Your online home for Joplin area sports coverage.

Month: December 2023

BOYS HOOPS: Joplin wraps play in 12 Courts of Christmas

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Joplin boys basketball wrapped up play in the 12 Courts of Christmas basketball tournament on Saturday.

The Eagles took a loss to Smithville on Friday before surffering a loss to Central (St. Joseph) on Saturday to end play in the 2023 portion of the the season.

Joplin (1-8) hosts the 2024 Kaminsky Classic basketball tournament from Jan. 4-6 with a 6:30 p.m. matchup against Union in the opening round on Thursday.

 

CENTRAL BOYS (ST. JOSEPH) 52, JOPLIN 48 (DOUBLE OVERTIME)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Joplin and Central needed a pair of extra overtime periods to decide the Eagles’ final 12 Courts of Christmas basketball tournament appearance on Saturday.

Joplin led 21-17 at halftime before Central tied the game by the end of the third quarter. The contest remained tied at the end of regulation 40-40 and 45-45 at the end of the first overtime period. Central found the momentum in the second extra five-minute period en route to the win.

“We got off to a slow start but were able to get going a bit in the second quarter,” Joplin coach Nick Pfeifer said to SoMo Sports. “Defensively, we were mostly solid throughout the game and did a pretty nice job of getting some deflections and turnovers. Offensively, I thought we were a little better than last night. Unfortunately, they made a few more plays than we did in the second overtime.”

Trenton Gage led Joplin in scoring with 17 points, while Brecken Green closed with nine points. Aiden Scourten added eight, while Whit Hafer, a senior who has signed with Missouri to play football, finished with seven points in the loss.

Shadai Ndamboma finished the game with nine points, while DaKoda Plymell had eight points and Amonttay Henderson seven in the win for Central.

 

SMITHVILLE 45, JOPLIN 37 (FRIDAY)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Joplin took a slim lead into halftime before Smithville outscored the Eagles 22-13 in the second half on the way to the win in Joplin’s 12 Courts of Christmas basketball tournament opener on Friday.

Joplin rallied in the second period to lead Smithville 24-23 at halftime before the Warriors took a 35-29 lead into the final eight minutes of play and didn’t give it up.

Trenton Gage and Brecken Green each scored nine points to lead Joplin in scoring, while Carter Harbin had seven points in the win.

Max McKenzie had 14 points and Tobias Ford finished with 13 points for the Warriors to lead all scorers.

BOYS HOOPS: Kickapoo stifles Joplin early on the way to a road win

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Kickapoo held Joplin to four field goals in the first half, building a 20-point lead the Chiefs would never relinquish in a 60-20 win over the Eagles on Friday inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.

The Chiefs (10-1) held an eight-point lead over the Eagles (1-6) after the first quarter and pushed the advantage to 20 by the intermission. Kickapoo continued to attack in the second half, cruising to victory in the Eagles’ final home game of the 2023 calendar year.

“I thought it was a bad combination tonight,” first-year Joplin coach Nick Pfeifer said. “They’re a really good team and we didn’t bring our best stuff tonight. Unfortunately, that led to a pretty ugly performance. We still have to keep getting better. This is an experience that should have all of us looking in the mirror and asking ourselves, ‘How can we get better?’”

Kickapoo limited Joplin to a pair of field goals in the first quarter, while scoring the final six of the quarter to take a 14-6 advantage into the second period.

Joplin senior Whit Hafer, who has signed to play football at Missouri, gave the Eagles an early lead after splashing a 3-pointer from the wing to make the score 3-2 a minute and a half into the game.

The Chiefs proceeded to outscore the Eagles 12-3 over the remainder of the opening stanza. Shaun Campbell led Kickapoo with eight points in the first quarter.

“They are really good defensively,” Pfeifer said of Kickapoo’s defensive effort in the first half. “They guard the ball well, they’re in the right position and they do a good job of fighting through screens. Their ball pressure is very good and that makes it very difficult. We struggled to find guys to break that down and make a play for us.”

After scoring the first two baskets of the game for Kickapoo, junior F Jackson Shorter made his mark on the game to open the second period after converting the first three field goals of the period, including a dunk on the break. He added another field goal and a charity to fuel the Chiefs’ 25-8 lead midway through the period.

“He is what I would consider a physical, skilled post,” Pfeifer said of Shorter. “He is strong and has a nice base and is very skilled. He understands where he needs to put himself in order to make plays and help his teammates out as well.”

After starting the quarter on an 11-2 run, Kickapoo ultimately outscored Joplin 16-4 in the second period to take a 30-10 lead into the intermission.

The Chiefs pushed the lead to 30 with two minutes left in the third quarter on an alley-oop connection from Campbell to Shorter to make the score 45-15 and continued to push the pace until the final horn.

Shorter finished with 19 points to lead all scorers, while Campbell had 12 for Kickapoo. 

Carter Harbin and Cooper Williams led Joplin with five points each.
Joplin takes part in the 12 Courts of Christmas basketball tournament with a matchup against Smithville on Dec. 29 and a matchup against Central (St. Joseph) on Dec. 30.

BOYS HOOPS: Webb City starts fast, finishes strong against Seneca

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Taking the court with a little extra motivation, Webb City started fast and finished strong in an 88-58 victory over Seneca on Thursday night in a non-conference boys basketball clash inside the Cardinal Dome.

