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Day: November 23, 2022

GIRLS HOOPS PREVIEW: Webb City has solid nucleus back, has expectations set high

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Webb City girls basketball team returns six key players, including a pair of all-conference performers, entering the 2022-23 season.

With those varsity veterans leading the way, the Cardinals have the expectations set high this winter.

“Our girls are very excited to get the season started,” Cardinals coach Lance Robbins said. “They had a very good summer, have worked extremely hard to get better and are looking forward to a successful season. We expect to have a successful season. We return a couple of starters that were all-conference players last season and have several girls returning that have valuable varsity experience. This group is committed to working hard and achieving their goals.”

Pictured is Webb City sophomore Sami Mancini.

Senior guard Kate Brownfield averaged nine points, five boards and just under two assists per game last season, earning second team all-Central Ozark Conference recognition. 

Senior Izzy Lopez, juniors Mia Robbins and Malorie Stanley and sophomore Kirra Long all return with plenty of prior varsity experience in the backcourt.

Sophomore post player Sami Mancini earned honorable mention all-conference honors at the conclusion of her solid freshman campaign.

The 6-foot-5 Mancini made a big impact as a prep rookie, as she averaged 11 points, 10 rebounds, nearly three assists and just under two blocked shots per game. 

“We’ve got a good nucleus returning,” Coach Robbins said. “They’ve had good attitudes at practice every day. Our two seniors have done a great job of stepping into leadership roles. Their goal is to try and turn the corner and get that district championship this year.”

Coach Robbins listed junior Dawsyn Decker and freshman Kylee Sargent as top newcomers to the varsity squad.

The Cardinals appear to have the pieces in place to improve upon last year’s 12-13 record. 

“We have high expectations of each other and I think the fact that our players are willing to hold each other accountable is a positive that we can build on,” Robbins said. “We’ll be a good defensive team and we believe that is what we will hang our hat on this season. We also believe we will be able to score the basketball better from all five spots.”

Keys to success include staying healthy, developing some depth and improving overall on both ends of the court. 

Webb City hosted a jamboree with Carl Junction and Aurora on Nov. 17.

“We had our moments,” Coach Robbins said. “We had moments where we looked really good and we had moments where we looked lost. But that’s what jamborees are for. They help you figure some things out. But I feel like there were a lot of good things to build on.”

Webb City will begin the season at the Carthage’s Lady Tigers Invitational on Dec. 1. The Cardinals will open tourney play against defending Class 3 state champion El Dorado Springs.

 

BOYS HOOPS PREVIEW: Webb City returns solid core, off to earlier start in 2022-23

Posted on by Jason Peake

Webb City boys basketball coach Jason Horn has had to play the waiting game year after year, as a large number of his athletes were still playing football into late November or early December.

With that, the Cardinals were regularly off to a late start to the hoops season.

But this year, a deep postseason run didn’t materialize for the school’s perennial power football program, meaning Horn’s full basketball squad was able to get together much earlier.

“I had to go back six years into my practice plans because I haven’t had a full team in six years to start the season, so it was different for me,” Horn said. “It’s definitely an advantage because we’ll have our kids in game shape sooner. It’s an opportunity for us to fine-tune things as opposed to rushing through stuff in order to play a game. We can take our time a little bit more this year and really work on the things we want to work on. It’s something we’re trying to take advantage of.” 

For the Cardinals, getting off to a much earlier start can only help the program reach its lofty goals in 2022-23, especially with many new faces in big roles. 

“Hopefully we’ll look a little better early in the season than we have in the past,” Horn said. “I think it puts a little more pressure on us. We don’t have that excuse that we’ve had in the past as far as not being in basketball shape or the kids not having a chance to work with a basketball in their hands before the first game.” 

The Cardinals will be led by seven players who contributed nicely to last year’s squad that went 18-9 overall and 5-3 in the Central Ozark Conference.

Pictured is Webb City senior post player Trey Roets.

Seniors Trey Roets, Alex Martin and Joe Adams, juniors Barron Duda, Omari Jackson and Jonah Spieker and sophomore Holton Keith all return with prior varsity experience.

“We’re excited for the upcoming season,” Horn said. “I know our staff is looking forward to working with this group and our players are excited for their opportunity to compete at the varsity level and to have a chance to add to the tradition of our program.”

Horn noted there’s a lot to like about the group.

