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LADY MUSTANG CLASSIC: Despite solid effort, Webb City falls to Springdale

ANDERSON, Mo. — Despite a solid effort, Webb City’s girls basketball team suffered a 64-45 setback to Springdale (Arkansas) on Monday in an opening-round contest of the 2023 Lady Mustang Classic at McDonald County High School.

Springdale improved to 7-1, while Webb City fell to 1-5.

Ignited by a full-court press, Springdale scored nine unanswered points at the end of the first quarter to take a 19-7 lead.

Down 25-11, Webb City used a 9-2 run to pull within seven, with Malorie Stanley, Abby Sargent and Kirra Long contributing points during the surge.

At the break, the Bulldogs held a 29-20 advantage.

A trey from Stanley trimmed Webb City’s deficit to nine at 35-26, but Springdale closed the third quarter on a 14-2 surge for a 49-28 cushion.

The Cardinals put together a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs never relinquished their lead.

A senior guard, Stanley led the Cardinals with 16 points. 

Also for the Cardinals, Sargent scored nine points, Jenna Schulz added eight and Addie Burns had five.

Webb City is playing without a key performer, as senior guard Mia Robbins is out of action after suffering an injury in the final game of the Carthage Invitational.

Three players scored in double figures for the Bulldogs, the champions of this year’s Carl Junction Classic. Charleen Hudson scored 19 points, while Kaiya McCoy added 16 and Jakayla Bunch had 15.

Webb City will meet either Farmington or Carl Junction at 4:30 on Tuesday in a consolation bracket contest. Carl Junction was slated to play Farmington on Monday night.

There are three games slated for Tuesday overall, including McDonald County vs. Bentonville West at 7:30 p.m.

 

LADY MUSTANG CLASSIC

Monday’s scores

Springdale 64, Webb City 45

Providence Academy 50, Bentonville West 26

Farmington 80, Carl Junction 34

BOYS HOOPS PREVIEW: Webb City returns standout guards, plenty of depth in ’23-24

 

Webb City returns a group of standout guards entering the 2023-24 season.

And with three returning starters, and plenty of overall team depth, expectations are high once again in Webb City.

“Our staff is excited to get the season started and watch this group compete,” Webb City coach Jason Horn said. “We return a very athletic group of guys who gained valuable experience in some big games at the varsity level last season. I think we can compete with any team on our schedule. For me, the most important thing is to see our players grow individually and collectively as a unit.”

Webb City’s returning starters are senior guard Barron Duda and junior guards Holton Keith and Eli Pace.

The 6-foot-3 Duda earned all-conference and all-district recognition as a junior after averaging 14 points and six rebounds a game. Duda made 54 3-pointers last winter.

“Barron had a great junior season,” Horn said. “Barron’s a tremendous shooter who can score the ball from all three levels.” 

The 6-1 Keith averaged 10.5 points, four assists and just under two steals per contest last season, while the 6-foot Pace contributed 6.5 points, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals a game as the team’s floor general.

“Holton is a great leader and on-ball defender,” Horn said. “He plays the game with unmatched energy and toughness. I think he has the potential to be one of the better players in the area.

“Eli will run the point for us again this season,” Horn continued. “He’s a high IQ player who makes everyone around him better. His ability to score and distribute the basketball makes him a tough matchup for our opponents.”

Other athletes returning with prior varsity experience are 6-foot senior guard Omari Jackson, 6-4 junior forward Joel Hendrix and 5-8 sophomore guard Gabe Johnson.

“Omari is a tremendous athlete who plays the game with a great deal of toughness,” Horn said. “He has a quick first step and can finish at the rim. Joel has great touch around the basket. His length, athleticism and ability to shoot the basketball will make him a tough matchup in the post. Gabe is a hard-nosed competitor on the court. He’s an explosive athlete and a tremendous playmaker.” 

Junior forward Joseph DeGraffenreid and sophomores Slade Hurd (G), Trae Turner (G) and Dalton Riggs (F) are other players who have the potential to make an impact at the varsity level.

“Joseph can spread the floor with his ability to shoot the basketball,” Horn said. “Trae is a very skilled and athletic guard who can finish plays at the rim. Slade is a solid guard who can shoot the ball from behind the arc. Dalton is a fundamentally solid player with a great motor who can finish plays around the basket.” 

Horn noted there’s a lot to like about this year’s group, especially its guard play.

“Team speed should be a plus for us again this season and we will look to speed the tempo up on both ends of the floor,” he said. 

Of course, every team has its areas of concern heading into a new season. And as always, the Cardinals will be getting off to a late start due to the football team’s successful postseason run.

“I think our depth will improve as the season progresses, but early on we could experience some growing pains with some of our key reserves getting used to the speed and physicality of the varsity game,” Horn said. 

Horn said the keys to success are simple this winter.

“No. 1 is we have to stay healthy,” he said. “If we can do that and continue to improve our timing on the offensive end while cutting down on unnecessary fouls defensively, I think we can compete at a high level.”

Webb City went 17-11 last season and ended the season in the district semifinals. The Cardinals lost Trey Roets, Alex Martin and Joe Adams to graduation. 

The Cardinals open the 2023-24 season at home against Monett on Dec. 5. 

 

BOYS HOOPS: Thomas Jefferson drops season opener

 

The Thomas Jefferson boys basketball team suffered a 52-37 setback to visiting Exeter on Monday night at the TJ Fieldhouse.

It was the opener of the 2023-24 season for the Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers led 12-11 at the end of the first quarter, but the Tigers outscored the hosts 14-7 in the second period.

The third quarter was nearly even, but Exeter held a 35-28 advantage heading into the final frame. The Tigers finished strong, outscoring TJ 17-9 in the fourth quarter.

Sophomore Kohl Thurman scored 13 points to lead the Cavaliers, while freshman Jack Twiss added 12. 

Junior Ethan Renger and sophomore Trenton Farley chipped in three points apiece for TJ, while sophomore Kyler Beard, sophomore Jaxx Wisdom and freshman Spencer Long each scored two points. 

Exeter’s Kason Nelson and Kronikel Lokot scored 12 points apiece, while Kendal Gorman added 10. The Tigers are now 1-1.

Thomas Jefferson (0-1) hosts Bronaugh at 7 on Tuesday night.

BOYS HOOPS PREVIEW: New cast of characters to lead Neosho

 

The Neosho High School boys basketball program is entering a new era.

The Wildcats will feature a new cast of characters on the court this winter after the program lost the bulk of last year’s lineup to graduation. 

“I’m really excited for this upcoming season,” Neosho coach Zane Culp said. “After losing seven seniors, we are ready for a fresh start and a new page for Neosho Basketball. We have a great mix of upper and underclassmen.”

Neosho must overcome the loss of Isaiah Green, Carter Baslee, Carter Fenske, Brock Franklin, Michael Day, Jared Siler and Kael Smith.

Last year’s seniors led the way as the Wildcats went 19-8 overall and 6-3 in the always-tough Central Ozark Conference.

Senior guard Collier Hendricks (6-2, 165) is the team’s lone returning varsity performer.

“He is going to be our best player and can score at all three levels,” Culp said. “He has worked really hard to get his game to where it is at. We are looking forward to the opportunity to get to coach him this year.” 

In addition to Hendricks, Neosho will rely on a large group of varsity newcomers this season.

Expected to play a key role is senior guard Colton Southern (6-2, 175).

“Colton is going to be one of our leaders,” Culp said. “He competes at every level of the game and is going to have a great year for us on both ends.”

Senior Coleman Deines (5-11, 170), juniors Brodie Arthur (6-0, 175), Ty Harris (5-10, 170), Kanten Smith (6-1, 170) and Quincy Simpson (6-2, 170) and sophomore Kaiden Asberry (5-10, 160) are other players expected to contribute this season.

“Coleman is a smart player that will look to hit shots and be a senior leader,” Culp said. “Brodie is a shot maker. He is one of the best shooters in our program and we are expecting big time production from him. Ty is a guy that can score in bunches. He has the ability to score a lot of points. He has put in the time this summer to prepare himself for our season.

“Kanten is an absolute bulldog,” Culp said. “He goes into every game like it is a fight. We are expecting him to be one of our toughest competitors. Quincy is an athletic kid and we will look for him to give us minutes playing hard and creating some opportunities for himself.

“Kaiden is a great shooter and has the ability to get teammates the ball and get them a good look,” Culp noted. “He also has worked really hard to improve his defense so we will task him with being one of our better defenders.”

