The Neosho Holiday Classic will get underway on Wednesday.
The brackets for the tournament are posted below.
MORE INFORMATION: Neosho School District – Neosho Holiday Classic Home (neoshosd.org)
Author: Jason Peake
BOYS HOOPS: Webb City starts fast, finishes strong against Seneca
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)
BOYS HOOPS: Carthage suffers close loss in KC
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
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
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
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: Cheaney’s big night, strong 2nd half leads Nevada past Harrisonville
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
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: College Heights rides strong 2nd quarter to win over Pierce City
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.
GIRLS HOOPS: Webb City’s late rally falls short at Pittsburg
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
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
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.
BOYS HOOPS: Nevada earns blowout win for 7th place at Butler tourney
BUTLER, Mo. — With a solid overall performance, Nevada’s boys basketball team defeated University Academy Charter 58-26 in the seventh-place game of the Butler Tournament on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers built a 36-15 halftime lead.
“I’m proud of the way our guys showed up and with the energy we brought,” Nevada coach Shaun Gray said. “There was no let down or feeling sorry for ourselves (after two straight losses). Our guys brought defensive intensity from the tip and that fueled our 36-point first half.”
The Tigers held a 54-21 lead by the end of the third quarter on their way to the lopsided win.
“In the second half we focused more on our halfcourt defense and were able to limit the Gryphons to 11 total points,” Gray noted. “It was really nice to see all 14 guys get extended minutes and to see 10 guys score. Our main rotation guys were enthusiastic and very supportive of their teammates when the roles were flipped, and they were manning the bench for longer than normal portions of the game. That togetherness and family attitude is another thing that makes these guys so special and fun to be around every day.”
Brice Budd scored 19 points to lead Nevada.
“Brice Budd led our defensive effort and his energy also led to several transition buckets,” Gray said. “He also played well off of two feet in the paint and took advantage of University Academy’s lack of size.”
Also for the Tigers, Jack Cheaney scored eight points, Mason Majors had seven and Gabe Smith and Alex Ast contributed five points apiece. Rounding out Nevada’s scoring were Sean Simmons (4), Uche Mba (3), Kellen Braden (3), Riddick Shook (2) and Montgomery Palmer (2).
“Our bench guys played great in extended minutes,” Gray said. “And our 3-point defense was solid, holding University to only one 3-point goal.”
Nevada is now 4-5 on the season, and Gray noted there’s still work to do.
“Areas to improve on would be our court vision, seeing the open man sooner, and also our free throw shooting,” Gray said. “It’s something we have to correct in order to win big and close games.”
Nevada travels to Harrisonville (6-3) on Tuesday.
“We are excited to get to work Monday in preparation for a Tuesday game against district opponent Harrisonville, who is off to a great start this season,” Gray said.
BOYS HOOPS: Webb City rolls to home victory over Cassville
WEBB CITY, Mo. — The Webb City Cardinals ended a two-game skid in a big way.
Propelled by a huge second quarter, Webb City cruised to a convincing 81-43 victory over Cassville on Friday night inside the Cardinal Dome.
It’s safe to say the Cardinals got well at home after road losses at Carthage and Rogers Heritage.
“It was good to be back at home,” Webb City coach Jason Horn said. “We had a rough stretch of two games. We played two good opponents, including a rival in a championship game. You could tell fatigue was setting in and we weren’t as sharp as we needed to be. It was good to play at home and get some confidence back.”
The Cardinals (4-2) were clinging to a 24-16 advantage at the end of the first quarter, as the Wildcats stayed within striking distance.
But the Cardinals picked up the defensive pressure and sped up the game. As a result, the hosts began the second period on a game-changing 14-2 surge for a 38-18 lead.
During the spurt, Gabe Johnson and Holton Keith both knocked down 3-pointers before the hosts converted several steals into easy transition layups thanks to their defensive pressure.
“Early on, Cassville played well and did a good job of bothering some of our shots,” Horn said. “We thought our pace would wear on them. We knew we needed to play up-tempo. We were able to get some steals and defensive rebounds and get out ahead and get a lot of easy looks.”
Overall, Webb City outscored Cassville 30-8 in the one-sided second quarter for a commanding 54-24 halftime advantage.
“That’s our second 30-point quarter and we’ve had a 29-point quarter, so that shows we can be explosive,” Horn said. “We want to see that for four quarters, maybe not at the 30-point range, but we don’t want to see any droughts like we had in our last two games.”
Webb City held a comfortable 75-38 lead by the end of the third quarter and the final outcome was never in doubt in the final frame.