“I think we have a talented group returning that can compete at a high level,” Horn said. “Good leadership from our senior class will be key for us to compete with the top teams on our schedule.”  

A 6-foot-4 forward who excels in the post, Roets averaged 11.5 points and six rebounds a game last winter while making 57 percent of his field goal attempts in a starting role.

Martin, a 6-5 forward, is back with the program after contributing nicely as a sophomore. Duda (6-3), Adams (6-0), Jackson (6-0) and Keith (6-0) provide the Cardinals with plenty of depth and versatility in the backcourt, while the 6-2 Spieker is a forward.

Junior forward Cole Cavitt (6-1), sophomores Eli Pace (6-0), Joseph Degraffenreid (6-2), Garrett Powell (5-10), Brody Eggleston (5-10), Andrew Young (5-11), Joel Hendrix (6-4), Jackson Pickett (5-10) and Rece Ponce (6-1) and freshman Gabe Johnson (5-8) are other players who are competing for varsity playing time. 

“We have good depth and a proven scoring presence inside,” Horn said. “Our guard play should still be a strength for us with a number of guys being able to make shots from the perimeter and get to the basket off the dribble.”

Now in his seventh season at Webb City, Horn said an improved defense will be a key to success this winter. 

“Defensively, we have to do a better job of limiting straight line drives and pressuring the ball without committing unnecessary fouls,” he said.  

The Cardinals will unfortunately be without senior guard Dante Washington, who suffered a knee injury early in the football season. Washington averaged 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals per game last season. 

Webb City also lost a solid group to graduation, including all-COC performer Kaden Turner, starting point guard Cohl Vaden and sharpshooter Max Higginbotham. 

For the Cardinals, the keys to a successful campaign are not complicated.

“I think staying healthy is the biggest key for a successful season,” Horn said. “If we can stay healthy and focused on improving daily in practice, we’ll give ourselves a chance to compete with anyone on our schedule.”

Webb City competed at Neosho’s jamboree last week with McDonald County and the host Wildcats.

“I was really pleased with how we played at the jamboree,” Horn said. “I thought we played with a lot of energy. Offensively, we shared the ball and we saw some good things. Defensively, we rotated well, but we need to do a better job on our closeouts and at rebounding. Overall, I’m really pleased with where we’re at.” 

Webb City hosts Lamar at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6. 

GIRLS HOOPS PREVIEW: With solid core returning, Carl Junction has expectations set high

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Carl Junction girls basketball team has the expectations set extremely high this winter.

It’s not hard to see why.

Carl Junction returns virtually its entire lineup from last year’s team that surpassed 20 wins, captured a seventh straight district championship and concluded the season in the Class 5 state quarterfinals against eventual state champion West Plains. 

“We’re excited to see what we can do now with another year under our belts,” Bulldogs coach Brad Shorter told SoMo Sports. “Our kids are starting to understand the game more and know what it takes to be successful. I’m positive our kids will compete and play extremely hard. Last season proved to be a quality year for our program. We lost an all-conference player before the season started. While the experience was full of adversity, it gave multiple kids the opportunity for quality court time and experience. Like every year, our goal will be to progress every day in practice and games.”  

The Bulldogs will feature a solid core of varsity veterans, led by senior guards Destiny Buerge, Hali Shorter and Klohe Burk and junior forward Kylie Scott.

“They have great attitudes, they’re working hard together and they’re playing as a unit,” Coach Shorter said of his returning players. “They’re a fun group to coach.” 

Carl Junction’s Destiny Buerge is the reigning 4-States Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year.

A 5-foot-8 do-it-all guard, Buerge averaged 23 points, six rebounds, four steals and just under three assists per game during the 2021-22 season. 

A first team all-conference pick who has signed with Pittsburg State, Buerge scored a school record 684 points as a junior. She surpassed 1,700 career points last winter and was named all-state for the second straight season. Buerge earned a number of accolades last year, including 4-States Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year, Class 5 District 6 Player of the Year and SoMo Sports Girls Basketball Player of the Year. 

The 6-1 Scott averaged 13 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and three assists per game as a sophomore, earning all-COC honors. She has an offer from the University of Hawaii. 

Hali Shorter averaged six points, four assists, four rebounds and nearly two steals per game last winter. She hit 35 3-pointers. Burk contributed seven points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals per game.  

