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Day: February 24, 2023

BOYS HOOPS ROUNDUP: Webb City, Neosho suffer losses in regular-season finales

Posted on by Jason Peake

HILLCREST BOYS 63, WEBB CITY 43

WEBB CITY, Mo. — It wasn’t the way the Webb City Cardinals wanted to end the regular season.

Hillcrest took an early lead and never relinquished it en route to a 63-43 win over Webb City on Thursday night inside the Cardinal Dome.

“We didn’t do a very good job of rebounding the basketball tonight,” Webb City coach Jason Horn said. “And we had too many empty possessions. We didn’t convert point-blank shots and we didn’t finish shots off from the perimeter. You can’t have that many empty possessions against a good team. They were able to stretch the lead on us.”

Webb City ends the regular season with a record of 16-10.

The Cardinals made just 8-of-26 field goal attempts (32 percent), including 3-of-18 from beyond the arc.

Sophomore guard Holton Keith scored 14 points to lead the Cardinals, while classmate Eli Pace added 10. Junior guard Omari Jackson contributed eight points off the bench.

Hillcrest (16-11) shot 47 percent from the floor (22-of-47). The Hornets also went 17-for-24 at the foul line. 

Braxton Baker recorded 24 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Hornets, while Anarre Clark added 21 points and Cole Griesemer contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Hillcrest out-rebounded Webb City 37-21.

Utilizing an early 11-2 run, Hillcrest led 20-9 at the end of the first quarter. 

Webb City outscored the visitors 10-9 in the second period, but the hosts trailed 29-19 at intermission.

The Hornets led 47-30 at the end of the third quarter and never surrendered their advantage in the final frame.

Second-seeded Webb City will meet seventh-seeded Carl Junction at 7 p.m. on March 1 in the quarterfinals of the Class 5 District 7 tournament at Belton High School.

“I think we have a chance to win the district, but we obviously have to get through that first game with Carl Junction,” Horn said. “Carl Junction played us really tough the other night and we know there are some really good teams in our district. It’s going to come down to which team gets hot at the right time. If we can get hot, stay confident and make plays, and maybe get a little luck on our side, we can come out of there with a district championship.” 

 

NIXA BOYS 71, NEOSHO 35

NIXA, Mo. — The Neosho Wildcats dropped the regular-season finale to the undefeated Nixa Eagles. 

Neosho ends the regular season with a record of 19-7. The Wildcats went 6-3 in the always-tough Central Ozark Conference. 

With Thursday’s win, Nixa remained undefeated and locked up an outright Central Ozark Conference championship. Ranked second in Class 6, Nixa improved to 26-0 and the Eagles went undefeated in the COC at 9-0.

The Eagles led 24-10 at the end of the first quarter and 30-21 at halftime. Nixa pulled away with a big third quarter, as the hosts took a 60-31 lead into the fourth quarter.

Sixth-seeded Neosho meets third-seeded Republic at 8:30 on March 1 in a quarterfinal contest of the Class 6 District 5 tournament at Ozark.

Also of note, Nixa’s girls defeated Neosho 70-40 on Thursday night. No other information was available.

Seventh-seeded Neosho (10-16) meets second-seeded Nixa (20-6) at 7 on March 2 in the opening-round of the Class 6 District 5 tournament at Nixa. 

 

DISTRICT HOOPS: Thomas Jefferson girls fall to Liberal in semifinals

Posted on by Jason Peake

LIBERAL, Mo. — The third-seeded Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers were outscored 30-14 in the first and third quarters, including 19-6 in the third, during a 57-41 loss against No. 2 seed and tournament host Liberal in the Class 1 District 6 semifinals on Thursday evening.

Thomas Jefferson and Liberal played even in the second and fourth quarters, with that third quarter proving to be the difference in what otherwise was a three-point game.

“Honestly, the third quarter, yeah, it was rough,” Thomas Jefferson coach Lindsey Showalter said. “They pressed the dog out of us, and they kept it up consistently throughout the whole game. Unfortunately, we just didn’t take care of the ball. Credit to them and props to them for continuing it and it worked. We didn’t do our job on that side of the floor.”

Thomas Jefferson fell behind 22-11 in the middle of the second quarter after the Bulldogs went on a 15-3 run over the final minute of the first and the first half of the second, erasing Thomas Jefferson’s 8-6 lead.

Liberal started the second half with the first night points and the Bulldogs extended their lead to 43-25 before Gabbi Hiebert’s basket made it a 43-27 score entering the fourth.

Hiebert scored a team-high 22 points to pace the Cavaliers with 10 of her points in the second and eight of her other points in the fourth.

Lannah Grigg finished with 12 points, and she had all eight of the Cavaliers’ points in the first.

Sarah Mueller added three points and Tannah Cassatt and Kiera Onyango each finished with two for the Cavaliers, who ended their season 14-11 overall.

