In a tightly contest game from wire to wire, Northeast (Kansas) held on for a 46-43 win over College Heights on Monday.
“Northeast-Arma had a strong second half and played very well, especially making their free throws down the stretch,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “We did a poor job of denying their point guard the ball and ended up having to foul her. She hit seven of her last nine free throws. We struggled shooting tonight. We shot 30 percent from the floor and 47 percent from the foul line. Even with good defense, it’s hard to win shooting that poorly.
“It’s always difficult to lose a one-possession game. One more block out, one less turnover, one more shot made changes the outcome of the game. With that said, I’m proud of my team. They played hard tonight. We are a very young team, and they are learning and improving quickly.”
College Heights was led in scoring by Libby Fanning, who finished with a double-double after scoring 16 points and pulling down 22 rebounds. Addie Lawrence scored 11 points and closed with six boards.
College Heights plays Golden City at Ozark Christian College on Tuesday.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Webb City built an early cushion against Neosho and held off the Wildcats, who were celebrating Senior Night, down the stretch to earn a district and Central Ozark Conference win, 48-40, on Monday.
Webb City’s Sami Mancini puts up a jumper in the Cardinals’ win over Neosho on Monday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
The Cardinals (9-12, 2-4 COC) held a small cushion by the end of the first quarter and never relinquished the lead. Webb City built the advantage to double digits in the second half but Neosho (8-16, 0-7 COC) trimmed the deficit to two possessions late but couldn’t get any closer.
“It was a good win and it was a big game because one, it’s a conference game, and two, it’s a district opponent,” Webb City coach Lance Robbins said. “We wanted to come down here and play well because it was Senior Night for them and we would probably see more enthusiasm on their side because they wanted to send the seniors off on a positive note.
“I thought we got off to a pretty good start but it was just one of those games where we couldn’t pull away from them. Neosho kept battling. Thankfully, our kids made some plays in the third and fourth quarter.”
GAME ACTION
Webb City held a four-point lead heading into the second period and opened the quarter with a 6-2 run to push the lead to 16-8. Sami Mancini had all three baskets in the paint to fuel the run. She finished with 10 points in the first half.
Neosho’s Karlee Ellick scores a basket after pulling own an offensive rebound against Webb City on Monday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
“She came off the bench tonight and I thought she did a great job,” Robbins said of Mancini. “Some of those baskets were off clean post moves and some were off the offensive glass. That is something we need from her every night.”
After a pair of free throws from Neosho’s Karlee Ellick, the Cardinals pushed the lead to 10 points on back to back buckets from Austyn Mickey to make the score 20-10 at the 3:20 mark.
Ellick and Maelynn Garrett closed out the first half with consecutive baskets to trim the Wildcats’ deficit to 20-14 by the intermission.
Ellick continued her strong play in the second half, putting the Wildcats on her back offensively. She scored eight points in the third quarter, including a pair of offensive rebounds for putback scores, to help Neosho keep the Cardinals’ lead within two possessions for much of the period.
“I thought Karlee Ellick did some really nice things tonight,” Neosho coach Ryan Madison said. “She battled a girl with a lot of size. … She has gotten better and better all year. She is taking care of the basketball a lot better and scoring the ball very well. … She is a very coachable kid. She is only a junior, so she can keep getting better.”
Webb City’s Kate Brownfield absorbs contact as she drive to the basket in the Cardinals’ win over Neosho. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
Webb City’s Izzy Lopez converted from the perimeter with 15 seconds left in the third to push the lead to 33-25 with eight minutes left to play.
Ellick opened the fourth quarter with a three-point play to trim the lead back to five, but Webb City’s Kate Brownfield responded with a three-point play of her own to push the margin back to eight. Mancini added a basket inside with 5:50 left to give the Cardinals their second double-digit lead of the game, 38-28. Brownfield proved to be the offensive catalyst for Webb City down the stretch, scoring all eight of her points in the fourth quarter.
“I thought Kate Brownfield was huge in the fourth quarter,” Robbins said. “We just went to her in the post and she was able to deliver for us. … We felt like she had a good matchup. Anytime we see someone Kate’s size or smaller on her, we are going to run her in the post because she is really good with her back to the basket.”
Neosho refused to go away, however, as Ellick had back-to-back inside scores with 2:25 left to cut the lead to five, 42-37. Five points would be as close to the lead as the Wildcats would get before the sound of the final horn.
SENIOR NIGHT
Neosho senior Taigen Mitchell brings the ball up court for the Wildcats. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
Neosho honored seniors Taigen Mitchell and Emily Phillips in front of the home crowd before tip.
“I have only coached them for two years, but for me, they have been extremely valuable by providing leadership,” Madison said. “As a new coach last year, they really helped with me transitioning in and to understand the program a little bit. They are two very nice kids who are great to be around. I wish we could have sent them off with a win tonight, but I thanked them for all they have done for the program and told them we are lucky to have them here.”
SCORING LEADERS
Mancini scored 10 points in the first half and finished with a team-high 17 points for Webb City. Mia Robbins closed with nine points, including two 3-pointers. Brownfield finished with eight, while Lopez added six points in the win.
Ellick finished with a game-high 21 points to lead the Wildcats, with 15 of those points coming in the second half. Phillips finished with six points, while Beclynn Garrett and Maelynn Garrett each finished with five.
UP NEXT
Webb City is at Republic on Thursday.
Neosho is at Nixa on Thursday.
Neosho senior Ashley Phillips looks for an open teammate against Webb City on Monday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
A large number of Joplin area high school wrestlers secured trips to state with their performances at district tournaments on Saturday.
The top four wrestlers in each of the 14 weight classes advanced to next week’s state tournament at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
CLASS 4 DISTRICT 3
NIXA, Mo. — Competing at the Class 4 District 3 tourney at Nixa High School, Carthage had four athletes advance to state, while Joplin had two wrestlers advance.
Carthage’s Davion King was the district champion at 160 pounds, while Eli Sneed was the runner-up at 138.
Winning third place matches for the Tigers were Grey Petticrew (145) and Braxdon Tate (152).
Joplin is sending two athletes to state—Gunner Price and Draven VanGilder.
VanGilder won the third-place match at 195, while Price finished fourth at heavyweight.
Ozark (176), Nixa (160), Lebanon (155.5) and Carthage (117.5) were the top four teams.
State wrestling tournaments will be held from Feb. 17-19 in Columbia. There are four classes for boys wrestling and one class for girls.
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — The Class 3 District 3 tournament was held at Carl Junction High School.
Neosho was the team champion with 211.5 points, with Bolivar (174) second and Carl Junction (144) third.
The Wildcats had 10 wrestlers advance to state.
Neosho’s individual district champions were Trent Neece (152 pounds) and Eli Zar (170).
The Wildcats had five runners-up. Taking second in their brackets were Fisher Butler (113), Wyatt Black (120), Johnny Chrisco (126), Hayden Crane (132) and Nate Copeland (138).
Collyn Kivett placed third at 160, while Bostyn Patterson (145) and Ulysses DeLeon (195) finished fourth.
Carl Junction had seven athletes advance to state.
Lukas Walker (106) and Sam Melton (113) captured district championships for the Bulldogs.
Finishing third in their brackets were Max Matthews (120), Tony Stewart (170) and Kameron Bennett (285), while Chance Benford (182) and Cayden Bollinger (220) both finished fourth.
McDonald County had five athletes advance.
The Mustangs had three champions—Blaine Oritz (126), Samuel Murphy (220) and Jayce Hitt (285). Levi Smith took third at 152 and Jose Mendoza-Garcia was fourth at 113.
SENECA, Mo. — Helias Catholic (242.5) and Seneca (174.5) were the top two teams.
