February 2, 2022 - SoMo Sports

HOOPS ROUNDUP: Webb City splits at Willard; Neosho boys top Carl Junction; Mount Vernon girls earn second straight win

Posted on February 2, 2022 by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY BOYS 80, WILLARD 69

WILLARD, Mo. — The middle quarters proved key as the Webb City boys basketball team earned an 80-69 win over Willard on Tuesday night in Central Ozark Conference action.

The Cardinals trailed 20-14 after the opening frame, but the visitors outscored the Tigers 22-12 in the second quarter and 23-12 in the third period to pull away.

Webb City held a 17-point lead with 7:47 remaining.

Dante Washington scored 26 points to lead Webb City. The junior guard made 9-of-15 field goal attempts.

Cohl Vaden scored 13 points for the Cardinals, while Dupree Jackson and Trey Roets contributed 10 points apiece to give Webb City four players in double figures.

Landon Johnson added nine points for the Cardinals, while Kaden Turner had seven. Roets had eight rebounds and three assists, while Vaden had three steals.

The Cardinals improved to 14-5 overall and 2-1 in conference games.

Willard’s Brett Hall and Gavin Davis scored 19 points apiece to lead the Tigers (12-8).

Webb City is at Branson on Friday.

WILLARD GIRLS 52, WEBB CITY 44

WILLARD, Mo. — The Willard Tigers were clinging to a 37-36 lead after three periods of play, but the hosts outscored the visiting Cardinals 15-8 in the fourth quarter to earn the COC win.

Kate Brownfield scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Cardinals, while Sami Mancini had a double-double with 16 points and 13 boards.

Brielle Adamson led Willard with 23 points, while Madi Mills added 14.

Webb City (8-10, 1-2 COC) is at Branson on Friday.

NEOSHO BOYS 65, CARL JUNCTION 46

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Neosho built a 14-point lead by the end of the first quarter but only led by two at halftime before pulling away to a Central Ozark Conference win in the second half over Carl Junction on Tuesday.

The Wildcats (15-5) led 24-10 after the first quarter thanks to a 10-point opening period by K’dyn Waters. Carl Junction used a nine-point second period from Josh Cory as a catalyst to trim the margin to 31-29 by the intermission. Neosho outscored Carl Junction 34-17 in the second half to secure the win.

Waters finished with 26 points to lead all scorers, while Isaiah Green added 13 points for Neosho. Carter Fenske scored eight and Carter Baslee finished with six points.

“It was a great job by Carter Baslee playing tough, strong defense,” Neosho coach Zane Culp said to SoMo Sports. “He had some huge stops and boards. Isaiah Green had a double-double tonight and really attacked the offensive glass to get us going in the second half. K’dyn Waters does what he always does, scoring in bunches. He really kept us afloat while the game was close.”

Cory led Carl Junction with 22 points, while Ayden Bard finished with 11 points in the loss.

Neosho, now 15-5, travels to Ozark on Friday. Carl Junction (4-15) is at Willard on Friday.

MOUNT VERNON GIRLS 61, REEDS SPRING 38

REEDS SPRING, Mo. — The Mountaineers took control of this one with a 20-2 third quarter.

Raegan Boswell scored 16 points to lead Mount Vernon, while Cameryn Cassity had 14. Two others reached double figures for the Mountaineers, as Allie Schubert scored 13 and Jolie Prescott had 12.

Mount Vernon defeated Logan-Rogersville 48-37 on Monday.

Kadence Krempges scored 13 points, while Prescott and Boswell added 10 points apiece.

Mount Vernon is at Aurora on Monday.

MERCY/WARRIOR CLASSIC: Thomas Jefferson boys and CHC girls win; Providence boys and girls sweep

Posted on February 2, 2022February 2, 2022 by Lucas Davis

THOMAS JEFFERSON PULLS AWAY FROM MCAULEY DOWN THE STRETCH

Thomas Jefferson and McAuley were in a back-and-forth battle through the first 12 minutes of game action before the Cavaliers closed the first half with the momentum and capitalized on it in the third quarter on the way to a 61-36 win over the Warriors to close the first round of the 39th annual Mercy/Warrior Classic on Tuesday.

“We knew coming in that whatever situation was, (McAuley) wasn’t going to quit—case in point, right there at the beginning,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said. “We had a 10-point lead early and then all of a sudden you are down one. (Coach Tony Witt’s) kids always play hard, so tip of the cap to them.