“This is a game we can build on,” Horn said. “Everything offensively will get better. Our timing will get better, and our legs will get better with time. We’re going to get a lot more practice time from here on out and I think we’ll clean up a lot of things. I think we’ll be a much-better team down the stretch.”
Junior guard Holton Keith scored 21 points to lead the Cardinals. Keith, who scored 19 points in the first half, also had seven steals.
“He did a good job of playing defense with his hands wide and he did a good job of getting in the passing lane,” Horn said of Keith. “He was picking passes off and he was finishing. He’s shooting the ball well from 3. He’s worked on his release and his layups.”
Also for the Cardinals’ balanced attack, senior Barron Duda scored 16 points, sophomore Trae Turner had 10 points and senior Omari Jackson and junior Eli Pace contributed nine points apiece.
Johnson chipped in six points and five steals.
The Cardinals made 48 percent of their field goal attempts (33 of 68). Webb City was credited with 22 steals.
Cassville (4-4) received 13 points and 11 rebounds from Eli Stokes and 12 points from Simon Gates.
The Wildcats hit 15 of 33 shots (45 percent) but had 39 turnovers to Webb City’s seven.
Webb City hosts Seneca (3-3) on Thursday.
FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)
GIRLS HOOPS: Carthage earns road win at Nevada
NEVADA, Mo. — A pair of second half spurts led Carthage to a 46-39 win over Nevada in a non-conference girls basketball clash on Thursday night inside Wynn Gymnasium.
In a clash between Tigers, the visitors had a 14-0 run in the third quarter and a 9-0 surge in the fourth quarter.
“It was a great team effort tonight,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “It takes all five players on the court to guard their best player and we did an amazing job of that, despite her still scoring 29 points. I’m really proud of how our girls executed the game plan offensively and defensively tonight. If we continue to play defense this well and our shooting picks up a notch, we will be a fun team to watch!”
Nevada led 6-5 at the end of the low-scoring opening period.
Carthage tied the game at 14 after a bucket from Lexa Youngblood and two free throws from Lauren Choate.
Senior guard Clara Swearingen scored all 12 of Nevada’s second-quarter points and the hosts held an 18-16 halftime advantage.
A Pittsburg State signee, Swearingen scored 15 points in the first half.
Carthage put together a game-changing 14-0 run in the third quarter to take a 30-21 lead.
Swearingen’s trey cut her team’s deficit to six entering the fourth quarter, 30-24.
Next, the visitors scored nine unanswered points in the fourth period for a 39-26 advantage with four minutes to play, and Carthage would not relinquish its lead down the stretch.
Choate led Carthage with 18 points, while Jaidyn Brunnert added 12 points, Youngblood had eight and Maggie Boyd contributed five.
“Lauren Choate shot the ball well and continues to put the pressure on other teams with her ability to shoot the deep three and take defenders off the dribble,” Moore said. “Maggie Boyd played awesome on both ends of the court for us. It’s a lot to ask of a player to guard their best player and run our offense as the point guard. She did that for the entire game and that was the difference tonight. Jaidyn Brunnert also flashed an inside and outside threat for us tonight as she scored a career-high 12 points. She gave us great energy on both ends of the court as well.”
Nevada’s Swearingen poured in a game-high 29 points, hitting seven 3-pointers. Lakyn Applegate added eight points for Nevada.
Carthage improved to 3-4 and Nevada fell to 4-4.
Nevada hosts Girard, Kansas, on Friday.
Carthage hosts Raymore-Peculiar next Thursday.
LADY MUSTANG CLASSIC: Farmington tops McDonald County in title game; Webb City falls short in 5th place game
ANDERSON, Mo. — Farmington (Arkansas) defeated McDonald County 77-36 in the championship game of the 2023 Lady Mustang Classic on Wednesday night.
Farmington built a 26-8 lead by the end of the first quarter en route to victory.
In the third-place game, Springdale defeated Providence Academy 68-53.
For fifth place, Bentonville West edged Webb City 51-47.
BENTONVILLE WEST 51, WEBB CITY 47 (5TH PLACE)
Webb City fell short in the tourney’s fifth-place game.
The Cardinals led 47-46 in the fourth quarter, but they had several empty possessions late in the game. The Wolverines scored the final five points of the contest, as Chandler Perry made a layup and Rachel Gandy knocked down a 3-pointer.
Webb City held a 31-24 halftime advantage, and the Cardinals were up 41-38 at the end of the third quarter.
Kirra Long scored 10 points to lead the Cardinals, while Jenna Schulz and Malorie Stanley contributed seven points apiece.
Webb City (2-6) travels to Pittsburg, Kansas, on Monday and then hosts Seneca on Tuesday.