Seneca’s district champions were Brady Roark (120), Andrew Manley (138) and Gabriel Commons (170).
Finishing third for the Indians were Caden Thompson (106), Keatin Burleson (113), Brayden Thiel (132) and Dane Napier (182), while Nick Stephens was fourth at 220.
Monett’s Simon Hartline (106) and Harrison Merriman (285) were district champions, with teammate Corbin McCully fourth at 170.
Cassville’s Akhilleus Arguelles was the champ at 132, while teammate Jake Anthonysz was the runner-up at 160. Cassville’s Kurt Deaver (113) finished fourth.
Nevada’s Mokey Dawn took fourth at 126 and Kenneth Johnson was fourth at 195.
Area girls recently competed at the District 3 meet.
Seneca’s Isabella Renfro was the district champion at 174 pounds. Seneca’s Louzella Graham was the runner-up at 115 and teammate Kirsten Bruegel was second at 141.
Cassville’s Annie Moore won a district championship at 115 pounds, while teammates Kelsey Harris (110) and Kailey Artherton (120) placed third and Faith James was fourth at 135.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Neosho’s boys basketball team improved to 16-6 on the season with a hard-fought 65-60 win over Branson on Friday night in Central Ozark Conference action.
The 16 wins is the most for a Neosho boys squad since 2005.
K’dyn Waters poured in 30 points for the Wildcats, who are now 3-2 in the COC. Waters made 12 field goals, including one trey, to go with five free throws.
“K’dyn Waters just keeps having one of the best seasons Neosho has seen in a long time,” Wildcats coach Zane Culp said. “He’s just an unbelievable player. I’m so happy he’s on our team.”
Carter Fenske scored 14 points for Neosho, hitting four 3-pointers.
“Huge night by Carter Fenske,” Culp said. “He hit huge shots all night long. I’m very proud of him to bounce back after Tuesday.”
Also for the Wildcats, Carter Baslee scored seven points, Isaiah Green contributed six points and Brock Franklin and Kael Smith chipped in four points apiece.
“Carter Baslee came through in a huge first half,” Culp said. “He’s been so important to our team down the stretch.”
Ethan Jones scored 20 points for Branson (7-14, 0-5 COC), while Kade Goodwin added 15 and Kaden Scharbrough had 11.
The game was tight all the way.
Neosho led 20-18 at the end of the first quarter and the game was tied at 35 at halftime.
A close third period ended with the Wildcats clinging to a 48-46 lead.
Neosho outscored Branson 17-14 in the fourth quarter for the final margin.
Neosho hosts Webb City on Tuesday. It will be Senior Night for the Wildcats.
College Heights built a slim lead in the first quarter and held on to it through the final horn for an Ozark 7 win over McAuley on Friday.
College Heights (13-8, 5-2 Ozark 7), winners seven times in the last eight games, opened the game outscoring McAuley 11-6 in the first period and held a- six-point lead at the intermission. The Warriors cut the lead to four to start the fourth quarter and tied the game late, but a late-3-pointer from CHC’s Maddy Colin and a follow-up score by Jaylie Johnson put the Cougars up five on the way to the win.
“I have so much respect for what Coach (Mike) Howard has done with his team,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “They always play hard and defend well. We have played so many times over the last few years, and we know each other’s system quite well. That makes it really hard for our teams to execute. It’s not just a matter of knowing each other’s offenses.
“There were several momentum swings. We built a couple of seven or eight-point leads and then McAuley would make a run to close the gap. It was close the entire game. … It was that kind of back-and-forth game that could have gone either way.”
“I’m very proud of my team for the improvement they showed since the last time we played College Heights,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said to SoMo Sports. “Less than a week ago, we turned the ball over 30 times and gave up 26 offensive rebounds against them. Tonight, we only had 11 turnovers and only gave up 10 offensive rebounds. We trusted each other and played as a team. … If we can keep improving and growing as a team, it will definitely be beneficial going into districts.”
Addie Lawrence had 12 points to lead College Heights in scoring, while Johnson and Libby Fanning each finished with 10 points.
Kennedy DeRuy had a game-high 19 points, while Lily Black finished with 11 points in the loss. Avery Eminger finished with eight points for the Warriors.
COLLEGE HEIGHTS BOYS 63, MCAULEY 32
College Heights held a first-quarter advantage and ballooned the lead throughout the game en route to a Ozark 7 win over McAuley on Friday.
The Cougars (19-4, 5-0 Ozark 7) held a six-point lead after the first period before College Heights pushed the margin to 16 by the intermission. College Heights scored 15 in the third period and 12 in the fourth while holding McAuley (5-19, 0-5 Ozark 7) to 12 points total in the second half.
Miller Long led College Heights with 14 points, while Hagen Beck and Curtis Davenport each finished with nine points.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — With a spirited finish, the Carthage Tigers overcame a 12-point deficit in the second half to earn a 57-52 come-from-behind win over Willard on Friday night in Central Ozark Conference play.
The hosts outscored the visitors 38-28 after the break, including 20-12 in the final eight minutes.
“Our kids answered the bell at halftime,” Carthage coach Nathan Morris told SoMo Sports. “The players and the coaches weren’t pleased with the product we put on the floor in the first half. I told the guys we appeared to be sleepwalking through most of it. I challenged them to fight with everything they had, play with extreme energy, and support your teammates whether you play 16 minutes or zero minutes. We ended up playing the same five guys the entire fourth quarter and just rode their momentum.”
Willard led 11-10 at the end of the first quarter and the visiting Tigers were up 24-19 at halftime.
Carthage put up 18 points in the third period, but still trailed 40-37. The hosts scored 20 points in the fourth quarter.
“The entire second half wasn’t all pretty, we got down 12 early in the third but battled back to tie it before they hit a buzzer 3 (40-37) to end it,” Morris noted. “We rebounded, fought in the post, defended in the full court and shared the ball better than we have all season for a stretch to begin the fourth quarter. We held them at 37 points for half or maybe even a little over halfway into the fourth quarter. Every COC game is a physical battle and extremely important.”
Carthage is now 17-5 overall and 3-3 in the COC.
Joel Pugh scored 13 points to lead Carthage, while Justin Ray had 12 and Max Templeman added 11. Clay Kinder added nine points for the hosts, while Tyler Willis contributed eight.
Willard fell to 14-9 and 2-4 in the COC. Brett Hall scored 10 points for Willard.
Carthage hosts Branson on Tuesday. It will be Senior Night.
“We have one home game left and we’d love to see the bleachers full for this group that is currently 17-5,” Morris said.
Joplin snapped a two-game skid after taking the lead late and holding on for a 49-45 Central Ozark Conference win over Republic on Friday inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.
Joplin’s Always Wright knocks down a 3-pointer in the Eagles’ win over Republic on Friday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
Joplin (15-7, 3-3 COC) trailed by as many as nine points in the second quarter before battling back to take a brief lead midway through the third quarter. The Eagles and Tigers (14-9, 4-2 COC) battled it out over the final 12 minutes of the second half, with Joplin taking the lead with a little more than three minutes to play and going on to earn the conference win. Joplin limited Republic to five points in the fourth quarter.
“They are a hard team to guard,” Joplin coach Bronson Schaake said. “The first half, their big was tearing us up at the elbow. We did a good job of playing defense but they would get the rebound and put it back, so that was deflating. But, our boys kept chipping away. … We found a way in the end to attack at the right moment and got some key stops.”
GAME ACTION
Republic took a one-point lead into the second period and scored the first six points, two baskets coming from Avery Moody, to build a 22-15 lead before a bucket in the paint from Joplin’s Whit Hafer to cut the deficit to five midway through the period.