With so many newcomers in key roles this season, Culp noted the Wildcats will look to prove the doubters wrong.

“Wins and losses are hard to say with a brand new group, but the boys are hungry to prove they are a competitive, strong basketball team,” Culp said. “We are going to play with a chip on our shoulder and with something to prove every game.”

Lack of varsity experience is the biggest area of concern heading into the season.

And with such an inexperienced squad, there could be some growing pains along the way. 

Simply put, Culp hopes to see the team make steady progress throughout the season, with peaking during the postseason an ultimate goal. 

“We have to be OK with going through struggles and learning together,” Culp said.  “We will have a group eager to learn and that will find ways to compete. And being an underdog in most games will end up being our strength.”  

Neosho will debut its new look squad when it hosts a jamboree with Webb City and McDonald County on Thursday.

Neosho opens the 2023-24 season at Nevada on Nov. 28.

BOYS HOOPS: Fast start, balanced attack leads Webb City past Springfield Catholic

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Webb City led from start to finish en route to a decisive 76-59 non-conference boys basketball victory over Springfield Catholic on Thursday night inside the Cardinal Dome.

In a game that featured no lead changes, the Cardinals raced out to advantages of 9-2 and 18-8 in taking control of the game early. 

“That start was huge for us,” Cardinals coach Jason Horn said. “We’ve struggled with our confidence the last few games. We’d been getting off to slow starts. The biggest thing was we moved the ball quickly and we got into our sets quickly. We got good shots and we made them pay for leaving us open early. We have some guys who can shoot the basketball, and it’s just a matter of confidence. The way we moved the ball tonight, our shooters got good clean looks and they were catching the ball in rhythm.” 

Pictured is Webb City sophomore guard Holton Keith.

The Cardinals improved to 4-2 and won for the second straight time, keeping their momentum going forward after Tuesday’s last-second win over Rogers Heritage. 

“I thought we had a couple of good days of practice this week and we had a really good test with Heritage,” Horn said. “That game prepared us for this game and I think we got some of our confidence back with that win. And I think it carried over tonight.” 

Webb City used a balanced attack, as all five starters scored in double figures.

“That’s another step for us,” Coach Horn said. “We’ve got a young group on the floor. We keep telling the guys they have to strive to get better with each game. I thought they did a good job of executing tonight.” 

Sophomore guard Holton Keith scored 17 points to lead the Cardinals, while senior guard Joe Adams and junior guard Barron Duda added 15 points apiece. Senior forward Alex Martin had 13 points and sophomore point guard Eli Pace contributed 10.

Webb City made 52 percent of its field goal attempts (27-of-52) and the Cardinals hit nine 3-pointers. Adams made five 3-pointers, while Duda hit three and Pace added a trey of his own. 

The 6-foot-5 Martin grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, while the 6-foot Pace handed out eight assists. 

The Fighting Irish, now under the direction of former Nixa coach Jay Osborne, fell to 1-4. 

Junior guard Brett Roberson scored 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting for the Irish, while senior Ryan Tauai added 17. Catholic made 21-of-47 shot attempts (45 percent). 

The Irish had 16 turnovers to Webb City’s eight. 

Again, Webb City never trailed in this one, as the Cardinals held a 25-17 lead at the end of the first quarter.

A pair of 3-pointers from Adams, both from the left wing, gave the Cardinals a 40-23 advantage in the second quarter. 

Pictured is Webb City sophomore guard Eli Pace.

By the break, Webb City held a 43-27 cushion.

The Cardinals’ lead was never in jeopardy in the second half. 

Webb City was up 54-36 entering the fourth quarter. 

A hoop in the lane from junior guard Omari Jackson and a trey from Duda extended Webb City’s lead to 59-39 early in the fourth quarter. 

The Cardinals’ largest lead was at 25 with 4:11 to play. 

4-STATES CHALLENGE IS SATURDAY

Webb City is hosting the annual 4-States Challenge on Saturday. 

There are five games scheduled — College Heights vs. Liberal at noon, East Newton vs. Sunrise Christian (Kansas) at 1:30, Carthage vs. Parkview at 3, Webb City vs. Monett at 4:30 and Joplin vs. Rogers (Arkansas) in the finale at approximately 6 p.m.

Horn noted local hoops fans won’t want to miss this year’s event.

“There are going to be a lot of good games and a lot of good players will be here in this gym,” Horn said. “Joplin has a really good team and Rogers has a tremendous freshman. He’s a 6-6 swingman who is very talented. Monett has one of the best, if not the best, shooters in Southwest Missouri (Blaine Salsman). We have a number of guys we think are pretty good too. Carthage and Parkview are two really good programs and feature really good guards. Fans will see good small school basketball and good large school basketball. I think all five games will be really good.”

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

 

BOYS HOOPS: Carthage, Webb City win tourney openers, will meet in semifinals

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Longtime rivals Carthage and Webb City will meet in the semifinals of the 76th Carthage Invitational boys basketball tournament.

In Thursday’s opening round, Carthage started fast and held on late for a 45-37 win over Fort Smith-Southside from Arkansas, while Webb City got it done in crunch time to earn a 57-52 overtime victory over Leavenworth (Kan.) in the night’s finale. 

The Tigers (2-0) and Cardinals (2-0) will meet at 8:30 on Friday night, with the winner earning a spot in Saturday’s title game.

Carthage’s Max Templeman makes a layup under pressure from Southside’s Levi Steele on Thursday night at the Carthage Invitational. Photo by Derek Livingston.

CARTHAGE 45, SOUTHSIDE 37

Clinging to a two-point lead with just over two minutes remaining, the Tigers finished strong.

The hosts scored the game’s final six points and came up with a number of key defensive stops to secure a hard-fought win.

“We are far from a finished product,” Tigers coach Nathan Morris said. “Our guys know that. We’ve got some guys still working to get into basketball shape. We’ve got some guys banged up and we had a starter that’s been sick. We’re working through those things. I knew the team that played sound basketball for more of the game was going to win. We kept our cool and kept our heads late in the game. It would be nice to win that game by 15, but I’m OK with us having to grind some wins out right now.”

Carthage got off to a blistering start. The Tigers hit six treys in the first quarter against Southside’s zone defense en route to taking a 20-12 lead. 

Justin Ray hit three 3-pointers in the opening frame, while Max Templeman hit two and Clay Kinder knocked down one of his own against the Mavericks, who struggled with early turnovers.

“It was great to get that from Justin,” Morris said. “We also asked him to defend their best player for 32 minutes. But we’re ready for Justin to take the next step and be that guy with Max.” 

Carthage’s Britt Coy grabs a rebound during Thursday’s game against Southside. Photo by Derek Livingston.

After scoring 20 points in the first quarter, Carthage tallied just six in the second period. 

Southside pulled within four, but back to back hoops from Ray gave the Tigers a 26-18 halftime advantage.

The Mavericks stayed within striking distance throughout the third quarter, as a pair of hoops from Gibran Sullivan trimmed Carthage’s lead to four.

Kinder buried a 3-pointer from the right wing to give the Tigers a 35-28 cushion at the end of the third period.

Southside pulled within two in the fourth period, but Carthage never surrendered its lead down the stretch.

After a Southside turnover, Kinder and Templeman hit two free throws apiece to make it 41-37 with 35 seconds left. 

Sophomore guard Trent Yates hit two foul shots with 17 seconds remaining for the final margin.

The Pioneers didn’t score in the final 2:20.

“We have a tough, gritty group,” Morris said. “These guys have bought into doing the dirty work. Britt Coy is an undersized post player, but he fights for every rebound. Clay knows how to use his body, and I’ll take our three guards.”

A senior guard, Templeman led Carthage with 18 points. A junior guard, Ray added 13 points and Kinder, a senior forward, added 10.

Yazed Faforo scored 12 points for Southside.

 

WEBB CITY 57, LEAVENWORTH 52 (OT)

The game was deadlocked at 52 when Webb City sophomore guard Eli Pace hit a 3-pointer from the left wing with 30 seconds remaining. 

The clutch shot ended up the game-winner.

“That was a huge 3,” Webb City coach Jason Horn said. “It came off a set play. We didn’t force the first one and then we got a good ball reversal. Eli stepped up and made a big play.”

Following Pace’s trey, the Pioneers had an empty possession and were forced to foul. Webb City’s Barron Duda converted both attempts at the foul line for the final margin.