“I was proud of our kids’ response to that. They beared down and had a good second quarter and held them to two field goals the entire period and was able to get a little bit of a lead going into the half. We executed fairly well in the second half to make sure we didn’t give them a chance to get back in the game.”

SCORING LEADERS

Jay Ball led Thomas Jefferson in scoring with 20 points, 10 coming in the first quarter, while Drew Goodhope knocked down four 3-pointers on the way to 16 points. Caden Myers, who is working his way back from a knee injury, closed the game with 10 points in limited minutes.

Noah Black had 10 points to lead McAuley, while Michael Parrigon and Rocco Bazzano-Joseph each finished with seven points in the loss.

GAME ACTION

Thomas Jefferson held all of the momentum early after jumping out to a 12-2 lead over the first three and a half minutes of game action. Goodhope knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, while Ball accounted for six points in the paint.

Refusing to go away without a fight, McAuley answered the opening scoring run with an offensive surge of its own. The Warriors closed out the first quarter on a 15-4 spurt to take a one-point lead by the start of the second quarter, 17-16.

“In the 15 years I have been a coach, this is the hardest working group I have ever had,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said. “Obviously, this one didn’t turn out the way we wanted, but they never gave up. … That was all them. Earlier in the season, we don’t make that adjustment. We don’t make that run at them when they opened with that run at us. That is a sign of growth, which is what you want to see at this point in the season.”

Parrigon and Black each had five points in the run. Bazzano-Joseph knocked down a 3-pointer and Bradley Wagner scored inside.

The remainder of the first half was a seesaw battle until Thomas Jefferson closed the second quarter on a 12-0 run to take a 34-21 lead into the intermission. Caden Myers ignited the run with the first eight points, including two 3-balls, before Ball and Kip Atteberry added buckets to close the period with the double-digit lead intact.

“Caden is a game changer as far as his intensity level, competitiveness and ability to score the basketball,” Coach Myers said. “But really, our defense is what sparked us there and gave us life. All of a sudden we were in the passing lanes and causing turnovers. Any coach will tell you their best offense is a good defense. We are very proud of the guys for turning it up. I really thought the defense sent the tone there.”

After gaining a footing on the lead to end the first half, the Cavaliers put some distance between themselves and the Warriors after outscoring McAuley 14-5 in the third quarter to take a 23-point advantage into the final eight minutes of play.

“We already let them have a little bit of life there in the first quarter, and we wanted to make sure we didn’t let them do that in the third,” Coach Myers said. “The kids responded well and did what they had to do. They kept the defensive intensity and executed well on offense.”

Bazzano-Joseph knocked down a 3-pointer to open the second half and trim the TJ lead to 34-24, but the Cavaliers answered by closing the third quarter on a 15-2 run to take a 49-26 lead into the fourth quarter. Ball had two buckets to lead the surge, while Goodhope added five points, including a 3-pointer.

“You can’t go through those dry spells offensively,” Witt added. “Four points in the second quarter, a huge dry spell leading into the third quarter, and that’s what blew the game open. … We had good looks and only turned the ball over five times in the first half. The ball just did not go in. … We needed to get to the free-throw line a little more and knock down our open shots.”

UP NEXT

Thomas Jefferson is scheduled to take on College Heights with a 7 p.m. matchup in the semifinals on Thursday, weather permitting.

McAuley takes on Carl Junction JV at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

FAST START PROPELS COLLEGE HEIGHTS GIRLS PAST THOMAS JEFFERSON

College Heights girls basketball scored the game’s first 14 points and never looked back on the way to a 55-41 win over Thomas Jefferson to kick off the final day of the opening round in the 39th annual Mercy/Warrior Classic.

“It’s always good to get off to a good start in a tournament with an opening-round win,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “We got off to a great start and shot the ball really well. We played good defense, and our rotations were really good. … We were able to force some turnovers on defense and that allowed us to get out in transition and get some easy baskets that way.”

SCORING LEADERS

Libby Fanning finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds to record a double-double for College Heights. Maddy Colin also finished in double figures with 13 points, while Jayli Johnson and Addie Lawrence closed with nine points each in the win.

Gabbie Hiebert led the way in scoring for Thomas Jefferson with a game-high 23 points. Sarah Mueller added eight points and Alivia Beard finished with five points.

GAME ACTION

The momentum was all in favor of the Cougars (9-7) to open the game, as College Heights made the first six field goals of the game to jump out to a 14-0 lead through the first three and a half minutes of action.

“Our defense is usually solid,” Blankenship said. “We just never know if we are going to knock down shots or not. Tonight, we shot the ball really well and it got us into a rhythm and gave us a little bounce on the defensive end as well.”

