PITTSBURG, Kan. — Joplin played neck and neck with Blue Valley Northwest for much of the game but in the end, the Huskies prevailed with a 63-56 win in the opening round of the Bill Hanson Memorial Tournament on Thursday.
The Eagles (11-3) took a 16-15 lead into the second quarter before the Huskies went on an 8-2 run to open the second quarter with a 23-19 lead.
Joplin closed the first half on a 10-3 run, with All Wright accounting for five points, to take a 29-26 lead into the intermission.
Joplin built a five-point lead midway through the third on a bucket inside from Terrance Gibson, but six straight points from BVNW’s Grant Stubblefield gave the Huskies a 41-38 advantage.
Always Wright knocked down a 3-pointer and All Wright added two free throws to close out the third quarter with the Eagles leading 43-41.
Joplin and BVNW traded baskets over the first half of the fourth quarter with the Eagles not giving up the lead until the Huskies tied the game with a bucket from Jaxon Klein and two free throws gave BVNW the lead at 51-49.
All Wright answered with a 3-pointer from the top of the key on the next trip down the floor to give Joplin the lead back at 52-51.
The lead changed hands three more times in the closing minutes before an elbow pull-up jumper from Always Wright gave Joplin a 56-55 lead with 38 seconds left.
Stubblefield answered with a three-point play at the other end, drawing contact on the drive left, to put Blue Valley on top 58-56 with 28 seconds left.
Joplin was called for an offensive foul 20 feet away from the basket on the next trip down the floor, which resulted in a technical foul called on the Eagles that led to free throws the other way as the Huskies went on to victory.
Joplin takes on Wichita West at 7 p.m. in the consolation semifinals on Friday.