In a game they never trailed, the speedy Cardinals built a 16-point lead by the midway point of the first quarter.

“Our guys were really motivated tonight,” Webb City coach Jason Horn said. “Coach (Cort) Hardy spent a lot of time here as an assistant and he coached a lot of our guys when they were coming up through the program. They wanted to have a good showing against him. I thought we were very aggressive, sharp and focused to start the game. And it always helps when you hit some shots early. That really fed our defense.”

Propelled by its full court pressure defense, and getting plenty of hoops in transition, Webb City held an 18-2 lead by the 3:55 mark of the opening stanza.

But Seneca adjusted to the speed of the game and the Indians started getting high-percentage shots from in close. In fact, the Indians closed the first quarter on a 13-4 surge, trimming Webb City’s lead from 16 to seven at 22-15.

“You have to give Seneca credit,” Horn said. “We won that first four minutes, but they were much better in that second four minutes. They made a run at us.” 

In the first meeting between the two programs since 2012, the fast-paced and back and forth second period was nearly even, as the Cardinals outscored the Indians 19-18 in the frame for a 41-33 halftime advantage.

“Seneca was hurting us in the soft spots of our 1-2-2,” Horn said. “We talked to our kids about that at halftime and we were able to make the adjustment.”

The visitors were still within striking distance when Webb City finished the third quarter on a 17-6 run for a 65-45 cushion.

“We wanted to wear them down and keep running at them in waves,” Horn commented. “We hope the wear and tear will take its toll. We play nine guys, and with the way we want to play, we’re going to need all of them. We want the tempo as fast as we can get it and we want to use our speed to our advantage. And the guys really like playing that way. I enjoy coaching that way and I think our fans like watching us play that way.” 

Webb City senior guard Barron Duda hit a trio of 3-pointers in the game-changing third quarter, while Eli Pace, Omari Jackson and Holton Keith all contributed buckets as the hosts won the third quarter 24-12.

In the early stages of the fourth quarter, Gabe Johnson and Keith both drilled 3-pointers before Jackson converted a steal into a layup, and the Cardinals blew the game open by pushing their lead to 30 at 79-49.

“We’re going to score in waves and it’s going to come in bunches,” Horn said. “But there are also going to be some short droughts. We have to play through them. And I thought our kids played extremely hard tonight.” 

Receiving votes in the MBCA’s Class 5 poll, Webb City hiked its record to 5-2.

Webb City shot 56 percent from the floor, making 36 of 64 shot attempts, including 11 of 24 from long range.

Four players scored in double figures for the Cardinals. 

Duda led the way with 24 points on 8 of 16 shooting, including 5 of 9 from 3-point land. 

A junior point guard, Pace scored 20 points to go along with eight assists.

Keith scored 16 points and Jackson added 12. Johnson just missed double figures with eight points.

Johnson and Keith compiled four assists and three steals apiece.

Hardy’s Seneca squad fell to 4-4. 

The Indians made 51 percent of their field goal attempts (23 of 45) and out-rebounded the Cardinals 27-26, but the visitors had 24 turnovers to Webb City’s 12.

Three players scored in double figures for the Indians. Senior forward Morgan Vaughn scored 19 points on 7 of 10 shooting and also grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Indians.

Senior Gavyn Hoover added 14 points and junior Zane Grotjohn had 13 points.

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Webb City will take on St. Joseph Central at 3:30 on Dec. 28 at the Twelve Courts of Christmas tourney in Kansas City. 

Seneca will be among the teams competing at next week’s Neosho Holiday Classic.

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

GIRLS HOOPS: Joplin tops Central for second straight win

Posted on by Lucas Davis

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Joplin trailed by three after the first quarter before surging back in the second period to build an insurmountable cushion on the way to the team’s second win over the season, beating Central 43-35 on Thursday.

Central took an 8-5 lead into the second stanza before Joplin rebounded in a big way, outscoring the Bulldogs 17-6 on the way to a 22-14 lead by the intermission. Central trimmed the deficit to five to start the final eight minutes of play before Joplin added to its lead down the stretch to seal the win.

“This was a great team win for a second win in a row,” Joplin coach Brad Cox said. “We started out very well with 17 points in the second quarter. We went through a drought in the third and four quarters, but our girls responded and we were able to pull out the win. I feel like this is a big step for our program, continuing to fight and pulling out a win, and our defense is getting better each game.” 

The Eagles (3-7) were led in scoring by Bailey Owens’ 18 points, 10 coming in the second half. Her sister, Alissa Owens finished with 12 points to give Joplin a pair of players in double figures. Ashley Phillips added five and Aiyana Kroll scored four in the win.

Talia Dyson led Central in scoring with 18 points, while Desteny Pierce finished with 10.

Joplin is at Seneca on Jan. 4

GIRLS HOOPS: Ray-Pec holds off Carthage for road win

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Raymore-Peculiar closed the first half on a surge and held off Carthage in the second half en route to a 49-42 win on Thursday.

Ray-Pec took a nine-point lead into the second half before Carthage (3-5) outscored the Panthers 14-5 in the third period to tie the game heading into the final eight minutes of play. Ray-Pec took the momentum early in the fourth quarter and never gave it back.

