ANDERSON, Mo. — Joplin started the tenure of first-year head coach Nick Pfeifer off on a high note with a convincing 70-45 road win over McDonald County on Tuesday night in the season opener.
The Eagles caught fire from range from the tip to build an 18-point lead by the end of the first quarter, which turned into a 33-18 advantage into the intermission. Joplin pushed the lead to more than 20 for the first time in the third quarter and didn’t let up down the stretch to secure the win and a 1-0 start to the season.
GAME ACTION
Joplin started the game with the hot hand from 3-point land, knocking down five shots from range in the first eight minutes to help build a 24-6 advantage to start the second period.
The Eagles started the game on a 7-0 run with 3-pointers from Collis Jones and Fred Taylor before Whit Hafer knocked down a free throw.
After the Mustangs (0-1) got on the board with a drive from Destyn Dowd, Joplin got back to back triples from Brecken Green and Carter Harbin to push the lead to 13-2 near the midway point of the opening period.
Jones knocked down a mid-range jumper before another 3-ball from the wing by Taylor extended the Joplin advantage to 18-4.
Joplin closed the first quarter on a 6-0 run with David Bhend scoring on a back cut and Cooper Williams earning a steal and finishing it off with a layup on the break inside of 30 seconds to play to make the score 24-6.
After Dowd started the scoring in the second with a steal for his third layup of the game, Green knocked down the Eagles’ sixth 3-pointer of the night after another make from the corner off the swing pass from Hafer to grow the lead to 19, 27-8.
McDonald County used an offensive rebound and putback from Anthony D’Amico and an inside score from Joshua Pacheco to trim the Mustangs’ deficit to 27-13 with less than four minutes to play in the first half.
Pacheco added another driving score late to cut the Joplin lead to 15, which was the margin at the intermission.
McDonald County got its first 3-pointers of the game early in the second half with Cael Carlin knocking both down to cut the Joplin lead to 13, 37-24.
Taylor found Green in the corner for another 3-ball, drawing the foul on the play to convert the four-point play at the 6:34 to make the score 41-24.
Joplin pushed the lead to more than 20 for the first time when Jones grabbed an offensive rebound and found a cutting Taylor for a floater to make the score 47-26 with less than four minutes to play in the third.
Joplin took a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter and held that pace through the final horn.
SCORING LEADERS
Joplin had 10 players score in the win, leading the way with four players in double figures. Green led the way with 16 points, while Jones added 11 in the win. Taylor and Williams both finished with 10 points apiece.
The Mustangs were led in scoring by Dowd’s 15 points, while Pacheco had 13 in the loss. Carlin added nine, while Toby Moore had six.
UP NEXT
Joplin is at Pittsburg, Kansas, on Friday.
McDonald County hosts Shiloh Christian on Monday.