The Bulldogs should once again excel at shooting the 3-pointer. Buerge hit 73 treys last season, while Hali Shorter and Burk knocked down 36 3-pointers apiece a season ago.

Also back with prior varsity experience are junior forward Anna Burch and sophomore forward Dezi Williams. Williams averaged five points and four rebounds per game as a freshman, while Burch chipped in two points and 3.5 rebounds per game last year.

Senior guard Allie Wrestler, sophomore guard DeShaye Buerge and freshman forward Jadyn Howard are also expected to contribute nicely.

All but one player who saw varsity action last year returns for Carl Junction, as Ellie Lawson was the lone senior who suited up last winter. With that, there’s a lot to like about the Bulldogs. They feature experience, depth, they play tough defense and have several players who can put the ball in the hoop.

Coach Shorter noted there’s still room for improvement.

“Our goals include trying to be more precise with a number of things,” Shorter said. “You can’t get to perfection, but we want to get better at every aspect of the game. We’ll see where that takes us. If we can improve on a few things that we’ve been working on in practice we’ll have a shot at being successful this year.” 

Coach Shorter added areas the team needs to improve upon are defense, rebounding and free throws. 

The Bulldogs will look to improve upon last year’s 6-3 showing in the Central Ozark Conference and claim an eighth straight district crown. 

“As always, the COC will be extremely tough,” Shorter said. “Our conference in girls basketball is the toughest in the state. Our schedule this year is very tough but hopefully we learn, grow, and give ourselves a chance to be successful in the conference and districts. We feel we must bring our ‘A’ game every night for our schedule and conference. A key for us this year will be ball movement and efficiency. We’ll put a focus on eliminating some of our turnovers and increasing our shooting percentage clip. We’ll strive to progress every day and give ourselves a chance to be successful towards the end of the year.”

The Bulldogs will host the annual CJ Classic beginning on Nov. 28. 

Coach Shorter noted the team is more than ready to get the season underway. 

“We’ve had some really good practices lately,” Shorter said. “The kids are working really hard and giving great effort. There are a number of things we can still improve on and our kids know that. But we’re just excited to start the season.” 

 

BOYS HOOPS PREVIEW: Carl Junction seeks improvements in new season

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Carl Junction Bulldogs will be led this season by seven seniors, including three returning starters, for coach Justin Pock’s third season at the helm.

Carl Junction’s Ayden Bard raises up for a mid-range jumper against Joplin last season.

“Ayden Bard, he’s played for us the last few years,” Pock said. “He’s a physical, athletic kid. He can play all the spots, all the positions. I see him having a good senior year.

“We have Ky Warren running the point for us. Ky has been in the program the last few years and knows what I want. He’s the coach on the floor.

“We have Lucas Vanlanduit. He’s another guard who I see that’s going to have more opportunities and more shots this year. I think he’ll step into that role nicely.”

Bard averaged 11.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists and Warren averaged 5.7 points during their junior season.

The other seniors returning for the Bulldogs are Braxton Dodds, Luke Jones, Xavier Perkins, and Nathan Planchon.

Competition for the other two spots in the starting lineup seems to be healthy.

“We have a couple juniors, Jett Hocut and Quin Kennedy, that played some varsity last year,” Pock said. “Jett did a good job and he’s got a really nice shot. Quin has got more physical, and he’ll get more time, too. He’s just worked his butt off.

“Then we have a couple freshmen that are coming in and competing for some time. I tell them every day it’s a day to compete and a day to go work for a spot. I’m going to put the best five I can field out there every single time. That’s the No. 1 thing we’re trying to do: Compete.”

Carl Junction finished 4-22 overall and 0-9 in Central Ozark Conference play last season, with three of the Bulldogs’ four wins happening in December. The Bulldogs went 1-16 during January and February, with their only win against Lebanon.

The Bulldogs are looking to end a streak of eight straight losing seasons.

“This group, they’re hungry,” Pock said. “They’re looking to change some things at CJ. They play hard. They’re a good group of kids. They’re good to coach. I think all of them have this competitive edge that they want to work hard, they want to win, and they want to do it together as a team.

“Our challenge is bringing the seniors and the new guys in together, especially early on, to have trust and faith in the offense and to do the little things, dive for loose balls, get rebounds, block out every single time, and earn it on the defensive side.”

The Bulldogs open the season Nov. 28 in the Forsyth Tournament and their other tournaments are McDonald County (Dec. 15-17) and the Kaminsky Classic (Jan. 5-7).

