CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Taking the court for the first time in 2022, Carl Junction’s girls and McDonald County’s boys recorded prep basketball victories on Monday night at Carl Junction High School.
However, those respective victories were quite different.
In a non-conference doubleheader, Carl Junction’s girls grinded out a 49-34 win over the Mustangs, while McDonald County’s boys rode a huge first quarter to an 85-50 victory in the nightcap.
CARL JUNCTION GIRLS 49, MCDONALD COUNTY 34
In the team’s first action since Dec. 15, Carl Junction held a 14-point lead by the end of the first quarter. But the Bulldogs only outscored the Mustangs by one, 31-30, the rest of the way.
“We started off really well,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said. “We made some substitutions and we quit communicating and we didn’t do some things we’re capable of doing. I saw some good things over the break, but I think our application is really poor right now.”
The Bulldogs hit four treys in the opening frame en route to an 18-4 lead. 
But the Mustangs outscored the Bulldogs 18-12 in the second quarter, trimming their deficit to eight at the break, 30-22.
Destiny Buerge scored seven straight points during the third quarter and Kylie Scott’s coast-to-coast layup gave the Bulldogs a 41-27 cushion entering the final frame.
In a low-scoring fourth quarter, one where both teams struggled, Carl Junction outscored Mac County 8-7 for the final margin.
“We may have been a little rusty tonight, but for the first four or five minutes of the game, we looked pretty good,” Shorter said. “If we can’t carry that over to the rest of the game we have to do some soul searching and just be better at what we do. I felt like we were pretty robotic tonight. We have to be better defensively. We just have to come together as a team, just get out there and play and see what happens.”
Buerge led Carl Junction with 19 points, while Anna Burch scored 10 points. Also for the Bulldogs (8-3), Scott contributed nine points and Klohe Burk chipped in seven points.
“I thought Anna Burch was superb off the bench,” Shorter said, noting the sophomore forward had 11 rebounds.
Samara Smith scored 12 points for the Mustangs, while Anna Clarkson added seven points and Kaitlynn Townsend had five.
The CJ girls will take on Fatima at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Southwest Baptist University. McDonald County hosts Carthage on Thursday.
MCDONALD COUNTY BOYS 85, CARL JUNCTION 50
With Cross Dowd’s hot-shooting leading the way, the Mustangs came out firing on all cylinders in an impressive first quarter. McDonald County hit eight 3-pointers in the opening frame, six by Dowd, and the visitors took a commanding 34-12 lead into the second quarter.
“Our team played a great first quarter,” Mustangs coach Brandon Joines said. “Everything fed off Cross Dowd’s hot start. And 34 points in a quarter…that’s tough to come back from for anybody. That’s more points than we’ve been averaging in a half. It was a great team game overall where one guy got to stand out.”
The Mustangs led 48-26 at halftime and 78-46 at the end of the third period en route to the lopsided win.
A junior guard, Dowd erupted for a career-high 31 points.
The 5-foot-9 sharpshooter made nine 3-pointers, a layup and two free throws.
“Cross is very capable of doing that…he’ll pull up from anywhere,” Joines said. “When someone’s doing that, hitting six 3-pointers in a quarter, everything else comes easier. We ended up with a lot of nice looks down low for Eli McClain and Teddy (Reedybacon). Pierce Harmon and Sterling Woods found driving lanes and Cole (Martin) was more than willing to distribute the ball to every one of them. Everyone got involved, including Toby Moore, Weston Gordon and Destyn Dowd off the bench. It was just a good team win.”
In addition to Cross Dowd, three others reached double figures for the Mustangs, as McClain scored 15, Harmon had 11 and Woods chipped in 10.
Kyler Perry scored 14 points to lead the Bulldogs, while Ayden Bard added 12 points and Ky Warren had 11.
Perry hit four treys, while Warren made three 3-pointers and Bard added two makes from long distance.
The Mustangs were coming off a runner-up finish at the Neosho Holiday Classic, while the Bulldogs were competing for the first time since Dec. 18.
Carl Junction (3-7) will compete at this week’s Kaminsky Gymnasium at Joplin High School, while McDonald County (7-5) is at Webb City on Tuesday night.
“Coming into the new year, we wanted to get something going and that’s a heck of a start,” Joines said of Monday’s win. “Tomorrow night will be a tough one at Webb City. We’ll have to come out and be ready to play with some grit. I know we will.”