LADY MUSTANG CLASSIC
Wednesday’s scores
Bentonville West 51, Webb City 47 (5th place)
Springdale 68, Providence Academy 53 (3rd place)
Farmington 77, McDonald County 36 (Title game)
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Reece Shirey, Farmington
Hannah Moss, Farmington
Zoey Bershers, Farmington
Carlie Martin, McDonald County
Dakota O’Brien, McDonald County
Charleen Hudson, Springdale
Karolina Kiraga, Providence
Hallie Ford, Bentonville West
Malorie Stanley, Webb City
Kylie Scott, Carl Junction
GIRLS SWIMMING: Carthage wins Joplin invite; host Eagles take 2nd
Led by eight event wins, Carthage won the Joplin Invitational girls swim meet on Tuesday.
The Tigers compiled 291 points and the host Eagles finished second with 255 points.
Hillcrest, Nevada, Thomas Jefferson and Greenwood rounded out the team standings.
CARTHAGE HIGHLIGHTS
Carthage won the 200 medley relay in 2:16, with Aubree Santillan, Olivia Manning, Caelyn Samuelson and Kamryn Dininger competing.
Carthage’s 200 freestyle relay team of Santillan, Dininger, Samuelson and Manning took first in 2:04.
Dininger, Santillan and Manning took first in two individual events apiece.
Dininger won the 50 freestyle with a time of 30.78 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 1:08.
Santillan and Samuelson finished first and second in the 200 freestyle with their times of 2:34 and 2:53, respectively. Santillan also took first in the 100 backstroke in 1:15.
Manning won the 200 IM in 2:44 and the 100 breaststroke in 1:25.
Samuelson and Anne Kennedy took second and third in the 100 butterfly.
Kennedy was fourth in the 100 backstroke and Rylee Wallace placed fifth in the 400 free.
The Tigers were fourth in the 400 freestyle relay, with Kennedy, Wallace, Jocelyn Yost and Alexis Fosdick competing.
JOPLIN HIGHLIGHTS
Joplin’s Kiki Thom won the 100 butterfly in 1:20 and she was the runner-up in the 50 freestyle with a time of 30.79 seconds.
Gwen Zamanzadeh took first in the 400 freestyle with a time of 6:42. She also placed third in the 200 freestyle.
Emma Marshall was the runner-up in the 400 freestyle (7:02).
Joplin’s 400 freestyle relay team of Thom, Izzy Zamanzadeh, Gwen Zamanzadeh and Brylea Smith finished second in 5:27.
The Eagles placed third in the 200 medley relay, as Izzy Zamanzadeh, Smith, Thom and Gwen Zamanzadeh recorded a time of 2:35.
Izzy Zamanzadeh placed third in the 100 backstroke and Smith took fourth in the 100 butterfly.
Joplin was fifth in the 200 free relay, with Emma Taylor, Evelyn Watson, Kylea Thullesen and Kennedy Kelley competing.
THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGHLIGHTS
Thomas Jefferson’s Kat Pruitt and Natalie Carroll finished second and third, respectively, in the 200 IM. Pruitt recorded a time of 2:44 and Carroll finished in 2:46.
The Cavaliers finished fourth in the 200 freestyle relay, with Pruitt, Sophia Stinnett, Emalee Ro and Carroll competing.
Ro was sixth in the 50 freestyle.
NEVADA HIGHLIGHTS
Nevada’s 400 freestyle relay team of Payton Bales, Chloe Morris, Avery Ogle and Mary Kate Russell took first in 5:03.
The Tigers finished second in the 200 medley relay, as Bales, Ogle, Russell and Morris recorded a time of 2:34.
Nevada was also second in the 200 freestyle relay, with Bales, Morris, Ogle and Russell competing.
Maddie Jeffries finished fourth in the 50 free and Miah Edmunds was fourth in the 100 freestyle.
JOPLIN INVITATIONAL
Final team standings: Carthage 291, Joplin 255, Hillcrest 154, Nevada 144, Thomas Jefferson 93, Greenwood 71.
LADY MUSTANG CLASSIC: McDonald County will meet Farmington in title game
ANDERSON, Mo. — Overcoming a double-digit deficit, the McDonald County girls basketball team defeated Bentonville West 51-50 in overtime in a semifinal contest of the Lady Mustang Classic on Tuesday night.
With the win, the host Mustangs will meet Farmington at 8 p.m. on Wednesday in the tourney’s championship game.
Farmington defeated Springdale 54-42 in the other semifinal.
On Tuesday night, McDonald County trailed 21-10 at the end of the first quarter.