Johnson and Lawrence highlighted the run with five points each. Johnson had a three-point play, while Lawrence knocked down a 3-pointer. Lauren Ukena and Fanning also had baskets.

Fanning closed the first quarter with two more inside scores to establish an inside presence for CHC early, giving the Cougars an 18-1 lead heading into the second period.

“Libby played a great game,” Blankenship said. “She has had several double-doubles this year and had one tonight. She finished shots really well around the basket tonight, which is good because that opens up shots on the perimeter for Addie and Jayli.”

Like the first quarter, College Heights opened the second period as the aggressor, scoring the first eight points to push the lead to 26-4. Colin, Molly Long and Fanning each had baskets in the run.

Thomas Jefferson found its rhythm to close out the first half, outscoring the Cougars 8-6 over the last two minutes of play. Tannah Grigg and Hiebert had paint buckets, while Mueller knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to trim the Cavaliers deficit to 32-9 by the intermission.

Colin led the way for CHC in the third quarter, scoring eight of the team’s 17 points while helping push the lead to 28 points to start the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers roared back in the fourth quarter, outscoring College Heights 20-6 to trim the lead down to 14 by the final horn. Hiebert led the way for Thomas Jefferson down the stretch with 13 points in the period.

“The quit is never there,” first-year Thomas Jefferson coach Traci Walker said. “One thing I tell them is we have to show up and we have to want it. … We have a lot of fight in us and prove it every game no matter how far down we are. Our shots were not falling early, which is something we are working on.

“I am very pleased with the way they finished. … I think with the turnovers we created (in the fourth quarter), we capitalized off of those. We moved our point guard to a different spot and I think that helped. Once our shots started falling, you could see the confidence grow.”

UP NEXT

College Heights is scheduled to take on Providence at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the semifinals.

Thomas Jefferson takes on Carl Junction JV at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

PROVIDENCE GIRLS 67, CARL JUNCTION JV 29

Providence put the pedal to the floor early on the way to an opening-round win over Carl Junction junior varsity on Tuesday.

The Patriots built a 10-point lead by the end of the first quarter and ballooned the cushion to 42-11 by the intermission and did not let up in the second half.

Hannah Weichman knocked down five 3-pointers on the way to 15 points for Providence. Lydia Shaddox finished with 13 points, while Anna Imbo had 11.

Anna Burch and DeShaye Buerge finished with seven points each to lead the Bulldogs.

College Heights takes on Providence at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the semifinals.

Thomas Jefferson takes on Carl Junction JV at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

PROVIDENCE BOYS 88, BLUEJACKET 19

Providence held a 23-6 lead after the first quarter and was in front by 37 and halftime on the way to the opening-round win on Tuesday.

Preston Green led Providence in scoring with 17 points, while Corban Mora finished 16 points in the win. Sam McAlister and Carter Keene each finished with 10 points.

Kolten Hicks led the Chieftains with six points in the loss.

Providence plays Sarcoxie at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday in the semifinals, while Bluejacket takes on Joplin JV with a 4 p.m matchup on Thursday.

BOYS HOOPS: Gibson’s late tip-in lifts Joplin to thrilling win over Carthage

Posted on February 2, 2022February 2, 2022 by Jason Peake

CARTHAGE, Mo. — In a back and forth clash that went down to the wire, Terrance Gibson’s tip-in with six seconds lifted Joplin to a thrilling 46-45 Central Ozark Conference win over Carthage on Tuesday night inside a packed Carthage High School gymnasium.

“After the Kickapoo game, we had to reboot,” Eagles coach Bronson Schaake said. “We talked about just playing hard and living with the results. Tonight they (Carthage) came out in a triangle and two and tried to take the Wrights out of the game, but we had other guys step up. I thought Terrance played big and he was being aggressive. That was a tough game.”

With his team trailing by one, Always Wright drove into the lane and put up a shot off the glass with six seconds left. The ball rolled off the rim, but Gibson tipped it in for the go-ahead hoop.

“Terrance was active, but Always created that by going to the rim strong,” Schaake said. “You can draw up a play all you want, but the guys have to go do it. I trust the Wrights with the ball.”

With just seconds remaining, the Tigers raced up the floor, but the hosts did not get a shot off before time expired.

“That’s the first true gut punch of the season for us,” Tigers coach Nathan Morris said. “They wanted this one for numerous reasons. I thought our guys battled, played extremely hard and did what we asked them to do. We stuck to our game plan. But a couple of rebounds and late breaks didn’t roll our way. That one hurts.”

