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Month: January 2022

BOYS HOOPS: Neosho holds off Willard down the stretch to earn COC and district win

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NEOSHO, Mo. — Neosho held a double-digit advantage several times throughout the contest before Willard made a run late to take the lead briefly only to see the Wildcats rebound immediately in the closing minutes to earn their first Central Ozark Conference win in 77-71 fashion on Monday.

The Wildcats improved to 11-5 and are now 1-1 in conference play with the win. With the loss, Willard sits at 9-6, 0-2 COC. The contest was also a district victory for Neosho. 

“Every conference win is so hard to come by in the COC,” Neosho coach Zane Culp said. “That was also a district game, so it was like a double win. … The boys had some resolve. To be up from essentially the second quarter on and then lose the lead and come right back … that shows maturity and the team getting better as the season goes.”

Neosho’s K’dyn Waters attacks the basket in the Wildcats’ win over Willard on Monday. Waters led all scorers with a game-high 30 points. Photo by Israel Perez.

GAME ACTION

After a back-and-forth opening period that saw the Wildcats hold a 14-13 lead, the Tigers took a one-point lead on the first field goal of the second quarter on an inside score from senior Haden Brown with 5:52 on the clock. From there, Neosho scored 12 unanswered points to take a 26-15 advantage with just over three minutes to play in the first half.

Senior K’dyn Waters kicked off the Wildcat run with a three-point play before knocking down a 3-pointer in transition. Junior Isaiah Green added two makes from the foul line before junior Jared Siler scored in transition off a Willard turnover. Junior Carter Fenske closed the run with a baseline floater for an 11-point lead.

Neosho pushed it’s lead to a quarter-high 13 points when Waters buried a 3-ball from the wing before making two charities with 1:50 left in the first half for a 33-20 lead. The Wildcats ultimately took a 33-24 margin into the intermission.

Willard made a run at the lead early in the second half, cutting the deficit to five after junior Cooper Wilken knocked down a 3-pointer and senior Gavin Davis converted at the foul line to trim the score to 36-31 with 4:55 on the clock.

Waters scored the next 12 points for Neosho to give the Wildcats a 49-35 cushion. Waters opened the 12-3 scoring run with a rare four-point play after burying an NBA-range 3-pointer from the wing while drawing contact. He followed with another deep 3-ball from the top of the key, a three-point play and his fourth 3-pointer of the period to end the run.

“He was a man on a mission tonight,” Culp said of Waters’ performance. “When you are hitting 3s like we did tonight, it just makes everything easier, obviously.”

“That four-point play was a big one because you could feel the momentum shifting their way and then he immediately did that. He just kept making big plays all night until the end.”

Neosho’s Isaiah Green fights his way to the hoop in the Wildcats’ win over Willard on Monday. Photo by Israel Perez.

Willard didn’t flinch, however, as the Tigers closed the third quarter on a 10-2 run to trim the lead back to six, 51-45, to start the final eight minutes of play.

Neosho held a 61-52 advantage with 5:29 left in regulation when Willard scored seven straight points, highlighted by a 3-ball from Wilken, to trim the lead to one possession, 61-59, with 4:10 to play. The Tigers cut the margin to two points twice more before coming all the way back to take their first lead of the game since early in the second quarter on a three-point play from Brown with 1:41 left to give Willard a 69-68 advantage.

The lead changed hands three more times in the closing minutes, with Brock Franklin giving Neosho the advantage for the final time on a corner 3-pointer with less than a minute to play for 73-71 lead. Neosho ultimately scored the final seven points of the game to close out the win after Willard initially took the lead late.

“We didn’t lose that lead for very long,” Culp said. “When we called the timeout, as a coaching staff, we just told them, ‘Guys, if we are going to let them dribble down there and score every time, it is going to be tough to win. If you just get a couple of stops, we will win the game.’ They took that to heart, I guess, because we scored like four or five in a row. … It was an exciting fourth quarter.” 

SCORING LEADERS

Waters led Neosho with a game-high 30 points, 17 of which came in the second half. Junior  Kael Smith finished with 15 points, while Fenske added 11. Green finished with 10 points to give the Wildcats four players in double-figure scoring. 

Davis led Willard with 17 points, while Wilken and Brown each finished with 14. Brett Hall finished with 10 points to also give the Tigers four players in double figures.

UP NEXT

Neosho travels to Anderson to take on McDonald County on Tuesday.

GIRLS HOOPS: DeRuy leads short-handed McAuley to victory at Lancer Classic; CHC falls

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

CHEROKEE, Kan. — Kennedy DeRuy poured in 32 points and the top-seeded McAuley Catholic girls basketball team rolled to a 57-28 win over eighth-seeded Southeast on Monday night in an opening-round contest of the 2022 Lancer Classic. 

The Warriors, who improved to 12-2, were short-handed for the game, as Kayleigh Teeter is out with a knee injury and Avery Eminger missed the game due to an illness. 

“We played with five girls for all but three minutes of the game,” McAuley coach Mike Howard told SoMo Sports. “We only had six on the bench. I’m so proud of the girls for gutting it out and giving me their all. They had to dig deep in this one. KD put us on her back on the offensive side and all the girls played good defense.” 

DeRuy had a big night, as the senior guard made 12 field goals, including six 3-pointers, to go with two free throws for 32 points. She outscored the opposition by herself. 

Also for the Warriors, Lily Black had nine points, Kloee Williamson contributed eight points, Avery Gardner had five and Kendall Ramsey chipped in three points. 

McAuley led 31-13 at the half and the Warriors were up 49-23 entering the fourth quarter. 

The Warriors advanced to the tourney’s semifinals with the lopsided win. 

McAuley, ranked fifth in Class 1 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, will take on fifth-seeded Erie at 7 on Thursday night. Erie topped fourth-seeded Riverton 33-29.

In other tourney action, third-seeded College Heights suffered a 43-40 setback to sixth-seeded Columbus.

The Cougars were without Addie Lawrence. CHC coach John Blankenship also missed the game due to an illness.

With the loss, the Cougars (4-5) will meet seventh-seeded Baxter Springs at 5:30 on Thursday in the consolation semifinals. 

Thursday’s other semifinal will feature Parsons vs. Columbus at 8:30 p.m.

The Lancer Classic’s boys tournament is set to begin on Tuesday.

PREP WRESTLING: Neosho second, Carl Junction fifth at Branson tourney

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

Neosho was the runner-up in the team standings at the Branson Invitational on Saturday. 

Liberty finished first with 266 points, while Neosho was second with 155.5. 

After Ozark (145.5) and Smithville (130.5), Carl Junction finished fifth in the standings with 115 points. 

McDonald County was eighth with 95.5 points. 

 

NEOSHO HIGHLIGHTS

Neosho’s Eli Zar was the champion at 170 pounds. He earned a 5-4 decision over Moberly’s Zach Lewis in the title match. 

Raymond Hembree was the runner-up at 113 pounds after falling by tech fall to Liberty’s Hunter Taylor in the title bout. 

Collyn Kivett took second at 160 after dropping a 4-3 decision to Rolla’s Andre Ridenhour in the title match.

Hayden Crane placed third at 132 after pinning his teammate Jack Lankford. 

Finishing fourth in their brackets were Fisher Butler (120), Nate Copeland (138), Trent Neece (152) and DeLeon Ulysses (195).

Nico Olivares was sixth at 285, while Johnny Chrisco (126) and Bostyn Patterson (145) both finished seventh in their brackets. 

 

CARL JUNCTION HIGHLIGHTS

Sam Melton was the runner-up at 120 pounds. Melton suffered a 9-1 setback to Liberty’s Cooper Rider in the title bout. 

Carl Junction’s Lukas Walker (113) and Chance Benford (182) placed third in their respective brackets. 

Walker pinned Moberly’s Landon Morris in 48 seconds in the third-place match at 113.

Benford won by fall over Branson’s Alejandro Berumen in the third-place match at 182.

Finishing fourth in their brackets were Carter Foglesong (106), Tony Stewart (170) and Cayden Bollinger (220). 

Kameron Bennett finished fifth at heavyweight. 