“I’m very proud of the girls,” Showalter said. “This is the best season the Thomas Jefferson girls have had since 2004, the most wins since 2004, and first 10-win season since 2008. We were plagued with injuries all year, lost our starting point guard to a broken leg which she actually returned in our first district game against McAuley, and had a few other injuries.

“We’re all proud of the girls for their resiliency to finish the season strong at 14-11. Although we didn’t get the results that we wanted, it’s definitely the start of a tradition and a steppingstone leading into the following years.”

The Cavaliers’ 14 wins this season doubled last season’s win total and matched their four previous seasons combined.

Thomas Jefferson seniors Cassatt, Nico Carlson and Phoenix Wade closed out their high school careers.

“This is my first year coaching and the three seniors have just been incredible leaders for us,” Showalter said. “Nico, she has just improved so much, especially at the end of the season, doing what we need from her being that scrappy defensive player. She’s very durable, very smart, and she’s a big part of our success.

“Phoenix, she is definitely a good role player for us. She knows her role on this team, she’s very coachable, and she always does her job. Tannah, she’s our horse. She brings the fire, she brings the aggression, she’s always up for the challenge, and we’re definitely going to miss those three girls.”

Bailey Couch scored a game-high 24 points to spark the hosts Thursday, highlighted by a dominant third quarter during which she produced 16 of the Bulldogs’ 19 points.

Abby Barton added 11 points, Taylor Swarnes 10, Ellaina LaNear seven, and Laney Simpson five points for the Bulldogs, who improved to 17-11 on the season entering Saturday’s district title game against top-seeded and ninth-ranked in Class 1 Golden City (23-4).

 

GIRLS HOOPS: Kianna Yates breaks Carthage scoring record in win over Cassville

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CASSVILLE, Mo. — Kianna Yates capped the regular season of her senior year with an exclamation point after breaking the Carthage girls scoring record in a win over Cassville on Thursday.

Yates came into the contest 34 points shy of tying the scoring record previously held by Maya Williams (2013-16). Yates had nine points in the first quarter, eight in the second, nine in the third and nine in the fourth to finish with 35 points and the new all-time scoring leader with 1,548 career points.

“We knew going into the game that Kianna needed 35 points to set the record and the girls wanted to get that done for her tonight,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said to SoMo Sports. “She’s such a great player and a great teammate that the girls were super excited when she set the record with a 3 in the fourth quarter.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment for her, and for the entire team. It takes a whole career of talented teammates to make that happen. She’s not a selfish player, she’s set this record by being a consistent 15 to 20 points per game scorer for four years.

“I’m so proud of the talented player she has become and also the wonderful young lady she has grown into. She has definitely left a lasting legacy on the court, within our program and in the Carthage community as a whole ” 

The Tigers (12-14) played with the consistency of their point guard against the Wildcats, scoring 16 points in each of the first two quarters to build a 32-21 advantage by the intermission. Carthage continued to pull away in the second half, limiting Cassville to 23 total points in the second half.

Maggie Boyd added 12 points for Carthage, while Lauren Choate scored eight in the win.

“I thought that Maggie and Lauren did a great  job of giving us offensive balance tonight,” Moore added. “When those two are hitting shots, a team can’t focus just on Kianna.”

Carthage enters the postseason as the sixth seed of the Class 6 District 5 tournament and matches up with third-seeded Kickapoo at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday at Nixa.

STATE WRESTLING ROUNDUP: Seneca’s Roark captures 3rd state title; Renfro earns gold in girls tourney

Posted on by Jason Peake

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Seneca’s Brady Roark became a three-time state champion on Thursday at the 2023 MSHSAA Boys Wrestling Championships at Mizzou Arena.

Competing in Class 2, Roark pinned St. Charles’ Levi Perry-South in the title bout at 132 pounds. A senior, Roark went 56-0 this season and ended his prep career with a third state title. 

Roark won the 120-pound bracket a year ago after winning the 106-pound crown in ’21.

Roark’s performance led the way for a strong local contingent.

Seneca’s Andrew Manley was the runner-up at 144 pounds. Manley suffered a 13-2 setback to Hallsville’s Gavynn Carpenter in the title match. 

Finishing fourth in their brackets were Seneca’s Jace Renfro (190), Monett’s Simon Hartline (120) and Cassville’s Arkhilleus Arguelles (132) and Jake Anthonysz (165).

Cassville’s Colton Roark (144) and Riley James (150) both won their respective fifth-place matches, while Nevada’s duo of Brayden Koenig (150) and Kenneth Johnson (215) both finished sixth.

Seneca finished seventh in the Class 2 team standings with 87 points. Pleasant Hill won the team title with 145.5 points.

 

CLASS 1 GIRLS

Seneca’s Isabella Renfro captured the gold medal at 190 pounds. Renfro earned an 8-2 decision over Tipton’s Lily Burns in the title bout. A junior, Renfro went 47-0 this season. She was a runner-up at last year’s state tourney.

Cassville’s Faith James was the runner-up at 130 pounds, falling by fall to Jefferson City’s Alexis Dunwiddie in the title bout. 