Ahlante Askew and Moody scored on consecutive trips to give the Tigers a 28-19 lead with two minutes left to play.
Joplin’s All Wright drives to the hoop for a bucket during the Eagles’ Central Ozark Conference win over Republic on Friday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
The Eagles closed the first half on a mid-range jumper from All Wright and a pull-up 3-pointer from the wing by Always Wright to send Joplin into the intermission trailing 28-24. By the four-minute mark of the third period, Joplin held its first lead of the second half thanks to a 12-2 run. Always Wright knocked a 3-pointer and added a transition layup before All Wright pulled up on the baseline for a jumper to tie the game at 33-33. Terrance Gibson converted inside and drew contact for a three-point play to put the Eagles on top 36-35. All Wright drove the paint for a basket to close the run.
“We just have to adjust quicker to the game,” Schaake said. “I was happy to close the first half with a little momentum before going on a little run early in the third quarter. It was a battle back and forth.”
Republic closed the third period with two charities and a 3-pointer from the wing by Devon McMillin to take a 40-38 lead into the final eight minutes of action.
Always Wright pulled up for a 3-ball from the top of the key before earning a steal and knocking down one of two free throws at the other end to tie the game back up at 42s with less than five minutes to play.
All Wright gave Joplin a 44-43 lead with a buck at the 3:20 mark. Always Wright pushed the lead to three, 46-43, after driving to the right before finding Gibson on the left block with a no-look pass for an inside score with two minutes left.
LT Atherton pushed the lead to four with a make at the foul line with 48 seconds left before McMillin scored inside on an inbounds play under the Republic basket with 30 seconds left to trim the Tigers’ deficit to 47-45.
Always Wright iced the game at the stripe on the next possession, making both charities with 13.9 seconds to push the lead to 49-45.
Joplin’s Quin Renfro battles inside for a basket during the Eagles’ COC win over Republic. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
“I wrote ‘care’ on the board,” Schaake said. “If you want anything in life you have to care first. They showed me how much they cared and how much they wanted to win at the end of that game.”
SCORING LEADERS
Always Wright knocked down four 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 17 points, 11 coming in the second half. All Wright finished with 14, while Gibson closed with nine points.
McMillin had 15 points to lead Republic, while Moody closed with 14, 11 coming in the first half. James Rexroat finished with nine points.
In an intense clash between state-ranked foes, Nixa rode a strong finish to a 50-40 victory over Webb City on Friday night in a Central Ozark Conference boys basketball clash inside the Cardinal Dome.
The game was tied at the end of the third period before Class 6 No. 4 Nixa outscored Class 5 No. 8 Webb City 23-13 in the fourth quarter.
Webb City junior guard Dante Washington puts up a runner in the lane against Nixa on Friday night inside the Cardinal Dome. Photo by Israel Perez.
Foul trouble, missed free throws, empty possessions and a lack of defensive rebounding plagued the Cardinals late in the game.
“I think Nixa’s offensive rebounding was the biggest issue,” Cardinals coach Jason Horn said. “That caused us to get in foul trouble and they got some putbacks. We have to do a better job of rebounding the ball. If we could have held them to a one and done scenario, then we would have had a chance to get the lead or even get a little distance between us. But I can’t fault my guys. They’re going to give effort.”
The Cardinals had two starters foul out, Cohl Vaden and Trey Roets.
Also, Webb City made just 2-of-8 free-throw attempts in the game, including four straight misses in the final frame.
“It’s been up and down all year,” Horn said of free-throw shooting. “You’ve got to make your free throws. It could have kept it a one-possession game. But it’s hard to replicate this type of environment in practice…with a full gym and a lot on the line. All of those things are correctable. We’ve just got to get a little tougher on the boards.”
NAMES & NUMBERS
Webb City fell to 15-7 and 3-2 in the COC with the loss.
Senior forward Kaden Turner led Webb City with 11 points, while junior guard Dante Washington had 10 points and three assists. Barron Duda added six points on two treys off the bench. Roets had a team-high seven rebounds.
The Cardinals made 17-of-42 field-goal attempts (41 percent).
Nixa hiked its record to 20-3 and 6-0 in the COC. The Eagles have now won 21 straight COC games.
“I’m extremely proud of our guys,” Nixa coach Jay Osborne said. “We had three starters who didn’t play in the first half…team policy…next man up. They played hard and made good decisions. Any time you get a road win in this conference you’ve got to be happy about it.”
Jaret Nelson scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Eagles, while Keith Piepmeier added 10 points. Nixa shot 36 percent for the game (17-of-47) and out-rebounded the hosts 38-21.
As Osborne noted, the Eagles played without two starters the entire night, Jordyn Turner and Kael Combs. A third starter, Colin Ruffin, did not play in the first half before scoring 10 points after the break.
GAME RECAP
Webb City senior guard Cohl Vaden shoots in the lane against Nixa’s Jackson Bell and Jaret Nelson. Photo by Israel Perez.
With a large homecoming crowd looking on, Webb City took a 10-4 lead, but Nixa used a 16-4 run to take a 20-14 advantage.
Webb City’s Vaden and Nixa’s Piepmeier traded 3-pointers late in the first half, and the Eagles held a 23-17 halftime advantage.
The Cardinals outscored the Eagles 10-4 in the low-scoring third period. Washington had six points in the frame, while Turner dunked off an alley oop and Isaiah Brisco contributed a hoop.
With that, the score was deadlocked at 27 at the end of the third quarter.
Webb City’s last lead came at 30-29 when Duda buried a trey from the right wing.
But the Eagles used a 10-0 run to take control.
Vaden, the team’s floor general, fouled out with 5:42 to play.
“We’re not going to win a lot of games if he’s not out there,” Horn commented.
Roets also fouled out late in the game, and the hosts simply had too many empty possessions down the stretch.
“I thought we did a good job in our zone late in the game and I thought we rebounded really well in the second half,” Osborne said. “Horn does a good job with them. They run a ton of sets, which is why we zoned so much. The zone takes them out of their sets. It’s a good win over a good team.”
Horn noted he was proud his team was able to compete with a team the caliber of Nixa.
“They’re the best team in Southwest Missouri and they’re the best team we’ve played,” Horn noted. “This will certainly prepare us for our district. I thought our kids did a good job of sticking to the plan we put in place. We held them to 50 points. They scored 80 the last couple games. We just have to be better offensively.”
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Although the two contests were nothing alike, the final result was the same for the Carl Junction Bulldogs.
With a large homecoming crowd looking on, Carl Junction’s girls and boys basketball teams both suffered Central Ozark Conference setbacks to Ozark on Thursday night.
In a clash between state-ranked foes, Carl Junction’s girls were unable to extend their winning streak to seven, as Ozark pulled away in the second half and left town with a 75-61 win.
In the nightcap, Ozark’s boys took control in the second quarter and upended Carl Junction 78-38.
OZARK GIRLS 75, CARL JUNCTION 61
The key COC clash was tied at halftime, but the Tigers outscored the Bulldogs 46-32 after the break.
“I liked our effort,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said. “We just went through stretches where when they hit 3s we came up empty on the other end. We’ve got to be better for sure. And Ozark’s a really good team. They’re well-coached, they play hard and they play physical. They just beat Kickapoo. You tip your hat to them. We can’t let this loss deter us moving forward and I’m positive our kids will bounce back.”
Ranked sixth in Class 5, Carl Junction slipped to 17-6 overall and 4-2 in the COC.
The loss definitely dampens Carl Junction’s conference title hopes. There are just three COC games remaining on the slate, and Nixa and Republic are both 6-0 in conference action.
“This loss makes it really difficult,” Shorter noted. “I tell our kids this…we’re by far the smallest school in the conference. So to be up there and to have a shot is great.”