 

MCDONALD COUNTY HIGHLIGHTS

McDonald County’s Samuel Murphy was the champion at 220 pounds. Murphy pinned Liberty’s Trevor Bindel in the title bout. 

Blaine Ortiz finished second at 126 pounds. Smithville’s Kolby McClain won by fall over Ortiz in the title match. 

Jayce Hitt was the runner-up at 285. He suffered a loss by fall to Monett’s Harrison Merriman in the title match. 

Also for the Mustangs, Levi Smith was fifth at 152, Ayden Ball took fifth at 132 and Alex Bogart was eighth at 182.

PREP HOOPS ROUNDUP: Carthage girls nearly upset Nixa; Carl Junction drops twinbill to Republic; McAuley girls roll; Carthage boys top Hillcrest

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

CARTHAGE GIRLS HANG TOUGH WITH NIXA

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Scott Moore was definitely proud of the effort. 

Moore’s Carthage High School girls basketball team hung tough with one of the state’s best squads, but ultimately suffered a 52-45 loss to Nixa.

“We went toe-to-toe with the No. 5 team in the state tonight and had several chances to come away with the victory,” Moore told SoMo Sports. “We had two great practices leading into tonight and I felt we could pull off the upset and we almost did. Our girls played great on-ball defense tonight. I’m so proud of the effort on the defensive end.”

The Eagles led 21-19 at the end of the first period. The visitors were up 32-28 at halftime. Nixa was clinging to a 38-37 lead entering the fourth quarter.

In the final frame, the Eagles outscored the Tigers 14-8.

“We need to focus more on the offensive end,” Moore said. “We aren’t going to win many games by scoring in the 40s. We’ve got to make more shots at all three levels of the court…in the paint, midrange and 3-point line.”

Kianna Yates led Carthage with 14 points, while Lauren Choate added 12. Presley Probert contributed nine points, while Maggie Boyd had eight.

Macie Conway led Nixa with 12 points, while Ali Kamies added 11. 

Carthage (6-9, 0-2 COC) will return to action at next week’s Bill Hanson Memorial Tournament in Pittsburg, Kansas. Carthage meets Cassville at 4 on Thursday. 

 

CARTHAGE BOYS 59, HILLCREST 50

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Max Templeman scored 21 points to lead Carthage to a 59-50 win over Hillcrest. 

Clay Kinder and Justin Ray contributed 12 points apiece for the Tigers, while Joel Pugh added nine points.

Carthage led 18-16 at the half and 34-31 at the end of the third period. The Tigers outscored the Hornets 25-19 in the fourth quarter. 

Carthage, now 12-2, will compete at next week’s Ralph Miller Classic in Chanute, Kansas.

 

CARL JUNCTION GIRLS FALL AT HOME

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Carl Junction’s girls basketball team overcame an 11-point deficit and took the lead early in the fourth quarter, but Republic finished the game on a 15-4 run to secure a 52-43 victory over the Bulldogs on Friday night in Central Ozark conference action.

Both teams are ranked by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association. Carl Junction (11-4, 1-1 COC) is ranked fifth in Class 5, while Republic (8-4, 1-0 COC) is ranked 10th in Class 6. 

Destiny Buerge scored 31 points for the Bulldogs. She had 18 of CJ’s 24 first half points. Kylie Scott added eight points for Carl Junction. 

Kaemyn Bekemeier scored 15 points to lead Republic, while Mihane Nambara added 12 points.

Republic scored the game’s first 11 points, but Carl Junction’s deficit was just six at the end of the opening period at 14-8. 

After eight straight points from Buerge, the Bulldogs took their first lead at 24-23, but a hoop inside by Republic’s Eternity Knotts gave the Tigers a 25-24 halftime advantage. 

Republic’s lead was 37-35 entering the fourth quarter. Two hoops from Buerge gave Carl Junction a 39-37 lead early in the fourth period before the Tigers scored 10 unanswered points as part of their 15-4 game-ending surge. 

The Bulldogs will compete at next week’s Bill Hanson Memorial Tournament in Pittsburg, Kansas. Carl Junction meets tourney host Pittsburg at 5:30 on Thursday. 

 

REPUBLIC BOYS 75, CARL JUNCTION 46

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Republic’s boys led 24-15 at the end of the first quarter and 39-24 at intermission en route to the COC win.

The visitors outscored the hosts 22-10 in the third period for a 61-34 advantage. 

Ayden Bard scored 19 points to lead Carl Junction, while Kyler Perry and Josh Cory added seven points apiece. 

Ahlante Askew scored 24 points for Republic, while Devon McMillin added 17. 

Carl Junction’s boys (3-12) are at Monett next Friday. 

 

MCAULEY GIRLS 61, VERONA 19

VERONA, Mo. — McAuley Catholic lost talented senior guard Kayleigh Teeter to an injury in the first quarter but rallied as a team to earn the win over Verona on Friday.

McAuley took a 12-6 lead into the second quarter before pulling out to a 26-14 advantage by the intermission. The Warriors outscored the Wildcats 35-5 in the second half to pull away to the win.

“The storyline of this game is that we learned a lot about ourselves and how we can come together and play as a team when one of our key players goes down with an injury,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said to SoMo Sports. “After Kayleigh hurt her knee early in the first quarter, we played timid and were more concerned with her health than playing the game. We collected ourselves at halftime and played much better in the second half.

“My reserve players did a great job in filling in the void tonight. Several girls played roles they weren’t used to and did a great job.” 

Avery Eminger led McAuley with 19 points, nine coming in the fourth quarter. Kennedy DeRuy and Lily Black each finished with 14 points to give McAuley three players in double-figure scoring. Kloee Williamson added eight points in the win.

“Lily Black and Avery Eminger both set career highs in points,” Howard said. “Avery Gardner hit some key shots in the 4th and Kloee Williamson played terrific defense. I’m proud of the way they executed in the second half and finished the game.”

McAuley takes part in the Lancer Classic on Jan. 17.

 

VERONA BOYS ROLL PAST WARRIORS

VERONA, Mo. — Verona won the boys game over McAuley 84-40.

The Wildcats held a 20-6 lead by the end of the first quarter. Verona was up 48-12 at halftime. 

Michael Parrigon scored 10 points for the Warriors. Jaiden Carasquillo scored 25 points to lead Verona, while Jacob Stellwagen added 21. 

McAuley (3-10) is at the Lancer Classic next week. 

 

 

BOYS HOOPS: Joplin builds early lead before pulling away from Branson late

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Joplin built a nine-point advantage early and held off several pushes at the lead by Branson before pulling away late to a 79-57 Central Ozark Conference win over the Pirates on Friday inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.

“Tuesday night (against Webb City) was a hard-fought game between two good teams,” Joplin coach Bronson Schaake said after his team earned a bounce-back conference win on Friday. “I don’t think we guarded well tonight, but we did enough. Offensively, I thought we looked smoother. We are getting into the paint, too, which is what we needed to do.”

The Eagles, who improved to 11-2 and 1-1 in conference play, finished with three players in double-figure scoring. Sophomore guard All Wright knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 24 points, while senior guard Always Wright converted eight times from the field for 17 points. Sophomore forward Whit Hafer, who lost most of a year of development as a freshman last season because of an injury, had 12 points in the win. Junior forward Terrance Gibson finished with eight points.

“I feel like I am getting a lot more confident,” Hafer said about his growth in his first full season at the varsity level. “The flow of the game is coming back to me and slowing down in my head. That’s a big part of it. The confidence that comes with that has allowed me to move very fast. Missing that year of development, it was hard to get back.”

“We have a good rotation going right now,” Schaake said about staggering Gibson’s and Hafer’s time on the floor together in order to always have a conventional big in play. “Calvin (Clark) has been getting better, too. We have some bigs we can rotate who play different styles of basketball and that helps.”

Branson (5-8, 0-2 COC) was led in scoring by Ethan Jones’ 19 points. Kyle Scharbrough finished with 18 points, and Jack VanSickle closed with 10 in the loss.

GAME ACTION

Joplin limited Branson to two field goals and three free throws in the first eight minutes of action while building a nine-point lead.

