 60, LINCOLN PREP 37

ROLLA, Mo. — Second-seeded Carthage built a 16-point lead by halftime and never relinquished the advantage in the second half to earn a 60-37 win over seventh-seeded Lincoln Prep at the 35th Rolla US Bank Holiday Invitational. 

The Tigers were up 14-6 at the end of the first quarter and then outscored Lincoln Prep 15-7 in the second period to take a 29-13 lead into the break.

Carthage led 43-25 by the end of the third quarter. 

Max Templeman scored 19 points and hit two 3-pointers to lead Carthage, while Clay Kinder added 13 points. Joel Pugh and Justin Ray contributed nine points apiece for Nathan Morris’ Tigers. 

Carthage, now 7-1, will meet Warrensburg at 4 on Wednesday in the semifinals.  

 

NHC ROUNDUP: McDonald County, Lamar earn wins in Black Bracket; Maumelle, Mills University earn dominant Gold Bracket wins

Posted on by Lucas Davis

McDonald County found little resistance in the first half while building an insurmountable lead on the way to an 80-66 win against Maumelle JV in Black Bracket play on Tuesday.

The Mustangs outscored Maumelle JV by eight in the first quarter and eight in the second quarter to build a lead too great for a rally.

McDonald County won the points in the paint (56-34), points off turnovers (29-19) and the bench points (19-11) categories in the win.

Teddy Reedybacon led McDonald County with 20 points and 18 rebounds to finish with a double-double. Sterling Woods added 19 points and five assists, while Eli McClain added 16 points and Cole Martin 11 points.

Evan Taylor had 17 points to lead Maumelle JV, while Elijah Newell added 14 points and nine rebounds and Dajon Brown 11 points.

McDonald County battles Lamar at noon on Wednesday in the Black Bracket semifinals.

Crooked Oak takes on Maumelle JV at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the junior high. 

 

LAMAR 59, CROOKED OAK 57 (OK) (OVERTIME)

Crooked Oak took a 10-point lead after the first quarter before Lamar rallied for the win in overtime in the opening round of Black Bracket play in the Neosho Holiday Classic.

Crooked Oak outscored Lamar 18-8 in the first period to build a lead before Lamar cut the lead to four by the start of the fourth. The Tigers forced overtime by the end of regulation and upended Crooked Oak in the extra four-minute period to advance in the winner’s bracket. 

Lamar, which shot 49 percent as a team, had three players in double figures, with Conner Shoff leading the way with 19 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field. Mason Gastel added 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Joel Beshore finished with 10 points in the win.

McDonald County battles Lamar at noon on Wednesday in the Black Bracket semifinals.

Crooked Oak takes on Maumelle JV at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the junior high. 

 

HUNTSVILLE (ARK) 62, MONETT 48

Huntsville turned a four-point lead after the first quarter into a double-digit margin by halftime and pulled away in the third period on the way to the win.

Leading 22-18 after the first quarter, Huntsville outscored Monett by eight in the second quarter and six in the third to build a 54-36 advantage with eight minutes to play—a lead the Cubs wouldn’t make a run out before time ran out.

Huntsville had the advantage in paint points (36-24) and second-chance points (15-6), while winning the turnover battle with 10 to Monett’s 16.

Hayden Dotson led Huntsville with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting, while Mason Davidson had 15 points and eight rebounds. Kolton Reynolds and Kole McElhaney each finished with 10 points.

Blaine Salsman had 12 points to lead Monett in scoring, with Cameron Erwin finishing with nine and Wyatt Sitton-Barrows with eight.

Huntsville battles Neosho at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the semifinals, while Cassville plays Monett at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the junior high.


GOLD BRACKET

MAUMELLE (ARK) 104, MEMPHIS MITCHELL (TEN) 89

Maumelle scored 23 points in the first quarter and didn’t slow down on the way to the win over Memphis Mitchell.

Maumelle scored 29 in the second quarter to build a 52-37 lead. Maumelle added a 27-point third quarter and a 25-point fourth quarter en route to the win.

Maumelle had 62 points in the paint and outscored Memphis Mitchell 22-13 in second-chance points and almost doubled them in rebounds, 42-25.