“The girls battled hard tonight, there’s no questioning our effort against a talented Ray-Pec team,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said to SoMo Sports. “If a few more of our shots roll in, instead of just roll out, that game has a different ending.”

“Outside of a three-minute stretch to end the first half where Ray-Pec went on a 10-0 run, we outplayed them the other 29 minutes. The lesson we need to learn from this is that it takes a full 32 minutes to beat a good team.”

Ray-Pec closed the first quarter on a 9-5 run, which included a 3-pointer from Sam Larkins with 15 seconds left, to build a 15-10 lead heading into the second period.

Carthage took the momentum early in the second period after starting the quarter on an 8-2 run to grab the lead from the Panthers. 

Jaidyn Brunnert connected from the wing on the perimeter to start the quarter, while Lauren Choate added a pair of free throws before knocking down a deep 3-ball from the top of the key to put Carthage in front 18-17 with 3:36 left in the half.

Ray-Pec immediately took the advantage back and closed the first half on an 11-1 run to go into the intermission with a 28-19 cushion.

Sarai Clark contributed two field goals in the run, while Peyton Johnson knocked down a 3-pointer. Sophie Terry and Hayden Kurtz added buckets as well.

The Tigers spent the third quarter clawing back against the Panthers, outscoring Ray-Pec 14-5 out of the halftime break.

After Terry knocked down a 3-ball to start the second half, Lexa Younblood matched with a 3-pointer from the wing before Maggie Boyd connected from the perimeter to trim the CHS deficit to 31-26.

Clark scored on the drive for the Panthers before Carthage closed the third quarter making 7-of-8 free throws, which included Youngblood making 2 of 2 with five seconds left to tie the game at 33-all with one quarter to play.

Ray-Pec started the final eight minutes of play with a 3-pointer from Johnson before Clark scored inside and drew contact for a three-point play and a 39-33 lead. 

Boyd knocked down a runner for the Tigers before the Panthers got a baseline jumper from Johnson and an inside bucket by Hayden Kurtz to push the lead back out to 43-35.

Carthage cut the lead to five, 47-42, on a jumper from Brunnert off the assist by Choate with just over a minute to play, but that would be as close to the lead as the Tigers would get before the final horn.

Terry led Ray-Pec with 18 points, while Clark finished right behind with 15 points. Johnson sank two 3-pointers and finished with eight points.

Choate and Youngblood each knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and led Carthage in scoring with 16 points and 15 points, respectively. 

“Lauren Choate and Lexa Youngblood were the offensive sparks tonight for us,” Moore added. “They did a great job of attacking the basket to score or draw fouls. Each of them shot 10 free throws with the added benefit of getting a couple of Panther players in foul trouble.”

Carthage takes part in the Pink & White Invitational basketball tournament hosted by Kickapoo from Dec. 27-30.

BOYS HOOPS: Carthage suffers close loss in KC

Posted on by Jason Peake

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Carthage High School boys basketball team suffered a 67-62 setback to East Buchanan on Thursday at the Twelve Courts of Christmas tournament at Hy-Vee Arena.

The Tigers trailed by three with 1:25 remaining, but they were unable to get over the hump.

This one was close throughout. 

Carthage led 14-10 at the end of the first quarter, but the Bulldogs outscored the Tigers 18-11 in the second period for a 28-25 cushion.

The third quarter was even, 11-11, and East Buchanan led 39-36.

The Bulldogs outscored the Tigers 28-26 in the high-scoring fourth quarter for the final margin.

Carthage’s standout senior guard Justin Ray scored 26 points and made four 3-pointers.

Trent Yates added 11 points for the Tigers, while Kruz Castor and Jack Ryder added eight points apiece. 

Clark Scott and Isaiah Watkins scored 22 points apiece for the Bulldogs, who improved to 6-1. Watkins made six treys.

Carthage (4-3) will compete at the Lendel Thomas Classic on Dec. 28-30 in Harrison, Arkansas. 

 

WRESTLING ROUNDUP: Seneca nips Carl Junction; Carthage tops Bentonville West

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

SENECA 33, CARL JUNCTION 31

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — The Seneca Indians pulled out a close dual victory over the Carl Junction Bulldogs on Wednesday night in boys wrestling action.

At 106 pounds, Seneca’s Jaxen Rhoads won by fall over Zane Gunnett.

Carl Junction’s Carter Foglesong won by fall over Jaxson French at 113 and CJ’s Drake Richardson earned a 7-5 decision over Paxton Bruegal at 120.

The Indians reeled off six straight wins.

At 126, Seneca’s Keatin Burleson defeated Camdon Kunkle 3-1, while Brant Laughlin earned a 7-2 decision over CJ’s Max Matthews at 132.

Seneca’s Eli Manley won by fall over Cole Beezley at 138, Trentyn Raney edged Brenden Berry 8-7 at 144, Blaine Frichey beat Kale Trosper 6-0 at 150 and Andrew Manley won by fall over Aaron Dillingham at 157.

Carl Junction’s Dexter Merrell pinned Landon Commons in the 165-pound bout, while CJ’s Marcus Lopez-Durman earned a major decision, 20-11, over Sawyer Cornell at 175.