Leading 4-3, Joplin scored seven straight points to take an 11-3 lead backed by an inside bucket from Hafer, a dunk on the break off a turnover by Always Wright and a layup off the break by Brantley Morris. All Wright closed the first quarter with a mid-range jumper and a 3-pointer to give the Eagles a 16-7 lead heading into the second quarter.

All Wright continued his strong play with a driving score to kick off the second quarter, giving the Eagles their first double-digit lead of the game, 18-7. 

It was a back-and-forth game over the next four-plus minutes of action before Branson trimmed the deficit to five, 29-24, off three straight field goals from Scharbrough, which included a 3-pointer, with less than three minutes to play.

Joplin closed the first half on an 8-2 run with field goals from Always Wright and Bruce Wilbert to lead 37-26 at the intermission.

“I think a lot of it is they are still figuring me out, too,” Schaake said when talking about his team’s ability to respond to adversity, which was on display several times against the Pirates. “I am trying to motivate them in a sense and they are responding well.”

Joplin methodically pushed the lead out to a more comfortable position in the third quarter, using a 9-4 run towards the later stages to build an 18-point advantage, 57-39. Hafer filled out the run with a pair of dunks, while Quin Renfro scored on the drive and All Wright knocked down a 3-ball.

“When you go from freshman to varsity, especially when you don’t get a full freshman year, it takes a long time to adjust to the speed of the game,” Schaake has said of Hafer’s development on the court this season. “That’s what people don’t understand. But, he is a big kid with bounce. He is a very athletic kid who has been putting in extra work. He’s been coming in early in the morning at about 7:30 a.m. and working on his game, and it is paying off for him. He is very coachable and he has a very high ceiling.”

Joplin took a 57-41 lead into the final period, but Branson rallied to cut the lead to 60-49 less than three minutes in. The Eagles answered with an 11-2 run to push the lead to 20 points with a little more than three minutes to play. 

Renfro scored on the drive before All Wright converted inside while drawing contact for a three-point play. Always Wright and Morris added buckets before All Wright sank two charities with 3:13 left to make the score 71-51, giving Joplin an insurmountable lead while closing out the conference win.

“They are listening,” Schaake said about his team’s development to this point in his first season as head coach. “I think they are starting to see the success and are adding to it. They are starting to figure out one another in terms of chemistry, and so am I with them—still trying to figure out tendencies whatnot. They listen and when they want to turn it on and play hard, they are a fun team to watch. I think it is a group with a very high ceiling, and I hope we are trending in the right direction.”

UP NEXT

Joplin takes part in the Bill Hanson Memorial Tournament in Pittsburg, Kansas, on Jan. 20.

GIRLS HOOPS: Branson rallies past Joplin in COC action

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Joplin held the lead at the end of each of the first three quarters only for Branson to rally and take the lead early in the fourth quarter on the way to a 60-54 win in Central Ozark Conference action on Friday to open the Super Night.

The Eagles (6-8, 0-2 COC) limited the Pirates (6-6, 1-1 COC) to four points in the second quarter and built a 21-12 lead in the process. Branson rallied to take the lead with two minutes left in the third before Joplin ultimately took a four-point cushion into the final eight minutes of play. The Pirates took the lead back early in the fourth quarter and held off the Eagles from a comeback in the closing minutes.

“I liked the effort in the first half,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said. “I thought we played under control, we played smart and took care of the basketball for the most part. In the second half, Branson played like a team that wanted to come out and take the win and we played like a team hoping Branson would give us a win.”

GAME ACTION

Joplin started the contest as the aggressor after scoring the game’s first nine points. Emma Floyd and Ella Hafer grabbed offensive rebounds for putback scores to open the scoring before Brooke Nice followed with a 3-pointer from the wing off an inbounds pass. Hafer closed the run with a score on the break off a layup.

However, just as quickly as the Eagles took momentum, the Pirates answered right back. Branson scored the final eight points of the period, holding Joplin scoreless for the final four-plus minutes of action. Hadley Houston and Joanna Lansman each had 3-pointers to highlight the close to the quarter.

Joplin elevated its lead back to nine points by the intermission after limiting Branson to just four points on one field goal in the second period. 

“It is just playing with consistent effort,” Coach Floyd said about his team’s response to Branson’s close to the first quarter. “We forced them into tough shots and we rebounded the ball.”

Emma Floyd started the quarter with a three-point play after drawing contact on a fast-break layup before Nice drained a 3-ball in the corner off the assist from Hafer to make the score 15-8. Floyd added another offensive rebound for a putback score before knocking down a pair of shots at the foul line to push the Eagles’ lead to 19-10 with 3:08 left, carrying that cushion into halftime.

Once again, Joplin looked to be in control in the third quarter after building a nine-point, 28-19 lead off a Nice 3-ball from the wing with 4:37 on the clock, but the Pirates had other ideas after scoring 12 unanswered points to take their first lead of the game with two minutes left in the third. Houston started the run with a 3-pointer before scoring in transition. Taylor Foster added two baskets inside before Maci Rogers buried a 3-pointer to give Branson a 31-28 advantage. 

“In the second half especially, I thought they were able to get to the rim too easily,” Coach Floyd said. “If we can protect the paint like we did in the first half, we can be pretty good defensively. When we let the ball get in there, it’s tough to stop them that way.”

Joplin responded to the adversity by scoring the final seven points of the quarter as Nice had five points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 41 seconds left and a layup on the break off a Branson turnover, to take a 35-31 lead into the fourth quarter.

“We did a good job of taking care of the ball in that 7-0 run,” Coach Floyd said. “Honestly, I thought we had figured it out to start the fourth quarter. I thought we calmed ourselves down, we weathered the storm and we are good to go.”

Branson tied the game back up with 6:40 left in regulation on a bucket from Ellie Hoenie before Foster grabbed an offensive board for a putback to give the Pirates a 39-37 lead.

Joplin tied the game at 40-40 on an Emma Floyd elbow jumper with 4:12 to play, but the Pirates played in front the remainder of regulation on the way to the win.

The Eagles missed nine of 16 free throws in the fourth quarter.

“They are free points,” Coach Floyd said. “There is no excuse for missing them. We spend plenty of time working on them. That is just being mentally tough, wanting the basketball in that situation, stepping to the line and putting it in the hole. Unfortunately, tonight, we were not able to do that.”

SCORING LEADERS

Houston led Branson with 16 points, including two 3-pointers. Foster finished in double figures with 11 points.

Nice knocked down three 3-pointers on the way to a team-high 15 points, while Hafer was right behind with 14 points in the win. Emma Floyd finished with 10 points to give the Eagles three players in double figures.

UP NEXT

Joplin is at Hillcrest on Jan. 20

BOYS HOOPS: Webb City’s late rally falls short against Ozark

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

WEBB CITY, Mo. — A late rally fell short for the Webb City Cardinals, as the Ozark Tigers left town with a 80-75 Central Ozark Conference victory on Friday night.

The game was deadlocked at the end of the third quarter before the Tigers scored eight unanswered points to start the final frame. 

Down 10 with 53 seconds to play, the Cardinals rallied to get within three in the final seconds before the visitors made two late free throws to seal the win inside the Cardinal Dome.

“It all started at the end of the third quarter,” Cardinals coach Jason Horn said. “We wanted to hold the ball for one shot at the end of the third. We tried to force a pass and we were unable to capitalize. I think that put us into a spiral at that point. And you’re not going to win a lot of games when you give up 80 points.”

Horn noted his squad needs to continue to improve.

“I think we were undisciplined with the ball and being undisciplined on defense cost us a lot tonight,” he said. “Ozark’s got a good club. They’re one of those teams that will prepare us for districts.” 

Ranked eighth in Class 5 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, Webb City fell to 9-4 overall and 1-1 in conference play. 

Junior forward Trey Roets led the Cardinals with 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting before fouling out with just under four minutes to play.

“He’s a tough matchup for anybody we play,” Horn said of the 6-foot-4 Roets. “He puts a lot of work in. We think we have a chance to beat anybody when he’s on the floor. We have to keep him on the floor.” 

Two others reached double figures for Webb City, as junior guard Dante Washington scored 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and Max Higginbotham added 12 points by making 5-of-9 field goal attempts, including two treys. 