Maumelle had five players in double figures and three players scoring more than 20 points in the win. Carl Daughtery led the way with 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting, while Colby Garland and Nico Davillier each finished with 21 points in the win. Davillier added 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double, while Garland added seven assists and five boards. Kaleb Thurman had 15 points and eight rebounds, while Jamaal Summons finished with 10 points and six boards.

Lucas Tyler had 27 points on 12-of-16 shooting to lead Memphis Mitchell, while Kaden Smith had 22 points. Andre Watson had 16 points and Cameron Brown added 13 points and eight rebounds.  

Maumelle plays Morrilton at 5 p.m. on Wednesday in the Gold Bracket semifinals.

Memphis Mitchell battles East Newton at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday in the Gold Bracket consolation semifinals. 

 

MORRILTON (ARK) 54, EAST NEWTON 40

The first and the third quarters were kind to Morrilton in its win over East Newton in opening-round play in the Gold Bracket in the Neosho Holiday Classic.

Morrilton jumped out to a 16-10 lead after the first quarter before stretching that six-point halftime lead to 41-28 by the end of the third quarter before sealing the win down the stretch.

Joseph Pinion had a game-high 23 points to lead Morrilton, knocking down 8-of-15 shots from the field while grabbing five boards and accounting for two assists and two blocks. JaCorey Mosley added 13 points and nine rebounds.

East Newton was led by Marshall Renner in scoring with 14 points and he added seven rebounds and five assists. Gabe Bergen finished with a double-double after scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. 

Maumelle plays Morrilton at 5 p.m. on Wednesday in the Gold Bracket semifinals.

Memphis Mitchell battles East Newton at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday in the Gold Bracket consolation semifinals.

 

JOSEPH LAFAYETTE 50, WEST MEMPHIS (ARK) 47

St. Joseph Lafayette’s Mikey Thomas broke a 47-all tie with a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the win over West Memphis on Tuesday in the opening round of the Neosho Holiday Classic.

Thomas scored eight of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead triple, to finish second in scoring for St. Joseph. Camden Bennett led St. Joseph with 19 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double. 

Kameron Barnes led West Memphis with 16 points and nine rebounds, while D’Quarious Birdo had 12 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. Keiarras Townsend finished with 10 points and four rebounds.

West Memphis outscored St. Joseph 26-20 on the paint and 14-8 on second-chance points, but St. Joseph won the turnover battle 18-15 and made the most of them with a 17-9 advantage in points off turnovers.

St. Joseph Lafayette plays Mills University Studies at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. West Memphis plays Sapulpa at 1 :30 p.m. on Wednesday.

 

MILLS UNIVERSITY STUDIES (ARK) 68, SAPULPA (OK) 34

Mills University ballooned a seven-point advantage after the first eight minutes to a 43-14 lead by the intermission and never looked back on the way to the win over Sapulpa in the final game of the opening round of the Neosho Holiday Classic.

Mills University—which shot 57 percent in the third quarter on the way to a 27-11 advantage in the period—dominated inside all game, outscoring Sapulpa 32-8 in the paint, and also won the turnover battle 20-10, which led to a 30-10 advantage in points off turnovers. Second-chance points were also an advantage for Mills University, 16-4, thanks to out-rebounding Sapulpa 38-24 in the win.

Mills University had 10 players score in the win, with three players finishing in double figures. QJ King led the way with 12 points, five assists and four steals. Marcus Kendrick had 11 points and three steals, while Jabrae Shaw finished with 10 points and five rebounds.

Sapulpa was held to 31 percent shooting in the loss and was led in scoring by Gavin Read’s nine points. CJ Hobbs added eight points and had six rebounds and two steals.

St. Joseph Lafayette plays Mills University Studies at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. West Memphis plays Sapulpa at 1 :30 p.m. on Wednesday.

NEOSHO HOLIDAY CLASSIC: Neosho cruises past Cassville to open NHC with win

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NEOSHO, Mo. — Neosho opened the game with Cassville on a large scoring run and played with that momentum the rest of the way en route to a 67-40 win in the opening round of Black Bracket play in the 2021 Neosho Holiday Classic on Tuesday.

