The Carthage High School wrestling team finished fourth in the final team standings at the Farmington Invitational on Saturday.
The top three teams were Whitfield (185), Farmington (167) and Lindbergh (119). Carthage was fourth with 118 points. There were 14 teams entered in the tourney.
The Tigers had three individual champions–Eli Sneed (138 pounds), Braxdon Tate (152) and Davion King (160). All three went 5-0 on the day.
Grey Petticrew was the runner-up at 152 pounds.
Finishing third in their respective brackets were Bradyn Tate (126) and Kip Castor (132).
Also competing but unable to place were Christian Brown (120), Abdias Rabanales (145) and Gabe Lambeth (170).
WEBB CITY, Mo. — In an impressive showing for both schools, swimmers from Webb City and Carl Junction finished first or second in every event at Saturday’s Red Bird Invitational.
When all was said and done, Webb City compiled 398 team points to finish on top of the team standings, while Carl Junction had 311 points to take second.
Joplin (139) finished third and Thomas Jefferson was sixth (102) at the nine-team event.
WEBB CITY RESULTS
Webb City won five events and had eight second-place finishes.
Sophia Whitesell won two individual events and also swam on a winning relay.
Whitesell took first in the 200-yard individual medley with a state-qualifying time of 2 minutes, 22 seconds. Whitesell also won the 500 freestyle with a state-qualifying time of 5:44.
Avery Mitchell was part of two event wins. Mitchell won the 100 freestyle in a state-qualifying time of 59 seconds.
Webb City’s 400-yard freestyle relay team of Mitchell, Camryn Klosterman, Skylar Powell and Whitesell took first in a state-qualifying time of 4 minutes.
Webb City took second in the 200 medley relay, with Klosterman, Makenzie Storm, Whitesell and Ella Holt recording a state-qualifying time of 2:07.
The Cardinals were also second in the 200 freestyle relay, as Powell, Hally Philpot, Holt and Mitchell recorded a qualifying time of 1:51.
Klosterman was the runner-up in the 100 butterfly and was also third in the 200 IM.
Alix Davis took second in the 100 backstroke and Storm placed second in the 100 breaststroke.
Allie Eggleston and Olivia Honey finished second and third, respectively, in the 200 freestyle, while Mitchell and Powell took second and third in the 50 free. Both Mitchell (26.64) and Powell (26.87) recorded state-qualifying times.
Powell also placed third in the 100 free, while Holt took fourth in the 100 backstroke and Honey was fourth in the 500 free.
Philpot and Holt were fourth and fifth in the 50 free, giving the Cardinals four of the top five in the event.
Davis and Philpot finished fifth and sixth in the 100 free and Novely Lamont finished sixth in the 100 breaststroke.
Also, Webb City had the top four finishers in the 1-meter diving competition—Kelli Tollefson, Mia Barone, Breanna Woods and Aspen Warren.
CARL JUNCTION RESULTS
The Bulldogs won seven events and finished second in four others.
Carl Junction’s Chloe Miller took first in two events. Miller won the 200 freestyle in a state-qualifying time of 2:06 and placed first in the 50 free in a qualifying time of 25.43 seconds.
Madeleine Garoutte took first in the 100 butterfly in 1:10, while Carsyn Smith was the champ in the 100 backstroke with a state time of 1:08 and Abigail Wilson won the 100 breaststroke in a qualifying time of 1:16.
Carl Junction’s 200-yard medley relay team of Smith, Wilson, Sophia Holcomb and Skyler Sundy took first in a state-qualifying time of 2:05.
The Bulldogs also won the 200 freestyle relay in a qualifying time of 1:49, with Wilson, Garoutte, Sundy and Miller competing.
The Bulldogs finished second in the 400 freestyle relay with a qualifying time of 4:10. Miller, Kennedy Johnson, Garoutte and Smith swam on the 400 free relay.
Sundy was the runner-up in the 200 IM with a state time of 2:29 and also took second in the 100 free. Johnson took second in the 500 freestyle.
