NEVADA, Mo. — Led by five event wins, the Joplin High School girls swim team won the Nevada Invitational on Thursday at the Osage Prairie YMCA.
Joplin finished with 460 team points to claim the team championship. Bolivar (296), Marshfield (295), Nevada (277) and Seymour (96) rounded out the team standings.
Joplin’s Kiki Thom won two individual events. Thom took first in the 200 IM with a time of 2:37 and also won the 100-yard butterfly in 1:12.
Lily Rakes won the 200-yard freestyle in 2:31 and Taegen Smith took first in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:26.
Joplin’s 400 freestyle relay team of Thom, Allysun Higdon, Lydia Barwick and Rakes took first with a time of 4:43.
The Eagles finished second in the 200 medley relay, with Rakes, Smith, Thom and Mairi Beranek competing.
Brylea Smith was the runner-up in two events, the 100 fly and the 100 breaststroke.
Finishing third were Taegen Smith (200 IM), Evelyn Watson (100 fly), Izzy Zamanzadeh (500 free) and Beranek (100 backstroke).
Joplin’s 200 freestyle relay team of Beranek, Barwick, Zamanzadeh and Brylea Smith finished fourth.
Placing fourth in their individual events were Barwick (200 IM), Gwen Zamanzadeh (500 free), Rakes (100 backstroke) and Barwick (100 breaststroke).
Nevada’s individual event winners were Avery Morris (100 fly, 100 backstroke), Mary Kate Russell (50 free) and Chloe Morris (500 free).
The Tigers won the 200 medley relay in 2:12 and the 200 free relay in 1:55. Both relays featured Avery Morris, Avery Ogle, Chloe Morris and Russell.
The McAuley Catholic boys basketball team earned a 45-29 non-conference victory over Wyandotte (Oklahoma) on Thursday night.
“Good team win tonight,” Warriors coach Tony Witt said. “Hopefully this can give us some momentum next week as we move into conference play.”
The Warriors were up three when they used a 16-6 second quarter to take a 27-14 halftime advantage.
McAuley held a 40-20 lead by the end of the third quarter en route to the home victory.
Michael Parrigon scored nine points to lead the Warriors’ balanced attack, while Noah Black and Alex Bohachick added eight points apiece.
Also for the Warriors, Rocco Bazzano-Joseph scored six points, Kable Reichardt and Bradley Wagner each added five, Dylan Taffner had three and Tripp Miller chipped in a single tally.
The Webb City Cardinals overcame a 12-point deficit and finished strong on the way to a 66-62 victory over Jefferson City on Thursday night in the opening round of the 24th annual Kaminsky Classic at Joplin High School.
“The mental toughness they showed was great,” Cardinals coach Jason Horn said. “Jeff City put us on our heels and punched us in the mouth at the start of the game. We got knocked down, but we got ourselves up and we got composed. And we rebounded better and started executing.”
Webb City will take on Poplar Bluff at 9 p.m. on Friday in the semifinals.
The Mules came from behind to beat Carl Junction 53-45.
Webb City senior forward Alex Martin scores inside against Jefferson City on Thursday in the opening-round of the Kaminsky Classic. Photo by Derek Livingston.
WEBB CITY 66, JEFFERSON CITY 62
The game was deadlocked at 57 when the Cardinals reeled off nine straight points during a game-changing surge.
The first six points of the spurt came at the charity stripe, with Barron Duda, Holton Keith, Alex Martin and Joe Adams all contributing free throws.
Martin’s old-fashioned 3-point play capped the spurt and all but sealed the come from behind win.
“We started to play with a lot more confidence,” Horn said of overcoming the early deficit. “Early in the game we were a little hesitant and we allowed them to get some easy runouts. Our defense got us going and created some offense. And our guys didn’t give up. It’s a work in progress when you have some young guys on the floor. We played through some adversity on Tuesday at McDonald County. Tonight, we dug a big hole to a really good team. Jeff City just won a tournament championship at the Joe Machens Great 8. I’m really proud of how our guys played and how they persevered tonight.”