“I think we play pretty well when we get ahead because we play stout defense and try to suffocate teams as best we can,” Neosho coach Zane Culp said. “When we play with a lead, we can kind of do some different things—play different guys and stay fresh. It was good to get out to a hot start … jump on top of it and finish it out.”

Neosho (6-2) dominated the turnover battle, 24-10, and used takeaways for a 29-1 advantage in points off turnovers. Neosho also shot 43 percent from the field in the win and converted seven times from the perimeter. 

K’dyn Waters attacks the basket in Neosho’s win over Cassville in the opening round of the Neosho Holiday Classic on Tuesday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

K’dyn Waters, who was honored before the game after entering the 1,000-point scoring club in Neosho’s 66-36 win over Seneca on Dec. 18, finished with a game-high 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting. He had three rebounds, two assists and a steal.

“He is obviously a great player and we don’t even have to talk about that because he shows it every night,” Culp said. “But he is also a great kid, a great man. He is super polite, is nice to everyone and gets along with his teammates, his teachers and his coaches. He is just a joy to be around and you couldn’t ask for a better move-in (player).”

Carter Baslee added 11 points and five rebounds for Neosho, while Jared Siler finished with 10 points and three boards. Isaiah Green and Kael Smith each finished with seven points. Green added six rebounds, five assists and six steals.

Jonathan Dunbar finished the game with 12 points, four rebounds and four blocks to lead Cassville. Aidan Cook and Timothy Hudson each finished with six points.

The host Wildcats, playing in just their second home game of the season, kicked off the Holiday Classic in a big way, pushing their way to a 15-2 advantage over the first four minutes of action. Waters led the way in the opening surge with eight points, while Smith also knocked down a 3-pointer.

“That was really big,” Culp said of the run. “We hit a couple of 3s and we were getting some steals and runouts. When you jump on a team 15-2, you are usually sitting pretty good if you keep scoring, and we did.”

Neosho pushed its lead to 22-5 late in the first quarter on a Siler 3-pointer.

Isaiah Green scores on the break in Neosho’s win over Cassville in the opening round of the Neosho Holiday Classic on Tuesday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

NHS continued with the momentum into the second quarter, pushing the lead to 20 with 1:30 when Baslee converted inside to make the score 34-14.

“It doesn’t happen very often, but if you can put doubt in a team’s mind in the first half, you are usually in a pretty good spot,” Culp said. “We just kept putting it on them and we weren’t satisfied with a 15-2 run. That was big for us.”

Neosho took a 35-17 advantage into the intermission, but Cassville showed signs of life early in the third quarter, using a 6-2 run to trim the lead down to 14. But Neosho responded to the adversity by outscoring Cassville 14-6 through the rest of the quarter, building an insurmountable cushion for the final eight minutes of play.

“If you are going to beat the good teams, you can’t have long lulls in your game,” Culp said of his team’s ability to stave off Cassville early in the third. “We just reset and made sure the next few possessions really mattered.”

Neosho advances to play Huntsville in the Black Bracket semifinals at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, while Cassville takes on Monett at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the junior high.

HOLIDAY CLASSIC GIRLS ROUNDUP: East Newton falls short against North KC; Lafayette, Northside earn convincing wins

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

NEOSHO, Mo. — East Newton’s late rally fell short, as North Kansas City held on late for a 29-22 win over the Patriots on Tuesday in a girls division contest of the Neosho Holiday Classic. 

In other girls games played at Neosho Junior High, St. Joseph Lafayette beat Huntsville 47-32 and Ft. Smith Northside blasted Stoutland 70-20.

In Wednesday’s semifinals, Northside takes on Lafayette at 5, while North Kansas City meets Neosho at 6:30. 

In Wednesday’s consolation games, Stoutland meets Huntsville at 10:30 a.m. and East Newton takes on the Huntsville JV squad at noon. 

 

NORTH KC 29, EAST NEWTON 22

A scoreless first quarter doomed the Patriots in this low-scoring affair.

North KC led 14-7 at halftime.

The Patriots outscored the Hornets 9-8 in the third quarter, but still trailed 22-16 entering the fourth quarter. 