Webb City appeared in control in the second half, as the Cardinals held a 17-point advantage at 46-29.

But Leavenworth sped up the game and put together a 21-4 spurt to tie the game at 50, forcing overtime in the process.

“We got sloppy in the second half,” Horn said. “We got careless with the ball. We were trying to split traps with the dribble instead of passing through those traps. We got out of control and they were able to capitalize on our mistakes.” 

A fast-paced and back and forth first quarter ended with Webb City up 14-12.

The Cardinals started the second quarter on a 13-2 run to take a 27-14 advantage. Five different players—Cole Cavitt, Pace, Alex Martin, Duda and Holton Keith—scored during the surge.

On the other end, the Pioneers struggled against Webb City’s active zone defense. A late trey from Joe Adams gave Webb City a 30-19 halftime lead.

“We were moving the ball well and we were playing inside-out,” Horn said of the first half. “We were doing a good job of driving and kicking it out. We got the ball inside to Martin. Good things happen when the ball goes inside to him. We got away from what was working in the second half. At times, we were good defensively. But at other times we had some breakdowns and lost focus.”

The Cardinals put together a 10-0 run in the third quarter and led 46-29.

But the Pioneers turned things around, forced the Cardinals into numerous turnovers and eventually tied the game with 2:15 to play.

Both teams had their chances late in regulation, but both squads had empty possessions.

Webb City’s Martin and Leavenworth’s Eddie McLaughlin traded hoops early in the extra possession for a 52-all score.

The Pioneers turned the ball over before Pace knocked down the huge trey.

In the end, the Cardinals won the overtime period 7-2 to survive and advance.

Three players scored 13 points apiece for the Cardinals—Duda, Keith and Martin. The 6-5 Martin also grabbed 10 rebounds.

Jeremiah Lewis scored a game-high 21 points for Leavenworth and McLaughlin added 12. 

 

RAYMORE-PECULIAR 54, NEVADA 33

The Panthers led 21-3 and never relinquished their lead.

The Tigers nearly matched the Panthers point for point in both the second and third quarters, but Ray-Pec finished strong with a 16-8 fourth quarter.

Ashton Jermain scored 16 points for Raymore-Peculiar.

Jack Cheaney led Nevada with 10 points. Two others, Cade Beshore and Brice Budd, added eight points apiece for the Tigers. 

 

 

Carthage’s Justin Ray knocks down a 3-pointer in the first quarter of Thursday’s game against Southside. Photo by Derek Livingston.

 

Carthage’s Max Templeman battles Southside’s Gibran Sullivan for a rebound during Thursday’s opening-round game of the Carthage Invitational. Photo by Derek Livingston.

 

 

WEBB CITY VS. LEAVENWORTH FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

GIRLS HOOPS ROUNDUP: Buerge leads Bulldogs to tourney win; Nevada tops Clinton

CARL JUNCTION 52, SOUTHSIDE 47

FORT SMITH, Ark. — Destiny Buerge poured in 31 points to lead Carl Junction to a 52-47 victory over Fort Smith-Southside on Thursday in the opening round of the 2022 Taco Bell Tournament of Champions.

A senior guard, Buerge made 12 field goals, including a 3-pointer, to go along with six free throws.

Junior forward Kylie Scott added 10 points and senior guard Hali Shorter scored six on a pair of treys for the Bulldogs, who improved to 4-0. 

The Bulldogs led 43-27 at the end of the third quarter. 

Southside outscored Carl Junction 20-9 in the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs held on for the win.

Carl Junction will meet Bergman in the semifinals at 8:30 on Friday night. Bergman beat Jones 53-45.

 

WEDNESDAY’S RESULT

NEVADA 47, CLINTON 41 

NEVADA, Mo. — Nevada’s girls basketball team improved to 4-2 on the season with a 47-41 win over Clinton on Wednesday night inside Wynn Gymnasium.

The Tigers built a 30-23 halftime lead and were up 38-32 entering the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter was even, 9-9.

Clara Swearingen scored 21 points to lead the Tigers, while Maddy Majors added 13 points. Swearingen hit five 3-pointers, while Majors connected on a trio of treys.

Skyte Wilson scored 13 for Clinton.

Nevada hosts Rogersville on Monday night.

BOYS HOOPS: New-look Webb City rolls in season opener

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Webb City’s new-look lineup made an impressive debut.

Featuring five new starters, Webb City took control early en route to a convincing 78-60 victory over Lamar on Tuesday night in the opener of the 2022-23 boys basketball season inside the Cardinal Dome.

The Cardinals held a commanding 48-24 advantage by halftime, and the hosts were up comfortably 67-37 by the end of the third quarter.

“I thought our guys played really well tonight,” Cardinals coach Jason Horn said. “They played very unselfishly and they played hard. They did some positive things on the defensive end and they rebounded the basketball really well. And at any point, we have five guys on the court who play with a high motor. They share the basketball and they get along really well. I really like this group.” 

Tuesday’s non-conference clash was deadlocked early when Webb City erupted for 14 unanswered points. During the surge, the Cardinals were able to push the pace and get several hoops in transition while also limiting the Tigers to one-and-done on the other end.

“We were contesting shots and forcing them into some tough shots,” Horn said. “We got the game going at the pace we wanted. We’ve had a lot of practices under our belts and they’ve probably had just two shoot-arounds. We thought that would be to our advantage. As soon as we got the pace going up and down, they were taking some shots they probably won’t take when they get to midseason form. And our guys were sharing the basketball, making the extra pass and that freed us up for a lot of those 3-pointers.” 

Webb City’s Alex Martin shoots over Lamar’s Jack Killmon during Tuesday’s game inside the Cardinal Dome. Webb City won the game 78-60. Photo by Derek Livingston.

Of course, many of Lamar’s athletes were still playing football this past weekend, as the Tigers suffered a loss in the state title game. Horn’s Cardinals have been in a similar position in years past.

Three players reached double figures for Webb City, as junior guard Barron Duda poured in 25 points. The 6-foot-3 Duda made nine field goals, including four treys. 

Duda recorded a double-double, as he pulled down 14 rebounds. He scored 22 points in the first half.

“Offensively, he was huge for us because we got into some early foul trouble,” Horn said. “He carried the load. And I thought our guys did a good job of finding him.”

Webb City senior guard Joe Adams and sophomore guard Holton Keith scored 13 points apiece, while 6-5 senior forward Alex Martin added eight points to go along with 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Eli Pace contributed seven points for the Cardinals, who hit nine 3-pointers in the game.

Webb City’s starting lineup featured Adams, Pace, Keith, Duda and Martin.

After Lamar halted the hosts’ early spurt, a 3-pointer from Adams gave Webb City a 22-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Duda caught fire in the second quarter, hitting four 3-pointers while also converting an old-fashioned 3-point play in the period as the Cardinals doubled up the Tigers by the break at 48-24.

“Lamar has a good 3-2 zone defense,” Horn said. “We were able to get into the gaps and we were able to find Barron on some kick-outs. Our guys looked to get the ball to the guy who had the hot hand.” 

Webb City’s cushion ballooned to 67-37 by the end of the third quarter and Horn got his subs plenty of playing time in the final frame.

Webb City’s lone returning starter this season, senior forward Trey Roets, is currently out of action due to a shoulder issue. 

The Cardinals are also currently playing without the services of 6-2 junior forward Jonah Spieker. Of course, the Cardinals are also without senior Dante Washington, who will miss the season after suffering a knee injury during the football season.

Ian Ngugi scored 13 points to lead Lamar, while Joel Beshore added 12. 

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Webb City (1-0) will compete at this week’s Carthage Invitational. The Cardinals open tourney play against Leavenworth at 8:30 on Thursday night. 

“The Carthage tournament is loaded and we’ll have our work cut out for us against Leavenworth,” said Horn, who is now in his seventh season at Webb City. “They’ve got a good group. We’ll start preparing for them tomorrow.” 

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

 

Webb City’s Barron Duda looks to score in the lane against Lamar on Tuesday night. Duda scored 25 points for the Cardinals. All photos by Derek Livingston.

 

Webb City’s Holton Keith makes a layup against Lamar’s Ty Willhite on Tuesday night inside the Cardinal Dome.

 

Webb City’s Joel Hendrix puts a up shot against Lamar on Tuesday night. Webb City won the game 78-60.

 

Webb City junior guard Barron Duda scored 25 points against Lamar on Tuesday night in the season opener for both teams. Photos by Derek Livingston.