Elyanna Dogotch finished fourth in the 200 freestyle and fifth in the 500 free, while Garoutte took fourth in the 200 IM.
Holcomb and Johnson were fourth and fifth in the 100 fly, while Holcomb also finished fifth in the 100 backstroke.
JOPLIN RESULTS
Joplin recorded a state-qualifying time in the 200 freestyle relay, as Emma Langer, Lily Rakes, Sophia Schwartz and Allie Lawrence finished third in 2:00.04.
Joplin’s 200 medley relay team of Rakes, Taegen Smith, Lawrence and Langer finished fourth in 2:18.38, just off a state-qualifying time.
The Eagles were fourth in the 400 freestyle relay, with Schwartz, Lanee Goodwin, Abby Hembree and Allysun Higdon competing.
Lawrence finished third in the 100 fly, while Langer took fifth in the 100 breaststroke.
Also for the Eagles, Rakes placed sixth in the 500 free and Hembree took sixth in the 100 backstroke.
THOMAS JEFFERSON RESULTS
Thomas Jefferson’s 200 medley relay team of Natalie Carroll, Emalee Ro, Sarah Mueller and Jenna Trimble finished third with a state-qualifying time of 2:17.
The Cavaliers also recorded a qualifying time in the 200 freestyle relay. TJ’s Trimble, Ro, Mueller and Carroll finished fourth in 2:00.39.
Carroll finished fourth in the 100 free and fifth in the 200 IM. Mueller took fifth in the 100 breaststroke and Trimble was sixth in the 50 free.
NOTES: Lamar’s Audrey Osterdyk finished third in both the 500 freestyle and the 100 breaststroke.
Red Bird Invitational
Team standings: Webb City 398, Carl Junction 311, Joplin 139, Bolivar 105, Camdenton 104, Thomas Jefferson 102, Marshfield 40, Lamar 25, Seymour 8.
Neosho claimed the championship at the Missouri Duals tournament on Saturday in Jefferson City.
In the championship match, Neosho defeated Hillsboro 47-27.
Hillsboro won by forfeit at 106 pounds.
Neosho’s Fisher Butler won by fall at 113 and Wyatt Black earned a major decision, 12-0, at 120.
Hillsboro’s Jackson Tucker earned a 9-2 win over Johnny Chrisco at 126 and Blake Jackson won by fall over Neosho’s Jack Lankford at 132.
Neosho’s Hayden Crane earned a win by fall at 138, but Hillsboro recorded pins at both 145 and 152.
Neosho’s Trent Neece earned a 7-5 decision at 160, while teammate Eli Zar recorded a major decision, 12-2, at 170.
Neosho’s Collyn Kivett won by forfeit at 182 and DeLeon Ulysses pinned Wyatt Yaeger at 195.
At 220, Neosho’s Eric Renner won by forfeit. Neosho’s Nico Olivares won by fall at 285.
Neosho also earned wins over Eureka (73-0), Lee’s Summit (42-27), Waynesville (75-0), Grain Valley (40-38), Blue Springs (61-15) and Jefferson City (42-34).
BULLDOGS WIN CJ CLASSIC
The host Carl Junction Bulldogs won the CJ Classic duals tournament on Saturday.
The Bulldogs went 5-0 on the day. In the tourney’s championship match, Carl Junction defeated Seneca 47-24.
At 106 pounds, Carl Junction’s Carter Fogelson defeated Seneca’s Caden Thompson 8-2. CJ’s Lukas Walker (113) and Sam Melton (120) both won by fall before Max Matthews earned a major decision, 11-1, over Elyas Potts at 126.
Seneca’s Brady Roark (132), Brayden Thiel (138) and Andrew Manley (145) all won by fall.
Carl Junction’s Dexter Merrell (152) and Tony Stewart (160) recorded pins for the Bulldogs.
Seneca won by forfeit at 182.
Carl Junction’s Chance Benford earned a 14-8 decision over Dane Napier at 195, Cayden Bollinger earned a 9-0 decision over Seneca’s Nash Crain at 220 and CJ’s Kameron Bennett earned a 4-1 decision over Jacob Gravner in the heavyweight bout.
