What better way to kick off the 23rd annual Kaminsky Classic than with a win by the home team coming off a long holiday layoff?
Playing for the first time in two weeks as the hosts in front of a packed house made up predominantly of the JHS student body, Joplin opened up the yearly basketball tournament with a tight-knit contest against Jefferson City, rallying in the fourth quarter to defeat the Jays for a 70-64 opening-round win on Thursday.
“I think it took a little bit to kind of settle into the surroundings with what was going on, but it was good for the kids to come out here and support the team,” Joplin coach Bronson Schaake said. “I hope they continue to do so as well. … We have had 14 days off and it looked like we were just a step slow. … I told the coaches that (game) looked like one we would have lost before the break, towards the end, because we wouldn’t have held it together. We came out in the fourth quarter and held them to six points and they shot 20 percent. I thought we zoned in, I just wish it would have happened sooner.”
Joplin improves to 8-1 on the season and takes on Francis Howell (9-4) in the semifinals of the Kaminsky Classic at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
BY THE NUMBERS
Joplin shot 50 percent in the win, while Jefferson City converted at a 44-percent clip in the loss. The Eagles outscored the Jays 42-30 in paint points, but Jefferson City had the advantage in points off turnovers, 15-8, and second-chance points, 18-13.
Joplin finished with four players in double figures, with Always Wright leading the way with 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting. He added six rebounds, a team-high five assists, two blocks and a steal. All Wright closed with 14 points, three rebounds and three assists. Terrance Gibson scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double, while also leading the team in steals with three. Bruce Wilbert finished with 12 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Jefferson City was led in scoring by Steven Samuels’ 16 points off 5-of-8 shooting. Jordan Martin added 13 points and five rebounds, while Kevion Pendelton finished with 12 points and four boards.
GAME ACTION
Joplin closed the second quarter, which had eight lead changes, by holding Jefferson City to one free throw over the final three minutes while using a 9-1 run to go into the intermission with a 43-37 advantage.
“We didn’t hedge hard or rotate in the first quarter,” Schaake said of his team’s play in the first half. “They were hitting some tough, contested shots, but (Jefferson City) didn’t feel it. … I thought we locked in (defensively) in the last two and a half minutes of the first half.”
Always Wright hit a floater to start the run, while Gibson had a bucket on the pick-and-roll before All Wright grabbed his own miss for a putback score. Wilbert finished out the run with a 3-pointer from the corner just before the horn.
Joplin pushed its lead to 10 early in the second half when Gibson converted inside at the six-minute to make the score 50-40, but Jefferson City rallied in a big after closing out the quarter on an 18-6 run to take a 58-56 advantage into the final eight minutes of play. The Jays shot 57 percent in the third quarter.
Trailing 60-58 with six minutes left to play, Joplin used a 10-2 run to swing the momentum for the final time.
Gibson started the run with a bucket inside to tie the game before drawing a foul on a basket in the paint and sinking the and-1 free throw for a three-point play to give Joplin a 63-60 lead. Samuels cut the lead to one with a score on the drive before a three-point play from Wilbert and a layup from Always Wright pushed the Eagles’ lead to 68-62 with 2:43 left in regulation.
The Eagles limited the Jays to 3-of-15 shooting in the fourth quarter, with the defensive effort paving the way down the stretch in the win.
“I think this shows that even when you don’t play your best, you can find a way to close (out a win),” Schaake said. “I thought we rebounded better in the second half. … We are going to have to play a lot better and finish around the rim tomorrow.”
WILLIAM CHRISMAN 60, CARL JUNCTION 42
William Chrisman built a nine-point lead by halftime and outscored Carl Junction 21-4 in the third period on the way to a win in the opening round of the Kaminsky Classic on Thursday.
William Chrisman (7-2) shot 48 percent in the win, while limiting Carl Junction (3-8) to 37 percent shooting from the floor. The biggest discrepancy in stats came in the turnover battle, with the Bears holding a 20-7 advantage and outscoring the Bulldogs 21-3 in points off turnovers. William Chrisman also had a big advantage in points in the paint, 44-8.
The Bears were led by Dayne Herl’s 12 points and five assists, while Jesse Minter had 10 points and eight rebounds.
Carl Junction’s Kyler Perry and Josh Cory each finished with 13 points to lead the Bulldogs. Cory had nine rebounds to finish one board shy of a double-double, while Perry had a team-high four assists.
William Chrisman takes on Webb City in the semifinal round and 9 p.m. on Friday, while Carl Junction takes on Poplar Bluff in consolation semifinals at 6 p.m.
FRANCIS HOWELL 67, NEVADA 14
Francis Howell opened the game on a 14-0 run and never looked back in the win over Nevada in the opening round of the Kaminsky Classic
Francis Howell (9-4) won the rebounding battle 37-18 and turnover battle 19-6, while holding the advantage in paint points (32-4), points off turnovers (29-0), second-chance points (18-5) and fast-break points 19-0.
The Vikings were led in scoring by Tre Liner’s 13 points, while Dwight Lomax Jr. finished with 11 points. Francis Howell finished with 11 players reaching the scorebook.
Nevada (1-9) was led in scoring by Brice Budd, who finished with five points.
Francis Howell takes on Joplin at 7:30 on Friday in the semifinals. Nevada takes on Jefferson City in the consolation semifinals at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
NOTE: The nightcap of the Kaminsky Classic between Webb City and Poplar Bluff was canceled after weather in the area forced Poplar Bluff to forfeit the opening-round matchup. Webb City advances to play William Chrisman in the semifinals at 9 p.m. on Friday. Poplar Bluff takes on Carl Junction in the consolation semifinals at 6 p.m. on Friday.