Cassville’s Annie Moore finished third at 115, while Seneca’s Louzella Graham won by fall over Monett’s Jenna Spencer in the fifth-place match at 115. Seneca’s Liberty Cornell placed fifth at 155.

Cassville’s girls finished third in the Class 1 team standings with 62 points. Kearney (75.5) and Brookfield (75) were first and second, respectively. 

Seneca finished sixth in the standings with 54 points.

DISTRICT HOOPS: Early dominance at both ends leads CHC past Purdy in semifinals

Posted on by Lucas Davis

An early suffocating effort on defense coupled with an efficient output on the offensive end by top-seeded College Heights Christian fueled the Cougars to a big lead they wouldn’t relinquish in a 62-34 win over fifth-seeded Purdy in the Class 2 District 12 semifinals on Thursday.

CHC’s Libby Fanning scores inside during the Cougars’ first-quarter onslaught against Purdy on Thursday. Photo by Israel Perez.

College Heights (16-11) forced a bevy of turnovers in the first quarter, which ultimately led to plenty of easy baskets the other way and a 23-point advantage for the Cougars heading into the second period. CHC carried that momentum into halftime and pushed the lead to more than 30 over the Eagles (5-23) in the third quarter, keeping pace down the stretch in the win.

“We played really well from the start,” CHC coach John Blankenship said. “I was a little concerned because it has been a week since we last played. That’s the downside of having a bye, but they’ve been pretty focused in practice the last week. We talked about making sure we came out mentally sharp and ready to play. I thought they responded to that really well.

“We scored 27 points in the first quarter and pulled off the trap in the second quarter, so our defensive intensity dropped a little bit. We had a little conversation about that at halftime and they came out and picked it up in the third quarter.

“Overall, I was really pleased with how we played. We got some kids on the bench some minutes and got our starters some rest. We have a couple of nagging injuries, so it was nice to give them a little bit of a rest.”

DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP

With the win, College Heights is back in the district championship game for the fifth straight season. The Cougars square off against Pierce City at 6 p.m. on Saturday inside the College Heights Christian Athletic Complex.

“I want them to be consistent,” Blankenship said when asked what he wants to see from his girls in the title game. “If we are playing defense, moving the ball well and knocking down open shots, we are going to play with most teams. Pierce City is a very quality program and is coached well. They know us and we know them pretty well, so it will be a tough matchup.”

GAME ACTION

The tone on the defensive end was set in the first several minutes of action for College Heights, as the Cougars went to the trap early and forced Purdy into six turnovers over the first four minutes. The barrage of extra possessions turned into a 12-2 start through the first half of the opening period of play.

“Jayli (Johnson) and Lauren (Ukena), our guards, do such a good job of putting a lot of pressure on the ball and forcing turnovers, which allows us to get out in our transition game,” Blankenship said. “Our defense usually initiates our offense.”

CHC’s Jayli Johnson passes for an assist during the Cougars’ win over Purdy in the district semifinals on Thursday. Photo by Israel Perez.

While the Cougar defense was wreaking havoc on the Eagles’ offense, CHC forward Libby Fanning was giving Purdy fits on the offensive end—with most of her dominance coming inside the paint. Fanning had 13 points on six field goals in the first quarter of action.

“She is a force inside,” Blankeship said of Fanning. “We knew we would have an advantage inside tonight, so that was our plan—to pound it inside. We have been working with her on reading a defense, when to kick it out or when to take it back up. She has gotten so much better at that.”

After the 12-2 start, CHC closed the opening period on a 15-2 run to take a 27-4 advantage after the first eight minutes of play. Aside from Fanning, Ava Lett and Addie Lawrence each knocked down 3-pointers, while Jayli Johnson, Allie Stout and Kinley Marsh all got on the scoreboard in the opening period.

College Heights held its 20-plus-point cushion advantage into halftime and accelerated out of the break. The Cougars started the second half on a 11-4 advantage to build their first 30-point margin.

Johnson highlighted the run with back-to-back steals, finishing one off for a layup on the break and dishing to Maddy Colin for a transition bucket following the second swipe. Colin added another basket in transition at the four-minute mark before Lauren Ukena scored on the break on the next possession to push the lead to 47-15.

“One thing you can count on from Jayli is 100 percent effort on both ends of the floor regardless of how tired she is,” Blankenship said of his senior guard. “Her character and integrity allows her to push through things. Her speed on defense allows her to create so many turnovers for us.”

STAT LEADERS

Fanning finished with a double-double after scoring a game-high 17 points and pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds. Colin finished with 10 points, five steals and four rebounds, while Johnson closed with seven points, a game-high six assists to go along with five steals defensively to go along with three boards. Lawrence closed with eight points, while Stout and Lett each scored six.

CHC’s Addie Lawrence knocks down a 3-pointer during the Cougars’ win over Purdy on Thursday. Photo by Israel Perez.

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