Senior guard Cohl Vaden contributed nine points, eight assists and five rebounds, while Kaden Turner had nine points.

Webb City made 30-of-53 field goal attempts (57 percent).

Ozark, receiving votes in the MBCA’s Class 6 poll, hiked its record to 11-5 and 2-0 in the COC. 

The Tigers shot 54 percent from the floor (28-of-52) and also went 17-for-21 at the foul line. 

Four players scored in double figures for Ozark, as Tyler Harmon had 23 points, Jace Whatley and Ethan Whatley added 16 points apiece and Greydon Miller had 11. 

A fast-paced first quarter ended with Ozark up 20-19.

A pair of hoops from Washington, a free throw from Dupree Jackson and treys from Higginbotham and Vaden gave the Cardinals a 37-34 advantage. 

But the Tigers closed the first half on an 8-0 run to take a 42-37 halftime lead. 

The Cardinals outscored the Tigers 22-17 in the third period, and the game was deadlocked at 59 entering the fourth quarter. 

That’s when Ozark scored the first eight points of the final frame to pull away for good. On the other end, the Cardinals went three minutes without a point. 

The hosts put together a furious late-game rally, but hoops from Washington, Turner and Vaden were not enough. 

Up three with five seconds left, Ozark inbounded the ball and drew a foul. Harmon sank both at the charity stripe for the final margin.

“These guys won’t quit,” Horn said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Webb City team in any sport quit. They’ll play hard until the buzzer goes off. But we’ve got to be better defensively. We can’t pick up cheap fouls. We’ve got to limit turnovers. If we limit our turnovers in the first half, this could have been a different outcome. I thought we had a great crowd and it was a great atmosphere.”  

Webb City will take on Norwood at 2 on Saturday at Baptist Bible College in Springfield. The Pirates are ranked second in Class 2 by the MBCA. 

The Cardinals added the contest to the schedule after losing the opening round game of the Kaminsky Classic.

 

Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

GIRLS HOOPS ROUNDUP: Mount Vernon, East Newton, Lamar all victorious on Thursday

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

MOUNT VERNON 53, MONETT 27

MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — Mount Vernon’s girls basketball team improved to 8-7 with a 53-27 win over Monett on Thursday.

The Mountaineers, who led 12-0, doubled up the Cubs in the first half, 16-8. 

A 15-6 third period put the game away for the Mountaineers.

Cameryn Cassity scored 10 points to lead Mount Vernon, while Jolie Prescott added nine, Cheyenne Bieber had eight and Raegan Boswell and Kadence Krempges contributed seven points apiece. 

Aryanna Seelye scored 12 points for the Cubs. 

 

EAST NEWTON 49, SOUTHWEST 11

The Patriots led 18-2 at the end of the first quarter and 34-5 at halftime en route to victory. 

Josie Guinn scored 17 points to lead the Patriots, while Kaytlyn Cook added 12 points. 

East Newton is at Aurora on Monday. 

 

LAMAR 39, CASSVILLE 35

Lamar improved to 2-1 in conference play.

Marcy Miller scored 16 points to lead the Tigers, while Ashlyn Stettler added 11 points. 

 

WRESTLING ROUNDUP: Carthage earns home win over Bolivar, Neosho tops rival McDonald County

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

CARTHAGE 48, BOLIVAR 21

CARTHAGE, Mo. —The Carthage High School wrestling team earned a 48-21 win over Bolivar on Thursday night.

Tigers coach Kenny Brown noted both teams had multiple wrestlers out due to illness. 

Carthage improved to 4-2 on the season and will host Neosho next Tuesday for the Black and Blue Brawl.

Against the Liberators, the Tigers won by forfeit at 106, 113 and 120 pounds.

Carthage’s Bradyn Tate won by fall over Maddux NeSmith at 126.

Both teams were open at 132. 

Carthage’s Eli Sneed (138) and Grey Petticrew (145) both won by fall, while Braxdon Tate dropped a 5-2 decision to Riley Beckman at 152.

At 160, Carthage’s Davion King won by fall in 38 seconds. 

Bolivar’s Trey Brewer earned a 13-6 decision over Gabe Lambeth at 170 before Carthage won by forfeit at 182.

Bolivar’s Blake Goodman won by fall over Landyn Collins at 195, while the Liberators won by forfeit at 220.

At 285, Bolivar’s Cael McCullah defeated Jesua Coquij 8-1. 

 

NEOSHO TOPS MAC COUNTY

NEOSHO, Mo. — The Neosho Wildcats defeated the McDonald County Mustangs 45-18 in a wrestling dual on Thursday. 

Recording wins by fall for Neosho were Fisher Butler (120), Hayden Crane (132), Nate Copeland (138), Bostyn Patterson (145), Collyn Kivett (160), Eli Zar (170) and DeLeon Ulysses (195).

Earnings wins by fall for the Mustangs were Levi Smith (152) and Samuel Murphy (220).   

Only three matches went the distance. 

Neosho’s Gabe Mabery earned a 7-3 decision over Alex Bogart at 182, while McDonald County’s Blaine Ortiz defeated Johnny Chrisco 5-2 at 126 and Mac County’s Jayce Hitt defeated Nico Olivares 5-2 in the heavyweight match.

Both teams were open at 106 and 113 pounds.

BOYS HOOPS: Thomas Jefferson holds off Wheaton to open conference play with win

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Short-handed Thomas Jefferson boys basketball saw a nine-point lead evaporate early in the fourth quarter before battling through the adversity down the stretch for a 63-54 win to open Ozark 7 Conference play on Thursday. 

The Cavaliers faced a heavy dose of the press defense early while building a 30-25 lead by halftime. Thomas Jefferson pushed the lead to nine to start the fourth before finding themselves all tied up with Wheaton two minutes in. TJ showed resolve, never giving up the lead before pulling back out in front on the way to the win.

Thomas Jefferson’s Drew Goodhope drives to the hoop for a bucket in the Cavaliers’ win over Wheaton in Ozark 7 play on Thursday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

“We preach family and we preach team all the time,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said. “We talk about when one guy goes down, somebody else is going to get an opportunity and have to step up. That is what families do. When someone at home is hurt or sick, other family members step up. That’s what we preach out here and the kids are really doing a good job of it. We have several starters out and we asked other kids to step up into roles they are not accustomed to. They just put the family on their back, fought and did what they could to get the win tonight.” 

Playing with just eight players tonight because of injuries and illness, the Cavaliers improved to 9-2 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

“Our conference is really tough this year,” Myers said. “For a small-school conference, we have a lot of really good teams. It is pretty deep. Anytime you can come out and get a conference win, you always savor it. We are excited with the direction the team is going even with all of the bumps and bruises and things we are dealing with.”

STAT LEADERS

Junior forward Jay Ball was the catalyst for Thomas Jefferson  in the win, scoring a game-high 32 points with 16 coming in each half. He pulled down a game-high 21 rebounds and swatted three blocks to finish with a double-double. Drew Goodhope finished with 16 points, nine in the first half, while Jake Jarrett added nine points, eight assists and five rebounds in the win.

Kelton Park finished 29, 18 coming in the second half, to lead Wheaton. Blake Morgan had nine and Johnson finished with six.

Thomas Jefferson’s Jay Ball absorbs contact inside for a basket and eventual three-point play during the Cavaliers’ conference win over Wheaton. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

GAME ACTION

Wheaton went to the full-court trap early, which caused trouble for the Cavaliers with several players stepping into bigger roles. The Bulldogs built an early 9-3 lead three minutes into the game thanks to three 3-pointers from Morgan.

Thomas Jefferson showed progress in handling the press through the remainder of the quarter, using a 10-2 run highlighted by two three-point plays from Ball and a pair of baskets on the break by Goodhope to build a 14-11 lead. The Cavaliers led 16-15 heading into the second quarter.

Thomas Jefferson made it a point to focus on Ball in the offense in the second period, with the 6-foot-6 forward scoring four of his team’s six field goals in the quarter on the way to a 30-25 lead at the intermission.

“We went from 15 to eight guys in a matter of a week,” Myers said. “Kids had to step up and do things. It took us a little while to settle into the game plan but once they got their feet wet, I thought our kids did a fantastic job of getting it inside. Jay is always a big part of our offense. Everything has to go through him to be successful. I really thought our kids did a much better job in the second quarter of really pounding the ball inside to him.”

