CARL JUNCTION GIRLS 52, LEAVENWORTH 51
Carl Junction built a big lead early on but Leavenworth (Kansas) rallied back in a big way, cutting the lead to one several times down the stretch, only for the Bulldogs to stave off every comeback bid to hold onto the win in the opening round of the Freeman Lady Eagles Classic on Thursday.
“I was really proud of them,” first-year Carl Junction coach Ryan Odaffer said. “We have a lot of girls getting their first varsity experience. For them to keep their composure and find a way to get this win is just a building block that we can carry through the end of the season.”
Carl Junction looked to be in complete control from the early onset, jumping out to a 16-1 lead through the first five-plus minutes of action. Senior F Kylie Scott, an Oral Roberts signee, led the way with 10 first-quarter points, while senior F Anna Burch knocked down a 3-pointer on the way to five points in the opening period.
Leavenworth refused to allow the game to be decided in the first quarter, closing the stanza with an 8-2 run, with Kylee West scoring four, to trim the deficit to 18-9.
The Pioneers trailed 26-15 after a steal and score on the break by junior F DeShaye Buerge before Leavenworth responded by scoring 11 unanswered points to tie the game up at 26-all on a 3-ball from Hailey Garcia at the 3:08 mark.
The Bulldogs used a trio of makes at the charity stripe and a euro-step layup from Scott to lead 31-26 into the intermission.
“We just weren’t getting back on defense,” Odaffer said when asked what the biggest difference was between the early play and late play of the first half. “We were giving up a lot of easy buckets to give them confidence. Once they got a few easy ones, beating us down the floor, it kind of opened it up for them.”
Carl Junction clung to its slim lead in the third quarter, with Leavenworth cutting the deficit to one twice—the first coming on an offensive rebound and putback from West to trim the Bulldogs’ lead to 38-37 at the three-minute mark and again when Hannah Gilman scored on the break after a CJ turnover to narrow the margin to 42-41 with 40 seconds left in the quarter. Scott knocked down two at the stripe to send CJ into the final eight minutes with a 44-41 cushion.
The fourth quarter played out much like the third, with Leavenworth constantly making a run at the lead and Carl Junction holding the Pioneers at bay each time they came close to overtaking the lead.
After a steal and layup on the break from junior F Dezi Williams to make the score 46-41, West had back to back buckets for the Pioneers to cut the deficit to 46-45 with five and a half minutes to play.
Scott answered with back to back buckets of her own before an inside score from Williams pushed the lead out to 52-45 with less than four minutes to go in regulation.
“We did a really good job, anytime they made a rally, to slow it down on offense and get a really good look,” Odaffer said. “When we slowed it down and ran the offense, we got what we wanted.”
The Pioneers got a top-of-the-key 3-pointer from Makiya Barker and a score in the paint from Eva Clements with two minutes left to cut CJ’s lead to one possession, 52-50, and later got 1-of-2 from the charity stripe by West to once again make it a one-point game, 52-51, with 33 seconds left.
Leavenworth had one final shot at the lead and the win with .7 seconds left, but missed wide at the horn to preserve the win for Carl Junction.
Scott finished with 20 points to lead CJ in scoring, while Burch finished with 13 and Williams had 12 points to give the Bulldogs three players in double figures in the win.
West had 19 points to lead Leavenworth, while Gilman finished with 10 points in the loss.
Carl Junction takes on Class 6A No.1 Blue Valley North (Kansas) in the championship semifinals at 9 p.m. on Friday.
BLUE VALLEY NORTH GIRLS 75, CARTHAGE 21
Blue Valley North (Kansas) started fast and never looked back in a win over Carthage in the opening round of the Freeman Lady Eagle Classic.
The Mustangs, ranked as the top team in Class 6A by Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, stretched an early 7-5 lead to 27-5 by the end of the first period, with Blue Valley North extending the cushion to 46-10 by the intermission.
Carthage (1-3), playing without junior G Maggie Boyd (illness), was unable to establish any momentum in the second half.
Junior Jaliya Davis and junior Aubrey Shaw each had 20 points to lead the Mustangs in scoring, while Tyara Davis had 10 points to give Blue Valley North three players in double figures.
Junior Lauren Choate led Carthage in scoring with seven points, while junior Jaidyn Brunnert and junior Lexa Youngblood each finished with five in the loss.
Blue Valley North takes on Carl Junction in the championship semifinals at 9 p.m. on Friday.
Carthage takes on Leavenworth at 6 p.m. in the consolation bracket.