Ahead of the championship dual, Carl Junction earned wins over Bolivar (37-36), Monett (75-0), Nixa (42-32) and McDonald County (48-36).
Seneca earned wins over Webb City (50-25), McDonald County (42-33), Frontenac (48-31) and Nixa (44-30).
OTHER RESULTS
In the third-place match, Nixa defeated McDonald County 52-26. Bolivar beat Webb City 65-6 for fifth and Frontenac defeated Monett 54-18 for seventh.
Webb City earned wins over Frontenac (36-24) and Monett (45-18).
McDonald County defeated Webb City 48-34. Earning wins by fall for the Mustangs were Blaine Ortiz (132), Levi Smith (152) and Juan Morales (182). Recording wins by fall for the Cardinals were Colt Taylor (126), Dominic Boles (145), Ashton Chambers (160) and Aidan Rose (170). Webb City’s Liam Taylor earned a major decision at 195.
VANGILDERS LEAD JOPLIN AT BENTONVILLE WEST
The Joplin Eagles finished third in the team standings at the Bentonville West Tournament on Saturday.
Heritage was first with 194.5 points, while Bentonville took second with 186 and Joplin was third with 113.5. There were 14 teams in attendance.
The Eagles had two individual champions.
Drew VanGilder was the champion at 170 pounds. In the bracket’s title bout, VanGilder earned an 11-6 decision over Bentonville’s Kenneth Lewis.
Draven VanGilder won the 195-pound bracket. In the bracket’s title match, VanGilder earned a 12-8 decision over Bentonville’s Andrew Williamson.
Brayden Thomas was the runner-up at 182. Rogers’ Brian Flores won the title bout over Thomas by forfeit.
Freddy Cerrato-Martinez won the third-place match at 126 pounds. He beat Heritage’s Cash Bray 4-2.
Travis Shofler finished fourth at 220. Heritage’s Chris Incao won by fall over Shofler in the third-place match.
Finishing fifth in their respective brackets for the Eagles were Jack Stanley (160) and Gunner Price (285).
Alex Short took sixth place at 132 pounds, while Orion Norris (138) and Johnathon Burke (145) both finished seventh in their brackets. Toryn Jones finished ninth at 120.
Next, Joplin had athletes competing at the Bentonville West Girls Invitational.
Erika Washom placed fifth at 132 pounds, Rylie Ward finished eighth at 108, Coryaunna Mueller was 12th at 116 and Olyvia Higdon was 15th at 140.
Farmington put early pressure on Carl Junction on both ends of the floor to build an insurmountable cushion on the way to a 68-49 win over the Bulldogs to win the 25th annual Freeman Lady Eagle Classic.
In the third-place game, Joplin fell into an early hole against Blue Valley North only to see its late rally come up short in a 52-48 loss to the Mustangs on Saturday.
RELENTLESS PRESSURE FROM CARDINALS SINK BULLDOGS
Farmington used the press early to pressure Carl Junction before catching fire behind the perimeter to build an overwhelming lead on the way to clinching the Lady Eagle Classic title game over the Bulldogs, 68-49.
Carl Junction, winners of the CJ Classic a week ago, takes second place and currently holds a 5-2 record.
“I thought our kids played hard, but we didn’t play our best basketball and (Farmington) had a lot to do with that,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said. “We gave ourselves a shot early and they hit some shots, got a few offensive rebounds and we lost a few defensive assignments here and there. That is going to happen sometimes, but I am proud of them and we will keep getting better. These are games that are really good for us.”
GAME ACTION
Carl Junction’s Destiny Buerge releases a floater in the Bulldogs’ loss to Farmington in the Freeman Lady Eagle Classic title game on Saturday inside Kaminsky Gymnasium. Photo by Jessica Greninger.
The Cardinals opened the game with a full-press defense, jumping out to an 8-2 lead over the Bulldogs thanks to a deep 3-pointer from Reese Shirey and a 3-pointer from the wing by Jenna Lawrence. Carl Junction waded the storm and trailed just 14-12 after the first quarter. Destiny Buerge had five of the 12, including a 3-pointer, while Hali Shorter also had a 3-ball in the opening period.