The Cavaliers pushed the lead double digits for the first time in the later stages of the third quarter. Leading 38-32 coming off a bucket from Park—who scored all 11 points for the Bulldogs in the quarter—Ball and Jarrett each grabbed an offensive rebound for a bucket on consecutive trips to give Thomas Jefferson a 42-32 lead at the 2:10 mark.

TJ took a nine-point cushion into the final eight minutes, but Wheaton started the fourth quarter on fire from the perimeter as Zane Johnson, Fernando Gonzalez and Park all knocked down 3-pointers for a 9-0 run to tie the game at 45s with 6:04 left in regulation. 

The Cavaliers responded with an inside score from Ball followed by Luke Miller grabbing his own miss for a bucket. Goodhope added a 3-pointer from the corner with four minutes left to give Thomas Jefferson a 52-47 advantage.

Thomas Jefferson’s Elias Rincker pulls up for a jumper in the Cavs win over Wheaton on Thursday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Up three, the Cavs scored six straight points backed by two paint scores from Ball to push the lead back to nine with less than a minute to play.

“I will be honest with you, I have been doing this a long time and I don’t know that I have ever been more proud of a team than I was tonight,” Myers said. “With all of the moving pieces that we had and the short notice (of players being unavailable)—I had to give a kid a varsity jersey today that didn’t even have one—I am just ecstatic for the kids and excited to see them come out here and do what they did to get a win. It says a lot about them. Hopefully, we can keep building on that and stack a few more of these together down the road.”

UP NEXT

Thomas Jefferson takes part in the Tony Dubray Classic on Jan. 17.

 

GIRLS HOOPS: Webb City falls to Ozark in COC play

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

WEBB CITY, Mo. — A strong second half propelled Ozark to a 59-40 win over Webb City on Thursday night in a Central Ozark Conference girls basketball clash inside the Cardinal Dome.

The Cardinals overcame an early nine-point deficit and held a five-point lead in the third period. But the Tigers rattled off 11 straight points to end the third quarter to take a lead they would never relinquish. Ozark outscored Webb City 34-11 after halftime. 

“We got off to a slow start but were able to battle back with a strong second quarter of play, both offensively and defensively,” Cardinals coach Lance Robbins said. “Ozark was able to come out in the third quarter and take back the momentum from us and we didn’t recover. Their length in the zone caused us problems in the second half.” 

Webb City fell to 6-6 overall and 1-1 in the COC. The Cardinals saw their four-game winning streak snapped. 

Senior Kenzie Robbins led Webb City with 14 points, while junior Kate Brownfield added 11 points and freshman Sami Mancini had nine points and 13 rebounds. 

Brownfield made three 3-pointers, while Robbins hit two treys. 

The Cardinals made 13-of-34 field goal attempts (38 percent), including 5-of-14 from beyond the arc. Webb City made just 9-of-21 free throw attempts.

Winners of six straight games, Ozark improved to 8-4 overall and 2-0 in conference action. 

Riley Boggs scored 14 points to lead the Tigers, while Lyla Watson added 11 points. Ozark made 18-of-43 field goal attempts, with 8-of-17 from 3-point range. 

The Tigers led 10-1 early in the game, but the Cardinals used a 10-3 run to pull within two. 

Ozark’s Boggs hit a 3-pointer to give the Tigers a 16-11 advantage, but Webb City’s Robbins nailed a buzzer-beater from halfcourt, trimming the hosts’ lead to two at the end of the first quarter.

The Cardinals scored the final six points of the first half, as Mancini converted a putback inside, Ripley Shanks made one free throw and Brownfield buried a 3-pointer from the right wing off a feed from Izzy Lopez. Those points gave the hosts a 29-25 lead at intermission.

Brownfield scored 11 points in the first half.

A trey from Robbins gave Webb City a four-point lead, but Ozark ended the third quarter on an 11-0 surge for a 43-36 advantage entering the final frame.

The Tigers outscored the Cardinals 16-4 in the fourth quarter for the final margin.

Webb City is scheduled to compete at next week’s Lady Cat Classic at Rogersville. The Cardinals open the tourney against Licking on Monday. 

 

BOYS HOOPS ROUNDUP: McAuley tops Sheldon; Neosho falls to Republic

Posted on by Lucas Davis

MCAULEY CATHOLIC BOYS 68, SHELDON 49

McAuley Catholic took command in the middle quarters on the way to a home win over Sheldon on Tuesday.

The Warriors (3-9) took a one-point lead into the second quarter before outscoring the Panthers 20-12 in the second period to build a nine-point advantage by the intermission. McAuley pulled away in the third quarter after pushing the lead to more than 20 by the start of the fourth.

“This was a solid win for us against a district opponent,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said. “Hopefully we can gain some momentum from this one as we enter the heart of the season.”

Kable Reichardt led McAuley with 13 points, while Michael Parrigon and Noah Black each finished with 12 in the win. Jacob Bracich finished with 10 to give the Warriors four players in double figures.

Sheldon was led in scoring by Aiden Ellfritts, who finished with a game-high 17 points.

McAuley opens conference play with a road game against Verona.

 

REPUBLIC BOYS 63, NEOSHO 50 

Republic built a double-digit lead by the end of the first quarter and held on for a Central Ozark Conference win over Neosho on Tuesday.

Republic took the momentum early after jumping out to a 21-10 lead by the end of the first eight minutes of action. The Wildcats cut the lead to two by the intermission and trailed by five to start the fourth before the Tigers outscored Neosho 20-13 down the stretch, led by Gunner Ellison’s 10 fourth-quarter points.

Ellison finished with 17, while Ahlante Askew had 22 points for Republic. Devon James McMillin had eight.

K’dyn Waters had 11 to lead Neosho (10-5), while Kael Smith and Isaiah Green each had nine. Brock Franklin had eight and Carter Fenske finished with seven.

Neosho hosts Willard on Friday.

BOYS HOOPS: Webb City rebounds for 60-57 overtime win over Joplin

Posted on by Lucas Davis

The last time the Cardinals were on the floor, they suffered a tightly-contested loss to Joplin in the Kaminsky Classic championship game on Saturday. Webb City righted that wrong in just three days time with a 60-57 overtime win over the Eagles on Tuesday to kick off the Central Ozark Conference portion of the schedule. 

“We were disappointed that we weren’t able to repeat as Kaminsky Classic champions, but we felt like we lost the game on Saturday,” Webb City coach Jason Horn said. “We controlled our own destiny and didn’t capitalize. We came in today and we were a little tight early, but we loosened up, got into the flow and started doing some things we are good at. I told the guys, ‘At the end of the day, just relax and execute and we are going to be fine. You are going to make the right play. If you win, awesome. If you lose, it’s a basketball game and we will get better tomorrow in practice.’ They loosened up and did what they needed to do.”

Webb City’s Kaden Turner raises up for a 3-pointer in the Cardinals’ overtime win over Joplin on Tuesday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

The game played much like you would expect between two quality programs in the same conference that just played each other. There were 11 ties and 19 lead changes, and the largest lead at any point was five points, which was held by Webb City late in the third quarter. Free-throw shooting played a large role in the outcome as well. During the last minute of the fourth quarter through the overtime period, Joplin was 4-of-9 shooting from the charity stripe while Webb City converted at an 8-for-10 rate at the foul line over the same stretch of play.

“It’s huge,” Horn said when asked about the importance of free-throw shooting. “Going back to last Saturday (in the championship game), we missed some free throws that could have changed the game early on. We were able to capitalize (today) and make them down the stretch. We caught a break that they missed a few. You have to capitalize on free points when they are giving them to you.”

The win gives Webb City a 9-3 overall record and 1-0 start to conference play, while Joplin falls to 10-2, 0-1 COC.

“In the COC, you can’t take any game off or any game for granted,” Horn said. “It’s nice to start 1-0, but we can only enjoy this for a little bit because we have to get ready for Ozark. There are no easy nights.”