Seneca’s Jace Renfro earned a 5-2 decision over Tony Stewart at 190.

Carl Junction’s Josh Cassatt won the 215-pound bout by DQ and CJ’s Blake Starks won by forfeit at 285.

In a girls dual, Seneca defeated Carl Junction 18-12.

Carl Junction’s Bryanna McCabe and Isabella Montez won their matches by fall. 

Seneca’s Harley Lankford (155), Morgan Barber (190) and Isabella Renfro (235) won their matches by forfeit.

 

CARTHAGE 54, BENTONVILLE WEST 24

CENTERTON, Ark. — The Carthage Tigers recorded eight wins by pinfall against Bentonville West.

Winning matches by fall for the Tigers were Tanner Putt (106), Caden Groom (113), Kelvin Alvarez (120), Wyatt Hole (126), Grady Huntley (132), Bradyn Tate (138), Lenny Escobar (165) and Latrell Abbasi (190).

Carthage’s Joshua Hill earned a 7-6 decision over Nicholas Soriano at 175 pounds and Jaxton Lopez defeated Ricardo Garcia 6-4 in the heavyweight bout. 

Bentonville West won by fall at 144, 150, 157 and 215.

Also, Bentonville West defeated Carthage 42-6 in a girls dual. 

Carthage’s lone win came at 115, as Maylee Brown won by fall over Rylie Sminchak.

Carthage’s wrestling program is hosting a holiday dual tournament on Dec. 28.

BOYS HOOPS: Carthage earns come-from-behind win at Twelve Courts of Christmas 

Posted on by Jason Peake

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Carthage overcame an early deficit and knocked off Bishop LeBlond 53-44 on Wednesday at the Twelve Courts of Christmas tourney at Hy-Vee Arena. 

Bishop LeBlond held an 18-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. 

The second period was nearly even, with Carthage outscoring Bishop LeBlond 12-11.

With that, Carthage trailed 29-21 at halftime.

The Tigers won the third quarter 13-2 for a 34-31 advantage.

Carthage outscored Bishop LeBlond 19-13 in the final frame.

Senior guard Justin Ray scored 22 points and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to lead Carthage.

Kruz Castor also reached double figures with 10 points. 

Dylan Pugh and Trent Yates scored five points apiece and Jack Ryder had four.

The Tigers made 13 of 14 free throw attempts.

Carthage snapped a two-game skid and improved to 4-2.

Jacob Winkelbauer scored 11 points for Bishop LeBlond (6-3). The Golden Eagles entered the game ranked sixth in Class 3 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association. 

The Tigers will meet East Buchanan (5-1) at 12:45 on Thursday at the event.

WRESTLING: Webb City falls at Frontenac

Posted on by Jason Peake

FRONTENAC, Kan. — The visiting Webb City Cardinals suffered a 57-21 loss to the Frontenac Raiders on Tuesday night in boys wrestling action.

Webb City’s Gauge Heilbrun won by fall over Jomar Pero at 132 pounds and Colt Taylor earned a 6-4 decision over Frontenac’s Brady Sloan at 138.

Webb City’s other two wins came by forfeit, as Louden Bolinger won at 215 and Garrett Mathis earned the win at heavyweight.

Dropping their respective matches were Elijah Rogers (126), Mason Hance (144), Ben Wallace (150), Carson Farmer (157), Zander Perriman (165), Cooper Heilbrun (175) and Bronson Collard (190). 

Webb City will compete at the Kinlock tourney in Springfield on Dec. 29-30. 

BOYS HOOPS: Carl Junction earns win over McDonald County

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Trailing after the first quarter, Carl Junction rallied to take the lead by halftime and held onto it in the second half for a 65-60 win over McDonald County on Tuesday.

The win moves Carl Junction above .500 with a 5-4 record, while McDonald County falls below .500 at 3-4.

The Mustangs jumped in front by three after the opening stanza before the Bulldogs rallied behind an eight-point second quarter from Jett Hocut to outscored McDonald County 16-9 to take a 27-23 lead into the intermission.

Carl Junction added on to the lead in the third quarter, with Cooper Vediz leading the way with 10 points for the Bulldogs.

Brody Pant had a pair of 3-pointers in the period, while Jett Mills and Wyatt McAfee each had two field goals as well.

McDonald County put on its rally caps in the fourth quarter, starting the period down eight. The Mustangs got eight points from Destyn Dowd, including a 3-pointer, and four points from Cael Carlin but it wouldn’t be enough to overcome the Bulldogs’ cushion.

Vediz had a game-high 19 points in the win, 12 coming in the second half. McAfee closed with 13 points, while Hocut had 12 and Deacon Endicott with 10 points to give Carl Junction four players in double-figure scoring.

McDonald County also had four players score in double figures, with Toby Moore’s 17 points leading the way. Moore scored 11 of his points in the first half, six in the first quarter to help propel the Mustangs in front early.

Dowd was right behind with 16 points, while Josh Pacheco had 12 points and Carlin 10.

Carl Junction takes part in the Kaminsky Classic, opening on Jan. 4 with a matchup against Francis Howell.

McDonald County hosts Willard on Thursday before taking part in the Neosho Holiday Classic from Dec. 27-29.