The final frame was nearly even, as the Hornets outscored the Patriots 7-6. 

Josie Guinn scored nine points to lead East Newton (4-4), while Shaw Coburn, Alyssa Coffey, Cameran Clement and Kylee Cole all chipped in three points apiece. East Newton made 8 of 29 field goal attempts.

North Kansas City (3-3) received seven points apiece from LaNicia Parker and Yar Manyiel. 

The Hornets, who made 9 of 28 shots from the floor, out-rebounded the Patriots 27-15.

 

ST. JOSEPH LAFAYETTE 47, HUNTSVILLE (ARK.) 32

The game was deadlocked when Lafayette used a 14-3 second quarter to take control. 

Talicia Byrd scored 16 points to lead the Irish (7-3), while Jazlyn King added 15. Lafayette made 17 of 46 shots (37 percent) and forced 24 turnovers. 

Allisa Pillow scored 15 points for Huntsville (4-7). The Eagles connected on 11 of 42 shots from the floor (26 percent). 

 

FT. SMITH NORTHSIDE (ARK.) 70, STOUTLAND 20

Undefeated Northside led 26-2 by the end of the first quarter en route to a lopsided win.

Three players scored in double figures for Northside, as Erianna Gooden had 15, Khassidy Warr added 14 and Zoey Bershers chipped in 12. 

The Bears, who are now 11-0, made 31 of 61 field goal attempts.

Schona Looney led Stoutland (5-6) with seven points. Stoutland was held to eight field goals in the game. 

 

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

The schedule for Day 2 of the Neosho Holiday Classic is below. 

 

Neosho High School

10:30 am – East Newton vs. Memphis Mitchell – Gold Bracket Consolation

12:00 pm – McDonald County vs. Lamar – Black Bracket Semifinal

1:30 pm – Sapulpa vs. West Memphis – Gold Bracket Consolation

3:30 pm – Neosho vs. Huntsville – Black Bracket Semifinal

5:00 pm – Morrilton vs. Maumelle – Gold Bracket Semifinal

6:30 pm – Mills University Studies vs. St. Joseph Lafayette – Gold Bracket Semifinal

8:00 pm – Three point & Slam Dunk Contest

 

Neosho Junior High School

10:30 am – Stoutland vs. Huntsville – Girls Bracket Consolation

12:00 pm – Huntsville JV vs. East Newton – Girls Bracket Consolation

1:30 pm – Cassville vs. Monett – Boys Black Bracket Consolation

3:30 pm – Maumelle JV vs. Crooked Oak – Boys Black Bracket Consolation

5:00 pm – Ft. Smith Northside vs. St. Joseph Lafayette – Girls Bracket Semifinal

6:30 pm – Neosho vs. North Kansas City – Girls Bracket Semifinal

MORE INFORMATION: Neosho Holiday Classic

NEOSHO HOLIDAY CLASSIC: Neosho girls roll in tourney opener; Wildcats playing with heavy hearts

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

NEOSHO, Mo. — Neosho rattled off 20 unanswered points during a first-half surge en route to a commanding 45-15 victory over the Huntsville (Ark.) junior varsity squad on Tuesday night in an opening-round girls division contest of the 2021 Neosho Holiday Classic.

Up 27-9 at halftime, the Wildcats continued to extend their advantage throughout the second half, eventually forcing a running clock. 

“We played pretty well,” Neosho coach Ryan Madison said. “Obviously, we were playing a JV squad, so you just hope you play well and get a win. I thought we executed pretty well and I thought we did some good things. Overall, I’m pretty happy.” 

The Wildcats were originally scheduled to play Arkadelphia in the opening round, but the Badgers pulled out of the tournament for undisclosed reasons. With that, the Huntsville JV team took Arkadelphia’s spot in the bracket. 

In a game played at Neosho Junior High, the Eagles led 8-7 early, but the Wildcats scored the final eight points of the first quarter, as free throws from Taigen Mitchell, a bucket from Maelynn Garrett and two hoops inside from Reagan McInturff gave Neosho a 15-8 lead.

Neosho’s Taigen Mitchell looks for an open teammate during Tuesday’s game against the Huntsville JV squad.