“The thing that was frustrating for us was as a team, we typically do a good job of handling the basketball and handling the pressure,” Coach Shorter said about the pressure from Farmington’s defense. “You can see it was there at times, there were kids who were open and we just needed to make a better pass here or there. … That is something that we will continue to focus on and learn and get to where we need to be at the end of the year.”
Farmington pulled out in front and took the momentum in the second period thanks to its perimeter scoring. Lawrence knocked down two more triples in the second quarter, while Morgan Brye added a 3-pointer as well. More importantly for Farmington, Carson Dillard saw a pair of 3-pointers fall, igniting her way to a big night.
The Cardinals outscored the Bulldogs 19-7 in the second period and took a 33-19 advantage into the intermission.
“They move the ball really well and they have so many kids who can shoot it,” Coach Shorter said. “There are a couple of kids who we didn’t see shoot it the first couple of nights that hit shots tonight. That is a sign of a really good basketball team.”
Farmington started the second half even hotter than it finished the first, scoring 15 unanswered points out of the break to build a commanding 50-19 lead midway through the period. Dillard kicked off the run with two more 3-pointers before another 3-ball from Brye followed by a make from the perimeter by Megan Hernandez made the score 44-19. J’Myra London added two buckets and Dillard closed the run with a basket.
Carl Junction never recovered from the deficit.
SCORING LEADERS
Dillard led the Cardinals with 16 points, making four 3-pointers. Lawrence splashed home four 3-point field goals on the way to 14 points, while Brye added eight and Hernandez seven.
Buerge had 13 to lead Carl Junction, while Shorter finished with 12. Dezi Williams scored nine.
UP NEXT
Carl Junction takes part in the Mustang Classic at McDonald County High School on Dec. 13.
EAGLES’ RALLY COMES UP SHORT AGAINST MUSTANGS
After trailing nearly the entire game, Joplin rallied back in the fourth quarter and took a brief lead in the final minutes only to see Blue Valley North make enough plays to hold on for a 52-48 victory in the third-place game.
Joplin takes fourth place and sits at 5-3 on the season.
“I am proud of them,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said about his team’s weekend. “It is disappointing to come away with two losses because our goal in every tournament is to get at least two wins. … But, they continued to fight, they continued to battle and they gave themselves a chance at the end. At the end of the day, that is all you can ask for.”
Joplin’s Brynn Driver scores on the break during the third-place game of the Lady Eagle Classic. Photo by Jessica Greninger.
GAME ACTION
Blue Valley North came out with the first momentum swing, starting the game on a 9-1 run over the first four minutes of action with several JHS turnovers fueling the run. The Mustangs ultimately took a 12-7 lead into the half over the Eagles, with Brynn Driver accounting for all of Joplin’s points in the opening quarter.
“Turnovers, transition buckets and second-chance points,” Coach Floyd said when asked what led to the early run for BVN. “For us not starting out any better than that, that falls on me as a coach. I have to find a way to have us more prepared and ready to play coming out of the locker room.”
Blue Valley North continued as the aggressor in the second period, pushing the lead up to 12 by the intermission. Aubrey Shaw led the Mustangs in the second quarter with six points.
The Mustangs pushed their lead to as much as 17 points in the third period, 32-15, on an inside score from Nyla Hale but Joplin was able to trim the margin back to 10 to start the fourth quarter after closing the third period on a 7-2 run highlighted by back-to-back buckets from Ella Hafer and a three-point play by from Driver.
Down 11 two minutes into the fourth, Joplin rallied back with a 10-0 run to trim the lead to one, 40-39, with four minutes to play. Hafer and Driver each had a pair of three throws in the run before Brooke Nice drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to close the surge.
“As bad as we started … to show that kind of resiliency and fight, I am extremely proud of them,” Floyd said. “If we could just get that effort for four quarters, that would be wonderful.”