PREP HOOPS: College Heights sweeps district rivals in commanding fashion

The College Heights Christian girls scored the first 17 points of the second half to build a commanding 40-15 lead on their way to a 56-27 win on Monday night over the visiting Purdy Eagles at the College Heights Athletic Complex.

College Heights trailed Purdy 13-12 with 5 minutes, 23 seconds remaining in the second quarter, but the Cougars held a 44-14 advantage the rest of the game, including 11-2 to close out the second quarter, 19-4 in the third quarter and 33-12 overall in the second half.

Defense fed into offense for College Heights.

“Our defensive intensity wasn’t where it needed to be in the first half,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “We got into a little bit of foul trouble, and we just weren’t moving our feet on the press and reaching too much. We had a discussion at halftime about ball movement on the offensive end and they responded well.

“Our team identity is our defense and our transition game. We get out there on defense, get some steals, and it leads into our transition game where we get high-percentage shots. We had some good looks in the first half, but we were 25 percent from the floor. We picked that up, of course, in the second half and started knocking down shots.”

College Heights senior guard Lauren Ukena finished with a double-double and the latter number indicative of the Cougars’ heightened intensity defensively on Monday — 11 points and 11 steals.

Maddy Colin scored a game-high 13 points to pace College Heights in the points column, while Jayli Johnson added nine, Libby Fanning eight, Ava Lett five, Jesalin Bever four, Molly Long three, Allie Stout two and Kinley Marsh one.

Purdy freshman Courtney Patterson led the Eagles with nine points.

College Heights improved to 3-2 on the season and the Cougars return home Friday for a contest against New Covenant Academy.

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS BOYS 66, MILLER 31

It turned out to be a case of second verse, same as the first in the nightcap of the varsity doubleheader Monday night.

College Heights and Miller were tied at eight in the first quarter, then the Cougars scored the final 10 of the first and the first 12 of the second for a 30-8 lead and never looked back.

Curtis Davenport’s first basket of the fourth pushed the game into running-clock and it stayed there for the vast majority of the rest of the game.

“We just did a better job on defense,” College Heights coach Eric Johnson said. “We got some steals, some layups, and some good shots. It was a matter of refocusing.”

In the home and season opener against Providence Academy (Ark.), played almost two weeks earlier, Davenport scored a game-high 32 points during a 64-51 win for the Cougars.

On Monday night, junior forward Caleb Quade scored a game-high 25 points, highlighted by 12 points during that decisive 22-0 scoring run.

“We needed him,” Johnson said. “At the Pierce City tournament his last two games, he didn’t play as well as he could for us. I think he decided to make up for it by not playing well over there. It gives us that second scorer inside, between him and Curtis. Caleb stepped up tonight and had a good first half, a good night for us.”

Quade also had 21 points in the win at home against Providence Academy.

College Heights outscored Miller 58-23 after that early tie score.

Davenport, Ben Thomas, and Jayce Walker each scored eight points, Bo Sitton six, Ethan Ukena four, Logan Decker three, and Zach Beaty and Liam Nelson chipped in two each.

Nate Hill and Owen Weiss each led Miller with seven points.

Before the game, Davenport was recognized for reaching and surpassing 1,000 career points with his 32-point night against Providence Academy giving him the milestone.

College Heights improved to 4-1 on the season with the win Monday and the Cougars are back in action Friday on the road against Hermitage.

PREP HOOPS: College Heights boys take 2nd at Pierce City; CHC girls finish 3rd at Gem City Classic

 

CHC BOYS RUNNER-UP AT PIERCE CITY

PIERCE CITY, Mo. — The College Heights Christian boys basketball team settled for the runner-up plaque at the Pierce City Invitational.

In the event’s title game, top-seeded Marshfield defeated second-seeded College Heights 65-57 on Saturday night.

College Heights led 18-13 at the end of the first quarter, and the Cougars were clinging to a 31-29 advantage at halftime.

Marshfield pulled ahead for good by outscoring the Cougars 22-9 in the third quarter.

Up 51-40 entering the fourth period, Marshfield held off CHC late. The Cougars outscored the Blue Jays 17-14 in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough.

Curtis Davenport scored 19 points to lead College Heights. A senior forward, Davenport was named to the all-tournament team. 

College Heights (3-1) hosts Miller at 7:30 on Monday night. 

 

Pierce City Invitational

Title game: Marshfield 65, College Heights 57

Third place: Billings 43, East Newton 36

Fifth place: Pierce City 67, Verona 64

Seventh place: Crane 74, Exeter 66

 

CHC GIRLS THIRD AT GEM CITY CLASSIC

DIAMOND, Mo. — With a strong finish, College Heights Christian’s girls basketball team defeated East Newton 47-36 in the third-place game of the Gem City Classic on Saturday.

“This was a great win for our program,” CHC coach John Blankenship said. “There were several lead changes throughout the game. However, we outscored them 21-8 in the fourth quarter, including 9-for-10 from the free throw line to secure the win.”

Maddy Colin scored 15 points to lead the Cougars, while Libby Fanning added 12 and Ava Lett had nine. Fanning was named to the all-tourney team.

“Ava and Maddy also had two huge steals down the stretch which led to four crucial points,” Blankenship said. “Jayli (Johnson) and Lauren’s (Ukena) defense was a major factor in containing their key players.” 

The Cougars led 23-18 at halftime against the Patriots. 

College Heights went 2-1 at the Gem City Classic, beating McAuley (52-10) and falling to Miller (37-26) before Saturday’s finale. 

College Heights (2-2) hosts Purdy on Monday, with two quarters of JV play scheduled for 5 p.m.

 

Gem City Classic Girls Tournament

Title game: Miller 44, Diamond 33

Third place: College Heights 47, East Newton 36

Fifth place: Greenfield 60, Sarcoxie 22

Seventh place: Lockwood 37, McAuley Catholic 28

 

BOYS HOOPS: Thomas Jefferson falls short in Gem City Classic title game

DIAMOND, Mo. — The Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers saw their 35-25 lead early in the third quarter turn into a 48-41 deficit entering the fourth on Saturday night against El Dorado Springs in the championship game of the Gem City Classic.

Thomas Jefferson narrowed it down to 52-50, but the Bulldogs had enough free throws and defensive stops late to earn a 58-53 win and the Gem City championship.

“We knew they were going to come out strong in the third quarter,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said. “We talked about it at halftime, and we talked about it before we came back out. I thought we weathered the storm and calmed back down and made it a game again. We just couldn’t get any shots to fall there late, which made us come up a little short.”

El Dorado Springs junior guard and tournament MVP Landon Murry heated up in the second half, especially during that third quarter in which the Bulldogs put a 23-8 bite on the Cavaliers, with 16 of his team-high 19 points.

Sophomore guard Joe Gordon scored all nine of his points after halftime, as the Bulldogs’ perimeter attack took control of the contest.

Thomas Jefferson’s senior duo of all-tournament selections Jay Ball and Tyler Brouhard carried the Cavaliers to their 33-25 halftime lead with a combined 26 points (Ball 16, Brouhard 10) in the first 16 minutes.

Thomas Jefferson turned a 13-8 deficit in the first quarter into a 27-17 lead in the second with a 19-4 stretch.

Ultimately, though, it was El Dorado Springs who made the game’s largest run, at one point scoring 15 straight points in the third.

Saturday night’s title tilt more than lived up to the expectations of the top two seeds doing battle in the last game of the Gem City Classic.

“That’s a Class 3 school that won a district championship last year,” Myers said. “They returned a lot or all of their players from last year. They’re big, they’re physical, and playing games like this as a Class 1 school will only make us stronger down the road.”

All-tournament selection Kuliath Kephart added 14 points for the Bulldogs, while senior guard Levi Triplett scored eight for the Cavaliers.

Ball and Brouhard finished with 23 and 17 points, respectively. Ball also had 13 rebounds.

Thomas Jefferson went 2-1 in the tournament, defeating Galena 63-51 in the semifinals Wednesday and conference and district rival McAuley Catholic 45-40 in the quarters Monday.

“It was a great tournament,” Myers said. “It was stacked. There were a lot of great teams in the tournament. There was no off night or however you want to say it. Every team was a good team and had a chance to win. These early-season games really help prepare you for conference and district games down the road.

“McAuley is a very scrappy team. Coach (Tony) Witt does a great job coaching them. We knew they weren’t the seventh seed coming into the tournament. It’s so early you never know. The seeding in early tournaments really doesn’t mean anything. Everybody’s out trying to prove something. We knew that McAuley would be out to prove something, just like every team at this time of the year.”