With a sixth straight win, Webb City improved to 8-2 on the season.
Four players scored in double figures for the Cardinals.
“That makes us versatile and tough to guard,” Horn said. “We feel like we have a lot of guys who can put the ball in the hole. They’re unselfish and they’re showing growth in every game.”
A 6-5 senior forward, Martin led the way with 22 points and 14 rebounds, while 6-3 junior guard Duda added 16 points. A sophomore guard, Keith scored 13 and senior guard Adams had 10. Sophomore guard Eli Pace handed out seven assists.
The Cardinals made 23 of 52 shots from the floor (44 percent), including 5 for 21 from beyond the arc. Webb City out-rebounded Jeff City 38-28.
The Jays, who had won five of six entering the night, fell to 7-4.
Sophomore guard/forward Jordan Martin scored 22 points to lead Jefferson City. The Jays made 25 of 54 field goal attempts (46 percent), including 6 of 22 from long range.
The Jays used a 9-0 run to take a 21-9 lead. During the stretch, the Cardinals were plagued by empty possessions and turnovers. Jefferson City’s lead was 21-11 at the end of the first quarter.
Holton Keith makes a layup against Jefferson City on Thursday night at Joplin High School. Photo by Derek Livingston.
Down 10 in the second quarter, Webb City used an 8-2 run to pull within four. Keith scored three hoops during the spurt, while Omari Jackson hit two free throws.
The Jays received a basket inside by Rowen Buffington for a 32-26 halftime advantage.
The Cardinals began the second half on a 13-2 burst to take a 39-34 lead before the Jays responded with a 9-2 surge of their own. By the end of the third period, Jefferson City was clinging to a 46-45 cushion.
Webb City won the final frame 21-16, with the late-game 9-0 burst key to victory.
Overall, the Cardinals outscored the Jays 40-30 in the second half.
Key to that advantage was the fact the Cardinals were able to get high-percentage shots out of their halfcourt offense time and time again.
“We executed pretty well off our sets,” Horn said. “They did a good job of mixing their defenses, but I thought our kids did a good job of countering that. The big difference in the second half was we were more inside-out. Offensively, the execution was there tonight. Tonight was one more step. Every one of these games is a dress rehearsal for the district tournament, so we need to continue to improve.”
POPLAR BLUFF 53, CARL JUNCTION 45
Like Jefferson City, the Carl Junction Bulldogs were unable to hold on to an early double-digit lead.
Poplar Bluff fought back from a 12-point hole and outscored the Bulldogs 45-25 after the first quarter.
“They out-rebounded us and they were more physical than we were,” Bulldogs coach Justin Pock said of the Mules. “We weren’t blocking out. We were trying to out-jump them. If we give up rebounds like we did tonight, we’re not going to beat anybody. I think we went away from the things that worked in the first quarter. I don’t know if we panicked or what…but we gave them way too many chances and way too many opportunities.”
Carl Junction won the first quarter 20-8, and things were looking good for the Bulldogs, who were coming off a nice win at McDonald County earlier this week.
The Bulldogs made 9 of 13 field goal attempts in the first eight minutes, while limiting the Mules to just four field goals.
Pock noted he was pleased with his team’s performance in the opening period.
“In the first quarter, we came out and played our game,” Pock said. “We attacked them offensively and I thought we played pretty well defensively. We did the things we needed to do. But in the last three quarters, we changed how we played the game.”
Poplar Bluff outscored the Bulldogs 18-9 in the second period, and the Bulldogs’ lead was down to three at the break, 29-26.
Jett Hocutt’s 3-pointer gave Carl Junction a 36-33 lead, but the Mules scored the final six points of the third quarter to take a 39-36 advantage.
The game was tied at 41 in the fourth quarter when the Mules closed the game on a 12-4 run. The Bulldogs were limited to one field goal in the fourth period.
Gavin Rivers led the Mules (6-4) with 14 points and nine rebounds.
Poplar Bluff shot 37 percent (22 of 59), but out-rebounded Carl Junction 41-21.