The Eagles rallied all the way back to take a 43-42 after Hafer picked up a steal and finished off the play with a layup.
“Energy and effort,” Floyd added about what led to the comeback. “I told the girls it is a pretty simple game, we just make it complicated. When we play with energy and effort and more importantly, when we play as a team instead of five individuals, we’re pretty good.
“I thought our defensive rotations were a lot better, we were able to rebound a lot better and we started moving the ball on the offensive end.”
BVN took the lead back on a pair of free throws from Tyara Davis before the Mustangs extended the lead to 48-43 with 1:15 to play after two more free throws from Shaw and a bucket from Hale.
Joplin cut the lead to one possession on a 3-pointer from Nice with 1.9 seconds left to make the score 50-48, but the Mustangs converted at the charity stripe at the other end to seal the win.
Joplin’s Ella Hafer drives for a reverse layup in the third-place game of the Freeman Lady Eagle Classic on Saturday. Photo by Jessica Greninger.
SCORING LEADERS
Shaw had 12 points to lead Blue Valley North, while Hale and Logan Parks each finished with 10. Caroline Cool closed the game with nine points.
Driver led the way for Joplin with 16 points, while Hafer finished with eight points.
UP NEXT
Joplin is at Seneca on Dec. 17.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
The following players were named to the Freeman Lady Eagle Classic All-Tournament Team: Joplin’s Brynn Driver, Blue Valley North’s Aubrey Shaw, Rogers’ Ava Maner and Perla Morales, Carl Junction’s Destiny Buerge and Farmington’s Reese Shirey, Carson Dillard and Jenna Lawrence.
PEA RIDGE, Ark. — Neosho had the lead entering the fourth quarter, but Arkadelphia erupted for 21 points in the final frame to earn a 59-56 win over the Wildcats in the championship game of the Battle at the Ridge Tournament on Saturday at Pea Ridge High School.
“We played a tough, fun game tonight,” Neosho coach Zane Culp said. “I’m really proud of the boys’ effort on the defensive end. That was a high-powered offense and we really held them down. Just a couple of more balls bounce our way and we’d be leaving with a championship.”
Arkadelphia led 17-12 at the end of the first quarter and held a 34-29 lead at intermission.
Neosho won the third period 16-4 to take a 45-38 lead into the fourth quarter.
But Arkadelphia finished strong by outscoring the Wildcats 21-11 in the final frame.
K’dyn Waters led Neosho with 21 points, while Isaiah Green added 17 points and Kael Smith had 11.
“Waters and Green really carried the load offensively and were great all night,” Culp said. “Kael Smith battled on the boards and hit some tough shots inside in that second half. He’s an absolute warrior. Brock Franklin did a great job being a leader on the court and guarding their best player all night.”
Isaiah Salinas and Antoine Palmer scored 13 points apiece for Arkadelphia.
Neosho hosts Monett on Tuesday night.
“We’re excited to finally get on our home floor Tuesday,” Culp said.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Raymore-Peculiar Panthers may have dictated the tempo for the majority of the night, but the Joplin Eagles were the team that left town with a tourney championship.
Joplin made winning plays down the stretch and grinded out a 42-39 victory over Ray-Pec on Saturday night in the championship game of the 75th Carthage Invitational.
“It wasn’t the prettiest game, but I think that’s what Ray-Pec was wanting to do,” Joplin coach Bronson Schaake said. “They do a good job of moving the ball with 30-40 second possessions. They ran a 58 second possession yesterday. They want to move the ball until they get clean looks.
“On the other end, they just overloaded everything and kind of dared us to do something,” Schaake added. “It took us a while to figure out the gaps that were open. But we made plays when we needed to. That’s a good grinder for us to pull out.”
The game was deadlocked at six at the end of the low-scoring first quarter, and the Eagles led 17-16 at halftime.
The lead went back and forth in the third period, but Brantley Morris’ 3-pointer from the top of the key gave Joplin a 28-26 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Quin Renfro puts up a jumper for the Joplin Eagles during Saturday’s championship game of the Carthage Invitational. Photo by Brenna Stebbins.