Destiny Buerge and Kylie Scott combined to score 50 points for the Bulldogs.
A junior guard, Buerge scored a game-high 26 points for Carl Junction. Buerge made nine field goals, including three 3-pointers, to go with five free throws.
A 6-foot-1 sophomore forward, Scott scored 24 points. She made five field goals, one trey, and went 13-for-20 from the foul line.
Ranked eighth in Class 6, Ozark is now 15-5 overall and 4-1 in the COC.
Jordyn Foley scored 20 points and hit five 3-pointers to lead Ozark, while Lyla Watson added 17 points with three treys. Riley Boggs also reached double figures with 11 points.
The Bulldogs led 14-9 at the end of the first quarter and the game was deadlocked at 29 at intermission.
“We came out really well,” Shorter said. “We turned it over too much in the first half, but we were right there.”
Ozark outscored Carl Junction 21-16 in the competitive third period to go up 50-45.
The Tigers finished strong by outscoring the Bulldogs 25-16 in the final frame. The visitors hit 10 treys in the game, with seven in the second half.
“The difference in the game was when I didn’t call a timeout when they hit four 3s (in the third quarter),” Shorter said. “I used some timeouts early in the game that I usually don’t. I told the kids I’ll take 100 percent of the blame for that…that’s my fault. We do have to do a better job on our assignments and of knowing who to close out on. We didn’t close out to the right kids at times. Our hands weren’t very active and up in the second half. And Ozark hit some big shots.”
Carl Junction hosts Joplin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
OZARK BOYS 78, CARL JUNCTION 38
The Bulldogs hung tough early, only trailing 15-9 at the end of the first quarter.
But the visitors erupted for 27 points in the second period and extended their lead to 42-24 by the break.
Outscoring the hosts 22-9 in the third period, Ozark took a comfortable 64-33 lead into the fourth quarter.
Carl Junction fell to 4-18 and 0-6 in the COC.
Junior guard Ayden Bard led the Bulldogs with 12 points, while senior guard Kyler Perry and senior forward Josh Cory contributed six points apiece.
Ozark, receiving votes in the Class 6 poll, improved to 15-7 and 4-1 in the COC.
Ozark’s Jace Whatley scored 18 points, while Ethan Whatley had 17 and Tyler Harmon added 10.
Carl Junction hosts Joplin at 7:30 on Tuesday. It will be Senior Night for the Bulldogs.
No. 10 Republic got hot from the perimeter while building a double-digit lead in the first quarter, riding the momentum to a 64-31 win over Joplin in Central Ozark Conference action on Thursday.
Republic knocked down four 3-points in the opening quarter to build an 18-6 advantage before using a heavy dose of perimeter scoring in the second to push the lead to 25 points by the intermission. The Tigers pushed the lead to 30 early in the second half and never wavered.
“We played a really good team that shot the lights out of the ball,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said. “I just didn’t do a very good job of preparing our team to come out and play tonight. This falls on me. There is a gap between us and Republic, but not the gap the size of the Grand Canyon like it seemed tonight.”
GAME ACTION
Republic knocked down the first three shots of the game, all from 3-point land with two of the makes coming off Joplin turnovers, to take a 9-0 lead out of the gate.
The Eagles got a bucket off the drive from Ella Hafer and a pair of free throws from Brynn Driver to trim the margin to five, but the Tigers scored the next nine points and eventually took an 18-6 lead into the second period. Kaemyn Bekemeier had four points in the run, while Hope Schatz added a 3-pointer.
“We talked about it in the locker room,” Floyd said. “We can’t win games if we turn the ball over. It’s not to discredit Republic because they are a good defensive team, but a lot of our turnovers are us simply turning the ball over. It’s like we create new ways to turn the ball over. And that falls back on me not coming up with a drill or finding some way for us to take care of the ball better in practice.”
Republic started the second quarter on an 18-0 run to essentially put the game out of reach by building a 30-point cushion, 36-6, with 3:05 left in the first half. The Tigers buried four 3-pointers during the run, three coming from Schatz and another from Miha Nambara. Bekemeier added six points in the run.
“I think a lot of our problems right now are between the ears,” Floyd said. “We come out against these better teams and we don’t think we can compete with them. Then, we come out and we play like that.
“Everybody they brought into the game could shoot the ball. But, like we talked about with the girls, those shots look a lot better when you allow dribble penetration into the point before they kick it out for a wide-open shots. At some point, we have to make an adjustment and run at the shooters to make them put the ball on the ground. But, again, that comes back on me for not having a better strategy on defense to keep us in games longer.”
Ashley Phillips got the Eagles on the board with a pair of makes at the charity stripe, with Hafer scoring five points for Joplin in the second quarter. The Tigers led 38-13 at the intermission.
Republic pushed the lead to 30 points after Misora Nambara opened the second half with a 3-ball and Bekemeier pulled up from mid-range in transition and played with that pace through the second half.
SCORING LEADERS
The Tigers converted 14 times from 3-point range in the win. Schatz led the way with eight 3-pointers and a game-high 24 points in the process. Bekemeier had two 3-pointers and finished with 20 points.
Hafer finished with 14 points in the loss, while Brooke Nice finished with five for Joplin.
UP NEXT
Joplin is at Carl Junction in conference action on Tuesday.
The Carthage girls basketball team built an early lead in the first quarter and pulled away down the stretch for a Central Ozark Conference win over Willard on Thursday.
Carthage (11-12, 2-4 COC) scored 17 points in the first quarter on the way to a six-point cushion. Carthage outscored Willard 19-12 in the third quarter to push the lead to double digits, holding that pace down the stretch.
“It was excellent execution of the game plan by the girls tonight,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “Willard is great in transition and loves to shoot the 3 a lot. Our plan was to minimize both of those options for them, and we did a great job tonight.”
Lauren Choate led Carthage with 17 points, including three 3-pointers, all coming in the third quarter. Kianna Yates finished with 13 points, while Sophie Shannon finished with 12. Landry Cochran added nine.
“Lauren Choate had a great all-around game tonight,” Moore said. “She shot the ball really well and played her best defensive game of the year. The kid was flying all over the place to guard their shooters.
“Our two post players took advantage of Willard’s lack of height and got us key buckets each quarter. Sophie Shannon had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Landry Cochran scored nine points and had to defend their guards in space all night.”
Carthage hosts Branson on Tuesday for Senior Night.
NIXA GIRLS 67, WEBB CITY 33
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Nixa stayed perfect in Central Ozark Conference action with a convincing 67-33 win over Webb City inside the Cardinal Dome.
Sami Mancini, a 6-4 freshman, led Webb City with 18 points and 11 rebounds. She made 9-of-14 field goal attempts.
Kate Brownfield added eight points and six rebounds for the Cardinals.
Ali Kamies led Nixa with 22 points, while Lilly Mahy added 18 for the Eagles (19-4, 6-0 COC).
Webb City (8-12, 1-4 COC) is at Neosho on Monday.
Neosho (8-14, 0-5 COC) suffered a 46-37 loss to Branson on Thursday. Karlee Ellick scored 16 points for the Wildcats.
THOMAS JEFFERSON GIRLS 64, EXETER 28
Led by Gabbi Hiebert’s career-high 27 points, the Cavaliers picked up their sixth win of the season in convincing fashion.
Thomas Jefferson raced out to a 22-6 lead by the end of the first quarter and the Cavs held a comfy 46-12 advantage at intermission.
The Cavaliers held a 58-24 lead by the end of the third quarter.
In addition to Hiebert’s 27, Sarah Mueller scored 12 points for TJ, while Lannah Grigg added 10 and Nico Carlson had eight.
