First-year Joplin coach Bronson Schaake opened the postseason portion of his career with a win after the fourth-seeded Eagles built a double-digit lead early in the second half and played in front the rest of the way en route to a 63-53 win over fifth-seeded Republic on Monday inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.
“I thought it was a physical game and the refs were kind of letting the kids determine the outcome, which is what you want,” Schaake said. “It was just a grind-it-out game. We didn’t rebound well in the first half, but we did better in the second. We got some transition buckets, and then they went man on us and I felt like we were able to open the game up a little bit. When you get here, it’s about taking care of the ball and making free throws. We did that when it mattered.”
Joplin (19-7) and Republic (15-12) were in a seesaw battle throughout the first half before the Eagles closed the second period on an 11-5 run to take a four-point lead into the intermission. Joplin pushed the lead to double digits midway through the third quarter on the back of several key defensive plays. The Tigers cut the lead to five with two minutes to play in regulation, but Joplin was nails at the free-throw line in the closing minutes to put the finishing touches on the win.
UP NEXT
The Eagles advance to take on fourth-ranked and top-seeded Nixa (24-3) in a 6 p.m. district semifinals matchup on Wednesday inside Kaminsky Gymnasium. Nixa defeated Lebanon 93-17 in the opening round.
“They embarrassed us about a month ago,” Schaake said. “I told our guys that as a true competitor, that game is gone. But, we have to go about it differently. You have to play tough against them. They have a lot of weapons, but I think we have enough size to mess with them. We just need to amp it up a little bit.”
GAME ACTION
Joplin closed the first half on an 11-5 run—highlighted by seven points from Terrance Gibson and four points from All Wright—to take a 29-25 lead into the intermission.
The Eagles pushed the lead to double digits midway through the period. A 3-pointer from the wing by All Wright was followed by Always Wright collecting a block on the defensive end, which turned into a fast-break dunk by Gibson to make the score 39-30 with 4:37 to play in the third period. Gibson added a steal in the backcourt moments later and eventually finished the play at the foul line, converting the and-1 free throw on a three-point play to make the score 42-30.
“We need easy buckets when we can get them,” Schaake said. “Everyone knows the Wrights are going to get theirs, but we need Terrance to make those plays and other guys to chip in when they can. .. That is how we are building it now. In the future, we’re going to be a team that grinds it out defensively. That is how you win in the postseason.”
Joplin went into the fourth quarter with a nine-point lead and played with that margin for the majority of the final eight minutes. Republic whittled the lead down to five points, 56-51, with two minutes to play off an elbow jumper from Avery Moody.
The Eagles went to the free-throw line eight times in the final two minutes, converting seven times to extend the cushion and seal the district win.
“You have to make free throws because you can’t give them any kind of momentum,” Schaake said of his team’s late free-throw shooting. “It’s deflating when you make them. If you can rebound, guard and make free throws, you tend to stay in a game and keep it close.”
SCORING LEADERS
Gibson and All Wright led Joplin with 18 points each, while Always Wright closed the game with 13 points in the win. Brantley Morris finished with six points.
Moody led Republic with 16 points, while Devon McMillin closed with 12 points. Brenley Hagewood closed in double figures with 10 points.
