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MERCY/WARRIOR CLASSIC: College Heights boys top Thomas Jefferson, advance to title game; CHC girls finish 4th, McAuley girls 7th

The College Heights Christian boys punched their championship game ticket in the Mercy/Warrior Classic with a 55-48 win on Friday night over city and conference rival Thomas Jefferson.

The Cougars were spurred on by a 16-9 advantage in the third quarter after the teams battled to a 22-all halftime score and then played even at 17 in the fourth quarter.

The Cougars (17-4) will play top-seeded and eighth-ranked in Class 3 Greenwood (16-6) for all the marbles on Saturday in the last game of this year’s Mercy/Warrior Classic at McAuley Catholic High. College Heights junior Caleb Quade scored 19 of his team-high 23 points in the second half Friday, including 12 points in the fourth quarter, and his night was highlighted by six points — two old-fashioned 3-point plays — in a matter of a mere four seconds in the fourth. Those six points helped the Cougars extend their lead to 48-37 with 4:59 remaining in regulation.

“We got that off our press,” College Heights coach Eric Johnson said. “We forced them into a turnover there. TJ is well-coached and those kids play hard, so it was a tough game for us. I wasn’t happy with our turnovers in the first half and a lot of forced shots too. We felt that maybe we should have been up, but they were hitting their shots and we weren’t.

“We had a good second half and we tried taking away some things from them. 32 (Thomas Jefferson senior Tyler Brouhard), he’s a good shooter and he’s got good range. He’s tough to defend. … We had some key baskets and a key rebound on that free throw by Jayce Walker, 5-8 going up against 6-6 (Thomas Jefferson senior Jay Ball) and he got the rebound. Little things like that make the difference in the game.”

Curtis Davenport added 14 points for the Cougars, Walker finished with eight, Colsen Dickens scored all five of his points in the first quarter, Ben Thomas had all three of his points in the fourth with a tip-in and a made free throw and Bo Sitton rounded out the scoring with two.

At 4:14 in the third quarter, College Heights’ Ethan Ukena drew a third personal foul against Brouhard, stepping in and taking a player control foul.

Brouhard scored a game-high 24 points to lead the way for the Cavaliers, Ball added 15 points and five blocked shots, Levi Triplett scored eight and Ethan Renger made a free throw for his lone point.

Thomas Jefferson dropped to 14-5 overall and the Cavaliers face Sarcoxie for third place at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The Bears rolled to a 57-32 victory over the Cavaliers back on Jan. 9.

College Heights and Thomas Jefferson are scheduled to meet again on Tuesday in Ozark 7 Conference play.

“We’ll have to improve,” Johnson said. “They’ll change up some things, too, but we’ve only got one day to do that. It might be a little different kind of game on Tuesday. It’s at our place, so maybe we’ll be a little more relaxed. We’ll see. Hopefully, we can learn from our mistakes tonight and don’t make them again. Looking forward to the challenge.”

Greenwood defeated College Heights 77-72 last season.

“Looking forward to the challenge (Saturday) against Greenwood,” Johnson said. “That will be a big challenge. They were seeded ahead of us, so there’s no pressure on us. We’ll just go out and try and play our best. They’ve got two real good players and the others play their roles very well. It will be fun playing them.”

 

Aurora girls 56, College Heights 47

The College Heights girls entered the fourth quarter tied at 36 with Aurora, after holding the Lady Houns to only four points — one field goal and two free throws — in the third quarter Friday night during their Mercy/Warrior Classic third place game.

College Heights senior Addie Lawrence hit a trifecta to start the scoring in the fourth and give the Cougars their first lead since they ended the first quarter ahead 18-16.

It would be College Heights’ last lead, as well, since Aurora rattled off 14 unanswered points to build a 50-39 lead with 1:10 remaining in regulation.

“I could not be more pleased with my team,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “We battled with Class 4 Aurora extremely well tonight. We had a few careless turnovers late that were costly, but the game was lost at the free throw line.”

Aurora hit 9-of-12 free throws in the fourth quarter, while College Heights went 0-for-3. 

Sophomore guard Ava Lett sparked College Heights with a team-high 15 points, all on 3-point baskets, while Libby Fanning added 12 points and 17 rebounds for her third double-double of the tourney. Also for CHC, Maddy Colin and Lawrence scored six points each, Jayli Johnson and Lauren Ukena added three points each and Jesalin Bever chipped in two points.

“Jayli and Lauren are elevating our team with their incredible defense,” Blankenship noted. “It keeps us in games and gives us a chance to win.”

College Heights dropped to 12-9 overall and the Cougars return to action Tuesday in conference play at home against city and conference rival Thomas Jefferson.

Payden Blevins scored a game-high 20 points for Aurora and fellow senior standout guard Ellie Creasey added 14 points.

 

McAuley Catholic girls 39, Purdy 33

Tournament host McAuley Catholic earned seventh place in the Mercy/Warrior Classic with a six-point win Friday, sparked by a 12-3 advantage in the second quarter.