In addition to the nine-game COC slate, Carl Junction steps outside the conference to play Aurora (Dec. 6), Pittsburg, Kan. (Dec. 9), Seneca (Dec. 13), McDonald County (Jan. 2), St. Mary’s Colgan, Kan. (Jan. 13), Monett (Jan. 20), Nevada (Jan. 24), and Lebanon (Jan. 27).

MSHSAA placed Carl Junction in Class 5 District 7 this season with Belton, Grandview, Kansas City Ruskin, Hogan Prep, Raytown South, Warrensburg, and Webb City completing the eight-team district.

“We’re going to take it a game at a time,” Pock said. “We’re going to step on the floor every time we do and no matter who we play with the attitude that we’re going to win this game. It’s going to take all of us. I can’t tell you all the time how we’re going to do it, but that’s our goal. Every time we step on the floor, we’re here to win. That’s what we’re trying to change here, and I think our kids have bought into it.”

PREP HOOPS: Liberal boys and girls earn wins against McAuley

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Each time it looked like the Liberal Bulldogs would run away with Tuesday’s season opener, McAuley coach Tony Witt’s team would battle back.

“I’m proud of our guys. They never give up in a game no matter what. Liberal would push it out close to 20 points, but we would get a stop and hit some shots,” Witt said following the 57-47 loss.

Witt had prepared his team for Liberal’s brand of full-court pressure and the Warriors handled it well throughout much of the first half. Senior Joe Staton and sophomore Michael Parrigon drained first quarter threes. Senior Kable Reichardt knocked down a pair of free throws to cut the Bulldogs lead to 9-8 heading to the second.

The last time Liberal played at McAuley, Matt Boehne was a sophomore. He hit a shot at the buzzer to give Travis Walton’s Bulldogs a victory. Two years later, Boehne picked up where he left off, scoring 15 first half points. The second quarter saw Boehne and McAuley senior Rocco Bazzano-Joseph put on a clinic from beyond the arc. Boehne hit three treys and Bazzano-Joseph held serve with a pair of his own 3-pointers to keep the Warriors in it.

Liberal senior Payton Morrow connected on a pair of free throws with five seconds to play in the second period to give the visitors a 30-23 lead at the intermission.

Liberal’s defensive pressure in the fourth quarter turned out to be the difference.

“We knew they were going to pressure us constantly. They have some great athletes and it’s hard to prepare for that in practice. But I give credit to our guys, they didn’t give up,” said Witt, whose team is the seventh seed in next week’s Gem City Classic tournament hosted by Diamond. They will face second-seeded Thomas Jefferson on Monday at 8:30 p.m.

Leading the way in the scorebook for the Warriors was Parrigon with 13 points. Senior Noah Black finished with 10.

Boehne led Liberal with 19 points. Morrow finished with 11.

 

HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS HELP MCAULEY GIRLS MAKE STRIDES

The Warriors graduated a talented senior class that led them to an 18-11 record and an appearance in last year’s district title game. Tuesday night the young team’s lack of experience showed as they went scoreless from the 2:37 mark in the first quarter through the remainder of the half.

“We were beating ourselves a lot. We weren’t making smart passes,” said coach Mike Howard, whose team trailed Liberal 24-4 at the break.

Midway through the third quarter, Howard’s crew began to figure it out.

“We did a better job of setting up our offense and we had some girls step up,” he said, adding, “I’m proud of their effort.

Lily Black, McAuley’s lone senior, hit a couple of shots, one on a nice in-bound feed from junior Avery Gardner as McAuley went on a 6-3 run to end the third quarter. Black added a conventional three-point play early in the fourth and Gardner nailed 3s on back-to-back possessions late in the 42-22 loss.

“This group is going to continue to work and continue to grow every single day,” said Howard, whose team received the six-seed in the Gem City Classic. They will square off with College Heights on Tuesday at 8:30.

Black finished with 10 points. Gardner had eight.

BJ Goodell’s team is also young. The Bulldogs do not have a senior on their roster. Sophomore Taylor Swarnes finished with a team high 13 points. Juniors Ellaina LaNear and Bailey Couch both chipped in with nine. Junior Abby Barton added seven points. 

 

HOOPS: College Heights splits with Providence Academy

Posted on by Jason Peake

The College Heights Christian boys basketball team opened the season with a 64-51 win Tuesday night over Arkansas school Providence Academy at the College Heights Athletic Complex.

