DEFENSE FUELS MCAULEY’S TOURNEY-OPENING WIN
McAuley Catholic girls basketball couldn’t have asked for a better start as the hosts to the 39th annual Mercy/Warrior Classic.
The Warriors held Bluejacket (Oklahoma) scoreless in the first quarter and built an insurmountable lead in the process before going to win 61-16 in the final game of the night in the opening round of the tournament on Monday.
“Being the host of this tournament for 39 years means we have had some good teams come through here,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “To be able to continue the tradition here, I feel like we run one of the best tournaments in the area. It is really nice to be able to play some teams you don’t see all the time, and it’s good competition.
“I am very proud of the girls tonight. They played very hard offensively and defensively. Give credit to Bluejacket. They are young and fought hard the entire game. I am proud that several of our girls stepped up tonight.”
SCORING LEADERS
Kennedy DeRuy led McAuley offensively with a game-high 21 points in the win. Avery Eminger finished with 12 points. Lily Black added 10 points to give the Warriors three players in double figures. Kaitlyn Bates finished with eight points, while Kloee Williamson closed with six points.
GAME ACTION
The Warriors locked down on the defensive side of the ball in the first eight minutes of action. McAuley not only held Bluejacket off the scoreboard in the first period, they forced the Chieftains into eight turnovers during that span.
“They played great defensively,” Howard said. “Last game, they couldn’t score in transition, but today they were able to do that very well. Anytime you can create offense from your defense without having to set up in half court, you’re going to make your coach happy. And I think that is when I think we are at our best.”
Eminger had 10 points in the quarter, while DeRuy finished with eight to lead the charge early on the offensive end for McAuley. Bluejacket got on the board with a free throw and a basket by Andrea Hurst.
After that, McAuley scored the next nine points to push the advantage to 29-3. Avery Gardner started the run with a three-point play, while Black and DeRuy each added baskets.
A steal and score on the break by DeRuy at the 1:20 mark of the second quarter gave the Warriors a 31-point cushion, 35-4. McAuley ultimately went into the intermission with a 37-6 lead.
“That was the message at halftime—to not be complacent with the lead,” Howard said. “We needed to continue to go out there and play hard. We didn’t have to press or trap, but I still wanted them to continue to play good defense and execute an offense. Really, that is the emphasis moving down the final stretch of the season—focusing on execution.”
McAuley extended the lead to 44 points to start the fourth quarter after Bates wrapped the third-quarter scoring with a three-point play after drawing contact on a fast-break layup to jump-starting a running clock for the final eight minutes of play.
UP NEXT
McAuley takes on Lamar at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in the semifinals.
COLLEGE HEIGHTS BOYS CRUISE PAST CARL JUNCTION JV
College Heights Christian wasted little time taking control of the game in a 76-27 win over the Carl Junction junior varsity squad in the opening game of the 39th annual Mercy/Warrior Classic hosted by McAuley Catholic on Monday.
The Cougars (15-3) took the momentum with an early scoring run before pulling out to a big lead by the end of the first quarter. CHC pushed the lead to more than 30 points in the second quarter and cruised in the second half on the way to victory.
SCORING LEADERS
Miller Long led College Heights with a game-high 28 points, 15 in the first quarter, and knocked down a game-high six 3-pointers. Hagen Beck finished with 17 points, with 12 coming in the third quarter. Curtis Davenport finished with 11 points in the win to give the Cougars three players in double-figure scoring. Ethan Adel added eight points.
Shemaiah Davis led the Carl Junction junior varsity squad with eight points, while Xavier Perkins and Braxton Dodds each finished with five.
GAME ACTION
College Heights put the pressure on the Bulldogs JV squad early, jumping out to a 15-4 lead through the first four minutes of game action. Long had eight points, including two 3-pointers, and Davenport added five points, including a three-point play, to highlight the opening surge.
After CJ’s Quin Kennedy scored on the drive to bring the lead back to single digits, 15-6, the Cougars scored the final 12 points of the period to take a commanding 26-6 advantage. Long knocked down another 3-pointer and accounted for seven points, while Adel and Davenport added buckets.
College Heights stayed the aggressor in the second quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs 25-8 to push the lead to 30 points by the intermission—out of reach for any comeback attempt.
UP NEXT
College Heights takes on the winner of Thomas Jefferson and McAuley Catholic in the semifinals on Thursday.
LAMAR GIRLS 55, JOPLIN JV 25
Lamar outscored the Joplin girls junior varsity 30-11 in the first half before going on to win convincingly in the opening round of the Mercy/Warrior Classic.
The Tigers had a 19-point outburst in the first quarter while limiting the Eagles to five points, taking the early momentum. Lamar continued to build onto the lead through the final horn.
Josey Adams led Lamar in scoring with 14 points, while Marcy Miller finished with 13 points. Zavrie Wiss closed with nine points.
Kelly Kimbier led Joplin with eight points, while Libby Munn and Abby Lowery each finished with six points in the loss.
Lamar takes on McAuley at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in the semifinals.
SARCOXIE BOYS 48, JOPLIN JV 41
Sarcoxie rallied in the middle quarters from a small deficit before holding on to beat the Joplin junior varsity squad in the opening round of the Mercy/Warrior Classic.
The Bears fell behind 13-12 after the first quarter before rallying for a 32-24 lead by the end of the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter turned into a shootout, with Sarcoxie holding on for the win.
Sarcoxie plays the winner of Providence and Bluejacket on Thursday in the semifinals.