Thomas Jefferson (6-14) is at Verona on Tuesday.
THOMAS JEFFERSON BOYS 76, EXETER 64
Thomas Jefferson built a slim lead in the first quarter and methodically added on as the game grew to earn the Ozark 7 win on Tuesday.
The Cavaliers led 14-10 after the first quarter and pushed the lead nine to by the intermission. Thomas Jefferson held serve in the second half, pushing the lead out further in the third and fourth quarters on the way to the win.
“I thought our kids played well tonight for the most part,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said. “Exeter is a tough gym to play in and our kids kept their composure and found a way to win. Obviously we need to defend the 3-point line better, but hats off to Exeter for knocking down several deep 3s”.
Jay Ball led Thomas Jefferson with 27 points and 19 rebounds to finish with a double-double. Drew Goodhope scored 19 points, knocked down three 3-pointers. Caden Myers finished with 16 points and six assists. Luke Miller and Tyler Brouhard each had six points, while Brouhard also finished with six steals.
JJ Felipe led all scorers with 29 points, converting nine times from 3-point range to lead Exeter. Skyler Barder added 10 points and Zach Lee scored nine.
NEVADA GIRLS 53, CASSVILLE 26
Nevada clinched a share of the Big 8 West title and secured a spot in the conference’s championship game with Wednesday’s 53-26 win over the Wildcats.
Maddy Majors scored 18 points to lead Nevada, while Clara Swearingen and Grace Barnes added 12 points apiece. Riley Morris had 11 points for Cassville.
Nevada (14-6, 5-0 Big 8) is at McDonald County on Friday.
A win would give the Tigers an outright Big 8 West championship ahead of Monday’s overall Big 8 title game.
NEOSHO, Mo. — The result between Neosho and Carthage played out similarly to what you would expect between two area and conference rivals with 15 wins apiece meeting on the hardwood in the later stages of the regular season.
Carthage’s Justin Ray drives to the hoop in the Tigers’ conference win over Neosho on Monday. Photo by Jessica Greninger.
Neither team held more than a two-possession lead in a back-and-forth first half, with seven points being the biggest spread until the final two and a half minutes of regulation. Ultimately, it was a late scoring run by Carthage down the stretch in the fourth quarter which led to the Tigers earning a 66-57 Central Ozark Conference road win over Neosho on Tuesday.
“I told our guys that I didn’t think we were very physical on Saturday (against Republic) but tonight, we were very physical on both sides,” Carthage coach Nathan Morris said after the win. “Our kids needed to be able to win a game like that. It had a lot of adversity, back and forth with a lot of lead changes. I am really proud of our kids. I told them at halftime that the last 16 minutes of this game are going to mean a lot to the rest of our basketball season.”
With the win, Carthage improves to 16-5, 2-3 in the COC, while Neosho, which entered the contest as the 10th-ranked team in Class 5, falls to 15-6, 2-2 in the COC.
“I thought offensively, we played well,” Neosho coach Zane Culp said. “I just think we had a hard time keeping them down. They had a lot of different guys do it, it seemed like. Max (Templeman) is one of the top players in the area and they had their other guys step up. It was a really good, fun game that was back and forth. They just made a few more shots than us and came out on the other end.”
GAME ACTION
Neosho held the first two-possession lead, which came in the first quarter when the Wildcats built a 13-7 lead with four minutes expired thanks to the play of K’dyn Waters, who found his rhythm early and scored 17 first-quarter points.
Neosho took a 21-20 lead into the second period before Carthage started with the first six points of the quarter, four coming off the drive from Max Templeman, to build their own two-possession lead, 26-21. Joel Pugh buried a 3-pointer from the corner just before time expired in the first half to give the Tigers a 34-30 lead by halftime.
Carthage built its biggest lead of the game when a 6-2 run in the closing minutes of the third period, highlighted by a mid-range jumper from Justin Ray and a layup on the break off a turnover by Pugh with 2:15 on the clock, to put the Tigers on top 49-42.
Neosho answered back with a 3-pointer from the wing by Brock Franklin and a score on the drive by Waters to trim the Wildcats’ deficit to two, 49-47, to close the third period.
Neosho’s K’dyn Waters pushes the ball in transition during the Wildcats’ loss to Carthage on Monday. Photo by Jessica Greninger.
The Tigers started the final eight minutes of action with a mid-range jumper from Ray and a pair of free throws by Clay Kinder before the Wildcats answered back with a three-point play from Waters and a score on the drive by Franklin to cut Carthage’s advantage to 53-52 with 5:10 left in regulation.
The Tigers put the game out of reach with their response, scoring the next 11 points to build a 64-52 lead with 49 seconds left to play. Caden Kabance started the run with a pair of baskets in the paint before making two charities from the foul line. Pugh added two free throws before Kinder converted inside and drew contact for a three-point play to make the score 63-52 with 1:58 left. Ray added a make at the foul line to close the run, effectively putting the game out of reach for Neosho.
“Our supporting roles, when we don’t have Justin, Joel and Max producing well, have struggled at times,” Morris said. “I thought Clay, Caden, even Sylas (Browning) and Tyler Willis came in and really gave us a big lift as well as Britt Coy defensively.”
SCORING LEADERS
The Tigers finished with four players in double figures, led by Templeman’s 21 points, 10 of which came in the first quarter. Pugh finished with 14 points, while Kinder and Ray each finished with 12 points.
Waters finished with a game-high 36 points in the win, 14 coming in the second half. Isaiah Green finished with eight points, while Kael Smith closed with six points. Franklin scored five points in the loss.
UP NEXT
Carthage hosts Willard on Friday, while Neosho hosts Branson on Friday to continue COC play.
“This is the most wins since 2010 and tied for the most wins since 2005 [15 wins], but you can’t be satisfied with that,” Culp said when asked how he wants to see his team navigate the final stretch of the season. “If you feel a little satisfied playing this stretch in the COC, it will get ugly. I told them we have to show up to practice ready to fight and be ready to go against Branson. If you start looking ahead, the COC can look pretty daunting. If you just worry about the first possession of the next game, it won’t seem as daunting.”
WEBB CITY, Mo. — A dominant second half propelled Webb City to a 67-36 win over Carl Junction on Tuesday night in Central Ozark Conference boys basketball action.
Clinging to a six-point lead at halftime, the Cardinals outscored the Bulldogs 41-16 in the second half to turn a close out into a rout.
Webb City improved to 15-6 overall and 3-1 in the COC, while Carl Junction slipped to 4-17 and 0-5 in conference action.
Dante Washington led Webb City with 20 points, while Cohl Vaden added 11 points and five assists. Max Higginbotham contributed nine for the Cardinals, while Trey Roets chipped in eight points.
The Cardinals made 28-of-60 field goal attempts (47 percent), but went just 4-for-23 from beyond the arc (17 percent).
Ayden Bard scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs. Josh Cory and Jett Hocutt contributed seven points apiece for CJ.
Carl Junction made 15-of-48 field goal attempts (31 percent), including 1-for-23 from long range.
Turnovers proved huge, as Carl Junction had 25 to Webb City’s six.
The Cardinals led 16-8 at the end of the first quarter, but the Bulldogs outscored the hosts 12-10 in the second period, trimming their halftime to six.
Webb City outscored CJ 22-7 in the third quarter and 19-9 in the fourth quarter.
Also of note, Webb City’s boys suffered a 62-57 loss to Class 2 No. 1 Norwood on Monday in Springfield.
Vaden scored 16 points, while Washington and Turner added 14 points apiece.
Webb City hosts Nixa on Friday in a key COC clash. The Eagles are 5-0 in the COC. Carl Junction hosts Ozark on Thursday.