Thomas Jefferson, 4-1 overall and seventh-ranked in Class 1 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, returns to action on Tuesday on the road against Everton.

 

Gem City Classic 

Title game: El Dorado Springs 58, Thomas Jefferson 53

Third place: Mount Vernon 61, Galena 53

Fifth place: Carthage JV 58, McAuley Catholic 28

Seventh place: Sarcoxie 62, Diamond 51

GIRLS HOOPS: Carthage pulls off inspired comeback at Lady Tigers Shootout

CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Carthage High School girls basketball team pulled off a comeback to remember on Friday night.

Carthage overcame a 16-point deficit en route to a confidence-building 67-46 victory over Sunrise Christian Academy on the second day of the Lady Tigers Shootout. 

Down 15 at the end of the first quarter, Carthage outscored Sunrise Christian from Kansas 62-26 the rest of the way in what could be described as a stunning turnaround.

“I wouldn’t even call it a comeback,” Tigers coach Scott Moore said. “In the first quarter, the girls were playing hard and they were executing, but the ball just wasn’t rolling in. Our shots were just rolling out. At the end of the first quarter, I told them to keep doing what they’re doing and the ball will start to go in. And then it did. I was really pleased with how we battled back and didn’t let that first quarter affect us mentally for the rest of the game.”

Sunrise Christian led 20-4 in the first quarter, and it looked like it may be a long night for the hosts. But the Tigers owned the second period, outscoring the visitors 23-6. Down 24-11 in the second quarter, Carthage finished the first half on a 17-2 run.

Ashlyn Brust scored five points during a 7-0 spurt, with Landry Cochran adding a hoop. Sunrise stopped the surge, but Carthage scored 10 unanswered points to end the half. Jaidyn Brunnert hit a 3-pointer and then hit two free throws before Lauren Choate knocked a corner trey and Kianna Yates scored a go-ahead basket in the lane to give the Tigers a 28-26 halftime advantage. 

Carthage doubled up Sunrise in the third period, 18-9, to pull away. Yates scored 11 in the third period and the Tigers held a 46-35 lead entering the final frame.

“If we make shots we can get into our pressing package,” Moore said of a key to success. “And then our defense can create offense. But when you’re missing shots, you can’t press.”

The Tigers won the fourth quarter 21-11 to blow the game open.

Choate’s second 3-pointer of the fourth period gave CHS a 56-41 cushion. Moments later, Yates buried a trey of her own for a comfy 61-43 advantage. 

The Tigers sank 8-of-11 free throws down the stretch to finish off an inspired come from behind win.

Moore noted his team’s improved defense was a key to victory.  

“We locked down defensively and held them to 26 in the last three quarters,” Moore said. “That’s really good defense in high school girls basketball…. that’s like nine points a quarter. The last three quarters are indicative of how we want to play for four quarters every night.”  

A 5-foot-5 do-it-all point guard, Yates scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Tigers. A sophomore guard, Choate scored 19 points, with 13 coming in the second half. Yates and Choate knocked down four treys apiece.

“Kianna’s always a steadying force for us,” Moore said. “In the second quarter, she started distributing the ball and getting us better shots. I was really pleased with that. And she scored 23 points, so that’s a Kianna Yates type of game. Lauren Choate found her stroke from the outside tonight and that was great to see.”

Also for the Tigers, Brust and Maggie Boyd each scored seven points, while Brunnert had five and Cochran scored four. Lexa Youngblood pulled down eight rebounds to go with two points.

Valentina Hart scored 12 points to lead Sunrise Christian, while Kaitlyn Edwards and Claire Ferguson added 10 points apiece.

Carthage (3-0) meets Bentonville (Ark.) at 12:30 on Saturday to see which team can go undefeated in Shootout play. Bentonville has tourney wins over Sunrise Christian and Webb City.

“Tomorrow we’re going to see the other best team in the tournament in Bentonville,” Moore said. “We’re going to need to bring our ‘A’ game for four quarters. Three quarters won’t get it done against them.” 

In other Shootout action on Friday, Bentonville finished strong in a 54-42 win over Webb City and El Dorado Springs beat Olathe East (Kan.) 54-46.

GIRLS HOOPS: Webb City’s late rally falls short at Lady Tigers Shootout

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Despite a solid effort, a late rally fell short for the Webb City girls basketball team.

Bentonville finished strong for a 54-42 win over Webb City on Friday night at the Lady Tigers Shootout at Carthage High School.

The final score may be a bit deceptive in this one, as the Cardinals only trailed by four with two minutes to play.

In the end, the Cardinals were unable to get over the hump down the stretch, as the Tigers scored the game’s final eight points.

“I don’t think the final score was indicative of how competitive the game was throughout,” Cardinals coach Lance Robbins said. “Bentonville is a very good basketball team and they’ve got seven games under their belt. We were playing our second game and we’re still trying to work out some things. But it was a very good effort. I’m pleased with our effort and with how hard we’re playing.”

The Tigers used an 8-0 run in the first quarter and a 9-0 surge in the second period to gain some separation from the Cardinals. 

Webb City stayed within striking distance, however, as sophomore post player Sami Mancini scored 10 points in the first half and junior guard Mia Robbins knocked down a pair of 3-pointers.

Bentonville’s hot-shooting from the perimeter was key throughout the contest, as the Tigers hit eight 3-pointers in the first half to take a 32-20 halftime advantage.

“We got off to a slow start defensively,” Coach Robbins said. “We didn’t defend the 3 real well early. But I thought we did a better job of that in the second half.”

Webb City trailed by 13 in the third quarter at 36-23, but the Cardinals put together a spirited, game-changing 11-0 surge to pull within two.

During the spurt, Izzy Lopez and Mancini scored inside, Mancini drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key, Mia Robbins scored in transition and Lopez made two foul shots, cutting her team’s deficit to 36-34.

“I think our defensive pressure in the fullcourt allowed us to get out and run and made them shoot some quick shots,” Coach Robbins said. “We rebounded well and pushed the ball up the floor and were able to get some buckets in transition or out of our halfcourt offense.”

In the fourth quarter, hoops from Kate Brownfield and Mancini cut Bentonville’s advantage to 43-40 with three minutes left, but the Tigers got a huge trey from Ella Campbell.

The Cardinals were down four with two minutes to go at 46-42, but they simply had too many empty possessions and the Tigers closed the game on an 8-0 run. 

“We just didn’t finish real well,” Coach Robbins said. “We have a lot of things we can get better at. If we do that, a lot of good things will happen for us.” 

A 6-foot-5 post player, Mancini led Webb City with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Mia Robbins scored 11 points and hit three treys to go along with six boards. 

Lopez scored four points and Brownfield grabbed seven rebounds to go with two points. Also scoring two points for the Cardinals were Kirra Long and Dawsyn Decker.

Four players reached double figures for Bentonville, as Campbell scored 15, Anna Lee Kulka had 12, Olivia Rustad added 11 and Sam Rhuda chipped in 10. The Tigers hit 10 3-pointers in the game. 

Webb City (1-1) concludes tourney play at 11 a.m. on Saturday against Olathe East.

 

EL DORADO SPRINGS 54, OLATHE EAST 46

Three players scored in double figures for the Bulldogs, as Macie Mays scored 21, Neely Schaaf had 16 and McKinli Mays added 14.

Braylee Rogers scored 11 points for Olathe East, while Jillian Reese added 10. 

El Dorado Springs plays Sunrise Christian at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.

 

CJ CLASSIC: Carl Junction rallies late, repeats as tourney champs

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — The host Carl Junction Bulldogs repeated as CJ Classic champs.

But it was far from easy. 

Using a furious late rally, Carl Junction came from behind in the fourth quarter to knock off Nevada 53-47 in the 46th annual event’s championship game on Thursday night.

The Tigers held a four-point lead with just over three minutes to play before the Bulldogs pulled ahead for good with a late surge.

“Nevada played terrific and they had a great game plan,” Bulldogs coach Brad Shorter said. “I’m sure our kids would tell you we didn’t play very well for three quarters. Nevada had a lot to do with that obviously, but our kids found a way to win. They kept fighting and they got the job done.”

It was the second straight season the two teams met in the tourney title game, as the Bulldogs earned a 60-41 victory a year ago. This year’s title game was much closer.