The game proved to be a showcase for Providence Academy’s perimeter shooting against College Heights’ interior tandem of senior Curtis Davenport and junior Caleb Quade.

Providence Academy made 11 3-point baskets in the contest, while College Heights received a combined 53 points from Davenport and Quade, most of them inside the paint.

Davenport provided the Cougars with their lone 3-point basket of the evening.

College Heights closed the game out strong after Providence Academy made it a 48-44 game early in the fourth quarter.

College Heights rattled off 14 unanswered to push it back to 62-44 in the final minute.

“We played hard,” College Heights coach Eric Johnson said. “We made a lot of mistakes, but we did enough things right to offset those mistakes. I was pleased. They got within four and we made a good run to change that. We got the ball inside to Curtis, even though they were trying to take it away from him, and some of the others stepped up and did some good things.

“Right now, we’re not an outside-shooting team,” Johnson added. “We can be or maybe will be later, but that’s alright. We’ll just stay inside…a little better percentage. Defensive wise, we played good defense most of the time. We had some breakdowns getting back on defense and losing their shooters. Overall, for the first game, it was a good win.”

College Heights never trailed Tuesday, coming straight out of the gate with the game’s first 11 points, and the Cougars held Providence Academy scoreless for three long stretches of the game — the first 4 minutes and 25 seconds of the game, the first 5:39 of the second quarter, and that chunk of the fourth that saw College Heights extend the lead to 18 points.

Davenport and Quade scored 29 straight College Heights points from the first through third quarters, a streak broken with senior Ben Thomas’ first two points of the season.

Davenport led all scorers with 32 points, 22 of them scored in the second half, and Quade added 21 points.

Ethan Ukena finished with seven points and stepped in defensively to take a pair of player control fouls against Providence Academy and sophomore point guard Jayce Walker, making his first varsity start, hit both free throws for his first two points of the season.

Senior sharpshooter Carter Keen heated up in the second half to lead Providence Academy with 16 points and freshman guard Stiles Hunter scored all 11 of his points in the first half.

College Heights, 1-0 overall, returns to the court after Thanksgiving break next Tuesday in the Pierce City Invitational against the seventh seed and tournament host Pierce City. The Cougars are defending tournament champions.

 

Providence Academy girls 51, College Heights 34

Like the varsity boys nightcap, Providence Academy never trailed in the varsity girls contest.

“Providence is a very good team,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “They have size and strength inside and very good perimeter shooters. They were a tough matchup for us, especially for our first game of the season. They exposed some weaknesses that we can address in practice that will make us a better team. We competed much better in the second half only being outscored by four points. I was proud of our effort in the second half. We can build off of that. This young group will improve quickly. They have a strong work ethic and a desire to learn and get better.”

The Patriots built their first double-digit lead after scoring the first eight points of the second quarter and kept it at double-digits the rest of the night except for once at 33-24 following the Cougars’ biggest scoring run of the game with their own eight straight points.

Providence Academy pushed it back out to 42-26 entering the fourth, though, as turnovers came back to plague College Heights as they had most of the game.

The Patriots received 47 of their points from the quartet of Lydia Shaddox (15), Karolina Karaga (13), Ava Maner (10), and Anna Imbo (9).

College Heights’ Libby Fanning opened her sophomore season with a team-high 15 points and 10 rebounds, while junior Maddy Colin added six points and five boards. Senior Jayli Johnson scored four, freshman Allie Stout and sophomore Ava Lett three each, sophomore Kinley Marsh two, and sophomore Molly Long one.

The Cougars, 0-1 on the season, will look for their first win of the season when they return to action Nov. 28 in the Diamond Wildcats’ Gem City Classic. College Heights will play McAuley Catholic at 8:30 p.m.

 

BOYS HOOPS: Joplin falls to McDonald County in season opener

Posted on by Lucas Davis

McDonald County trailed by two possessions late in the fourth quarter before rallying back for a 61-59 win over Joplin in the season opener for both teams on Tuesday inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.

McDonald County’s Josh Pacheco defends Joplin’s Terrance Gibson at the rim in the Mustangs’ win over Joplin on Tuesday. Photo by Jessica Greninger.