Joplin’s Terrance Gibson scores inside against Carthage on Tuesday night. All photos by Shawn Fowler.

NAMES & NUMBERS

Joplin improved to 14-5 overall and 2-1 in COC.

A junior forward, Gibson led the Eagles with 16 points. A senior guard, Always Wright scored 13 points.

Sophomore guards Quin Renfro and All Wright contributed nine and seven points, respectively.

Carthage is now 15-4 overall and 1-2 in the COC.

Junior guard Clay Kinder scored a game-high 17 points for the Tigers. Joel Pugh, Justin Ray and Max Templeman added eight points apiece.

GAME RECAP

The game was tied at seven when the Tigers closed the first quarter on a 6-2 run for a 13-9 advantage.

There were five lead changes in the second quarter.

Gibson had four hoops in the second period for the Eagles, but the Tigers went ahead 23-22 after two charities from Kinder.

Joplin’s Quin Renfro attempts a shot in the lane against Carthage’s Max Templeman.

Always Wright scored just before the first half concluded, giving Joplin a 24-23 lead.

“I felt like we let their pressure really affect us early in the game,” Morris said. “I think if we would have finished on the offensive end early in the game that could have been a different outcome. We had three or four great looks in the first quarter that didn’t fall. It’s a different game if we had jumped out to a six or seven point lead.”

After another back and forth frame, Joplin led 34-32 at the end of the third period.

Always Wright scored Joplin’s first seven points of the fourth quarter, but treys from both Pugh and Kinder gave Carthage a 43-41 lead with 2:15 left.

LT Atherton made 1-of-2 free throws and Gibson converted a putback inside to push Joplin in front at 44-43.

Carthage’s Kinder calmly sank two free throws to give the Tigers a 45-44 advantage before Gibson’s late-game heroics proved to be the difference.

Again, the hosts were unable to get up a shot before the buzzer.

“I thought we could push with numbers,” Morris said of the final possession. “They did a good job of funneling us to the sideline. And at 43-41, I thought we had two chances to win the game. A defensive rebound could have sealed the game.”

Schaake noted it was a nice bounce-back win for his squad.

“We talk about February being make or break time,” he said. “Our district is loaded and you have to find ways to win games like that.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

Both teams have COC road games on Friday, as Carthage is at Republic and Joplin travels to Nixa.

Joplin’s LT Atherton looks to score inside against the defense of Carthage’s Clay Kinder on Tuesday night. Joplin won the game 46-45. Photos by Shawn Fowler.

Carthage’s Clay Kinder draws a foul on Joplin’s Always Wright on Tuesday night at Carthage High School.

Carthage’s Joel Pugh puts up a shot over Joplin’s Brantley Morris.

Joplin standout Always Wright shoots a jumper against Carthage on Tuesday night. Joplin won the game 46-45.

GIRLS HOOPS: Joplin knocks off Carthage, earns first-ever COC win

Posted on February 2, 2022February 5, 2022 by Jason Peake

CARTHAGE, Mo. — A solid overall performance and a strong finish led the Joplin High School girls basketball team to a historic victory.

The Eagles earned their first-ever win as a member of the Central Ozark Conference by knocking off Carthage 47-36 on Tuesday night.

Eagles coach Luke Floyd noted it was a memorable moment to witness his squad celebrate the win that was a long time coming.

“This is our program’s first COC win, so it’s been three and a half years in the making,” Floyd said. “The girls are excited, as they should be. I could not be more proud of them.”

Floyd noted it was a rewarding experience to see his team overjoyed in the locker room after the win.

“It was pure jubilation on their part,” he said. “They’ve earned it. They’ve worked hard for this moment. We know this is not the finish line by any means. But to get this off our back against a district opponent on their floor…I could not be more proud of them. I can’t even express the pride I’m feeling.”

The game was deadlocked at the end of the third period before the Eagles outscored the Tigers 15-4 in the final frame.

Joplin held Carthage without a field goal in the fourth period to secure a signature win.

“We just didn’t shoot the ball well,” Tigers coach Scott Moore said. “I think if we shoot like we normally do and hit eight or nine 3s, we win that game. We didn’t play our best against a team we feel we should beat in our gymnasium. But I thought Joplin played great. They played better than I’ve seen on film, so hats off to them. But we didn’t play our best and we didn’t shoot our best. If we learn that we need to bring energy every night no matter who we play, then we’ll be better for it.”