COLLEGE HEIGHTS BOYS 70, THOMAS JEFFERSON 43
The Cougars led by four when they outscored the Cavaliers 19-8 in the game-changing second quarter.
College Heights held a 51-33 by the end of the third period en route to the lopsided win.
“Rough night for the Cavaliers,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said. “We just couldn’t get much going. Hats off to College Heights. They are a great team and played well tonight.”
Miller Long scored 21 points to lead College Heights, while Curtis Davenport had 16. Ethan Meeks added 10 points for CHC, while Caleb Quade had nine.
Jay Ball scored 17 points for the Cavaliers, while Drew Goodhope added nine and Caden Myers had seven.
The Cougars (18-3) host Greenwood on Thursday at OCC. The Cavaliers (15-6) are at Exeter on Thursday.
COLLEGE HEIGHTS GIRLS 56, THOMAS JEFFERSON 43
College Heights opened the game with the momentum and held on for an Ozark 7 Conference win on Monday.
The Cougars opened the game outscoring the Cavaliers 17-7 in the first quarter pushing the lead to 18 by the intermission. College Heights set the pace in the second half and the way to the win.
“Our scoring continues to be very balanced with four players in double digits,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said to SoMo Sports. “We played with seven kids tonight. Four of them are freshmen and one sophomore. I have been so proud of how these young players continue to improve and contribute.
“Lauren Ukena is still out with a shoulder injury. We miss her defensive pressure and speed in our transition game, but I couldn’t ask for more than what our bench is giving us. Thomas Jefferson has improved so much, and they made the game very challenging. They competed very well.”
Addie Lawrence led the Cougars with 14 points and three steals, Ava Lett 11 points and two assists. Jayli Johnson had 12 points and seven assists and Libby Fanning had a double-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and four steals. Molly Long added eight rebounds and Maddy Colin had four assists and three steals.
Gabbi Hiebert 20 points led Thomas Jefferson with 20 points, with Alivia Beard scoring six. Lannah Grigg had five points, while Tannah Cassatt and Sarah Mueller contributed four.
GOLDEN CITY BOYS 72, MCAULEY CATHOLIC 48
Golden City raced out to a 19-7 lead and never looked back.
Josh Reeves scored 26 points for Golden City, while Elijah Pettengil and Max Parrill added 14 points apiece.
Michael Parrigon led McAuley with 14 points and Joe Staton added 11.
Golden City improved to 16-7.
McAuley fell to 5-18 and 0-4 in conference games. The Warriors host College Heights on Friday.
EAST NEWTON BOYS 51, SENECA 48
Seneca missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Seneca’s Cooper Long scored 24 points, while Ethan Altic added 12.
Kelton Sorrell scored 16 and Gabe Bergen added 14 for the Patriots.
Joplin’s spirited fourth-quarter rally fell short, as Ozark held on late for an 81-73 Central Ozark Conference victory on Tuesday night inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.
The Tigers, who scored the game’s first eight points, led from start to finish.
For the hosts, a lack of defensive stops was too much to overcome.
“We didn’t want to guard anybody,” Eagles coach Bronson Schaake said. “We got beat on the same stuff and we gave up easy buckets. When you try to get momentum but can’t get stops, it’s hard to come back from that. We just didn’t want to guard tonight.”
Ozark held a double-digit advantage for a large part of the night before the Eagles trimmed their deficit to six late in the game.
“At least we didn’t lay down,” Schaake said. “If we could have matched that intensity at the start of the game it would have been a different ballgame. I was proud of the guys for the fourth quarter, but we have to find a way to start off better and not wait until the fourth quarter.”
NAMES & NUMBERS
Joplin slipped to 14-7 overall and 2-3 in the COC.
Senior guard Always Wright poured in 31 points to lead Joplin. Wright converted 12 field goals, including three treys and two dunks, to go with four free throws.
“He’s incredibly skilled,” Schaake said. “He can get to the rim and he can hit the jumper. He does a lot of good things for us.”
Sophomore guard All Wright added 18 points for the Eagles. Senior guard Brantley Morris contributed 11 points and made three treys and sophomore guard Quin Renfro had nine points.
“I thought Brantley came in and hit some big shots,” Schaake said. “And Quin’s starting to attack the rim.”
Ozark hiked its record to 14-7 and 3-1 in the COC.
Senior guard Ethan Whatley scored 22 points to lead four Tigers in double figures. Sophomore Jace Whatley added 13 points, while senior Tyler Harmon had 12 and senior Devyn Wright scored 10.
GAME RECAP
After trailing by eight right away, the Eagles trimmed their deficit to four by the end of the first quarter at 18-14 after both Always Wright and Whit Hafer threw down dunks.
Ozark began the second quarter on an 11-2 run to go up 29-16 before Morris buried his third 3-pointer of the first half to bring the hosts within 10.
Always Wright scored Joplin’s final six points of the first half, but Ozark held a 41-32 halftime advantage.
The third period was nearly even, as the Tigers outscored the Eagles 19-17 for a 60-49 lead.
Always Wright scored 15 of Joplin’s 24 fourth-quarter points, but the Tigers never relinquished their lead.
The Eagles cut their deficit to six twice in the final minute before Ozark’s Ethan Whatley sank four late free throws.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Carthage built an early lead on the way to a Central Ozark Conference road win over Neosho on Monday in what turned out to be a memorable night for Tigers junior point guard Kianna Yates.
The Tigers (10-12, 1-3 COC) built a 10-point lead by the end of the first quarter and went into the intermission leading 26-16. Carthage methodically grew the lead over Neosho (8-13, 0-4 COC) in the second half through the final horn.
“It was a good road win for us tonight,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said to SoMo Sports. “Neosho plays a tough 2-1-2 zone and it took us a few minutes to get into a rhythm. When we did, the shots started to fall and we were able to play with a double-digit lead for most of the game.
“The biggest key to victory tonight was our defense,” Moore added. “We switched between about four different defenses to keep Neosho off-balance. It’s a huge credit to all 10 girls who played that they handled all of that so well.”
During the win, Yates made history as she eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career. Yates finished the night with 14 points to tie for the team lead.
“Junior Kianna Yates accomplished a big milestone tonight with her 1,000th point,” Moore said. “Her teammates were so excited for her when we called time out. She is such a great basketball player and an even better teammate. We are proud of her and know she will score many more points before her career is over.”
Lauren Choate also finished with 14 points, while Maggie Boyd was right behind with 12. Sophie Shannon added six.
“Freshmen guards Lauren Choate and Maggie Boyd have really matured their offensive games this season,” Moore added. “To have both of them in double digits again gives us a three-headed monster for other teams to try to stop.”
Beclynn Garrett scored 13 points for the Wildcats, while Karlee Ellick added 10 points.
Carthage hosts Willard on Thursday, while Neosho hosts Branson on Thursday.
COLLEGE HEIGHTS GIRLS 47, GREENFIELD 38
A strong defensive effort led College Heights Christian’s girls to a 47-38 win over Greenfield on Monday.
College Heights coach John Blankenship noted he was proud of his team’s effort.
“It was a close game throughout the contest,” Blankenship said. “Greenfield jumped out to a 6-2 lead before we clamped down on defense and allowed only one point for the remainder of the first quarter. We emphasize defense, and our team continues to step up and play really solid defense. Tonight was a great collective team win. Our scoring was very balanced, which makes it difficult for teams to focus on just one player. We struggled shooting the ball again tonight and missed too many easy shots.”
The Cougars improved to 11-8.
Freshman guard Ava Lett led College Heights with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
“Lauren Ukena was out with a shoulder injury, and so freshman guard Ava Lett stepped in and played a great game with a double-double,” Blankenship said. “She is a great shooter. She connected on a couple of 3s and a long 2 that gave us the offensive lift we needed to give us some breathing room down the stretch.”