Joplin (0-1) and McDonald County (1-0) saw a back-and-forth opening quarter end with both teams tied at 17s. The Eagles outscored the Mustangs 16-14 in the second period to take a two-point cushion advantage into the intermission. Joplin and McDonald County traded runs in the third period with the Mustangs up two points to start the fourth. The Eagles used a scoring surge to open the fourth quarter to take the momentum and the late lead, only for McDonald County to respond in the waning moments to earn the win.

“This is my fourth season here and I will tell you that this is our biggest win in four years against a very quality opponent and against a guy like All Wright who is an unbelievable player,” McDonald County coach Brandon Joines said. “He is as impressive in person as he is when you read about him. He has all of the attributes you are looking for if you’re a college, but our guys came out and weren’t scared of it for a second. You knew he was going to get some, but we didn’t fold. They full-on competed tonight. 

“It tells me that if they don’t believe they can compete with everybody we play, then they are sadly mistaken and have no business in our locker room,” Joines added when asked what a win like this shows him as a coach. “Fortunately, that is not the case. I know every single one of them believes that we can pull some stuff off this year and a lot of people don’t expect it. We lost a lot to graduation last year, but everybody is stepping up to fill their roles and tonight showed me that they’re ready.”

The first quarter saw three ties and six lead changes with Joplin and McDonald County knotted up at 17s to start the second period. Cross Dowd drilled a 3-pointer to start the second period to give the Mustangs a 20-17 lead.

The Eagles answered with an 11-2 run to take a 28-22 advantage. All Wright had a driving score to ago along with a steal and dunk on the break. Quin Renfro also added a pair of baskets in the run.

McDonald County ultimately trailed 31-25 but closed the half with the final four points to keep the deficit at 31-29. The Mustangs opened up the third quarter with a 12-2 run to swing the momentum back in their favor with a 41-33 advantage.

McDonald County played with that cushion for much of the third period until the Eagles closed out the quarter on an 8-2 run to cut its deficit to 49-47 to start the fourth quarter. Wright started the run with a drive before Hobbs Gooch earned a steal and a dunk on the ensuing fast break. After another Mustang turnover, Wright ran the floor for a layup and drew the foul. Wright missed the and-1 attempt, grabbed his own board and put the ball back up for an inside bucket to tie the game at 47-47 with less than a minute to play. Sterling Woods scored on the drive before the horn to keep McDonald County in front 49-47 to start the final eight minutes.

Joplin opened the fourth quarter as strongly as they closed the third, using an 8-2 run to regain the lead and build a 55-51 lead in the process. Renfro started the run with an inside bucket before Wright scored on the break off a Mac County giveaway. Wright and Renfro each added inside scores to fill out the run.

Woods followed with another 3-ball from the top of the key to cut the Mustangs’ deficit to one, 55-54 near the five-minute mark.

Joplin remained in front until McDonald County tied it at 59-59 after Destyn Dowd made two free throws with 1:38 left following a foul by the Eagles. 

Dowd earned a steal on the ensuing Joplin possession and looked to give his team the lead on the break when Joplin’s Fred Taylor chased him down from behind for the block. McDonald County recovered the loose ball to regain possession with 50 seconds left and the game still tied. The Mustangs took the lead for the final time with 24 seconds remaining when Woods drove and dished inside to Toby Moore, who converted in the paint for the go-ahead bucket.

“Sterling Woods struggled with turning the ball over a little bit in the second half,” Joines said. “But when it mattered, he made a perfect pass to Toby Moore rolling to the block. Toby finished and it was tremendous. I am unbelievably excited for our team and our fans.”

SCORING LEADERS

Cross Dowd led McDonald County with 24 points, including six makes behind the 3-point line. Woods finished with 14 points, while Moore and Destyn Dowd each scored eight points in the win.

Joplin had four players reach the scoring column, with Wright leading the way with a game-high 30 points. Renfro finished with 14 points, while Gooch scored 11. Terrance Gibson added four.

UP NEXT

Joplin hosts Pittsburg on Dec. 2

McDonald County hosts Hillcrest on Dec. 6.

 

GIRLS HOOPS: Neosho falls short at Clinton

Posted on by Jason Peake

CLINTON, Mo. — Neosho held a five-point lead with just over three minutes left in the game, but Clinton used a late 9-0 run to take the lead for good en route to a 52-50 non-conference girls basketball win over the Wildcats on Tuesday night. 