“I thought it was two really good teams going at it,” Joplin coach Bronson Schaake said. “It was back and forth. We had our chances at the end of regulation and in overtime. Those little things that you don’t cash in on will come back and get you against good times. But, I thought I saw some other guys step up when we needed it and be role players, which was good. We will build on this.”

DOWN THE STRETCH

After a third quarter that saw six lead changes and both teams tied at 40, the lead never reached more than four points for either Webb City or Joplin. 

The Cardinals took the first momentum swing of the fourth after Kaden Turner grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback and Dante Washington scored on the drive to give Webb City a 46-42 lead.

Joplin’s Always Wright drives to the basket against Webb City’s Max Higginbotham on Tuesday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

The Eagles rallied to take a four-point lead of their own with less than a minute left in regulation with an 8-0 run, the largest of the game by any team in the game. Always Wright and Bruce Wilbert buried 3-pointers off the inbounds pass on consecutive possessions to get the lead back for Joplin before Wright was perfect on two free throws to make the score 52-48 with 51 seconds to play.

Webb City’s Cohl Vaden brought the Cardinals to within one of the lead after driving for a bucket, drawing contact and sinking the and-1 free throw with 26.9 ticks left to make the score 52-51. After a Joplin missed free throw on the front end of a one-and-one, Trey Roets drew contact under the basket before sinking two free throws with 8.1 seconds left to give Webb City a 53-52 lead.

Always Wright drew a foul in the backcourt with 6.1 seconds, making the first free throw and missing the second to send the game into overtime tied at 53-53.

LT Atherton made one of two free throws early in the overtime period to give Joplin a one-point lead, but Webb City scored the next five points on two charities by Turner before Roets came up with a momentum-turning three-point play on a bucket inside with 1:57 left to put Webb City up 58-54.

Webb City’s Trey Roets draws a foul before making two free throws late in the fourth quarter in the Cardinals’ Central Ozark Conference win over Joplin. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

“Trey puts a lot of time in on his own,” Horn said. “There are a lot of nights I am opening the gym for him and letting him get extra work in. That work is paying off. He hit some big 3s tonight. He is a kid who can play with his back to the basket, but what makes him versatile is when we put him in that pinch-post area around the top of the key—if you don’t guard him, he can make shots. He was big on the free-throw line late and he was strong around the basket. He made some great moves, had some big blocks and some big rebounds. He did a good job patrolling.”

Joplin was empty on two chances at the stripe on the next possession, but Always Wright knocked down a 3-pointer from the wing with 1:04 to play to bring the Eagles within one of the lead, 58-57. 

Those were the last points for Joplin, while Webb City pushed the lead to 60-57 after making two of its four free throws in the final minute of play to seal the conference-opening win.

“I thought we showed a lot of mental toughness,” Horn said. “The ball didn’t bounce our way there a couple times in the last couple of minutes and I thought we made some mistakes that were uncharacteristic of us, but we showed a lot of resolve. We bounced back and made winning plays there at the end when we needed to—guys hitting big free throws with a lot of pressure on them—and you have to give (Joplin) a lot of credit because they played hard. … Offensively, we were solid there (at the end of regulation) and through overtime. We got a couple of good looks and our guys capitalized on it.”

Joplin’s Whit Hafer records a block during the Eagles’ conference loss to Webb City on Tuesday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

STAT LEADERS

Turner led Webb City with 24 points and 10 rebounds to close with a double-double. Roets had three 3-pointers on the way to 17 points and nine rebounds to go along with a game-high four blocks, while Vaden finished with 13 points and three assists.

Always Wright led Joplin with 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks, while All Wright had15 points and seven rebounds with one block. Terrance Gibson had seven points, nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals, with Atherton finishing with six points and four rebounds.

UP NEXT

Webb City continues conference play with the Cardinals hosting Ozark on Friday.

Joplin hosts Branson in a COC contest on Friday.

GIRLS HOOPS ROUNDUP: McAuley, Thomas Jefferson, Nevada all earn wins

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

MCAULEY CATHOLIC 58, SHELDON 12

The McAuley Catholic girls basketball team rolled from the start en route to a dominating 58-12 win over Sheldon on Tuesday.

“The girls played really well tonight,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “We were able to create several offensive opportunities from our defensive pressure and capitalized on that. They played confidently and showed great teamwork. I’m very proud of our effort tonight.” 

The Warriors led 15-4 at the end of the first quarter and then outscord the visitors 18-0 in a lopsided second period.

Up 33-4 at halftime, the hosts won the third period 23-7 for a commanding 56-11 advantage. 

Kayleigh Teeter scored 22 points to lead McAuley, while Kennedy DeRuy added 19 points. DeRuy made three treys, while Teeter hit two. 

Avery Eminger scored nine points for the Warriors, while Kloee Williamson chipped in five points. 

The Warriors are now 10-2 on the season. McAuley is at Verona on Friday. 

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON 46, SOUTHWEST 41

The Cavaliers raced out to a 17-9 lead by the end of the first quarter.

Thomas Jefferson never gave up its lead, as the Cavs were up 24-18 at halftime and 37-29 at the end of the third period. 

Southwest outscored TJ 12-9 in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough.

Gabbi Hiebert scored 12 points and made three 3-pointers to lead Thomas Jefferson (2-6), while Alivia Beard added 12 points. 

Also for the Cavaliers, Sarah Mueller scored eight points and Nico Carlson contributed six. 

Anna Church scored 17 points for Southwest (2-10). 

The Cavaliers host Wheaton at 5:30 on Thursday night. 

 

NEVADA 57, LAMAR 31

NEVADA, Mo.  — Nevada improved its record to 10-3 with a convincing win.

Three players scored in double figures for Nevada, as Clara Swearingen led the way with 20 points, while Maddy Majors had 14 and Abbey Heathman contributed 10. Swearingen made four 3-pointers.

Alyssa Powell scored eight points to lead Lamar (5-7), while Marcy Miller added six and Josey Adams had five.

In a clash between Tigers, Nevada led 15-5 by the end of the first quarter. Nevada’s lead was 45-21 at the end of the third period. 

Nevada is at Seneca next Tuesday, while Lamar is at Cassville on Thursday. 

GIRLS HOOPS: Late surge lifts Carl Junction past Carthage in COC opener

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carl Junction scored 16 of the first 19 points of the fourth quarter and then held on late for a hard-fought 53-48 victory over Carthage on Tuesday night in the Central Ozark Conference opener for both teams.

“That’s a great win,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said. “Any win in the COC is good. And Carthage is really good. I was impressed with how hard they played. They’ve got some quick kids and they push the ball up the floor well. Coach (Scott) Moore is doing a really good job with them. So it’s a great win for us for sure.” 

The back and forth clash was deadlocked at 32 at the end of the third quarter before the Bulldogs pulled away with a game-changing surge to start the fourth period. 

“For us, it wasn’t so much their offensive spurt, but we just missed some shots,” Carthage’s Moore said. “We were getting the shots we wanted. Yeah, we had a turnover or two, but we missed some runners that were just short and we missed some 3s that rattled out. This game would have been an entirely different result if we didn’t have that lull to start the fourth quarter and the lull to start the second quarter. In the second quarter, we dug ourselves out. In the fourth quarter, we couldn’t overcome that lull.”

Ranked fifth in Class 5 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, Carl Junction hiked its record to 11-3 and 1-0 in the COC. 

Junior guard Destiny Buerge poured in a game-high 29 points with a trio of 3-pointers. Buerge scored 15 of CJ’s 21 first-half points and then added 14 after the break. 

Sophomore forward Kylie Scott scored 13 points for the Bulldogs, while junior guard Klohe Burk added seven.

Junior guard Kianna Yates scored 20 points and hit four treys to lead Carthage, while freshman guard Lauren Choate contributed 15 points with three 3-pointers. 

“That’s the second game in a row where she’s shot the ball well,” Moore said of Choate. “She’s a kid that has that ability. We expect her to knock down four or five 3s every night for us.” 

Freshman guard Maggie Boyd added six points on a pair of 3-pointers for the Tigers, who fell to 6-8 overall and 0-1 in the COC. 

The conference opener for both teams was deadlocked at 10 at the conclusion of the first quarter.

