CARL JUNCTION — Joplin and Carl Junction traded baskets early before the host Bulldogs went on a sizable run midway through the first half to build an overwhelming lead on the way to a 53-35 win over the Eagles on Tuesday in the CJ Classic semifinals.
“We played better,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said. “I think Joplin is much improved. I thought our kids settled in more tonight, and that is going to be big for us—just relax and play. We need to understand we are going to make mistakes. It’s going to happen. We just need to play hard and good things will happen.”
“We talked about it after the game, but if we play good defense, it is going to give us a chance,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said. “We have played four games and this is our first loss. We are trending in the right direction. It is just going to take time. I told them not to get frustrated, we just have to learn from it.”
Carl Junction (2-0) scored the first five points of the game and Joplin (3-1) answered with the next six to hold an early 6-5 advantage. The Bulldogs responded with an 18-0 run that went from the end of the first quarter through the start of the second to regain the lead 23-6 and the momentum for good.
“That was big for us, especially with a young team,” Shorter said. “Every game is going to be a dogfight for us. To go on that run, it was a big piece for us going forward and giving us confidence. … I thought we moved the ball a little bit better. When we move the ball well, good things happen.”
“Turnovers were hurting us,” Coach Floyd said when asked about Carl Junction’s game-changing run. “So were plays that we were almost making. There were a few times where we missed a bunny underneath and they made a layup the other way for a four-point swing. Defensively, the girls are battling and we are doing good things. Offensively, it just isn’t there yet. We have to learn to take care of the ball better and try to learn the system we are trying to run. It is just a work in progress.”
Despite falling in the early hole, Joplin, which suited up with just seven players because of injuries and COVID quarantines, played Carl Junction even in the second half, 24-24.
“The girls are getting more confident,” Floyd said. “From the first half to the second half, we improved on turnovers and things. We just have to start the game taking care of the ball better.
“The girls are willing to learn and get better. They went on that 18-0 run and my fear as a coach was that we were just going to drop our heads and mail it in. They didn’t. We fought back and the girls didn’t stop playing hard. That is a very good sign, in my opinion.”
Carl Junction squares off against Nixa in the CJ Classic championship game at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday.
“It’s an opportunity for us, like a litmus paper test, to see where we are at,” Shorter said. “But at the same time, it gives us a chance to understand the physical play that we are going to see in the COC. … It will be exciting to see where we are.”
Destiny Buerge led Carl Junction with a game-high 20 points, while Hali Shorter scored 13 and Jessa Hylton finished with 10 to give the Bulldogs three players in double figures. Kylie Scott added eight.
Joplin was led in scoring by Brynn Driver’s 19 points. Emma Floyd was second in scoring with eight.
Joplin matchups with Neosho in the third-place game at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
NIXA’S DEFENSE STIFLES NEOSHO IN SEMIFINALS
Nixa started the game on a 13-0 run and used a late run in the second quarter to build an insurmountable lead on the way to a 73-21 win over Neosho on Tuesday in the semifinals of the CJ Classic.
“They switched everything, which we worked zero minutes of any practice,” Neosho coach Ryan Madison said. “We haven’t seen much of that, and we haven’t seen much man-to-man, actually. We will get better at that. … That is my fault. Being a new coach here and trying to get things put in, that was not very high on my list. … We will get better at that as the year goes on.”
The Eagles took the momentum right away with the game’s first 13 points, with Macie Conway accounting for seven.
Neosho got on the board with a pair of free throws by Olivia Hixon with five seconds left in the opening period. Rhianna Gibbons knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the Eagles into the second quarter with a 15-2 advantage.
Neosho found rhythm on offense early in the second quarter with Reagan McInturff scoring inside and Hixon following with a triple from the top of the key to cut the lead to 17-7.
With the lead still at 10, Nixa used another 13-0 run late in the second quarter to swing the momentum for the final time, going into the half with a 39-14 lead.
“Ironically, I think their press helped us a little bit because they kept fouling us,” Madison said of his team’s play early in the second quarter. “I felt like we did a good job of hanging in there. I think we just got worn out on that (second) run a little bit. Defensively, we were not in the gaps like we should be, and a lot of little things like that. We will need to defend better and take care of the ball better this year if we are going to win some games.”
The Eagles pushed the lead to 30-plus points early in the second half, cruising to the win and a spot in the championship game against Carl Junction.
Neosho takes on Joplin in the third-place game of the CJ Classic at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
McDONALD COUNTY UPENDS NEVADA IN OVERTIME
McDonald County and Nevada were tied 32-32 at the end of regulation and the Mustangs outscored the Bulldogs 7-0 in the extra period for a 39-32 win in the consolation round of the CJ Classic on Tuesday.
Sydney Killian scored 10 points, while Adasyn Leach finished with nine points.
Tylin Heathman led Nevada with 13 points, while Clara Swearingen added seven.
SENECA EARNS STRONG WIN AGAINST CJ JV
Seneca outscored the Carl Junction JV squad 28-10 in the first period and pushed the lead to more than 30 by the intermission on the way to the 71-39 win in the consolation semifinals on Tuesday afternoon.
MaKayla French led Seneca with 25 points, including three 3-pointers. Aliya Grotjohn finished with 16 points, while Zoei Dodson scored 13 to give the Indians three players in double figures. Parker Long added eight points.
Hailey Merwin led the Bulldogs JV team with 11 points.