Quin Renfro gave the Eagles a boost with five straight points early in the final frame, and then Always Wright generated five straight points to give JHS a 38-37 lead with 1:22 left.
Down one with time running out, Ray-Pec patiently ran its halfcourt offense, but the Panthers turned the ball over with 25 seconds remaining, with Bruce Wilbert coming up with the steal.
Joplin’s Terrance Gibson scored in transition the other way to extend the Eagles’ lead to three.
After a timeout, the Panthers chose not to attempt a potential game-tying trey, but instead received a hoop inside from Ryker Nelson with three seconds left on the clock.
Following a foul, All Wright calmly sank two free throws with 2.1 seconds remaining to give Joplin a 42-39 lead.
The Panthers’ last-second heave was off the mark, and the Eagles began celebrating a hard-fought tournament championship.
The Eagles won the tourney for the first time since 2017.
Joplin senior Always Wright soars to the basket during the championship game of the Carthage Invitational on Saturday. Wright was named the tourney’s MVP. Photo by Brennan Stebbins.
Senior guard Always Wright, the tourney’s Most Valuable Player, scored 13 points to lead the Eagles, while sophomore guard All Wright added eight points. All Wright was also listed on the all-tourney team.
Renfro, a sophomore guard, contributed nine points off the bench.
“He stepped it up,” Schaake said. “We were looking for energy. Quin is getting better and better.”
Gibson, a junior forward, chipped in six points, with none bigger than his late layup after the key turnover.
“Terrance really stepped up,” Schaake said. “That finish was huge. I wanted a dunk, but I’m just glad he made it.”
The Eagles are off to a 5-0 start under Schaake, who noted there’s still work to do.
“I look at our team and I know it’s nowhere near a finished product,” Schaake said. “We haven’t done much with sets. We’ve mainly been focusing on the defensive end. I think we’re getting there. We’ll keep at it as we go.”
Joplin hosts Springfield Central next Friday in the home opener.
CARTHAGE INVITATIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Always Wright, Joplin (MVP)
All Wright, Joplin
Ashton Jermain, Raymore-Peculiar
Joel Pugh, Carthage
Max Templeman, Carthage
Sean Tinsley, West Plains
Kaden Turner, Webb City
Eddie McLaughlin, Leavenworth
Tucker Miller, Raymore-Peculiar
Yazed Taforo, Ft. Smith Southside
Joplin guard All Wright looks for an opening against Raymore-Peculiar on Saturday in the Carthage Invitational’s championship game. All photos by Brennan Stebbins.
Joplin’s Joe Jasper attempts a layup against Raymore-Peculiar on Saturday night during the championship game of the Carthage Invitational.
Bruce Wilbert looks for an opening against Ray-Pec on Saturday night. Joplin captured the Carthage Invitational championship for the first time since 2017.
The Joplin Eagles pose with the championship trophy on Saturday night.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Carthage Tigers and Webb City Cardinals both ended the 75th Carthage Invitational on a positive note.
Tourney host Carthage upended West Plains 58-54 in the annual event’s third-place game, while Webb City held off Ft. Smith Southside 54-48 for fifth place.
CARTHAGE 58, WEST PLAINS 54
This one was close all the way, but the Tigers got the job done in the fourth quarter by not only knocking down some key perimeter jumpers, but also by making some clutch free throws in the final minute.
“I couldn’t care less how a game is won,” Carthage coach Nathan Morris said, noting the contest wasn’t always pretty. “Both teams were unhappy about not being in the championship game. We knew it would come down to what crew really wanted to play in the third-place game. It was a physical basketball game. I thought our kids made some really big plays in stretches in the third quarter and early in the fourth. And we were able to hold on.”
The Tigers led 10-9 at the end of the first quarter. Joel Pugh and Max Templeman both hit a pair of treys in the second quarter, but the Tigers were unable to pull away from the Zizzers. Templeman’s short jumper gave Carthage a 28-27 lead at intermission.
The game was tied at 36 late in the third period when Pugh buried two 3-pointers to give Carthage a slim lead entering the fourth quarter.