Five straight points from Buerge gave the Bulldogs a 17-12 lead, but the Tigers responded with a 10-1 run to go up 22-18.

During the spurt, Choate scored eight points on two corner treys and a hoop in the lane, while Sophie Shannon added a bucket in the paint. 

Buerge buried a 3-pointer from the left wing to cut CJ’s deficit to one at halftime, 22-21.

Neither team was able to separate in the third quarter and the game was tied at 32. 

The game-changing surge arrived for the visitors as the fourth quarter began. The Bulldogs began the fourth period on a 16-3 run to go up 48-35. 

Scott, Buerge and Dezi Williams all contributed field goals before Williams added a free throw to complete a three-point play. Next, Burk hit a 3-pointer from the corner before Buerge scored three hoops in transition.

“We made a few adjustments defensively that really helped us,” Shorter said of the spurt. “We settled in defensively and did a better job of not turning our backs to shooters. That helped. We have a tendency to be over-aggressive when the ball goes into the paint. And some of our guards and forwards turn their backs to shooters and leave them open. Offensively, we had some kids, especially Destiny and Kylie, buckle down and just go get buckets. And I thought our kids did a great job of rebounding and we got some second chances.” 

Carthage was plagued by empty possessions early in the fourth period. 

Suddenly down double figures, the Tigers scored eight unanswered points to pull within five. Moore noted he was pleased his team didn’t quit when it got down double-digits.

“I’m so proud of our girls for always doing that,” Moore said. “They do it themselves. I’ll call a timeout and tell them to pick up the intensity and they go do it. I’m really proud of them for not quitting at the end and for making a run. We forced Carl Junction to call some timeouts. That run gave us a chance to be in the ballgame at the end.” 

Carl Junction put the game away when Scott converted a putback and then made one free throw to give her squad some separation at 51-43 with 37 seconds left.

“It was a great game and we were right there with them,” Moore noted. “I think Carl Junction will finish in the top half of the conference. And after tonight, I feel like we should finish in the top half. That’s one of our goals this year.” 

 

WHAT’S NEXT? 

Both teams are at home on Friday, as Carl Junction hosts Republic and Carthage entertains Nixa.

BOYS HOOPS: Carthage improves to 11-2 with lopsided win over Carl Junction

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carthage scored the game’s first 10 points and never looked back on the way to a dominant 63-29 win over Carl Junction on Tuesday night in a Central Ozark Conference boys basketball clash. 

“I challenged our guys tonight,” Tigers coach Nathan Morris said. “We haven’t had a lot of really hot starts. I told them it’s about time we go out and show everybody what we can do early on. We were confident in the shots we took and the plays we ran. For our guys to jump out like that, 10-0, it was big for us and it set the tone for the rest of the game.”

Now receiving votes in the MBCA’s Class 6 poll, Carthage improved to 11-2 and 1-1 in the COC with a lopsided victory.

The usual suspects led the Tigers, as guards Max Templeman, Joel Pugh and Justin Ray combined to score 47 points. 

Templeman scored 19 points, Pugh had 16 with four 3-pointers and Ray added 12 points. 

Also for the Tigers, Britt Coy scored five points, while Clay Kinder and Tyler Willis contributed four points apiece. 

Morris noted his guard trio once again stood out.

“Max got out in transition quite a bit, Joel hit four 3s and I thought some of our other guys really stepped up,” Morris said. “They were important for us, especially when we got kind of laid back in the second quarter. We didn’t finish the second quarter the way we should have. But we came back out and imposed our will in the third quarter.”

Carl Junction fell to 3-11 and 0-1 in conference action.

Jett Hocut scored eight points for the Bulldogs, while Ayden Bard, Josh Cory, Aidan Beachner and Lucas Vanlanduit all added four points apiece. 

After racing out to a 10-0 lead, the Tigers held a 19-6 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

A trey from Ray made it 25-6 early in the second period. By intermission, Carthage’s lead was 33-15.

Carthage outscored Carthage 18-6 in the third quarter for a comfy 51-21 lead. 

The game’s final outcome was never in doubt in the fourth period.

Morris noted his squad is off to a stellar start to the 2021-22 campaign.

“We’re 11-2 and now 1-1 in the COC,” Morris said. “We’re going to keep climbing. We’re happy for these kids. I hope we get some people out here to support these guys.” 

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Both teams are back in action on Friday night, as Carl Junction hosts Republic and Carthage travels to Hillcrest on Friday. 

 

GIRLS HOOPS: Webb City knocks off Joplin in overtime to open COC play

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Is there a more exciting way to open up Central Ozark Conference play than with an overtime road win?

Webb City and Joplin were tied at 40 by the end of regulation, with the Cardinals striking first in the extra four minutes of play on a corner 3-pointer from Kenzie Robbins. 

Joplin cut the lead to 43-42 after Ella Hafer earned a steal for a fast-break score the other way with 2:33 to play. 

The score remained as such until the final five seconds of overtime when Robbins missed the front end of a one-and-one,

Webb City freshman Sami Mancini shoots from mid-range in the Cardinals’ overtime win over Joplin on Monday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

only for Ripley Shanks to grab the offensive rebound for a putback score to give the Cardinals a 45-42 lead with 3.8 seconds left. The Eagles never got a clean look at a game-tying shot, with the win sending Webb City above the .500 mark with a 6-5, 1-0 COC record. Joplin falls to 6-7, 0-1 COC.

“Every win in the COC is a big win, especially on the road,” Webb City coach Lance Robbins said. “I was proud of our kids for having the toughness to finish things out in overtime. That being said, Coach (Luke) Floyd has done a good job with the Joplin girls. They competed their tails off and did a great job tonight. 

“We were just able to make some plays at the end of the game—Ripley with that huge offensive rebound for us that kind of sealed the deal. It was good to see that from a senior, being a leader. … It’s a huge play. Ripley understands what her role is on the team. She is a rebounder for us, she finishes around the basket and is a good defender. … I think you could tell our girls were ecstatic for her to grab that and put it back. It’s a good confidence builder going forward.”

STAT LEADERS

Kenzie Robbins led Webb City with 16 points on 5-of-16 shooting, including four 3-pointers. She added five rebounds, one assist and two steals. Eleven of her points came in the fourth quarter and overtime periods. 

“I thought she struggled a little early, which everyone was struggling shooting the ball for us early, but we talked to her at halftime about staying confident in her shot and to keep shooting it because it will fall,” Coach Robbins said. “She just wants to win. She is competitive and made some winning plays and shots towards the end.”

Sami Mancini finished with a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. She added three assists and three blocks. Shanks finished with nine points and four rebounds.

Emma Floyd led Joplin with a game-high 19 points and 13 rebounds to also finish with a double-double, adding two steals, while Hafer closed with nine points, 10 rebounds and a steal.  

“I liked the effort and the way we battled,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said after the loss. “I liked our chances when we sent it to overtime. Unfortunately, this is part of the learning process. We have to learn how to win games like this because we haven’t been in games like this. … There are moments that we have to continue to learn from and hopefully we don’t make those same mistakes a second time going forward.”

GAME ACTION

Joplin’s Emma Floyd pulls down and offensive rebound before attacking the basket for a putback bucket in the Eagles’ loss to Webb City on Monday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

The largest lead of the first half between the Eagles and Cardinals was five points, which both teams held at one point. 

Joplin started the game with a 3-pointer from Brooke Nice before Scarlett Floyd found room inside off the assist from Emma Floyd to make the score 5-0. 

Webb City answered back with a 3-pointer from Kate Brownfield and inside bucket by Shanks off the assists from Mancinci to tie the game.

Webb City built a 15-10 lead thanks to a 6-0 run to start the second quarter. Mancini scored inside off an inbounds pass under her own basket before Mia Robbins and Austyn Mickey added buckets to fill the run out.

Joplin answered with the next six points to regain the lead. Ashley Phillips grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback bucket before Nice and Emma Floyd each knocked down a pair of shots at the charity stripe to give the Eagles a 16-15 advantage with 1:56 left in the first half. 

The Cardinals ultimately took a 20-18 lead into the intermission.