Freshman guard Cooper Vediz scored 15 points to lead the Bulldogs (5-6), while senior guard/forward Ayden Bard added 13 points and five rebounds. Hocutt added eight points.
The Bulldogs went 17-for-38 from the field (45 percent), but also had 20 turnovers.
Carl Junction will meet Jefferson City in the consolation semifinals at 6 p.m. on Friday.
2023 Kaminsky Classic
Thursday’s scores
Joplin 53, William Chrisman 45
Francis Howell 57, Neosho 23
Webb City 66, Jefferson City 62
Poplar Bluff 53, Carl Junction 45
Friday’s schedule
4:30—William Chrisman vs. Neosho
6—Jefferson City vs. Carl Junction
7:30—Joplin vs. Francis Howell
9—Webb City vs. Poplar Bluff
Webb City sophomore guard Eli Pace knocks down a 3-pointer against Jefferson City on Thursday night at the Kaminsky Classic. Webb City won the game 66-62 to advance to the semifinals. All photos by Derek Livingston.
Webb City senior guard Joe Adams shoots a 3-pointer against Jefferson City on Thursday night at Joplin High School’s Kaminsky Gymnasium.
Webb City coach Jason Horn talks to his team during a timeout on Thursday night at the Kaminsky Classic. Webb City beat Jefferson City 66-62. Photos by Derek Livingston.
ROGERSVILLE, Mo. — The Webb City girls basketball team extended its winning streak to four with a 62-42 victory at Rogersville on Thursday night.
Webb City is now 8-4 on the season.
The Cardinals have recorded recent wins over Pittsburg, Seneca, Nevada and Rogersville.
“Our kids are playing with a lot of confidence right now,” Cardinals coach Lance Robbins said. “They’re playing well overall, and we hope to keep it going.”
The Cardinals took control by winning the first quarter 21-10.
“We got off to a very good start, kind of like we did against Nevada earlier in the week,” Coach Robbins said. “Midway through the third quarter, we picked it up again.”
Webb City’s lead was 29-15 at halftime, and the Cardinals were up 46-32 entering the fourth quarter. Webb City outscored the hosts 16-10 in the final frame.
Senior guard Kate Brownfield scored 28 points to lead the Cardinals, hitting five 3-pointers along the way. Sophomore post player Sami Mancini added 17 points.
Izzy Lopez and Mia Robbins contributed five points apiece, Malorie Stanley had four and Kylee Sargent chipped in three points.
Rogersville received 17 points from Hailey Buckman.
Webb City hosts Neosho in the COC opener on Monday night.
NEVADA 67, MONETT 44
MONETT, Mo. — Nevada responded from a loss to Webb City earlier in the week with a convincing bounceback road win over Monett on Thursday.
The Tigers (10-3) built an early double digit lead and led 39-16 at the intermission. Nevada didn’t waver in the second half en route to the win.
Clara Swearingen knocked down four 3-pointers and led Nevada with 24 points, while Abbey Heathman and Maddy Majors each scored 13 points to give the Tigers three players in double figures. Heathman had three triples, while Majors finished with two. Caylee Holcomb and Lakyn Applegate, who also had two 3-pointers, each added six.
Nevada hosts East Newton on Monday.
STRAFFORD 64, CARTHAGE 54
STRAFFORD, Mo. — Carthage took a lead into halftime before Strafford rallied from behind in the third quarter on the way to a 10-point win over the Tigers.
The Tigers (5-5) built a 15-11 lead after the first period and went into halftime with a 26-21 advantage before the Indians outscored Carthage 25-11 in the third quarter to hold a 46-37 to start the fourth. Strafford held Carthage at bay down the stretch.
“Our girls came out and played really well tonight,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “We played even with Strafford for 28 of the 32 minutes in the game. Outside of a four minute spurt in the third quarter where they shot the lights out, we hung with one of the best teams in our non-conference schedule.”
Kianna Yates led Carthage with 22 points, while Lauren Choate had 10. Maggie Boyd finished with nine.