Two treys from Justin Ray and a hoop in the lane from Templeman gave Carthage a 50-43 cushion with 3:30 left.
But it was far from over. The Tigers were clinging to a three-point lead with just over a minute to play when the Zizzers had an empty possession before a foul.
Ray made 1 of 2 at the charity stripe, with the hosts grabbing an offensive rebound on the miss. Pugh then converted two foul shots for a five-point advantage.
On the other end, West Plains buried a trey before Pugh made one more free throw.
Pictured is Carthage senior Joel Pugh.
The Zizzers once again pulled within two after a hoop by Landon Casey, but Kinder connected on two clutch free throws with eight seconds left for the final margin.
A sharp-shooting senior guard, Pugh led Carthage with 18 points. He hit five 3-pointers.
A sophomore guard, Ray scored 13 and hit four treys, while junior guard Templeman added 12 points with two 3-pointers. Another junior, Kinder added eight points. Pugh and Templeman were all-tourney selections.
Sean Tinsley scored 20 points for West Plains.
The Tigers went 2-1 at the always-tough tournament. And to Morris, that’s something to build on.
“If these three games don’t help get us ready for the season then I don’t know what does,” Morris said. “We played three extremely big basketball teams. And we’re going to be out-sized almost every single night. But it was big for our kids to battle through that. I don’t know the last time we finished third in this tournament. I don’t know the last time we as a program won a close basketball game. Last year, we won handily or we lost close games. I think this one may really help this group turn the corner.”
Carthage (3-1) hosts Springfield Central on Tuesday night.
WEBB CITY 54, FT. SMITH SOUTHSIDE 48
The Cardinals used a pair of late spurts to claim the fifth-place trophy.
“The biggest takeaway from this game is that we persevered and we did what we had to do to win,” Cardinals coach Jason Horn said. “Shots weren’t falling for us and you could tell we were fatigued. But I thought we showed a lot of mental toughness and we made winning plays when we needed to make them.”
Dante Washington and Trey Roets scored six points apiece in the first quarter for the Cardinals, but the game was deadlocked at 16.
There were seven lead changes in the back-and-forth second quarter, and hoops from Roets and Isaiah Brisco gave Webb City a 29-28 halftime advantage.
The Cardinals owned the third quarter, as Webb City closed the period on an 11-0 run to take a 40-31 lead. The Mavericks did not have a field goal in the third quarter.
Pictured is Webb City’s Landon Johnson. Photo by Brennan Stebbins.
However, Webb City’s lead was down to one with 4:29 remaining when the Cardinals rattled off nine straight points.
Kaden Turner scored five straight points, a corner 3-pointer and two free throws, and Brisco made a transition layup before Turner converted a hoop inside for a 10-point cushion.
The Mavericks trimmed their deficit to four with 1:06 left, but late charities from Washington and Landon Johnson sealed the win.
A 6-4 senior guard who was named to the all-tourney team, Turner scored 18 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead the Cardinals.
Turner, who made 6 of 13 field goal attempts, had 15 points in the second half, carrying the Cardinals late in the game.
“I think Kaden is as talented as any player in Southwest Missouri,” Horn said. “We want the ball in his hands. When it got late, he looked to take the game over.”
A junior guard, Washington added 13 points for the Cardinals, while Roets, a 6-4 junior forward, had 11 points and seven boards. A junior guard, Johnson contributed nine rebounds and seven points for the Cardinals, who made just 12 of 30 at the foul line.
Horn recorded win No. 200 of his coaching career on Friday night and earned No. 201 on Saturday.
“That just means I’ve been doing it for a long time and I’ve had a lot of good players,” Horn said of the milestone win. “Coming over here has been a good situation for me and it makes me think of all the guys who have played for me. And I guess it means I’m getting old.”
Webb City (3-1) hosts East Newton on Tuesday night.
NOTE: Leavenworth defeated Nevada 61-44 in the seventh-place game.
Brice Budd scored 11 points for the Tigers and Cade Beshore added 10.