The Wildcats outscored the Eagles 12-1 in the second quarter, with five different players recording points. Huntsville’s lone free throw came in the final second of the first half after Neosho began the period on a 12-0 spurt that capped 20 unanswered points overall.  

“We weren’t great defensively in the first quarter,” Madison said. “But in the second quarter we only gave them one point there at the end. That was good to see.” 

The Wildcats were up 27-9 at the break. Neosho’s lead went to 32-12 after an old-fashioned 3-point play from Raine Harris. 

Overall, the Wildcats outscored the Eagles 18-6 in the second half. 

Neosho (5-5) relied on a balanced attack, as eight different players scored. 

“If we can keep doing that, it makes us hard to guard,” Madison noted.

A junior, McInturff scored 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting and also grabbed seven rebounds, while classmate Karlee Ellick compiled nine points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals. 

Also for the Wildcats, Harris scored seven points and Mitchell had six. Maelynn Garrett and Carleigh Kinnaird added four points apiece. 

Neosho’s Maelynn Garrett plays defense against Huntsville’s Morgan Limson on Tuesday at Neosho Junior High.

Neosho made 19 of 40 field goal attempts, but converted just 7 of 20 free throws.

Throughout the contest, the Wildcats were able to pick apart Huntsville’s halfcourt defense to get high-percentage shots.

“I thought we ran our offense well,” Madison said. “We were more patient than we’ve been. I felt like we did some good things and got some quick hitters early in our offense. And I thought Taigen Mitchell was really good for us. She played with great energy and attacked the rim. And Jayden Adams came off the bench and ran the point well. Both of those girls got us in our sets.” 

Mena Thomas scored nine of Huntsville’s 15 points. The Eagles from Arkansas made just 4 of 47 shots from the field.

The Wildcats will meet North Kansas City at 6:30 on Wednesday night in the semifinals. North Kansas City knocked off East Newton 29-22.

 

PLAYING WITH HEAVY HEARTS

The Wildcats are playing with heavy hearts after one of their teammates passed away earlier this month in a tragic car accident.

Samantha Hilgenberg passed away on the evening of Dec. 17 after her vehicle left the roadway, struck a tree and caught fire. A junior, Hilgenberg was 17 years old.

“Sami was a fantastic young lady,” Coach Madison said. “She loved being part of the team and just loved being at practice. She was a great, great girl. She’ll always be part of this program. It’s been a tough situation, but I think this has brought us closer together as a team.” 

In addition to being on the basketball team, Hilgenberg was active in FFA and debate and was a member of the track and field squad. 

 

SAMI HILGENBERG OBIT: https://www.clarkfuneralhomes.com/obituary/samantha-hilgenberg

 

 

Neosho coach Ryan Madison talks to his Wildcats during a timeout on Tuesday night at the Neosho Holiday Classic.

 

GIRLS SWIMMING: Joplin takes second at Nevada invite

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

The Joplin High School girls swim team finished second at the Nevada Invitational on Tuesday.

Monett finished first at the meet, while Lamar and Nevada also competed.   

“We had eight swimmers gone due to illness, injury, and holiday vacation,” Joplin coach Juliana Hughes said. “We ended up with only 11 girls who could compete and had to use alternates for our relays, but the girls competed with a lot of grit and heart to walk away with 18 medals and a second place plaque. I’m so proud of their efforts this season.”

Joplin’s 200-yard medley relay team of Emma Langer, Mairi Beranek, Allie Lawrence and Lily Rakes took first place. 

The team of Langer, Beranek, Lawrence and Rakes took second place in the 400 freestyle relay and finished third in the 200 free relay. 

Rakes took first place in the 500 freestyle, with teammate Megan Walser third in the same event. 

The Eagles were second in four individual events. 

Walser finished second in the 200 individual medley, while Lawrence was the runner-up in the 100 butterfly.

Langer placed second in the 100 breaststroke, breaking her personal record time, while Beranek was the runner-up in the 100 backstroke. 

Evelyn Watson was fourth in the 100 fly. 

The Eagles are scheduled to compete at the Ozark Invitational in Springfield on Jan. 8.

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