“I’m very proud of our girls,” Nevada coach Blake Howarth said. “Carl Junction is the third-ranked team in Class 5. This game shows how much our girls have improved since last year. It wasn’t much of a game last year. It was a great showing for our girls tonight and it shows how hard they’re working. Even though this is a loss, it’s a moral victory.”

Carl Junction’s Kylie Scott handles the ball during Thursday’s game against Nevada. Scott led the Bulldogs with 21 points. Photo by Sloan Uebinger.

Carl Junction junior forward Kylie Scott scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs. The 6-3 Scott scored 17 of her points in the second half.

Senior guard Destiny Buerge scored 19 points and repeated as the tourney’s MVP. Also for the Bulldogs, sophomore Dezi Williams contributed seven points and nine boards.

Carl Junction improved to 3-0, while Nevada fell to 2-2. 

Nevada senior guard Maddy Majors scored 15 points, while junior guard Clara Swearingen added 12. Also for the Tigers, senior Abbey Heathman scored 11 before fouling out and junior Katie Johnson chipped in nine points.

In addition to Buerge, Scott, Swearingen and Heathman were named to the all-tourney team.

On the first night of December, neither team could gain much separation. 

Carl Junction led 9-3 before Nevada finished the first quarter on a 6-2 run, trimming CJ’s lead to two.

The game was deadlocked at 17 when a pair of hoops from Scott gave the Bulldogs a 21-17 advantage. 

Nevada pulled within a single tally on Swearingen’s corner trey, but a bucket inside by freshman Jadyn Howard gave the hosts a 23-20 halftime advantage. 

The Tigers won the third quarter 13-9 to take a 33-32 lead into the final frame.

Nevada’s Swearingen and Majors both knocked down 3-pointers on key possessions in the fourth quarter, and the Tigers held a 45-41 advantage with 3:25 remaining.

But that’s when the momentum suddenly shifted CJ’s way.

The Bulldogs reeled off nine unanswered points to take the lead for good, with Scott scoring five and Buerge and Williams adding hoops in the paint for a 50-45 cushion. 

During the spurt, the Bulldogs crashed the offensive glass well, as Scott and Buerge both had putbacks.

“We went to a little bit of pressure out of our matchup zone,” Shorter said. “We got some turnovers and some easy buckets and that proved to be the difference.” 

Clara Swearingen makes a layup against Carl Junction on Thursday night. Photo by Sloan Uebinger.

Down five, Nevada didn’t go away, as Majors hit a pull-up jumper in the lane to trim her team’s deficit to three with 50 seconds left.

Next, the Bulldogs were able to run just over 20 seconds off the clock before the Tigers were forced to foul.

Buerge, a Pittsburg State signee, sank one of two at the charity stripe to give the Bulldogs a 51-47 lead with 28 seconds to play.

The Tigers turned the ball over on the ensuing possession and Scott’s late basket accounted for the final margin.

“We can continue to get better and hopefully this game will help us down the road,” Shorter said. 

Carl Junction AD Rich Neria presents Destiny Buerge, Hali Shorter, Klohe Burk and Allie Wrestler with the championship plaque after the Bulldogs defeated Nevada. Photo by Sloan Uebinger.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR CJ?

The Bulldogs have two more tournaments on the horizon. 

Carl Junction will compete at the Taco Bell Tournament of Champions in Fort Smith (Ark.) from Dec. 8-10. This is a new event for CJ, as the team had previously competed at Joplin’s Lady Eagle Classic.

The Bulldogs will also compete at the Mustang Classic at McDonald County from Dec. 12-14.

 

CLASSIC ROUNDUP

In the event’s third-place game, Springdale defeated Parkview 59-54. 

Neosho beat rival McDonald County 46-35 for fifth-place and Seneca topped Mount Vernon 54-35 for seventh-place. 

See a related story for more details on those games (CJ CLASSIC ROUNDUP: Neosho, Seneca end tourney with wins – SoMo Sports (somo-sports.com).

 

CJ CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Destiny Buerge, Carl Junction (MVP)

Kylie Scott, Carl Junction

Abbey Heathman, Nevada

Clara Swearingen, Nevada

Tara Masten, Parkview

Karlee Ellick, Neosho

Adriana Hernandez, Springdale

Charleen Hudson, Springdale

 

Carl Junction senior Destiny Buerge shoots over Nevada’s Clara Swearingen on Thursday night. Buerge was the CJ Classic MVP for the second straight season. Photos by Sloan Uebinger.

 

Carl Junction’s Dezi Williams defends Nevada’s Maddy Majors on Thursday night.

 

The Carl Junction Bulldogs pose with the championship plaque after winning the CJ Classic on Thursday night. Photo by Sloan Uebinger.

 

The Carl Junction Bulldogs celebrate after winning the CJ Classic on Thursday night.

CJ CLASSIC ROUNDUP: Neosho, Seneca end tourney with wins

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Neosho and Seneca both earned victories on the final night of the 46th Carl Junction Classic.

Neosho won the tourney’s fifth-place game 46-35 over rival McDonald County on Thursday night, while Seneca defeated Mount Vernon 54-35 in the event’s seventh-place game. 

 

NEOSHO 46, MCDONALD COUNTY 35

In a game they never trailed, Neosho took control early by establishing a 19-2 lead. 

The Wildcats scored 14 unanswered points during the early surge.

Neosho led 22-6 at halftime and a pair of hoops in the paint from senior forward Karlee Ellick gave the Wildcats a comfortable 31-10 lead with 4:35 remaining in the third period.

However, the Mustangs finished the third quarter on an 11-2 run, but they still trailed 33-21.

McDonald County cut its deficit to seven in the fourth quarter, but Neosho never relinquished its lead en route to capturing the consolation championship. 

Ellick scored 14 points to lead Neosho, while Beclynn Garrett had 10 and Raine Harris added seven. Ellick was named to the all-tourney team. 

McDonald County received 11 points from Carlee Cooper and six from Jamie Washam. 

 

SENECA 54, MOUNT VERNON 35

Sophomore guard Hazley Grotjohn scored 16 points to lead Seneca, while senior forward Parker Long had 14 and junior guard Samarah Mittag added nine.

For the Mountaineers, sophomore Cheyenne Bieber scored 11 and classmate Addie Hall had nine.

The Indians led 14-10 at the end of the first quarter.

The Mountaineers scored the first seven points of the second quarter to briefly take the lead, but the Indians closed the first half on a 14-0 run to take a 28-17 halftime advantage.

Seneca extended its lead to 44-24 by the end of the third quarter and the Mountaineers were unable to rally in the final frame. 

CJ CLASSIC: Host Bulldogs advance to title game, will meet Nevada 

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — After seeing a 21-point lead nearly evaporate, the Carl Junction Bulldogs got the job done when crunch time arrived.

In a physical back and forth clash, Carl Junction held on late for a 62-58 victory over Springdale (Ark.) on Tuesday night in the semifinals of the 46th Freeman Sports Medicine CJ Classic.

“These are the kind of games we want early in the season,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said. “Springdale plays so hard and they are going to win a lot of games this year. We saw two completely different brands of basketball the last two nights. Neosho has size and Springdale has quickness. We were able to handle both of them, so we feel good. We had some kids step up and tonight was a good game for us for sure.”

Carl Junction built a 21-point lead in the second half, but the host Bulldogs had to withstand Springdale’s late surge for what could be described as a hard-fought win. 

Springdale cut its deficit to four late in the game, but the hosts never relinquished their lead. 

“Our kids kept fighting,” Shorter said. “It could have easily went south, but they hung in there and kept fighting. We needed a game like this because it’s hard to simulate that kind of speed in practice. This game is going to be good for us later in the year.”

The tourney hosts will meet Nevada at 8:30 on Thursday night in the championship game. It’s a rematch of last year’s title game that the Bulldogs won.

In a showdown between Bulldogs, Carl Junction raced out to a 16-4 lead after a pair of hoops from senior guard Destiny Buerge. The hosts’ lead was 16-8 at the end of the first frame. 

Carl Junction took a 23-13 lead after back-to-back putbacks by Kylie Scott, but Springdale forced the hosts into a number of turnovers with their full-court pressure defense, and in the process, the visitors cut their deficit down to two.

But the hosts finished the first half on an 8-0 surge, as Buerge and Scott had one bucket apiece and Dezi Williams scored twice in the paint.

Those points gave Carl Junction a 31-21 halftime advantage. 

