PITTSBURG, Kan. — Joplin girls basketball bounced back from a Tuesday road loss with a 51-42 win on the road over Pittsburg on Thursday to even out its week.
The Eagles (6-6) opened the game with the momentum, taking a 16-10 advantage into the second quarter. The Purple Dragons rallied to tie the game at 23s by the intermission. Joplin took a three-point lead into the fourth quarter and outscored Pittsburg (Kansas) 17-11 down the stretch to pull away by the final horn.
“The girls came out and played a great game tonight,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said to SoMo Sports. “We played with energy, effort and toughness that we have been missing most of the season. I couldn’t be more proud of the girls and the way that they competed tonight.”
Joplin’s Brooke Nice, who finished with 13 points in the win, was 7-of-8 shooting from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter. Brynn Driver and Emma Floyd each added four points in the final eight minutes.
Jacqueline Hall led Pittsburg with a game-high 21 points, 15 coming from beyond the arc on five 3-pointers. Dessie Gorley added nine points.
Driver led Joplin with 15 points. Ella Hafer finished with 12, with 10 coming in the first half to lead the Eagles through the first two quarters of play. Floyd finished with six.
Joplin hosts Webb City at 7:30 p.m. on Monday.