GIRLS HOOPS: Scott leads Carl Junction past McDonald County

Posted on by Lucas Davis

 

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. —  Carl Junction took a five-point lead into halftime thanks in large part to the play of senior forward Kylie Scott and held McDonald County at bay the second half for a 43-34 win on Tuesday.

Scott, who is signed to play with Oral Roberts, scored nine of her game-high 19 points in the first half, including all seven of the Bulldogs’ points in the second quarter. 

Carl Junction used a pair of field goals from freshman Maddy Huffman as well as a bucket from sophomore Jadyn Howard and three free throws from Scott in the opening stanza to lead 9-5 heading into the second quarter.

Scott’s seven points, which included a 3-pointer, matched McDonald County’s seven points that came on field goals from freshman Dakota O’Brien and senior Carlee Cooper and two free throws from sophomore Carlie Martin to give the Bulldogs a 16-11 cushion at the intermission. 

Carl Junction took control of the contest in the third period after outscoring the Mustangs 18-7, with Scott (six points) and Huffman (four points) leading the way out of the half. 

Howard, junior DeShaye Buerge and junior Dezi Williams all had field goals in the quarter for CJ.

Martin, who had a 3-pointer in the third quarter, tried to rally McDonald County with nine fourth-quarter points that included another 3-ball, but it wasn’t enough to get the Mustangs back in contention by the final horn.

Scott tallied eight free throws while leading Carl Junction in scoring. Williams, who had six points in the fourth quarter, added 10 points to give the Bulldogs two players in double figures. Huffman was right behind with eight.

Martin led the way for the Mustangs with 14 points, 12 coming in the second half. O’Brien finished with eight points in the loss, while Cooper closed with four.

Carl Junction (5-4) travels to Strafford on Jan. 9.

McDonald County (7-3) hosts Lafayette on Thursday.

BOYS HOOPS: Cheaney’s big night, strong 2nd half leads Nevada past Harrisonville

Posted on by Jason Peake

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. — Jack Cheaney poured in 32 points to lead Nevada’s boys basketball team to an 85-65 win over Harrisonville on Tuesday night.

Cheaney scored 23 points in the first half and added nine in the second half. He hit five 3-pointers.

In addition to Cheaney’s 32, Brice Budd scored 21 points and Gabe Smith had 17 points for the Tigers, who are now 5-5.

Clinging to a 39-34 halftime lead, Nevada won the second half 46-31 to earn a statement victory in a game that had district implications.

“We started the game a little shaky versus the zone trap, and we also struggled to keep Mason Mitchell off the glass,” Nevada coach Shaun Gray said. “But our guys kept battling and striving to clean those things up. We guarded well in the halfcourt, and when we started rebounding better, that’s when the game turned.”

The Tigers knocked down eight 3-pointers in the 27-point second quarter, with Cheaney hitting five from long range.

“After Mason Majors hit a 3-ball to spark the perimeter scoring, Jack Cheaney sparked us from the 3-point line in the second quarter, which made Harrisonville get out of their zone,” Gray noted. “And when they went man to man that allowed Brice Budd to drive to score and to draw a lot of fouls.”

Smith scored 14 points in the second half, hitting four treys.

“Gabe had the hot hand from 3 in the second half,” Gray noted. “Our guys shared the ball well and found the open man all night. Free throw shooting has been a point of emphasis lately and we finally got to the line and also covered at a high clip, making 24 of 27 (89%).”

Three players scored in double figures for Harrisonville (7-4), as Mitchell scored 20, Michael Moore added 13 and Mason Worthley had 12.

Gray added Tuesday’s victory should give his team plenty of confidence going forward.

“This was a great win to send us into the break, we can enjoy a few days off to recharge and then get back to the grindstone in an effort to keep building,” he said. “This group is hungry to find its ceiling and we know it will take a lot of hard work to get there.”

Nevada returns to action on Jan. 2 against Clinton.

GIRLS HOOPS: Webb City ends ’23 with blowout victory

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Coming off a pair of close setbacks, the Webb City girls basketball team needed to get well.

On Tuesday night, the Cardinals did just that.

Webb City led from start to finish in a dominant 60-17 victory over Seneca in a non-conference clash inside the Cardinal Dome.

It’s safe to say the Cardinals concluded the 2023 portion of the schedule on a high note, as they took control early on the way to a confidence-building blowout victory. 

“It’s a great way to end the first part of the season,” Webb City coach Lance Robbins said. “This is a game we really needed. We’ve been in several close games the last few weeks and we hadn’t been able to get over the hump. I thought tonight we put together more of a complete game than we’ve had so far this season. We shot the ball well and we defended well. I think we played well as a team tonight. This one is definitely something we can build on going into Christmas break.”

Webb City took the court one night after suffering a 53-49 loss at Pittsburg, Kansas. The Cardinals also dropped a 51-47 decision to Bentonville West last Wednesday at the Lady Mustang Classic.

On Tuesday, Webb City scored the first 11 points of the game, as Malorie Stanley, Addie Burns and Kirra Long all knocked down 3-pointers early in the contest and Abby Sargent made an uncontested layup.

The Cardinals held a 13-4 lead by the end of the first quarter and the hosts were up comfortably 29-10 at halftime.