“Kianna Yates played an amazing game on both ends for us,” Moore said. “She led everyone in scoring and there was a lot of talent on the floor tonight.”
Ellie Larsen and Laney Humble each had 19 for Strafford, while Lauren Jones finished with 15.
Carthage hosts Joplin on Tuesday.
RIVERTON 39, THOMAS JEFFERSON 26
RIVERTON, Kan. — The Thomas Jefferson girls basketball team suffered a 39-26 setback to Riverton (Kansas) on Thursday.
Sarah Mueller, Gabbi Hiebert and Lannah Grigg all scored eight points apiece for the Cavaliers, while Alexis Stamps added two.
Jacy Thomasson scored 18 points for the Rams, while Chloe Parker added 12.
Riverton led 11-6 at the end of the opening quarter and the Rams were up 19-10 at intermission.
The hosts pulled away further in the third period, taking a 35-17 lead into the fourth quarter.
Thomas Jefferson hosts Pierce City on Friday night.
MILLER 45, COLLEGE HEIGHTS 28
College Heights Christian suffered a 45-28 loss to Miller.
“Miller is a very good defensive team,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “It was a very physical game and we struggled with that tonight. We were a little short-handed with injuries and sickness, but I was really proud of how hard our team played. Our freshmen stepped up and gave us some good minutes tonight.”
Jayli Johnson scored 12 points for the Cougars, while Maddy Colin added six.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Carthage Tigers scored the game’s first 10 points and never looked back during a 64-39 win at home on Thursday against the McDonald County Mustangs.
Carthage especially heated up in the first quarter and knocked down five 3-point shots on the way to a 26-13 lead after one.
The Tigers continued their hot shooting from their last game of 2022 in their first game of a new calendar year with 10 3-point goals overall and three players in double figures.
The Mustangs geared their defense around slowing down Carthage junior Justin Ray and senior Max Templeman, who combined for 52 points during Carthage’s 72-46 win over Hazelwood West their last time out in the U.S. Bank Holiday Tournament in Rolla.
Ray tied a school record with eight 3-point baskets and finished with 29 points.
Carthage seniors Clay Kinder and Britt Coy took advantage of their opportunities Thursday and finished with 36 points between them, including a combined 23 points in the first quarter.
Kinder scored a game-high 22 points and Coy finished with 14.
“Coach (Brandon) Joines decided to go triangle-and-2 and take away Max and Justin,” Carthage coach Nathan Morris said. “I told our guys going in that I thought that would be the case, and this is the night for Britt and Clay to really set the tone for the night. They did.
“Britt and Clay, we’ve been waiting for them to have one of their breakout games. Those two come along, with our other two scorers, we could be a scary team.”
Templeman and Ray finished with 22 points Thursday, Templeman 15 and Ray seven.
“Max and Justin, they’re good guards in this league (Central Ozark Conference) for quite a while, so teams want to take that away,” Morris said. “I told our guys that we have five guys on the court that can score at all times and that makes it really tough for opposing teams. We’ve been waiting for all this to come together, had a tough five-game stretch last month, and now we’re on this nice little winning streak. We want to keep it going.”
Trent Yates added four points and Ben Nicholas and Taylor Stevens-Diggs rounded out the scoring with a made free throw each.
Carthage improved to 6-5 overall and the Tigers head into their home game Friday night against East Newton with a three-game winning streak.
“We played on the road since our home tournament,” Morris said, referring to Carthage’s last game at home on Dec. 10 against Joplin. “Now, we’ve got four straight at home to start the new year.”
East Newton enters Friday with a 5-8 overall record.
“Coach (Kyle) Fields will have those guys ready to go,” Morris said. “He coaches those kids to play so hard. We’ve got to take care of that first. We don’t want any bumps in the road. We just want to keep this rolling. Guys are having fun with each other. We’re begging them to enjoy this, talk to each other, and we want to ride this winning streak for a while.”
Carthage opens conference play Tuesday at home against Joplin — Joplin prevailed 60-54 in the earlier contest in the championship game of the 76th annual Carthage Invitational.
