CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Joplin’s defense suffocated Carl Junction early to build a sizable cushion before pulling away for an 80-44 win in the Central Ozark Conference action on Tuesday.
Joplin (16-7, 4-3 COC) used a 14-0 run in the first quarter and an 11-1 run in the second quarter to accumulate an 18-point lead over Carl Junction (4-19, 0-7 COC) by the intermission. The Eagles held the pace before pulling away down the stretch of the fourth quarter.
“That is how we are going to have to win from here on out, on the defensive end,” Joplin coach Bronson Schaake said. “I told the guys we will have to use our size, which we have, and the guard spot with the Wrights. They ran a triangle and two against us again and I thought we did what we needed to do to get it in the paint, especially at the end of the third quarter and into the fourth quarter. We were getting layups. We need to do that.”
GAME ACTION
Carl Junction opened with the first five points of the game on an inside score from Ayden Bard and a 3-pointer by Kyler Perry before Joplin ripped off a 14-0 run to swing the momentum in its favor permanently.
The Eagles held the Bulldogs scoreless for five minutes of game action while building a 14-5 advantage in the process. Brantley Morris had a 3-pointer early in the run before an All Wright transition bucket off a turnover and a floater from Always Wright gave Joplin an 8-5 lead. Joe Jasper added a bucket inside in transition before a block from Whit Hafer, his third swat of the first period, led to a transition hoop from All Wright to make the score 12-5 with 55 seconds on the clock. Terrance Gibson closed the run with an offensive board for a putback.
“I know it was their Senior Night and they were going to come out jacked up,” Schaake said of the start to the game. “We just needed to wake up after seeing what they were doing. Going on a run like that is triggered at the defensive end. The last two weeks, we have been trying to get back to that as our foundation as we head into districts.”
Joplin took a 16-7 lead into the second period and started the quarter just as fast, using an 11-1 run to build a 23-8 lead with less than five minutes to play in the first half.
“It was good to see us kind of go at them,” Schaake said about the start to the second quarter. “I didn’t want us to be passive and get caught up in this environment. So, that was good to see.”
Gibson started the run with a bucket inside before All Wright scored on the drive. Morris knocked down his second 3-pointer of the game and Gibson followed with a tip-in basket to extend the Eagles’ lead to 27-8 near the midway point of the second period.
Joplin played with the 19-point lead through the rest of the half, taking a 37-19 lead into the intermission.
Carl Junction cut the lead to 44-28 midway through the third period, but Joplin closed the quarter on a 10-4 run to push the lead to more than 20 points. Morris knocked down a 3-pointer, while All Wright added a 3-ball and a score off the drive. Gibson added an offensive rebound for a bucket. The Eagles led 54-33 heading into the final eight minutes.
Carl Junction trimmed the lead to 58-42 on a 3-pointer by Bard, but the Eagles responded with a 16-0 run to put the game out of reach with a 30-plus point lead, 74-42, to start a running clock with two minutes to play.
“Kids can get that way when they look at the clock and they have a lead,” Schaake said. “They were a little (lackadaisical) without realizing it. To see them amp it back up and finish strong, going right back at them, was good. I was going to be a little angry if we didn’t.”
SCORING LEADERS
Gibson led Joplin in scoring with 22 points, scoring 11 in each half. All Wright finished with 16 points and Morris added 11, knocking down three 3-pointers. Always Wright added seven points and Jasper contributed six in the win.
Bard finished with a game-high 22 points to lead Carl Junction. Josh Cory added 11 points.
SENIOR NIGHT
Carl Junction honored Perry and Cory in Senior Night ceremonies after the game.
UP NEXT
Joplin is at Willard on Friday.
Carl Junction is at Branson on Friday.