Kloee Williamson recorded her third double-digit scoring night of the tournament with a game-high 15 points on Friday.

McAuley Catholic senior Lily Black added 13 points, Kendall Ramsey finished with six, Avery Gardner added three, and Brooke Righter’s two points rounded out the Warriors’ scoring.

McAuley Catholic improved to 8-14 overall and ended a three-game losing streak. The Warriors are back on the court Tuesday at home against Ozark 7 Conference rival Golden City (17-3 overall and ranked eighth in Class 1).

 

Mercy/Warrior Classic

Friday’s scores

McAuley girls 39, Purdy 33

Aurora girls 56, College Heights 47

Greenwood boys 70, Providence 36

College Heights 55, Thomas Jefferson 48

GIRLS HOOPS ROUNDUP: Carl Junction tops Willard; Nevada defeats Cassville

CARL JUNCTION GIRLS 71, WILLARD 60

WILLARD, Mo. — Carl Junction’s girls basketball team reached the 20-win mark of the season with Friday’s 71-60 COC win at Willard.

Ranked first in Class 5, Carl Junction (20-1, 4-0 COC) scored the first 11 points of the game and never trailed.

The Tigers pulled within six late in the opening frame, but DeShaye Buerge’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave the Bulldogs a 19-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Bulldogs took a 14-point lead early in the second period before the Tigers trimmed their deficit to four.

Klohe Burk scored Carl Junction’s final 11 points of the first half, and the Bulldogs led 37-27 at the break.

Hali Shorter’s trey gave CJ a 42-31 cushion in the third quarter, but the Tigers put together an 11-2 surge to pull within two.

Anna Burch scored inside and made one free throw to give the Bulldogs a 47-42 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Carl Junction started the final frame on an 11-2 run to get some breathing room. During the surge, Shorter, Destiny Buerge and Burk all buried 3-pointers.

A senior guard, Burk scored 20 points and hit three 3-pointers to lead the Bulldogs.

Scott and Destiny Buerge, who battled foul trouble, finished with 16 points apiece. Shorter scored nine points on a trio of 3-pointers.

Elise Murray scored 20 points for Willard (6-11, 1-2 COC), while Kailyn Washington added 15 and Carolina Crawford had 12.

Carl Junction hosts Carthage (9-11, 1-3 COC) on Tuesday.

 

NEVADA GIRLS 48, CASSVILLE 18

CASSVILLE, Mo. — Nevada’s girls improved to 17-4 and 5-0 in the Big 8 West with Friday’s lopsided win over the Wildcats.

Up 28-13 at intermission, the Tigers outscored the Wildcats 20-5 after the break.

Maddy Majors scored 16 points for Nevada and Clara Swearingen added 11. 

Nevada hosts McDonald County on Feb. 10.

 

BOYS HOOPS ROUNDUP: Neosho boys cruise past Branson; Carthage, Joplin, CJ and Webb boys fall in COC action; Nevada wins

NEOSHO BOYS 86, BRANSON 43

BRANSON, Mo. — Neosho started white hot from 3-point range and ran away from Branson in Central Ozark Conference and district action on Friday.

The win gives the Wildcats a 16-4, 3-0 COC record.

Neosho knocked down seven 3-pointers as a team in the first quarter on the way to building a 26-8 lead. Collier Hendricks and Brock Franklin each had three triples. The Wildcats continued to pour it on the Pirates, outscoring Branson 18-11, 26-11 and 14-13 en route to the blowout win.

Neosho had five players finish in double figures, with Franklin and Isaiah Green each scoring a team-high 15 points in the win. Carter Fenske and Hendricks had 11 points apiece and Kael Smith finished with 10. Tyrone Harris and Michael Day each had eight in the win.

Franklin had five makes from 3-point range, while Fenske and Henricks had three each. Harris and Day each had a pair of 3-balls.

Neosho hosts Joplin (11-8, 2-2 COC) on Tuesday in COC action.

 

REPUBLIC BOYS 70, CARTHAGE 64

REPUBLIC, Mo. — Class 6 No. 8 Republic jumped out early and built a sizable lead before holding off Carthage’s furious rally in the fourth quarter to hold on for the Central Ozark Conference win.

Republic held a 10-point lead after the first quarter and pushed it to 20 by the start of the fourth quarter. Carthage (11-9, 1-3 COC) made a strong attempt at the comeback, outscoring Republic (19-1, 3-0 COC) to the tune of 31-17 over the final eight minutes but still coming up short.

Max Templeman led Carthage with 29 points, including four 3-pointers. Clay Kinder knocked down a set of 3-pointers on the way to 14 points. Britt Coy had 11 points, while Justin Ray finished with eight points. 

Carthage is at Carl Junction on Tuesday.

 

NIXA BOYS 80, JOPLIN 54

NIXA, Mo. — Class 6 second-ranked Nixa took the momentum near the midway point of the first quarter and never relinquished it in an 80-54 win over Joplin on Friday in Central Ozark Conference and district action.