On Thursday night, meanwhile for McDonald County, Spencer Woods led the way with 10 points, Destyn Dowd added eight, Cross Dowd and Toby Moore each had six, Jaxson Harrell scored five in the running clock fourth, and Josh Pacheco and Dalton McClain each had two.
The Mustangs dropped to 6-9 overall and finished their week 0-3 against COC opponents Carl Junction (52-42 at home Monday), Webb City (55-49 at home Tuesday), and Carthage.
McDonald County returns home Tuesday against Providence Academy, a private school located in Rogers, Ark.
Francis Howell limited Neosho to one field goal in the first quarter while building a double-digit cushion it didn’t relinquish in a 57-23 win in the opening round of the Kaminsky Classic on Thursday.
“Our guys didn’t come out ready and that starts with me,” Neosho coach Zane Culp said. “We weren’t ready and they jumped all over us. I wouldn’t even say they shot the lights out. It was kind of a slow death. It starts at the top and we just have to do a better job. Hopefully, that starts tomorrow.
The Wildcats (9-3), which shot just 19 percent from the field in the loss, fell behind 13-2 in the first quarter after shooting just 1-for-12 from the floor. Neosho found its rhythm offensively in the second period but still trailed by 15 heading into the second half. Francis Howell (6-3) outscored the Wildcats 20-7 in the third quarter to build an insurmountable cushion in the final eight minutes.
“Defensively, we only allowed 50-something points, so it wasn’t that bad,” Culp said. “Our offense was just so stagnant, and our first two or three possessions were shots at the rim without anybody guarding us. It was probably the best team we’ve played, so maybe it was a little shellshock after not playing teams of that caliber, size and athleticism. We didn’t respond very well.”
Rebounding played a big role in the win for the Vikings as well. Francis Howell outrebounded Neosho 39-22 and had a 16-2 advantage on second-chance points.
“That was one of our big keys coming into the game—to box out and grab rebounds,” Culp said. “Obviously, I didn’t have them ready to do that. It felt like for every shot we had, they had four.”
Dwight Lomax led Francis Howell in scoring with 12 points, while Donovan Sparks added 10 points. Ben Toebben finished with eight points and 14 rebounds.
Neosho was led in scoring by Collier Hendricks, who finished with 13 points. Isaiah Green added four.
UP NEXT
Neosho will play William Chrisman at 4:30 p.m. on Friday in the consolation semifinals.
Joplin kicked off it’s quest to repeat as tourney champions after establishing a lead in the first quarter and never gave it up on the way to a 53-45 win over William Chrisman to open the 2023 Kaminsky Classic on Thursday.
With the stands inside Kaminsky Gymnasium packed full of students, staff and faculty, parents and fans, the Eagles (6-3) held a two-possession lead after the first quarter and carried that advantage through the intermission. Joplin used an early run in the second half to push the lead to double-digits by the start of the fourth quarter before holding off the Bears (5-5) down the stretch for the win.
“Just to have the whole school here was awesome,” Joplin coach Bronson Schaake said after the win. “I was anticipating it being high energy, and I didn’t know what that would mean as far as mistakes go. But, I thought the kids locked in well enough to start the first quarter.”
STAT LEADERS
Joplin’s All Wright knocks down a jumper in the Eagles’ win over William Chrisman on Thursday in the opening round of the 2023 Kaminsky Classic. Photo by Derek Livingston.
All Wright led Joplin, which shot 42 percent in the win, with 20 points on, four assists and two rebounds. Terrance Gibson finished a rebound shy of a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Whit Hafer closed with eight rebounds and four blocks. Quin Renfro led Joplin with six assists to go along with six points.
“I think Whit had four blocked shots and altered a lot of shots everywhere,” Schaake said of Hafer’s effort in the win. “He rebounded well and took quality shots. He is such a presence and is learning to control his body and not foul, which is what we needed from him.”
Trey Taylor led William Chrisman, which shot 31 percent as a team (19-for-61) in the loss, with 19 points and four rebounds, while Say’V’on Lankford scored 10 and had eight rebounds. Fernando Gracia closed with nine points and seven rebounds.