But the Mustangs won the second period 17-5 to take a 27-26 lead at halftime.
The hosts had to come from behind again, as Bentonville West held a 38-33 advantage at the end of the third quarter.
The game was tied at 46 at the end of regulation before the Mustangs outscored the Wolverines 5-4 in the extra session.
Dakota O’Brien scored 15 points to lead Mac County (7-1), while Carlie Martin added eight points, Carlee Cooper and Jamie Washam had seven points apiece and Roslynn Huston scored six.
Hallie Ford scored 17 points to lead Bentonville West.
In Wednesday’s other games, Webb City meets Bentonville West at 3:30 for fifth place and Springdale and Providence Academy will clash in the third-place game at 5 p.m.
In the opener of the Mustang Classic, McDonald County’s boys will take on RUSH at 6:30 ahead of the girls title game.
LADY MUSTANG CLASSIC
Tuesday’s scores
Webb City 46, Carl Junction 32
Farmington 54, Springdale 42
McDonald County 51, Bentonville West 50 (OT)
WRESTLING: Carthage boys upend Joplin; Eagles win girls dual
Carthage’s boys wrestling team earned a 44-27 dual victory over Joplin on Tuesday night.
At 106 pounds, Carthage’s Tanner Putt won by fall over Lucas Allen and Caden Groom pinned Joplin’s Gabriel Kabutha at 113.
Carthage’s Uziel Teo won by fall over Jacob Porter at 120 and teammate Wyatt Hole pinned Joplin’s Dylan Houston at 126.
Joplin’s Andrew Burke won by fall over Mason Pugh at 132 pounds, but Carthage’s Bradyn Tate pinned Jacob Close at 138.
At 144, Joplin’s Toryn Jones earned a 7-6 decision over Dylan Huntley, but Carthage’s Israel Perez defeated Ben Hedrick 8-5 at 150.
Joplin’s Johnathon Burke won by fall over Keagon McCoy at 157, while Carthage’s Lenny Escobar earned a technical fall, 17-2, over James Clemens at 165.
At 175, Joplin’s Andrew Esterline earned an 8-4 decision over Joshua Hill and Ethan Bentz defeated Carthage’s Alexander Salas-Marquez 4-2 at 190.
Carthage’s David Recinos pinned Johnny Williams at 215 and Joplin’s Josiah Hazelwood won by forfeit at 285.
JOPLIN GIRLS 36, CARTHAGE 24
In the girls dual, Joplin defeated Carthage 36-24.
At 135 pounds, Carthage’s Irish Lee won by fall over Elizabeth Gibson.
At 140, Joplin’s Ericka Washom won by fall over Arianna Medrano.
Carthage won by forfeit at 100, 115 and 125.
Joplin won by forfeit at 130, 145, 155, 170 and 235.
Both teams were open at 105, 110, 120 and 190.
LADY MUSTANG CLASSIC: First half surge leads Webb City past Carl Junction
ANDERSON, Mo. — Webb City scored the final 10 points of the first half and never trailed after intermission on the way to a 46-32 win over Carl Junction on Tuesday in a consolation bracket contest of the 2023 Lady Mustang Classic at McDonald County High School.
Up nine at the break, Webb City outscored Carl Junction 18-13 in the second half.
Carl Junction led 13-11 at the end of the first quarter, with junior forward Dezi Williams scoring 10 points in the opening frame.
The Bulldogs led 19-18 after two straight hoops from senior forward Kylie Scott, but the Oral Roberts signee picked up her third foul and had to go to the bench.
Webb City closed the first half on a game-changing 10-0 run, with two buckets from Addie Burns and one apiece from Malorie Stanley, Jenna Schulz and Adalyn Maxwell.
With the late surge, the Cardinals held a 28-19 halftime advantage.
Scott scored the first basket of the second half, but then picked up her fourth foul of the contest on an offensive foul call.
The Cardinals outscored the Bulldogs 9-5 in the low-scoring third quarter for a 37-24 lead.
The Bulldogs scored the first four points of the fourth quarter, but Scott fouled out with just over six minutes left on another charge call on a drive through the lane.
Carl Junction pulled within seven with three minutes left after a pair of buckets inside from Williams, but Webb City scored the final eight points of the game for the final margin.
Eight players scored for Webb City’s balanced attack, as Stanley and Burns recorded 11 points apiece and Abby Sargent added nine.
Williams scored 14 points to lead the Bulldogs, while Scott added 12 points in limited minutes.
Webb City (2-5) will play Bentonville West in the tourney’s fifth place game at 3:30 on Wednesday.
Carl Junction (4-4) will return to action next Tuesday at home against McDonald County.