Nixa (20-0, 3-0 COC) used a scoring surge in the first quarter to build a lead and it methodically stretched it to double digits by the intermission. 

Joplin (11-8, 2-2 COC)—playing without Terrance Gibson, who was injured during practice and sat out the game in a walking boot—cut the lead to single digits in the third only to see Nixa push the lead to 20 early in the fourth before pulling away down the stretch.
The lead traded hands three times over the first three minutes of the opening period before Nixa used a 15-4 surge fueled by 3-pointers from Josh Peters, Garrett Hines and Kael Combs to make the score 20-10 with 1:20 left to play. Noah Engleman added a pair of scores inside.

Joplin cut the lead to six, 22-16, to end the quarter with a dunk from All Wright and four points from Fred Taylor.

Combs knocked down his second 3-pointer before scoring on the drive and pulling up from the elbow to give Nixa a 30-20 advantage through the midway mark of the second period. 

Quin Renfro added back to back buckets for Joplin to get the deficit to two possessions, only for Nixa to go into the intermission with a 35-24 lead following a deep 3-ball from Cartsen Seitz and a score inside just before the buzzer by Engelman.

Wright jumped a passing lane for a steal and a dunk to open the second half before a quick 8-0 run from Nixa backed by a 3-pointer from Peters, a putback from Combs and a 3-pointer from Hines to push the lead to 43-26 at the 6:20 mark. 

Joplin cut the lead to nine, 46-37, with three minutes left in the quarter after Taylor knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key and Wright added an old-fashioned three-point play.

Nixa took a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter and opened the final eight minutes on an 8-1 run to push the lead to more than 20 for the first time with 6:46 to play in regulation. Combs flushed home a dunk on the break to start the run before Seitz and Peters knocked down 3-pointers to make the score 62-41.

Nixa continued to pull away down the stretch en route to the win.

Joplin is at Neosho (16-4) on Tuesday.

Nixa hosts Republic (18-1) on Tuesday.

 

OZARK BOYS 67, WEBB CITY 66

OZARK, Mo.  — Webb City’s last-second shot was off the mark, and the host Ozark Tigers held on late for a 67-66 Central Ozark Conference victory on Friday night.

Webb City fell to 15-5 overall and 2-2 in the COC with the loss.

The Cardinals took a 10-9 lead into the second quarter, but the Tigers took a 27-24 lead into halftime.

Ozark’s Hudson Roberts knocked down three 3-pointers early in the second half to give his team a 36-28 advantage.

Roberts scored five straight to extend his team’s lead to 46-35 with 3:24 left in the third period.

Joe Adams hit a trio of treys for the Cardinals, pulling the visitors within seven at 53-46 at the end of the third quarter.

Eli Pace’s layup and a trey from Adams cut Webb City’s deficit to two before Omari Jackson’s two free throws tied the game at 66 with just under a minute to play.

After the two teams traded turnovers, Ozark’s Jace Whatley drew a foul after an offensive rebound. Whatley made the second of two free throws to give the Tigers a one-point lead with 2.3 seconds left.

Having to go the length of the court, Webb City’s last-second shot from the right wing was off the mark.

Adams scored 17 points and hit five 3-pointers for the Cardinals, while Barron Duda added 14 points. Alex Martin and Pace contributed 12 points apiece. 

Roberts poured in a game-high 34 points and hit six treys for the Tigers (8-12, 1-2 COC). Whatley added 14 points.

Ozark went 16-for-24 at the foul line, while Webb City was 7-for-12 on free throws.

Webb City hosts Willard on Tuesday night in another COC clash.  

 

WILLARD BOYS 68, CARL JUNCTION 64 (OT)

WILLARD, Mo. — The Tigers doubled up the Bulldogs 8-4 in the extra session to earn a hard-fought COC win.

Carl Junction slipped to 7-14 overall and 0-4 in conference games.

The Bulldogs held a 17-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Tigers won the second period 14-8 to take a 27-25 halftime lead.

Carl Junction was up 41-39 by the end of the third period.

The game was deadlocked at 60 at the end of regulation.

Ayden Bard scored 25 points to lead Carl Junction, while Cooper Vediz had 12. Ky Warren and Jett Hocut added nine points apiece.

Russell Roweton scored 16 points for Willard (8-12, 2-2 COC).

Carl Junction hosts Carthage on Tuesday.

 

NEVADA BOYS 57, CASSVILLE 43

CASSVILLE, Mo. — The Nevada Tigers are now 3-1 the Big 8 West and 9-12 overall. 

The Tigers held a 27-16 lead by halftime. Nevada took a 43-31 advantage into the fourth period.

Cade Beshore scored 16 points to lead Nevada, while Jack Cheaney had 13, Drew Beachler added 12 and Brice Budd scored 11.

Aidan Cook scored nine points for the Wildcats (10-9, 1-1 Big 8). 

Nevada hosts Pleasant Hill on Tuesday.