Webb City outscored Seneca 23-7 in the lopsided third period and the hosts took a commanding 52-17 lead into the final frame. There was a running clock in the fourth quarter.

A 5-foot-9 senior guard, Stanley scored 13 points and hit four 3-pointers for the Cardinals. 

“Malorie has been playing really well for us and she’s been shooting the ball really well,” Coach Robbins said. “She hit five 3s last night at Pittsburg and she made four tonight. She’s finding the open areas of the zone defense and we’ve been able to find her in scoring position. She’s shooting the ball with confidence.” 

Stanley is now the lone senior in the lineup, as senior guard Mia Robbins is out of action due to a knee injury.

A pair of freshmen also had nice outings for the Cardinals. 

A 6-foot forward, Burns compiled 13 points and seven rebounds, while the 5-8 Sargent contributed 12 points, five assists, four steals and five boards from the point guard position.

Freshman Whitlee Keith scored eight points, while juniors Long and Jenna Schulz contributed five points apiece. Junior Brynn Gilchrist and freshman Adalyn Maxwell each chipped in two points.

Webb City shot 48 percent from the floor for the game, hitting 21 of 43 field goal attempts.

The Cardinals have a lot of youth on the court, as five freshmen—Sargent, Burns, Keith, Adalyn Maxwell and Kaelyn Maxwell—have been getting lots of varsity playing time thus far. Freshman Jocelyn Maxwell and sophomore Karsyn Cahoon also saw playing time in Tuesday’s blowout win.

“We’ve been playing a lot of young kids and I feel like they’re developing at a good rate,” Coach Robbins said. “We need them to continue to be coachable and we need them to continue to buy-in. As they improve, I think we’ll be able to get over the hump in the close games.” 

Seneca’s Olivia Haase scored eight points and Ashtyn Lannon added five.  

Seneca (1-7) will compete at the Neosho Holiday Classic from Dec. 27-29.

Webb City (3-7) will return to action on Jan. 2 at home against Nevada (6-4). 

“There’s definitely some things we need to work on over Christas break so we can have a good second half of the season,” Robbins noted. 

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

GIRLS HOOPS: Joplin defends early lead with stingy defense in the second half

Posted on by Lucas Davis

 

 

Joplin girls basketball built a lead with a strong offensive performance in the second quarter and spent the second half locking down on the defensive end to preserve a 36-28 win over Monett on Tuesday inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.

The Eagles took a slim margin into the second period before starting the quarter with a surge on offense, pushing the lead to eight by the intermission. After building a double-digit advantage early in the second half, Joplin’s defense limited Monett to one field goal and 15 free throws in the second half en route to the win.

“We played extremely hard,” Joplin coach Brad Cox said. “We talked to our girls about playing a complete game for four quarters. If we can do that, we are going to be successful. Credit to Monett, they are a really good team. They scored 79 and 76 points in their last two games, so holding them to 28 was huge for our defense. I am super proud of the girls.”

Joplin took a 4-3 advantage into the second quarter and expanded that into an 18-11 lead by the intermission thanks in part to a 9-2 run to open the second stanza.

“We were just able to make some shots in the second quarter,” Cox said. “We worked the ball a little bit better, but overall we just made our shots.”

Alissa Owens accounted for two of Joplin’s field goals, while Bailey Owens added a score in the paint and Riley Kelly sank a shot from the perimeter.

After a pair of baskets from Monett’s Aryanna Seelye midway through the period trimmed the Cubs’ deficit to 13-9, Joplin closed the first half with a 5-2 spurt backed by another field goal from Alissa Owens as well as an offensive rebound and putback bucket from Solei Parker.

“Alissa was huge for us,” Cox said. “She never came out in that game. She is somebody we rely on because she has a motor like no other. She is a very important piece to our puzzle. As a sophomore, I couldn’t be more proud of her.”

Joplin pushed its lead to double digits for the first time on an inside score from Alissa Owens early in the second half. Bailey Owens added a basket after Monett’s Abby Inman scored before she assisted on a score from Alissa Owens on a pass from the baseline to the paint to make the score 25-13 with five minutes on the clock. 

Monett held Joplin scoreless over the next four minutes of game action, but the Eagles’ defense limited the Cubs to just four free throws in the span.

Joplin got a bucket from Aiyana Kroll at the one-minute mark to end the drought and ultimately take a 27-17 lead into the final eight minutes of play.

The Eagles’ defense continued to be a strength in the fourth quarter, with Joplin limiting Monett’s scoring down the stretch to 11 free throws, nine coming from Meredith Merriman.

“At halftime, we talked about putting the pedal to the metal,” Cox said about the defensive effort in the second half. “They did a great job of (preventing Monett from going on a run) by playing great defense. I told the girls defense is going to be one of our main pillars to success.”

Alissa Owens closed with a team-high 14 points, nine coming in the first half. Bailey Owens and Kelly each had seven points in the win.

Merriman finished with 15 points to lead Monett, while Seelye closed with five points.

Joplin is at Central on Thursday.

GIRLS HOOPS: College Heights rides strong 2nd quarter to win over Pierce City

Posted on by Jason Peake

PIERCE CITY, Mo. — A strong second quarter propelled the College Heights Christian girls basketball team to a 64-49 victory over Pierce City on Monday night.