Kenzie Robbins buried a 3-pointer from the corner in the third quarter to give Webb City another five-point lead, 27-22, at the 5:45 mark, but Joplin again responded with an inside basket from Emma Floyd, a 3-ball from Hafer at top of the key and two free throws from Izzy Yust to regain the lead. 

Joplin held a 33-30 lead heading into the fourth quarter before Kenzie Robbins splashed a 3-pointer from the wing at the seven-minute mark to tie the game. 

An inside score from Mancini and a baseline drive by Kenzie Robbins pushed the Cardinals in front 37-35 with four minutes to play.

Kenzie Robbins converted from the corner on the perimeter off the assist from Mancini to give Webb City a 40-36 lead near the three-minute mark before Hafer scored on the drive and Emma Floyd grabbed an offensive rebound for a put back to tie the game at 40s with a minute to play in regulation.

UP NEXT

Webb city hosts Ozark at 7:30 p.m. in COC play on Thursday, while Joplin hosts conference foe Branson with a 6 p.m. tip scheduled on Friday.

“Webb City is a very well-coached team and they play hard,” Coach Floyd added. “It was just a battle. Everyone is familiar with each other and what they do in these conference games. … Going forward in conference games, we have a tight, overtime game under our belt. Hopefully, we can look back on our mistakes, correct them and not repeat them.”

 

BOYS HOOPS: Thomas Jefferson rallies late, knocks off Sarcoxie

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

Thomas Jefferson’s boys basketball team improved its record to 8-2 this winter after pulling out an exciting 56-52 come-from-behind win over Sarcoxie on Monday night.

The Cavaliers, who trailed by five entering the fourth quarter, halted Sarcoxie’s eight-game winning streak by making winning plays down the stretch.

Thomas Jefferson scored the go-ahead hoop with 2.9 seconds remaining when Tyler Brouhard found Jay Ball open for a basket. After a defensive stop by the hosts, Drew Goodhope sank two free throws for the final margin.

“Our kids really showed a lot of heart in the fourth quarter,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said. “We made a defensive adjustment, switching to man in the fourth, and they really got after it, holding Sarcoxie to six points. With Caden (Myers) out, Drew Goodhope has done a fantastic job stepping up his game and he is really pairing with Jay Ball to lead our team in a big way.”    

Goodhope led Thomas Jefferson with 26 points and four treys, while Ball contributed 20 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots.

Brouhard chipped in five points, six rebounds, four assists and three blocks, while Jake Jarrett had six rebounds, four assists and three points.  

Three players scored in double figures for Sarcoxie (8-5), as Dugan Pogue had 22 points, Terio Asterio added 14 and Garrett Smith contributed 12. 

The game was deadlocked at 11 at the end of first quarter and was tied at 27 at halftime. 

The Bears outscored the Cavaliers 19-14 in the third period, but Thomas Jefferson won the final frame 15-6.

The Cavaliers host Wheaton on Thursday night. Sarcoxie will host Southwest on Tuesday. 

GIRLS HOOPS ROUNDUP: Seneca tops Mount Vernon; Nevada beats East Newton

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

SENECA GIRLS 50, MOUNT VERNON 35

MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — Seneca snapped a 14-game skid to Mount Vernon, as the Indians earned their first win over the Mountaineers since 2014.

The Indians improved to 8-2.

The Grotjohn sisters combined for 40 points, as Aliya and Hazley scored 20 points apiece. 

Cameryn Cassity scored 11 points for Mount Vernon (7-7), while Allie Schubert and Raegan Boswell added seven points apiece. 

Led by 15 first half points by Aliya Grotjohn, the Indians held a 24-17 advantage at the break. 

Hazley Grotjohn hit a halfcourt buzzer-beater to end the third period, and the Indians led 41-29.

Seneca is at Cassville on Tuesday. Mount Vernon hosts Monett on Thursday. 

 

NEVADA GIRLS 48, EAST NEWTON 39

GRANBY, Mo. — Ignited by a strong second quarter, Nevada’s girls hiked their record to 9-3 overall and 2-0 in Big 8 West play with a 48-39 win over the East Newton Patriots on Monday night. 

East Newton fell to 7-6 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

The Tigers led 9-8 at the end of the first quarter, but the visitors extended their lead to 10 by halftime at 30-20 after Clara Swearingen drilled a 3-pointer near halfcourt in the final seconds of the first half. 

Nevada outscored East Newton 21-12 in the second period. 

The Tigers held a 40-28 advantage by the end of the third quarter.

Despite missing seven straight free throws in the fourth quarter, the visitors never relinquished their lead.

Swearingen scored 20 points, with 16 in the first half. Nevada’s Maddy Majors added 13 points and Grace Barnes contributed seven.  

Kylee Cole led the Patriots with 15 points, while Josie Guinn added nine points.

Nevada hosts Lamar on Tuesday, while East Newton hosts Southwest on Thursday. 

 

 

GIRLS SWIMMING: Carl Junction wins Ozarks invite

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

In a meet that featured 22 teams, the Carl Junction Bulldogs took first place at the Ozarks Invitational on Saturday at the Foster Natatorium in Springfield. 

Stephanie Miller’s Bulldogs topped the team standings with 258 points. Kickapoo (236), Glendale (226.5), Rogersville (193) and Ozark (178) finished second through fifth. 

The Bulldogs recorded a top-six finish in nine of the 12 events.

Carl Junction’s 200-yard medley relay team of Skyler Sundy, Abigail Wilson, Madeleine Garoutte and Chloe Miller finished second with a state-consideration time of 1:57. 

The Bulldogs were also second in the 200 freestyle relay, as Wilson, Sundy, Garoutte and Miller recorded a consideration time of 1:47.  

Carl Junction’s 400 freestyle relay team of Elyanna Dogotch, Kennedy Johnson, Sophia Holcomb and Carsyn Smith finished sixth in a consideration time of 4:19. 

Sophomore Chloe Miller placed third in two events — the 50 freestyle with a state-consideration time of 25.07 seconds and the 100 free in 57.61, also a consideration time. 

Sundy took fourth in the 100 backstroke in a consideration time of 1:03, while Wilson placed fourth in both the 200 individual medley (2:39) and the 100 breaststroke (1:16, consideration time).

Garoutte finished fifth in two events — the 100 butterfly with a consideration time of 1:07 and the 100 breaststroke (1:18).

Also for the Bulldogs, Smith was seventh in the 100 backstroke and ninth in the 200 freestyle, while Johnson placed eighth in the 500 freestyle.

Sundy took ninth in the 50 free, while Dogotch finished 11th in the 500 free and 12th in the 100 backstroke.

The Bulldogs will compete at the COMO Invitational this weekend at the University of Missouri. 

 

JOPLIN RESULTS

The Joplin Eagles finished 12th in the standings with 65 points. 

The Eagles placed eighth in the 400-yard freestyle relay, as Emma Langer, Lily Rakes, Sophia Schwartz and Allie Lawrence recorded a time of 4:24.

Joplin was 10th in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:57, with Lawrence, Schwartz, Rakes and Langer competing.

The Eagles finished 12th in the 200 medley relay, with Schwartz, Langer, Lawrence and Rakes swimming.

Lawrence placed eighth in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:13, while Langer finished 12th in the 100 breaststroke and Rakes placed 14th in the 500 freestyle.

Megan Walser finished 14th in the 200 IM and 15th in the 500 free. 

 

NOTES: Lamar’s Audrey Osterdyk finished eighth in the 100 breaststroke and 10th in the 500 freestyle. Kickapoo’s Lainey Adler and Monett’s Macey Flynt took first and second in the diving competition. Monett finished 10th in the 400 free relay, with Gwen Lesue, Grace Lee, Ruby George and Claire Nation competing. Kickapoo won all three relays. 

 

Ozarks Invitational

Final team standings: Carl Junction 258, Kickapoo 236, Glendale 226.5, Rogersville 193, Ozark 178, Poplar Bluff 178, Central 153, New Covenant 141, Nixa 132, Lebanon 128, Winnetonka 90, Joplin 65, Francis Howell Central 57, Monett 47.5, Republic 40, Raytown 29, Bolivar 27, Lamar 16, Parkview 16, Camdenton 15, Greenwood 6, Waynesville 1.

 

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