Clinton held a 18-12 lead in the second quarter, but Neosho closed the first half on a 10-2 run. Free throws from Carleigh Kinnaird and a putback from Karlee Ellick gave Neosho a 22-20 halftime advantage. 

Beclynn Garrett’s jumper put Neosho up 36-34 late in the third quarter, but the Cardinals scored four straight to end the period, taking a 38-36 lead into the final frame.

The Wildcats put together a 12-2 run in the fourth quarter, with Reagan McInturff scoring seven points during the spurt to give her 10 in the second half. The run was capped by a hoop from Ellick and free throws from Garrett that gave Neosho a 48-43 lead with 3:23 remaining.

But Clinton scored nine straight points to go ahead for good, with Skyte Wilson’s breakaway layup giving the Cardinals a 52-48 advantage. Neosho hit a late jumper for the final margin.

A 6-2 senior post player, Ellick had 15 points for Neosho (1-2). Mercedes Brown scored a game-high 17 points for Clinton (1-0). 

Neosho will be among the teams competing at next week’s Carl Junction Classic.

GIRLS HOOPS: Mount Vernon jumps in front and holds off Joplin

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Mount Vernon started the game on a 10-0 run and played with that lead through the final horn on the way to a 52-40 win over Joplin on Tuesday in the Eagles’ home opener.

Joplin’s Maria Loum (12) presses Mount Vernon’s Cheyenne Bieber during the Eagles’ loss to the Mountaineers on Tuesday. Photo by Jessica Greninger.

The Mountaineers (1-0) pushed their early lead to as much as 15 by halftime. The Eagles (0-3) were able to cut the lead to 10 several times in the second half before finally breaking through midway through the fourth quarter and trimming the lead to seven with four minutes to play. 

Like it had so many times in the win, Mount Vernon was able to respond by pushing the lead back to double digits over the final minutes of action.

“I thought our girls played extremely hard,” first-year Joplin coach Brad Cox said. “We got into some foul trouble early, but I thought we did a good job of fighting through that adversity, and it’s only going to make us stronger. I told the girls, ‘we don’t lose, we learn.’ I learned something tonight. I learned we are great in a 1-3-1 defense, and I learned we have girls who are going to step up and are never going to give up.

“Our achilles heel is going to be our scoring. We are going to play extremely hard defensively. We still have a lot of room to grow. The main thing is, we are trending in the right direction and not the wrong direction. If we continue to build and have each other’s backs, good things are coming.”

Mount Vernon started the game with all of the momentum, scoring the first 10 points over the first four minutes of action. Cheyenne Bieber knocked down a pair of 3-pointers from the top of the key and Addie Hall converted an old-fashioned three-point play to fill out the opening surge.

Joplin’s Bailey Ledford knocked down a 3-ball from the corner to get the Eagles on the board. Joplin’s Riley Kelly sank a 3-pointer off a Mountaineers’ turnover to trim the lead to 12-6 before Hall answered with a 3-ball of her own at the buzzer to give Mount Vernon a 15-6 lead at the first break.

Ledford knocked down her second triple of the first half to open the second quarter to trim the lead back to six, but Mount Vernon used an 8-0 run to push the lead to double digits, 23-9, with less than four minutes to play in the first half.

Ledford and Mount Vernon traded 3-pointers before a free throw from Kelly with 30.9 seconds left cut the deficit to 26-14. Like they did at the end of the first quarter, the Mountaineers got a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the top of the key by Bieber to go into the intermission up 29-14.

Joplin’s Bailey Ledford drives to the hoop for a bucket against Mount Vernon on Tuesday. Photo by Jessica Greninger.

Joplin started the second half on a 7-3 run to trim the deficit to 11, 32-21, off a 3-pointer from Izzy Yust, two free throws from Kelly and a bucket inside from Maria Loum. Shortly after, Joplin cut the lead to 10 on a 3-pointer from Ledford to make the score 34-24 with four minutes on the clock in the third period. 

“She took a year off and I told her it was going to take time to get back into a rhythm and get her confidence back up,” Coach Cox said about Ledford’s day. “She can be that option to step up next to Brynn, Riley and others. We figured out tonight that we have all of the puzzle pieces, we just need to figure out how they fit.”

The Eagles and Mountaineers traded hoops to close out the third quarter, with Mount Vernon again getting a buzzer beater inside from Harley Daniels for a 40-28 lead with one quarter to play.