Jayli Johnson compiled eight points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals.
“Jayli Johnson is an incredible defender with a strong work ethic,” Blankenship said. “She sets the tone for the rest of the team.”
Libby Fanning scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Cougars, while Maddy Colin chipped in five points and five boards.
College Heights is at Thomas Jefferson on Tuesday night.
WHEATON GIRLS 39, THOMAS JEFFERSON 30
Wheaton rallied from an early deficit and outlasted Thomas Jefferson in Ozark 7 action on Monday.
Thomas Jefferson held a three-point lead by the end of the first quarter before Wheaton rallied to hold a 19-14 advantage by the intermission. Wheaton pushed the lead to double digits in the third quarter and held off the Cavaliers down the stretch.
Lily Ray hit four 3-pointers on the way to a game-high 18 points for Wheaton. Monica Hinojosa had 14 points and Allison Whitman added seven.
Thomas Jefferson was led in scoring by Gabbi Hiebert, who finished with 14 points and made a pair of shots from the perimeter. Lannah Grigg added seven points and Alivia Beard finished with five.
Thomas Jefferson hosts College Heights on Tuesday.
AURORA GIRLS 40, MOUNT VERNON 36
AURORA, Mo. — Aurora rallied late for a Big 8 Conference win.
Mount Vernon overcame an early 10-point deficit and led 32-31 at the end of the third quarter.
But the Houn’ Dawgs outscored the Mountaineers 9-4 in the fourth quarter.
Makenna Hall scored 13 points to lead Aurora, while Payden Blevins had 11 and Ellie Griese added nine.
Cameryn Cassity scored 13 points to lead Mount Vernon (10-9), while Jolie Prescott added 10 points.
Mount Vernon hosts Springfield Catholic on Thursday, while Aurora (10-12) is at Reeds Spring on Thursday.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Faced with a halftime deficit, Carl Junction came from behind with a strong second half to knock off rival Webb City 55-40 on Monday night in a Central Ozark Conference girls basketball contest inside the Cardinal Dome.
The host Cardinals led at the end of the first two periods, but the Bulldogs began the second half on a 12-2 run to take the lead for good.
“One thing we pride ourselves on is the first five minutes of the third quarter,” Bulldogs coach Brad Shorter said. “We went on a run and that was beneficial for us. We were seeing some things on the sideline that we relayed to the kids and we started making shots. It was really a good second half for us and it was a good night for our kids.”
Up five at the end of the third period, Carl Junction outscored Webb City 18-8 in the final eight minutes to secure the hard-fought win.
The Cardinals were simply unable to hold off the Bulldogs’ second half surge.
“I thought our effort was good and I thought we did a lot of good things defensively tonight,” Cardinals coach Lance Robbins said. “I thought we controlled the tempo of the game in the first half and I thought they controlled the tempo in the second half. That was the difference in the game.”
NAMES & NUMBERS
Carl Junction junior guard Destiny Buerge surpassed 1,500 career points on Monday night against Webb City. Photo by Shawn Fowler for SoMo Sports.
Ranked sixth in Class 5, Carl Junction improved to 17-5 overall and 4-1 in the COC. A sixth straight win keeps the Bulldogs in the hunt for a COC title.
“We’re right there,” Shorter said. “It’s a very tough league and very rarely does a team go undefeated in the conference. I’ve seen teams win it with three losses. If we keep plugging away, we’ll definitely have a shot.”
Junior guard Destiny Buerge scored a game-high 22 points to lead the Bulldogs.
That’s not all she accomplished. Buerge went past 1,500 career points during the game.
“It was cool to see Destiny get to 1,500 points,” Shorter said. “That’s pretty impressive for a junior.”
The 5-foot-8 Buerge, who scored all of her points in the final three quarters, hit four 3-pointers, grabbed seven boards and had three steals.
Two others reached double figures for the Bulldogs.
Carl Junction junior guard Hali Shorter scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while backcourt mate Klohe Burk contributed 10 points, seven steals and three assists.
“I thought Hali played really well tonight,” Coach Shorter said. “We had her for a double-double and she hit some big shots. And I thought Klohe played really well. She played really hard defensively and took care of the ball when Destiny was on the sideline.”
Sophomore forward Kylie Scott compiled nine rebounds, four blocked shots and six points.
“Kylie has been a rebounding machine,” Shorter noted. “She missed a lot of games last year, but I think she’ll get to 1,000 points and maybe even 1,000 rebounds in her career.”
Webb City’s Kate Brownfield handles the ball against Carl Junction’s Ellie Lawson on Monday night.
Webb City fell to 8-11 and 1-3 in the COC.
Junior guard Kate Brownfield led Webb City with 14 points with three 3-pointers and six rebounds. Brownfield was the lone Cardinal in double figures.
Freshman post player Sami Mancini contributed six points, nine rebounds, four assists and three blocks, while senior forward Ripley Shanks scored seven points.
The Bulldogs out-rebounded the Cardinals 32-23. Webb City had 23 turnovers to Carl Junction’s 16.
GAME RECAP
A low scoring opening frame, capped by two hoops inside by Webb City’s Shanks, ended with the Cardinals up 9-8.
The Bulldogs began the second period on a 14-5 run to take a 19-15 lead, but the Cardinals responded with seven straight points, as Mia Robbins hit a 3-pointer, Izzy Lopez made a layup and Mancini scored inside.
Scott’s hoop in the paint cut Webb City’s lead to 22-21 at the break.
Buerge picked up two fouls in the first quarter and played limited minutes in the first half.
Pictured is Carl Junction junior guard Hali Shorter.
Carl Junction came out on fire in the third quarter, as the visitors scored 12 of the first 14 points of the second half. Buerge scored the first nine points of the third quarter to give the Bulldogs a lead they would not relinquish.
Two free throws from Buerge gave CJ a 37-29 lead, but Brownfield buried a trey, cutting her team’s deficit to 37-32 at the end of the third quarter.
The Bulldogs recorded the first five points of the fourth quarter to go up 42-32. The Cardinals suffered through a scoring drought for the first half of the final frame.
“I think they picked up their pressure a little more in the second half and we didn’t value the basketball as well as we should have in the second half,” Robbins said.
Down 10 with time running out, Brownfield hit a 3-pointer for the Cardinals, but Shorter answered with a trey of her own on the other end. Shorter and Buerge combined to go 6-for-6 at the foul line late in the game.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Webb City hosts Nixa on Thursday, while Carl Junction hosts Ozark on Thursday.
Eighth-ranked Ozark found rhythm behind the arc early to build a cushion on the way to a 60-50 Central Ozark Conference win over Joplin on Monday inside the Kaminsky Gymnasium.
The Tigers (14-5) took a four-point lead into the second period before heating up from the perimeter to push the lead to double-digits by halftime. Ozark pushed the advantage to 17 to start the fourth quarter and Joplin (10-11) was unable to make a run at the lead before the final horn.
“I thought it was a tale of two halves,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said. “Turnovers got us in the first half. We always talk about it, but you can’t win basketball games turning the ball over. I don’t know how many turnovers we had in the second half, but I told them if it isn’t noticeable then that’s a good thing.
“Defensively, they were just carving up our zone, getting wide-open looks and they weren’t missing them. We switched to man in the second half and that helped us out a little bit. They were still getting open looks, but I felt it allowed us to close out on their shooters a lot better that way. And on offense, we stopped turning the ball over and started attacking downhill. When we get downhill, good things usually happen for us.”
GAME ACTION
Ozark took a four-point lead into the second quarter and built a 12-point cushion by the intermission thanks in large part to perimeter shooting. The Tigers knocked down a trio of 3-pointers down the stretch to gain some separation.