Pierce City led 18-14 at the end of the first quarter, but College Heights outscored the hosts 20-5 in the second period to take an 11-point halftime advantage.

“We had a great second quarter on both ends of the court,” CHC coach John Blankenship said. 

Pierce City trimmed CHC’s lead to seven in the third quarter, but the Cougars withstood the run and pulled away further en route to victory. 

“My kids responded very well coming out of a timeout and we never looked back,” Blankenship said of withstanding Pierce City’s surge. “I felt like our defensive pressure in the first half paid off for us in the second half as fatigue became a factor. We also did a much better job with our ball control, cutting our turnovers in half from our season average. That gave us a lot of extra possessions, which is evident in our scoring tonight.” 

Libby Fanning recorded her seventh double-double of the season, as the junior forward scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds despite missing a large part of the second quarter due to foul trouble. Fanning also had three steals.

Also for CHC, Maddy Colin compiled eight points, eight rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks, while Jesalin Bever contributed 13 points and three steals.

“She played a great all-around game on both ends of the floor,” Blankenship said of Bever.

Kinley Marsh recorded eight points and four rebounds, while Allie Stout had six points, three rebounds and two assists.

Also for CHC, Karly Dorris contributed three points and two rebounds and Ava Lett had two points, four boards and three assists.

College Heights will host Bronaugh on Jan. 2. 

 

BOYS HOOPS: Aurora takes early momentum in win over Neosho

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NEOSHO, Mo. — Aurora took the lead and the momentum early, with Neosho briefly taking an advantage in the second period before the Houn’ Dawgs recovered to get back on top heading into the intermission with a lead they’d hold onto down the stretch to beat Neosho 59-47 on Monday in non-conference action inside the Neosho High School gymnasium. 

The Houn’ Dawgs used an early run to open the game in front, where Aurora stayed for most of the contest. The Wildcats battled to take a brief lead in the second quarter before Aurora countered and took an advantage into the intermission that they would never relinquish in the second half. 

Aurora (4-4) started the game on a 9-2 run over the first four minutes of action, with Jayden Carpenter knocking down a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws to lead the surge.

The Houn’ Dawgs flirted with taking a double-digit lead into the second period after an offensive rebound and putback score from Cannon Thornhill made the score 15-4 before Kaiden Asberry knocked down a 3-pointer for Neosho (3-4). A bucket from Thomas Lara off a Wildcats’ turnover with a minute left made the score 17-7 before Neosho’s Ty Harris scored in transition before the first break to cut the deficit to nine to start the second period.

The Wildcats clawed back into the game to start the second period with a 9-2 run of their own. Asberry and Brodie Arthur splashed home 3-pointers to start things off before Asberry added a charity at the stripe and a floater to close the run with Neosho trailing by one, 19-18.

Neosho finally took its first lead of the game after eight straight points, with Asberry sinking another 3-ball to kick off the run before Harris ended it with an old-fashioned three-point play after drawing contact on the drive to give the Wildcats a 26-24 cushion with 1:52 on the clock.

The Houn’ Dawgs scored the final four points off the half to go into the intermission with a 28-26 lead.

Aurora started the second half quite similarly to the way they started off the game, using a 9-2 run to push the lead to eight, 37-29, through the midway point. Lara had four points and Cameron Whitener had a 3-pointer.

Neosho got a 3-ball from Collier Hendricks and two at the foul line from Colton Southern to cut the deficit back to once possession, 37-34, but the Houn’ Dawgs got a pair of treys from Thornhill late in the period to take a 43-36 advantage into the final eight minutes of play.

Aurora threatened to push the lead to double digits twice early in the fourth quarter only for Asberry to deliver from the perimeter in the corner on consecutive possessions to keep the lead in reach, 47-42, with five minutes left.

Neosho couldn’t get the momentum to put on a run in the last half of the fourth quarter. The Houn’ Dawgs played possession basketball to keep the Wildcats at bay, pushing the lead back to double digits late to close out the win. 

Lara had 18 to lead Aurora in scoring, while Thornhill closed with 16 points, including two 3-pointers. Dayton McHenry had 11. 

Asberry knocked down six 3-pointers on the way to a team-high 21 points for Neosho. Harris finished with nine points, while Arthur closed with seven in the loss.

Neosho hosts the Neosho Holiday Classic basketball tournament from Dec. 27-29.

GIRLS HOOPS: Webb City’s late rally falls short at Pittsburg

Posted on by Jason Peake

PITTSBURG, Kan. — A late surge fell short for the Webb City girls basketball team. 

Pittsburg (Kansas) finished strong to earn a hard-fought 53-49 victory over Webb City in a non-conference clash on Monday night.

The Cardinals trailed by just one with 19 seconds left, but the Purple Dragons converted 3 of 4 attempts at the charity stripe late in the game to secure the win.

Webb City held a seven-point lead in the first half but found themselves down eight in the third quarter.

Trailing by five early in the game, Webb City used a 10-0 run to take a 12-7 advantage. The surge was capped by a hoop inside by Adalyn Maxwell and a 3-pointer by Malorie Stanley.

Pittsburg’s Jaqueline Hall buried a buzzer-beating trey, cutting Webb City’s lead to two at the end of the opening frame, 12-10.

