CARTHAGE GIRLS 54, NEOSHO 34
NEOSHO, Mo. — Carthage built an early lead on the way to a Central Ozark Conference road win over Neosho on Monday in what turned out to be a memorable night for Tigers junior point guard Kianna Yates.
The Tigers (10-12, 1-3 COC) built a 10-point lead by the end of the first quarter and went into the intermission leading 26-16. Carthage methodically grew the lead over Neosho (8-13, 0-4 COC) in the second half through the final horn.
“It was a good road win for us tonight,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said to SoMo Sports. “Neosho plays a tough 2-1-2 zone and it took us a few minutes to get into a rhythm. When we did, the shots started to fall and we were able to play with a double-digit lead for most of the game.
“The biggest key to victory tonight was our defense,” Moore added. “We switched between about four different defenses to keep Neosho off-balance. It’s a huge credit to all 10 girls who played that they handled all of that so well.”
During the win, Yates made history as she eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career. Yates finished the night with 14 points to tie for the team lead.
“Junior Kianna Yates accomplished a big milestone tonight with her 1,000th point,” Moore said. “Her teammates were so excited for her when we called time out. She is such a great basketball player and an even better teammate. We are proud of her and know she will score many more points before her career is over.”
Lauren Choate also finished with 14 points, while Maggie Boyd was right behind with 12. Sophie Shannon added six.
“Freshmen guards Lauren Choate and Maggie Boyd have really matured their offensive games this season,” Moore added. “To have both of them in double digits again gives us a three-headed monster for other teams to try to stop.”
Beclynn Garrett scored 13 points for the Wildcats, while Karlee Ellick added 10 points.
Carthage hosts Willard on Thursday, while Neosho hosts Branson on Thursday.
COLLEGE HEIGHTS GIRLS 47, GREENFIELD 38
A strong defensive effort led College Heights Christian’s girls to a 47-38 win over Greenfield on Monday.
College Heights coach John Blankenship noted he was proud of his team’s effort.
“It was a close game throughout the contest,” Blankenship said. “Greenfield jumped out to a 6-2 lead before we clamped down on defense and allowed only one point for the remainder of the first quarter. We emphasize defense, and our team continues to step up and play really solid defense. Tonight was a great collective team win. Our scoring was very balanced, which makes it difficult for teams to focus on just one player. We struggled shooting the ball again tonight and missed too many easy shots.”
The Cougars improved to 11-8.
Freshman guard Ava Lett led College Heights with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
“Lauren Ukena was out with a shoulder injury, and so freshman guard Ava Lett stepped in and played a great game with a double-double,” Blankenship said. “She is a great shooter. She connected on a couple of 3s and a long 2 that gave us the offensive lift we needed to give us some breathing room down the stretch.”
Jayli Johnson compiled eight points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals.
“Jayli Johnson is an incredible defender with a strong work ethic,” Blankenship said. “She sets the tone for the rest of the team.”
Libby Fanning scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Cougars, while Maddy Colin chipped in five points and five boards.
College Heights is at Thomas Jefferson on Tuesday night.
WHEATON GIRLS 39, THOMAS JEFFERSON 30
Wheaton rallied from an early deficit and outlasted Thomas Jefferson in Ozark 7 action on Monday.
Thomas Jefferson held a three-point lead by the end of the first quarter before Wheaton rallied to hold a 19-14 advantage by the intermission. Wheaton pushed the lead to double digits in the third quarter and held off the Cavaliers down the stretch.
Lily Ray hit four 3-pointers on the way to a game-high 18 points for Wheaton. Monica Hinojosa had 14 points and Allison Whitman added seven.
Thomas Jefferson was led in scoring by Gabbi Hiebert, who finished with 14 points and made a pair of shots from the perimeter. Lannah Grigg added seven points and Alivia Beard finished with five.
Thomas Jefferson hosts College Heights on Tuesday.
AURORA GIRLS 40, MOUNT VERNON 36
AURORA, Mo. — Aurora rallied late for a Big 8 Conference win.
Mount Vernon overcame an early 10-point deficit and led 32-31 at the end of the third quarter.
But the Houn’ Dawgs outscored the Mountaineers 9-4 in the fourth quarter.
Makenna Hall scored 13 points to lead Aurora, while Payden Blevins had 11 and Ellie Griese added nine.
Cameryn Cassity scored 13 points to lead Mount Vernon (10-9), while Jolie Prescott added 10 points.
Mount Vernon hosts Springfield Catholic on Thursday, while Aurora (10-12) is at Reeds Spring on Thursday.
