WEBB CITY, Mo. — Coming off a pair of close setbacks, the Webb City girls basketball team needed to get well.
On Tuesday night, the Cardinals did just that.
Webb City led from start to finish in a dominant 60-17 victory over Seneca in a non-conference clash inside the Cardinal Dome.
It’s safe to say the Cardinals concluded the 2023 portion of the schedule on a high note, as they took control early on the way to a confidence-building blowout victory.
“It’s a great way to end the first part of the season,” Webb City coach Lance Robbins said. “This is a game we really needed. We’ve been in several close games the last few weeks and we hadn’t been able to get over the hump. I thought tonight we put together more of a complete game than we’ve had so far this season. We shot the ball well and we defended well. I think we played well as a team tonight. This one is definitely something we can build on going into Christmas break.”
Webb City took the court one night after suffering a 53-49 loss at Pittsburg, Kansas. The Cardinals also dropped a 51-47 decision to Bentonville West last Wednesday at the Lady Mustang Classic.
On Tuesday, Webb City scored the first 11 points of the game, as Malorie Stanley, Addie Burns and Kirra Long all knocked down 3-pointers early in the contest and Abby Sargent made an uncontested layup.
The Cardinals held a 13-4 lead by the end of the first quarter and the hosts were up comfortably 29-10 at halftime.
Webb City outscored Seneca 23-7 in the lopsided third period and the hosts took a commanding 52-17 lead into the final frame. There was a running clock in the fourth quarter.
A 5-foot-9 senior guard, Stanley scored 13 points and hit four 3-pointers for the Cardinals.
“Malorie has been playing really well for us and she’s been shooting the ball really well,” Coach Robbins said. “She hit five 3s last night at Pittsburg and she made four tonight. She’s finding the open areas of the zone defense and we’ve been able to find her in scoring position. She’s shooting the ball with confidence.”
Stanley is now the lone senior in the lineup, as senior guard Mia Robbins is out of action due to a knee injury.
A pair of freshmen also had nice outings for the Cardinals.
A 6-foot forward, Burns compiled 13 points and seven rebounds, while the 5-8 Sargent contributed 12 points, five assists, four steals and five boards from the point guard position.
Freshman Whitlee Keith scored eight points, while juniors Long and Jenna Schulz contributed five points apiece. Junior Brynn Gilchrist and freshman Adalyn Maxwell each chipped in two points.
Webb City shot 48 percent from the floor for the game, hitting 21 of 43 field goal attempts.
The Cardinals have a lot of youth on the court, as five freshmen—Sargent, Burns, Keith, Adalyn Maxwell and Kaelyn Maxwell—have been getting lots of varsity playing time thus far. Freshman Jocelyn Maxwell and sophomore Karsyn Cahoon also saw playing time in Tuesday’s blowout win.
“We’ve been playing a lot of young kids and I feel like they’re developing at a good rate,” Coach Robbins said. “We need them to continue to be coachable and we need them to continue to buy-in. As they improve, I think we’ll be able to get over the hump in the close games.”
Seneca’s Olivia Haase scored eight points and Ashtyn Lannon added five.
Seneca (1-7) will compete at the Neosho Holiday Classic from Dec. 27-29.
Webb City (3-7) will return to action on Jan. 2 at home against Nevada (6-4).
“There’s definitely some things we need to work on over Christas break so we can have a good second half of the season,” Robbins noted.
FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)
