NEOSHO, Mo. — To say the late-season Central Ozark Conference clash between Neosho and Joplin was a dogfight would be an understatement.
The Wildcats took a 26-24 lead into halftime, with the second half seeing four ties and eight lead changes. Joplin found itself on top 56-54 with less than two minutes to play after All Wright converted in the paint. Neosho’s Carter Fenske buried a 3-pointer with 1:23 to play to put the Wildcats on top 57-56.
With the margin still at one, Neosho’s Isaiah Green missed the front end of a one-and-one with 20 seconds left. Joplin’s Always Wright attempted a runner at the other end with less than 10 seconds on the clock that missed, with the ball ending up out of bounds with possession to the Wildcats. With 3.3 seconds left in regulation, the Eagles forced a turnover under their own basket on the inbounds pass, but Bruce Wilbert’s last-second inside shot hit off the side of the iron and was no good, preserving the 57-56 win for Neosho.
“We didn’t play as good as we possibly could, even though we played pretty well,” Neosho coach Zane Culp said. “Our main defensive game plan was to make them take the shots we wanted them to. … We wanted to make anyone else (but All and Always Wright) beat us, and it was really close and they almost did. But I was proud of the boys to follow through with the game plan and put in enough points, barely.”
“I didn’t necessarily think our energy was great in the first half, but in the second half, no doubt about it,” Joplin coach Jeff Hafer said. “Especially down the stretch, they fought like crazy all the way to the end to the point where you get a turnover in a situation where it’s hard to get a turnover. You get it and get a shot at the end, it just didn’t fall. … I told them after the game, if we can collectively defend, hustle and play together offensively the way we did when we were fighting like crazy to come back in the game, they will be dramatically pleased with the results.”
GAME ACTION
Joplin’s Dante Washington knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers early in the third quarter to give the Eagles a 33-30 advantage. The Wildcats answered with the first of two important runs in the second half, scoring eight straight points to regain the lead, 38-33, near the two-minute mark. Dalton Brodie highlighted the surge with four points.
“I think most of them were off transition buckets,” Culp said of his team’s scoring runs in the third and fourth quarters. “That is what we talk about a lot on how to win games—you get a stop and then a score and a stop. Or, you get a score, a stop and a score. We did that a few times tonight. A lot of times, just a few runs can get you a win.”
Joplin fought back to tie the game at 42-42 following a Wilbert make from the perimeter with 6:22 on the clock in the fourth quarter. After a free throw from Green, Washington drilled another 3-pointer to regain the lead for Joplin, 45-43, with less than six minutes to play.
Again while trailing, Neosho answered with another 8-0 run with field goals from Brock Franklin, Chase Flynn and Green to give the Wildcats a 51-45 advantage.
All Wright got three back on the next trip down the floor, converting on the drive while drawing contact for a three-point play. He followed it up with a back-cut score at the 3:40 mark to trim the deficit to one, 51-50.
“The next step in the evolution of his game is when he doesn’t have the ball, moving well,” Hafer said. “He did two things tonight that we talked about him doing a little bit more. One, he just moved great, especially in the middle of the third quarter through the fourth quarter. He moved without the ball, got a couple of back doors. And then, he posted up to where our guys could get it to him. I was really pleased with that.”
Fenske had the answer for Neosho, drilling his first of two important 3-pointers in the fourth to give NHS a four-point cushion. Washington scored on the drive for Joplin, setting up the down-to-the-wire finish.
“I don’t think he played in the third quarter,” Culp said of Fenske’s contributions from the perimeter late. “Coming in cold and knocking those down, that’s what he does. … You don’t want anyone else shooting the ball other than him when it’s from outside.”
SCORING LEADERS
Neosho finished with four players in double figures, led by Brodie’s 14 points. Green and Landon Austin each had 13 points, while Fenske finished with 12.
All Wright led Joplin with 22 points, while Washington finished with 16. Always Wright had 11 to give the Eagles three players in double figures.