Joplin broke through to open the final period of play, using an elbow jumper from Kelly and a 3-ball from the corner by Kelly on consecutive possessions to cut the lead to single digits, 40-33.

“Riley is a sophomore starting at a Class 6 school,” Cox said. “She is tough as nails and is going to be a key player for us moving forward.”

As they did all evening, Mount Vernon had an answer. Bieber drilled a 3-pointer and followed with a mid-range jumper off a Joplin turnover to make the score 45-33 with three minutes left. Isabel Cloud added a 3-ball of her own for a 15-point lead the Mountaineers wouldn’t relinquish. 

SCORING LEADERS

A sophomore guard, Bieber led all scorers with 24 points, making a game-high six 3-pointers. Hall added 10 and Cloud finished with eight.

Ledford knocked down four 3-pointers on the way to a team-high 16 points, while Kelly finished right behind with 13. Yust added seven.

“Bailey and Izzy stepped up and played extremely well,” Coach Cox said. “Riley Kelly played her butt off. There is not another team in this league who has more heart than these girls do. I can promise you that.”

UP NEXT

Joplin hosts Pittsburg on Dec. 2.

Joplin’s Izzy Yust drives the lane before dishing out an assist in the Eagles’ loss to Mount Vernon on Tuesday. Photo by Jessica Greninger.

GIRLS HOOPS: Yates scores 33 points as Carthage rolls in opener

Posted on by Jason Peake

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Ignited by a fast start, the Carthage girls basketball team cruised to a 69-27 victory over Hillcrest in the opener of the 2022-23 season.

The Tigers led 19-4 by the end of the first quarter, and the visitors were up comfortably 40-12 at intermission. 

“We came out with great energy right from the start tonight,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “Our press forced several quick turnovers and the girls did a great job of converting those into points.”

Carthage’s lead was 56-25 at the end of the third quarter. The Tigers outscored the Hornets 13-2 in the fourth quarter.

Senior guard Kianna Yates poured in a career-high 33 points for Carthage, with 24 points coming in the first half. Yates made 13 field goals and connected on 7-of-9 free throws.

“Kianna Yates had a great game,” Moore said. “She was unstoppable in the open floor and the girls really fed off of her success.” 

Maggie Boyd added eight points for the Tigers, while Lexa Youngblood scored seven points. Jaidyn Brunnert and Landry Cochran contributed six points apiece.

“All eight players scored and that’s great to see,” Moore said. “We are battling through a rash of injuries to start the season, so we need all our healthy players firing on all cylinders for us to be successful. I was extremely pleased with our passing tonight. Our players took pride in finding the open teammate and we scored a lot of baskets on the extra pass tonight.” 

Carthage (1-0) will host the Lady Tigers Invitational beginning on Dec. 1. Carthage plays Olathe East in the opening round. 

HOOPS: Thomas Jefferson squads improve to 2-0 with lopsided wins

Posted on by Jason Peake

BRONAUGH, Mo. — Thomas Jefferson’s girls and boys basketball teams both improved to 2-0 on the season with lopsided victories over Bronaugh on Tuesday night.

The Thomas Jefferson girls handled Bronaugh 55-23.

The Cavaliers were clinging to a 10-6 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the visitors used a 14-5 second quarter to go up 24-11.

Thomas Jefferson led 42-13 at the end of the third period.

Gabbi Hiebert led Thomas Jefferson with 20 points, while Lannah Grigg scored 16 and Presley Long added 13 points. Hiebert and Long both hit three treys apiece.

Gretchen Barnes scored 12 points for Bronaugh. 

The TJ girls return to action next Tuesday at Liberal.

In the boys game, Thomas Jefferson pounded Bronaugh 65-38.

The Cavaliers took a commanding 26-8 lead by the end of the first quarter. 

Thomas Jefferson was up 40-14 at halftime and the Cavaliers held a comfy 61-29 advantage heading into the fourth period. 

Jay Ball scored a game-high 27 points for the Cavaliers, while Tyler Brouhard had 14 points, nine rebounds and three assists.

Also for TJ, Kip Atteberry scored 12 points and had three steals, while Levi Triplett chipped in eight points. Brouhard and Atteberry each knocked down a trio of 3-pointers. 

Tucker Duncan and Strauss Banes scored 11 points apiece for Bronaugh (0-1). 

Thomas Jefferson’s boys will compete at next week’s Gem City Classic. 

 

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