GAME ACTION
Joplin shot 43 percent from the field in the first quarter and got seven points from Wright and five from Gibson to hold a 16-12 lead over William Chrisman, which shot 36 percent in the opening quarter, after the first eight minutes of action.
Joplin’s Terrance Gibson flushes home a dunk during the Eagles’ win over William Chrisman in the opening round of the Kaminsky Classic on Thursday. Photo by Derek Livingston.
“When Terrance and Whit get going, we are just a different team,” Schaake said. “I think (Terrance) finished with 15 (points) and nine (rebounds), and I told him I want more than that. His base should be 12 and 10 easily. When he goes, it makes us look like a different team. We are going to need that tomorrow.”
“It was really big,” Wright added about Gibson’s start. “I love seeing my guy succeed. When they are throwing double teams and different defenses at me, I have to learn to get my teammates more involved, and they did a really good job. They kind of put me on their backs a little tonight and opened me up in the second half.”
The Bears cut the lead to one near the midway mark of the second period when Gracia drove for a bucket and followed with an inside score to trim the Eagles’ cushion to 21-20.
Joplin’s Fred Taylor knocked down a 3-ball from the corner and Gibson followed with a dunk off the assist from Wright for a 26-20 advantage with 45 seconds left in the half.
William Chrisman closed the second quarter with a putback bucker from Leo Gayman to trim the Bears’ deficit to 26-22 by the intermission.
Coming out of the locker room, the Eagles put on the game’s first run after knocking down the first three baskets of the third quarter to push the lead to double digits for the first time. Gibson scored inside before he added a reverse layup on the next trip down the floor. Joplin’s Cooper Williams finished the run with a baseline jumper at the six-minute mark for a 32-22 advantage.
“I think we were plus-six that quarter,” Schaake said. “I always tell my guys that the first two minutes of the third quarter can make or break what you want your game to be. I thought they came out and did what we asked. They moved the ball and got stops. It just builds momentum and that’s what we need to keep doing.”
Each time the Bears cut the lead to single digits down the stretch of the third quarter, the Eagles answered in the form of Wright, who knocked down a 3-pointer from the wing to push the lead back to 10 near the four-minute mark and sank another 3-ball with three minutes left to push the lead to 11 points. Wright added a jumper from mid-range before Gibson earned a steal for a breakaway dunk at the other end for a game-high 13-point lead, 43-30. Joplin ultimately took a 43-33 advantage into the final eight minutes of action.
“It was really big,” Wright said of Gibson and Hafer’s performance inside during the win. “
Joplin’s Fred Taylor pulls the trigger on a 3-pointer during the Eagles’ win over William Chrisman in the opening round of the Kaminsky Classic on Thursday. Photo by Derek Livingston.
William Chrisman cut the lead to 46-39 with 4:31 to play off a 3-pointer from Trey Taylor. Moments later after an empty Bears’ possession, the William Chrisman bench was called for a technical foul after a common foul call. Wright sank one-of-two shots from the stripe before adding another charity make on the ensuing offensive possession to give Joplin a 48-39 lead. Gibson grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback score to give Joplin a 50-39 lead.
Back-to-back buckets from William Chrisman, including a mid-range jumper from Trey Taylor, to cut the Joplin advantage down to seven, 50-43, with 1:49 left. After an Eagle free throw from Fred Taylor, the Bears cut the lead to six with 1:05 to play after a scoop layup from Trey Taylor. That would be as close to the lead as the Bears would get before Joplin, which shot 6-of-13 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, finished off the victory.
“We’ve let three games slip away from us in the fourth quarter this year,” Wright said. “Our guys care a lot. We want to get better as a team. I feel like we showed that tonight. I think we played great, but there is definitely a lot of improvement we can make, but that comes with every game. It’s just one win at a time and we are ready.”
UP NEXT
Joplin’s next step is the Kaminsky Classic semifinals with a matchup against Francis Howell.