Ozark’s Riley Boggs and Zeffie Kent opened the second quarter with baskets in the paint to push the Tigers lead to 19-11.
Up seven shortly after, Jordyn Foley sank a 3-pointer from the corner to give OHS its first 10-point lead of the game, 24-14, with 4:55 to play. Lyla Watson followed with a 3-ball to push the margin to 13.
After a score on the drive by Joplin’s Brynn Driver, Kent buried another triple to push the lead to 30-16. The Eagles got a basket from Ella Hafer in the closing second to go into the intermission down 12.
“They were a good passing team,” Floyd said. “Every time they caught the ball they were downhill getting in the paint, we’d collapse and they’d kick it out for wide-open 3s. Your shooting percent is going to go up if you get open shots.”
Joplin used a 3-pointer from Brooke Nice and a driving bucket from Driver to trim the deficit back to 10, 39-29, with 1:55 left in the third quarter. However, Ozark closed the period on an 8-1 run fueled by 3-pointers from Watson and Alexis Soloman to head into the final eight minutes of play with a 47-30 lead.
By the time the Eagles trimmed the lead to 10 points, there were less than 30 seconds to play in regulation.
SCORING LEADERS
Kent led Ozark with 13 points, while Moriah Putt finished with 10 points. Boggs and Foley each finished with eight points in the win.
Driver finished with a game-high 18 points, 14 coming in the second, to lead Joplin. Emma Floyd and Nice each finished with 10 points, while Hafer had nine points in the loss.
UP NEXT
Joplin hosts No. 10 Republic at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.
“It’s another tough game against Republic,” Coach Floyd said. “Nixa, Ozark and Republic are either ranked or getting votes. They are all also in our district. There are no nights off, but I think what we are proving to ourselves is that when we put our minds to it, we can play with anybody. … We just can’t come out and play scared from the get-go. Republic is a carbon copy of Ozark and Nixa. They are going to come out, play downhill, shoot the ball well and play defense. We have seen it enough the last two games, we should be able to make the adjustment, hopefully.”
Webb City High School held a college signing ceremony for eight seniors on Monday afternoon inside the Cardinal Dome.
Two members of Webb City’s state championship gridiron squad signed to play football at the next level—Dupree Jackson and Christian Kinney.
Baseball players Cooper Crouch, Jeremiah Leaming and Gavin Stowell made their college decisions official, while soccer player Delaney Duke and track and field and cross country standouts Dustin Brockmiller and Alanna Bundy also signed.
DUPREE JACKSON
A running back who rushed for 1,028 yards and 19 touchdowns during his senior season, Jackson inked with William Penn University in Iowa.
“It means a lot to me to meet this milestone that I’ve worked for all of high school,” Jackson said. “I couldn’t have asked for better people to be around. My friends, family and the coaching staff all helped me to develop in some way.”
Jackson, who plans on majoring in business administration, said William Penn seemed like a great fit.
“At the visit, everyone was very genuine and it seemed like a place I’d like to be at,” he said.
CHRISTIAN KINNEY
A 6-foot-2, 250-pound offensive lineman, Kinney signed with Harding University in Arkansas.
“This means I get to play the sport I love for four or five more years,” Kinney said. “I wanted to join a winning program and somewhere that I felt the coaches really cared about me. I found that place with Harding. And I couldn’t imagine going to college and not playing football.”
Kinney, an all-state performer who plans to major in business management, thanked his coaches.
“I wouldn’t have had this opportunity or any others if it wasn’t for my time at Webb City,” he said. “It made me the player I am today.”
COOPER CROUCH
A hard-throwing right-handed pitcher, Crouch signed with Crowder College.
“It feels great,” Crouch said of signing with the Roughriders. “It has been my dream since my brother (Theran) played there. It’s not far from home and they have a great program with great coaches. It makes it even better knowing there are people that didn’t think this would happen.”
Also an all-state linebacker for Webb City’s football team, Crouch noted he plans to major in kinesiology when he lands at a school following his time at Crowder.
“It’s a dream come true, but I want to go further with baseball,” Crouch said, noting playing at Webb City and with the Marucci Midwest programs helped him get to this point.
JEREMIAH LEAMING
An outfielder and right-handed pitcher, Leaming put pen to paper to play at Evangel.
“Getting to go to Evangel to learn and play baseball is an awesome opportunity,” Leaming said. “It means a lot. Evangel’s coaches and professors were so welcoming. It’s a faith-based school, which is important to me. Getting the chance to play at the next level is a blessing.”
Leaming, who plans to major in either kinesiology and pre-physical therapy, thanked his past and present coaches.
“I also want to give thanks to God,” Leaming said. “I felt he led me to sign with Evangel. And I have to thank my family who sacrificed a lot to let me play the game I love.”
GAVIN STOWELL
A left-handed pitcher and outfielder, Stowell inked with Highland Community College in Kansas.
“This is an opportunity to do what I love at the next level,” Stowell said. “I think Coach (Landon) Hay really wants to build something special at Highland, and I trust him to do so. Playing college baseball has been a dream of mine since the fifth grade, so achieving that goal feels pretty good.”
Stowell, a defensive back on Webb City’s football team, plans to major in exercise science.
“I’m just thankful for everyone who has helped me get here,” Stowell said. “Playing at Webb City really helped me understand the value of hard work.”
DELANEY DUKE
An all-conference goalkeeper, Duke signed to join the women’s soccer team at Park University.
“Park University is a soccer school,” Duke said. “I’m excited to become a part of a program that continually strives to succeed. Park is in a small town next to a big city, so it’s the best of both worlds. I have always loved soccer. To be able to continue to play as I pursue a degree means everything to me.”
Duke, who plans to major in political science, thanked her family, coaches and teammates for helping her get to this point.
“I only started playing goalkeeper the summer before my freshman year,” she said. “The time I’ve spent with coaches and teammates has made me so much better. Without it, playing in college wouldn’t even be a possibility.”
DUSTIN BROCKMILLER
Brockmiller signed to join the track and cross country programs at Pittsburg State.
Among his accomplishments as a distance runner, Brockmiller finished 17th at last fall’s state cross country meet, earning all-state recognition.
“This means the world to me because I used to be horrible at running,” he said, noting a nearly 10-minute improvement in the 5K. “I just kept working and got better. All of the high school coaches have helped. I’ve truly been blessed. Nobody expected me to get to this point. It’s kind of special because it really proves you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”
Brockmiller, who said he plans on majoring in military science or criminal justice, said Pittsburg State was an obvious choice.
“My mom and grandpa graduated from Pitt State, so getting to be the third generation is exciting,” he said. “To get to be a part of this program is going to be exciting.”
ALANNA BUNDY
A distance runner, Bundy will join the always-solid cross country and track and field programs at Missouri Southern.
“This means I get to develop athletically and academically with a great program,” Bundy said. “To be able to perform at this level is a great opportunity. The team at MSSU seems very welcoming and Coach (Jamie) Burnham has been so nice. MSSU feels like the right fit.”
Bundy, who finished 40th at last fall’s Class 4 state cross country meet, said she’s undecided on a major and thanked her coaches.
“Running in high school significantly improved my athletic ability,” she said. “Coach (Dustin) Miller and (Shanda) Stepp helped me develop a strong mindset and helped me learn how to be consistent.”
Eight Webb City seniors signed their letters of intent on Monday inside the Cardinal Dome. Pictured with their parents are Delaney Duke, Alanna Bundy, Dustin Brockmiller, Dupree Jackson, Christian Kinney, Jeremiah Leaming, Gavin Stowell and Cooper Crouch.