Carl Junction scored the first nine points of the second half, as Scott made a free throw, Klohe Burk and Buerge buried treys and Burk knocked down a midrange jumper for a 40-21 cushion.

The visitors stopped the run, but CJ soon held a 21-point lead at 45-24 with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter. 

Springdale didn’t quit, however, as the visiting Bulldogs reeled off 12 straight points to pull within eight.

Buerge drained a key 3-pointer to stop Springdale’s spurt, giving CJ a 49-38 lead entering the fourth period.

Carl Junction held a 57-45 lead with three minutes to play when Springdale used a 10-2 run to get within four with 45 seconds remaining. 

The hosts wouldn’t be denied. Buerge sank two charities, the visitors turned the ball over and Williams made one of two attempts at the foul line to seal the win. Springdale hit a late trey for the final margin. 

“It was a game of runs,” Shorter said. “And it’s November basketball, so it can be pretty ugly at times. But we’ll get there.”

Ranked third in Class 5 by the MBCA, Carl Junction improved to 2-0. 

A Pittsburg State signee, the 5-foot-8 Buerge poured in 25 points to lead Carl Junction. She hit four treys, grabbed five boards and had four steals.

A 6-3 junior forward, Scott recorded a double-double with 15 points and 21 rebounds. 

Burk added 11 points and Williams had nine points and four steals.

Hali Shorter handed out four assists and grabbed three rebounds. 

Three players reached double figures for Springdale, as Adriana Hernandez scored 17, Charleen Hudson had 15 and Aubriana Wilson added 14.

Coach Shorter noted Springdale’s speedy guard-oriented team was not easy to defend. The visitors, who are now 4-1 on the season, hit 10 3-pointers and forced CJ into more than 20 turnovers. 

“We tried to rest Destiny, but we didn’t handle the ball very well,” Coach Shorter said. “But seeing those things means we know what we need to work on. Our girls realize that.”

In the other semifinal, Nevada topped Parkview 61-55. 

In Tuesday’s consolation action, Neosho pounded Mount Vernon 66-38 and McDonald County beat Seneca 51-38.

 

NEOSHO 66, MOUNT VERNON 38

Neosho scored the game’s first 11 points and never looked back. 

The Wildcats led 20-5 at the end of the first quarter before extending their lead to 20 late in the first half at 38-18.

Up 40-24 at halftime, Neosho started the third quarter on a 14-0 run to take a 30-point lead and put the game way out of reach. 

Senior post player Karlee Ellick scored 27 points on 13 field goals and a free throw to lead Neosho. The 6-2 Ellick scored 18 points in the first half.

Sophomore Beclynn Garrett added eight points and senior Maelynn Garrett had seven for the Wildcats (2-3).

Sophomore Addie Hall led the Mountaineers (1-2) with 19 points, while classmate Cheyenne Bieber added 10. Grant Berendt’s Mount Vernon squad features just one senior and no juniors. 

 

MCDONALD COUNTY 51, SENECA 38

The Mustangs led 13-8 at the end of the opening period.

McDonald County was up 27-15 at halftime and the Mustangs held a 39-30 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Junior Anna Clarkson led the Mustangs (2-1) with 16 points and freshman Carlie Martin scored 14 points.

Sophomore Hazley Grotjohn led Seneca with 14 points, while senior Parker Long and junior Samarah Mittag added nine points apiece for the Indians (1-2).

 

NEVADA 61, PARKVIEW 55

The game was tied at 12 at the end of the first quarter before Nevada took a 31-24 lead into intermission.

The Tigers (2-1) led 47-39 at the end of the third quarter and they never surrendered their lead in the final frame.

Senior Abbey Heathman scored 26 points for Nevada, while junior Clara Swearingen added 22 and senior Maddy Majors chipped in 11.

Tara Masten scored 22 points for Parkview (2-1).

 

Thursday’s schedule

4 p.m. —Mount Vernon vs. Seneca (7th place)

5:30—Neosho vs. McDonald County (5th place)

7—Parkview vs. Springdale (3rd place)

8:30—Carl Junction vs. Nevada (Title game)

BOYS HOOPS: Cavaliers edge Warriors at Gem City Classic

DIAMOND, Mo. — In a thriller between close rivals, second-seeded Thomas Jefferson upended seventh-seeded McAuley Catholic 45-40 on Monday night in the opening round of the Gem City Classic boys basketball tournament.

The game was deadlocked at 40 when Thomas Jefferson senior guard Kip Atteberry hit a corner trey after an inbounds play with 1:30 to play to give the Cavaliers the lead for good.

After a defensive stop, Thomas Jefferson’s Tony Touma hit two clutch free throws with 25 seconds remaining to seal the win.

Tyler Brouhard scored 17 points with three treys to go along with four assists and three blocked shots to lead Thomas Jefferson, while Jay Ball added 15 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks.

Atteberry added six points on a pair of 3-pointers for the Cavaliers, who improved to 3-0.

Michael Parrigon and Kable Reichardt scored nine points apiece for McAuley (0-2), while Bradley Wagner contributed eight points.

The Cavaliers led 10-9 at the end of the first quarter, but the game was tied at 20 at intermission. Thomas Jefferson led by two, 34-32, entering the fourth period.

Thomas Jefferson will meet sixth-seeded Galena in the tourney semifinals at 7:30 on Wednesday night.

McAuley plays third-seeded Diamond in the consolation semifinals at 7:30 on Wednesday night at the middle school. Galena topped Diamond 59-56.

In other first round games, top-seeded El Dorado Springs nipped Carthage’s junior varsity squad 44-43 and fourth-seeded Mount Vernon topped fifth-seeded Sarcoxie 40-30.

The girls tournament begins on Tuesday night, with third-seeded College Heights taking on sixth-seeded McAuley at 8:30 p.m.

BOYS HOOPS PREVIEW: Webb City returns solid core, off to earlier start in 2022-23

Webb City boys basketball coach Jason Horn has had to play the waiting game year after year, as a large number of his athletes were still playing football into late November or early December.

With that, the Cardinals were regularly off to a late start to the hoops season.

But this year, a deep postseason run didn’t materialize for the school’s perennial power football program, meaning Horn’s full basketball squad was able to get together much earlier.

“I had to go back six years into my practice plans because I haven’t had a full team in six years to start the season, so it was different for me,” Horn said. “It’s definitely an advantage because we’ll have our kids in game shape sooner. It’s an opportunity for us to fine-tune things as opposed to rushing through stuff in order to play a game. We can take our time a little bit more this year and really work on the things we want to work on. It’s something we’re trying to take advantage of.” 

For the Cardinals, getting off to a much earlier start can only help the program reach its lofty goals in 2022-23, especially with many new faces in big roles. 

“Hopefully we’ll look a little better early in the season than we have in the past,” Horn said. “I think it puts a little more pressure on us. We don’t have that excuse that we’ve had in the past as far as not being in basketball shape or the kids not having a chance to work with a basketball in their hands before the first game.” 

The Cardinals will be led by seven players who contributed nicely to last year’s squad that went 18-9 overall and 5-3 in the Central Ozark Conference.

Pictured is Webb City senior post player Trey Roets.

Seniors Trey Roets, Alex Martin and Joe Adams, juniors Barron Duda, Omari Jackson and Jonah Spieker and sophomore Holton Keith all return with prior varsity experience.

“We’re excited for the upcoming season,” Horn said. “I know our staff is looking forward to working with this group and our players are excited for their opportunity to compete at the varsity level and to have a chance to add to the tradition of our program.”

Horn noted there’s a lot to like about the group.

“I think we have a talented group returning that can compete at a high level,” Horn said. “Good leadership from our senior class will be key for us to compete with the top teams on our schedule.”  

A 6-foot-4 forward who excels in the post, Roets averaged 11.5 points and six rebounds a game last winter while making 57 percent of his field goal attempts in a starting role.

Martin, a 6-5 forward, is back with the program after contributing nicely as a sophomore. Duda (6-3), Adams (6-0), Jackson (6-0) and Keith (6-0) provide the Cardinals with plenty of depth and versatility in the backcourt, while the 6-2 Spieker is a forward.

Junior forward Cole Cavitt (6-1), sophomores Eli Pace (6-0), Joseph Degraffenreid (6-2), Garrett Powell (5-10), Brody Eggleston (5-10), Andrew Young (5-11), Joel Hendrix (6-4), Jackson Pickett (5-10) and Rece Ponce (6-1) and freshman Gabe Johnson (5-8) are other players who are competing for varsity playing time. 