Picking apart the hosts’ zone defense, the Cardinals took a 21-14 lead in the second quarter after baskets from Jenna Schulz, Kirra Long, Addie Burns and Abby Sargent.

But the Purple Dragons turned things around and finished the first half on a game-changing 13-2 run for a 27-23 halftime advantage.

A back and forth third period, which featured 21 combined free throws, ended with Pittsburg up 38-33.

The Cardinals pulled within one at 42-41 after a pair of 3-pointers from Stanley and a hoop inside by Burns. But the Dragons reeled off four straight points.

Stanley’s fourth trey of the fourth quarter trimmed Webb City’s deficit to one with 27 seconds left.

Pittsburg’s Hall and Webb City’s Whitlee Keith each made two free throws, with Keith’s charities cutting the PHS lead to 50-49 with 19 seconds left.

Next, Pittsburg’s Alyssa Hotze drew a foul with 16 seconds remaining. Hotze made the first free throw and missed the second. But the hosts were able to snag the offensive rebound after the missed free throw and the Cardinals were forced to foul.

Hotze knocked down two free throws with 10 seconds left for a 53-49 cushion before the Cardinals missed a last-second field goal attempt.

A senior guard, Stanley led the Cardinals with 16 points. She made five 3-pointers. 

Schulz and Burns contributed eight points apiece for Webb City, while Sargent scored six.

The Cardinals went 9-for-19 from the foul line, while the Dragons were 18-for-27.

Hall scored 20 points for Pittsburg, while Hotze added 18 and Ava Heardt had 10.

Webb City (2-7) hosts Seneca (1-6) on Tuesday night in the team’s final contest of 2023.

BOYS HOOPS: Van Buren wins Mustang Classic, all-tourney team released

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

ANDERSON, Mo. —The 2023 Mustang Classic boys basketball tournament wrapped up on Saturday.

In the championship game, Van Buren (Arkansas) defeated RUSH 74-32.

Glendale defeated McDonald County 73-66 in the third-place game. 

For fifth place, Fort Smith Southside beat Bakersfield 69-50.

Carl Junction went 0-2 at the event, falling to Van Buren 75-43 on Thursday and to Southside 58-48 on Friday.

 

MUSTANG CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Jaxon Cazzell, Van Buren

Glavine McDonald, Van Buren

Drew Brasuell, Van Buren

Garrett Rudy, RUSH

Jace Allen, RUSH

Josh Pacheco, McDonald County

Amare Witham, Glendale

Alex Roper, Southside

Morris Collins, Bakersfield

Brody Pant, Carl Junction

 

WRESTLING: Joplin boys take 3rd at Columbus Duals

Posted on by Jason Peake

COLUMBUS, Kan. — The Joplin Eagles finished third at Saturday’s Columbus Varsity Duals Tournament.

In the tourney’s third-place match, Joplin defeated Bentonville 42-39.

Joplin went 3-2 in duals on the day.

Joplin defeated Columbus 48-30 and the Eagles beat Caney Valley 58-15.

Miami defeated Joplin 45-30 and Nevada beat Joplin 42-33.

In the title match, Miami defeated Nevada 47-30.

Coffeyville beat Columbus 42-36 for fifth place and Pittsburg defeated Caney Valley 48-24 for seventh.

 

JOPLIN 42, BENTONVILLE 39 (THIRD PLACE)

The Eagles pulled out a close win to end the tourney on a positive note.

Bentonville won by forfeit at 106 pounds.

Joplin’s Gabriel Kabutha won by fall over Noah Hartley at 113 and Jacob Porter won by forfeit at 120.

Bentonville’s Marco Martinez pinned Dylan Houston at 126, but Joplin’s Andrew Burke won by fall over Maxx Corbett at 132.

Bentonville’s Austin Murphy won by fall over Michael Rhone at 138 and Joplin’s Toryn Jones won by forfeit at 144.

Bentonville won matches at 150, 157, 165 and 175, as Joplin’s Austin Puckett (150), Ben Hedrick (157) and Johnathon Burke (165) suffered losses before a forfeit at 175.

But the Eagles finished strong, as Ethan Bentz (190), Johnny Williams (215) and Josiah Hazelwood (285) all won their matches by fall. 

 

GIRLS FINISH SIXTH

Columbus also hosted a girls dual tourney.

Joplin finished sixth at the event, falling to Coffeyville 48-30 in the fifth-place match.

In the fifth-place dual, Joplin’s Taylor Brown (135), Ericka Washom (145), Amy Kessler (155), Mya Ndedi Ntepe (170) and Ilannah Burtrum (235) won matches for the Eagles. Washom, Kessler and Ndedi Ntepe all won by fall, while Brown and Burtrum won by forfeit.

In the title match, Columbus beat Burlington 48-34.

For third, Independence defeated Cherryvale 36-30.

For seventh, Humboldt defeated Caney Valley.  

In other matches, Independence defeated Joplin 36-33, Cherryvale beat Joplin 45-18, Joplin upended Caney Valley 33-12 and Joplin beat Humboldt 39-24.

 

Experienced sports journalists providing great local sports coverage in Southwest Missouri.

Schools

SOMO Sports

SOMO Sports

Learn more about how you can advertise on SOMO Sports!

LEARN MORE

Web design: BigPxl