NEOSHO, Mo. — In a perfect world, the Neosho boys basketball team prefers to play at a fast pace, using the transition game to fuel the offense.
On Monday in the Class 5 District 11 semifinals against third-seeded Monett (7-17), the second-seeded Wildcats (13-12) were forced to play the opposite style, using a stalwart defensive effort that held the Cubs to one field goal in the second half to go along with senior Landon Austin putting his team on his back down the stretch to earn a 46-35 win.
“I told the guys at halftime, we are going to score better (in the second half), so if you just play the same defense, or even better, we are going to win,” Neosho coach Zane Culp said. “That is kind of what we’ve had to do all year. We aren’t a high-powered offense, and defense has been our calling card. It showed up at the right time in a win-or-go-home game.”
DEFENSIVE MINDSET
How good was the defensive effort from the Wildcats in the second half? Neosho, which trailed 22-18 at the intermission, limited Monett’s scoring to one 3-pointer and one free throw in the third quarter on the way to building a 28-26 advantage with one period to play.
In the final eight minutes, the Wildcats held the Cubs to 9-of-14 shooting from the free-throw line, without allowing Monett to convert from the field.
“That was really big,” Culp noted about holding Monett to free throws in the fourth quarter. “It’s a double-edged sword. Free throws stop the clock, but if they’re making shots from the field, running back to get on defense and then trying to score in transition, they can go on a little run. But, it’s hard to keep that intensity (when the game stops) for free throws. Then, we can walk the ball up the floor to waste a little more time, and it makes it hard for them to get in their press.”
HEAVY LIFTING
With the Wildcats imposing their will on the defensive end, Austin was doing the same for Neosho on the offensive end. The 6-foot senior guard scored the final 20 points for the Wildcats, including all 17 points in the fourth quarter.
“You couldn’t be more proud of a kid like that,” Culp said. “He’s been our go-to guy for the last two years. … For him to step up tonight in the second half when we really needed scoring because we could not score in the second half, you can’t say anything more about his effort.”
“It was a little too close for me heading into the fourth quarter,” Austin said with a smile. “It was kill or be killed. That was my mindset going into the fourth quarter.”
THIRD TIME’S A CHARM
Neosho advanced to the district finals for the third straight season with the win over the Cubs. The Wildcats will travel to face top-seeded Rogersville (19-5) for a 7 p.m. tip on Wednesday in the Class 5 District 11 title game.
“It’s going to be an absolute battle,” Culp said. “Rogersville is really good, they have a D1 player. But, if we just come out and play defense like we did tonight and take it one possession at a time … I think anything can happen. … There isn’t anything quite like district final games, and we are excited for the opportunity.”
HOW THEY GOT THERE
Neosho started the game with all of the momentum, using an elbow jumper and a driving score from Austin as well as two free throws from Chase Flynn to build an early 6-0 lead over the first three minutes of the first quarter.
Monett came storming back, as Blaine Salsman knocked down two 3-pointers sandwiched around a single free throw by the Cubs to give MHS a 7-6 advantage at the 1:35 mark of the opening quarter.
Carter Fenske answered back with a 3-ball for Neosho to regain the lead before the Cubs converted from the field inside the final minute to send the game into the second period tied at 9-9.
Monett took control of the momentum with a 10-2 start to the second quarter. Cameron George scored inside before Tyler Waterman splashed a perimeter shot from the corner. Waterman followed up with a driving score to push the Cubs’ lead to 16-9.
Austin scored on the break before Salsman buried a catch-and-shoot trey from the wing to make the score 19-11 with 2:30 to play in the first half, prompting Culp to call a timeout.
The message during the timeout proved fruitful as the Wildcats closed the first half with buckets in the paint off turnovers by Brock Franklin and Isaiah Green before Franklin closed the half with a 3-pointer from the top of the key to trim the margin to 22-18 at the intermission.
Down five early in the third, Neosho scored seven straight points to take its first lead of the game since the 1:17 mark of the first quarter. Dalton Brodie started the run with an inside score before he followed up with a 3-pointer off the assist from Austin. Franklin splashed a 3-ball off another assist from Austin to put the Wildcats on top 26-23 with 2:08 left in the third period.
A 3-pointer from Salsman tied the game up, only for Austin to close the quarter by grabbing an offensive rebound for a putback score while drawing contact for a chance at a three-point play with 52.3 ticks on the clock. The and-one free throw was good, igniting Austin’s scoring spree to close the game while giving Neosho a 29-26 margin heading into the final eight minutes.
Following a floater and a baseline drive by Austin, the senior forced a steal at the Monett 3-point line and hit Green with an outlet pass in transition. Green was blocked at the rim but Austin, who was in the midst of getting back on defense before changing course, grabbed the offensive rebound and scored on the putback to give Neosho a 35-29 advantage with 5:12 to play.
“It was an athletic, gritty play,” Culp said. “That play showed how good the culture on our team is. Isaiah was laughing on the way back down the court. He didn’t care, he was just glad we scored. That was a fun moment we will all remember.”
Austin knocked down an elbow jumper off the ball screen on the next trip down the floor to make it an eight-point ball game.
Neosho pushed the lead to double digits, 44-33, with 1:17 left in regulation off a pair of makes at the charity stripe from Austin to all but seal the win.
“We were really focused in practice the last couple of days heading into this game,” Austin said. We were ready for this game. … We were communicating a lot of the defensive end, making sure everybody bought in to block out our man and crash the rebounds. I think that played a key part in this win.”
SCORING LEADERS
Austin led all scorers with a game-high 26 points, 20 coming in the second half. Franklin added eight, while Brodie finished with five.
Salsman led Monett with 15 points, including four makes from the perimeter, while Waterman and George each finished with seven in the loss.