“We have good depth and a proven scoring presence inside,” Horn said. “Our guard play should still be a strength for us with a number of guys being able to make shots from the perimeter and get to the basket off the dribble.”

Now in his seventh season at Webb City, Horn said an improved defense will be a key to success this winter. 

“Defensively, we have to do a better job of limiting straight line drives and pressuring the ball without committing unnecessary fouls,” he said.  

The Cardinals will unfortunately be without senior guard Dante Washington, who suffered a knee injury early in the football season. Washington averaged 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals per game last season. 

Webb City also lost a solid group to graduation, including all-COC performer Kaden Turner, starting point guard Cohl Vaden and sharpshooter Max Higginbotham. 

For the Cardinals, the keys to a successful campaign are not complicated.

“I think staying healthy is the biggest key for a successful season,” Horn said. “If we can stay healthy and focused on improving daily in practice, we’ll give ourselves a chance to compete with anyone on our schedule.”

Webb City competed at Neosho’s jamboree last week with McDonald County and the host Wildcats.

“I was really pleased with how we played at the jamboree,” Horn said. “I thought we played with a lot of energy. Offensively, we shared the ball and we saw some good things. Defensively, we rotated well, but we need to do a better job on our closeouts and at rebounding. Overall, I’m really pleased with where we’re at.” 

Webb City hosts Lamar at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6. 

BOYS HOOPS PREVIEW: Carl Junction seeks improvements in new season

The Carl Junction Bulldogs will be led this season by seven seniors, including three returning starters, for coach Justin Pock’s third season at the helm.

Carl Junction’s Ayden Bard raises up for a mid-range jumper against Joplin last season.

“Ayden Bard, he’s played for us the last few years,” Pock said. “He’s a physical, athletic kid. He can play all the spots, all the positions. I see him having a good senior year.

“We have Ky Warren running the point for us. Ky has been in the program the last few years and knows what I want. He’s the coach on the floor.

“We have Lucas Vanlanduit. He’s another guard who I see that’s going to have more opportunities and more shots this year. I think he’ll step into that role nicely.”

Bard averaged 11.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists and Warren averaged 5.7 points during their junior season.

The other seniors returning for the Bulldogs are Braxton Dodds, Luke Jones, Xavier Perkins, and Nathan Planchon.

Competition for the other two spots in the starting lineup seems to be healthy.

“We have a couple juniors, Jett Hocut and Quin Kennedy, that played some varsity last year,” Pock said. “Jett did a good job and he’s got a really nice shot. Quin has got more physical, and he’ll get more time, too. He’s just worked his butt off.

“Then we have a couple freshmen that are coming in and competing for some time. I tell them every day it’s a day to compete and a day to go work for a spot. I’m going to put the best five I can field out there every single time. That’s the No. 1 thing we’re trying to do: Compete.”

Carl Junction finished 4-22 overall and 0-9 in Central Ozark Conference play last season, with three of the Bulldogs’ four wins happening in December. The Bulldogs went 1-16 during January and February, with their only win against Lebanon.

The Bulldogs are looking to end a streak of eight straight losing seasons.

“This group, they’re hungry,” Pock said. “They’re looking to change some things at CJ. They play hard. They’re a good group of kids. They’re good to coach. I think all of them have this competitive edge that they want to work hard, they want to win, and they want to do it together as a team.

“Our challenge is bringing the seniors and the new guys in together, especially early on, to have trust and faith in the offense and to do the little things, dive for loose balls, get rebounds, block out every single time, and earn it on the defensive side.”

The Bulldogs open the season Nov. 28 in the Forsyth Tournament and their other tournaments are McDonald County (Dec. 15-17) and the Kaminsky Classic (Jan. 5-7).

In addition to the nine-game COC slate, Carl Junction steps outside the conference to play Aurora (Dec. 6), Pittsburg, Kan. (Dec. 9), Seneca (Dec. 13), McDonald County (Jan. 2), St. Mary’s Colgan, Kan. (Jan. 13), Monett (Jan. 20), Nevada (Jan. 24), and Lebanon (Jan. 27).

MSHSAA placed Carl Junction in Class 5 District 7 this season with Belton, Grandview, Kansas City Ruskin, Hogan Prep, Raytown South, Warrensburg, and Webb City completing the eight-team district.

“We’re going to take it a game at a time,” Pock said. “We’re going to step on the floor every time we do and no matter who we play with the attitude that we’re going to win this game. It’s going to take all of us. I can’t tell you all the time how we’re going to do it, but that’s our goal. Every time we step on the floor, we’re here to win. That’s what we’re trying to change here, and I think our kids have bought into it.”

HOOPS: College Heights splits with Providence Academy

The College Heights Christian boys basketball team opened the season with a 64-51 win Tuesday night over Arkansas school Providence Academy at the College Heights Athletic Complex.

The game proved to be a showcase for Providence Academy’s perimeter shooting against College Heights’ interior tandem of senior Curtis Davenport and junior Caleb Quade.

Providence Academy made 11 3-point baskets in the contest, while College Heights received a combined 53 points from Davenport and Quade, most of them inside the paint.

Davenport provided the Cougars with their lone 3-point basket of the evening.

College Heights closed the game out strong after Providence Academy made it a 48-44 game early in the fourth quarter.

College Heights rattled off 14 unanswered to push it back to 62-44 in the final minute.

“We played hard,” College Heights coach Eric Johnson said. “We made a lot of mistakes, but we did enough things right to offset those mistakes. I was pleased. They got within four and we made a good run to change that. We got the ball inside to Curtis, even though they were trying to take it away from him, and some of the others stepped up and did some good things.

“Right now, we’re not an outside-shooting team,” Johnson added. “We can be or maybe will be later, but that’s alright. We’ll just stay inside…a little better percentage. Defensive wise, we played good defense most of the time. We had some breakdowns getting back on defense and losing their shooters. Overall, for the first game, it was a good win.”

College Heights never trailed Tuesday, coming straight out of the gate with the game’s first 11 points, and the Cougars held Providence Academy scoreless for three long stretches of the game — the first 4 minutes and 25 seconds of the game, the first 5:39 of the second quarter, and that chunk of the fourth that saw College Heights extend the lead to 18 points.

Davenport and Quade scored 29 straight College Heights points from the first through third quarters, a streak broken with senior Ben Thomas’ first two points of the season.

Davenport led all scorers with 32 points, 22 of them scored in the second half, and Quade added 21 points.

Ethan Ukena finished with seven points and stepped in defensively to take a pair of player control fouls against Providence Academy and sophomore point guard Jayce Walker, making his first varsity start, hit both free throws for his first two points of the season.

Senior sharpshooter Carter Keen heated up in the second half to lead Providence Academy with 16 points and freshman guard Stiles Hunter scored all 11 of his points in the first half.

College Heights, 1-0 overall, returns to the court after Thanksgiving break next Tuesday in the Pierce City Invitational against the seventh seed and tournament host Pierce City. The Cougars are defending tournament champions.

 

Providence Academy girls 51, College Heights 34

Like the varsity boys nightcap, Providence Academy never trailed in the varsity girls contest.

“Providence is a very good team,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “They have size and strength inside and very good perimeter shooters. They were a tough matchup for us, especially for our first game of the season. They exposed some weaknesses that we can address in practice that will make us a better team. We competed much better in the second half only being outscored by four points. I was proud of our effort in the second half. We can build off of that. This young group will improve quickly. They have a strong work ethic and a desire to learn and get better.”

The Patriots built their first double-digit lead after scoring the first eight points of the second quarter and kept it at double-digits the rest of the night except for once at 33-24 following the Cougars’ biggest scoring run of the game with their own eight straight points.

Providence Academy pushed it back out to 42-26 entering the fourth, though, as turnovers came back to plague College Heights as they had most of the game.

The Patriots received 47 of their points from the quartet of Lydia Shaddox (15), Karolina Karaga (13), Ava Maner (10), and Anna Imbo (9).

College Heights’ Libby Fanning opened her sophomore season with a team-high 15 points and 10 rebounds, while junior Maddy Colin added six points and five boards. Senior Jayli Johnson scored four, freshman Allie Stout and sophomore Ava Lett three each, sophomore Kinley Marsh two, and sophomore Molly Long one.

The Cougars, 0-1 on the season, will look for their first win of the season when they return to action Nov. 28 in the Diamond Wildcats’ Gem City Classic. College Heights will play McAuley Catholic at 8:30 p.m.