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BOYS HOOPS: Webb City starts fast, finishes strong against Seneca

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Taking the court with a little extra motivation, Webb City started fast and finished strong in an 88-58 victory over Seneca on Thursday night in a non-conference boys basketball clash inside the Cardinal Dome.

In a game they never trailed, the speedy Cardinals built a 16-point lead by the midway point of the first quarter.

“Our guys were really motivated tonight,” Webb City coach Jason Horn said. “Coach (Cort) Hardy spent a lot of time here as an assistant and he coached a lot of our guys when they were coming up through the program. They wanted to have a good showing against him. I thought we were very aggressive, sharp and focused to start the game. And it always helps when you hit some shots early. That really fed our defense.”

Propelled by its full court pressure defense, and getting plenty of hoops in transition, Webb City held an 18-2 lead by the 3:55 mark of the opening stanza.

But Seneca adjusted to the speed of the game and the Indians started getting high-percentage shots from in close. In fact, the Indians closed the first quarter on a 13-4 surge, trimming Webb City’s lead from 16 to seven at 22-15.

“You have to give Seneca credit,” Horn said. “We won that first four minutes, but they were much better in that second four minutes. They made a run at us.” 

In the first meeting between the two programs since 2012, the fast-paced and back and forth second period was nearly even, as the Cardinals outscored the Indians 19-18 in the frame for a 41-33 halftime advantage.

“Seneca was hurting us in the soft spots of our 1-2-2,” Horn said. “We talked to our kids about that at halftime and we were able to make the adjustment.”

The visitors were still within striking distance when Webb City finished the third quarter on a 17-6 run for a 65-45 cushion.

“We wanted to wear them down and keep running at them in waves,” Horn commented. “We hope the wear and tear will take its toll. We play nine guys, and with the way we want to play, we’re going to need all of them. We want the tempo as fast as we can get it and we want to use our speed to our advantage. And the guys really like playing that way. I enjoy coaching that way and I think our fans like watching us play that way.” 

Webb City senior guard Barron Duda hit a trio of 3-pointers in the game-changing third quarter, while Eli Pace, Omari Jackson and Holton Keith all contributed buckets as the hosts won the third quarter 24-12.

In the early stages of the fourth quarter, Gabe Johnson and Keith both drilled 3-pointers before Jackson converted a steal into a layup, and the Cardinals blew the game open by pushing their lead to 30 at 79-49.

“We’re going to score in waves and it’s going to come in bunches,” Horn said. “But there are also going to be some short droughts. We have to play through them. And I thought our kids played extremely hard tonight.” 

Receiving votes in the MBCA’s Class 5 poll, Webb City hiked its record to 5-2.

Webb City shot 56 percent from the floor, making 36 of 64 shot attempts, including 11 of 24 from long range.

Four players scored in double figures for the Cardinals. 

Duda led the way with 24 points on 8 of 16 shooting, including 5 of 9 from 3-point land. 

A junior point guard, Pace scored 20 points to go along with eight assists.

Keith scored 16 points and Jackson added 12. Johnson just missed double figures with eight points.

Johnson and Keith compiled four assists and three steals apiece.

Hardy’s Seneca squad fell to 4-4. 

The Indians made 51 percent of their field goal attempts (23 of 45) and out-rebounded the Cardinals 27-26, but the visitors had 24 turnovers to Webb City’s 12.

Three players scored in double figures for the Indians. Senior forward Morgan Vaughn scored 19 points on 7 of 10 shooting and also grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Indians.

Senior Gavyn Hoover added 14 points and junior Zane Grotjohn had 13 points.

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Webb City will take on St. Joseph Central at 3:30 on Dec. 28 at the Twelve Courts of Christmas tourney in Kansas City. 

Seneca will be among the teams competing at next week’s Neosho Holiday Classic.

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

BOYS HOOPS: Cheaney’s big night, strong 2nd half leads Nevada past Harrisonville

Posted on by Jason Peake

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. — Jack Cheaney poured in 32 points to lead Nevada’s boys basketball team to an 85-65 win over Harrisonville on Tuesday night.

Cheaney scored 23 points in the first half and added nine in the second half. He hit five 3-pointers.

In addition to Cheaney’s 32, Brice Budd scored 21 points and Gabe Smith had 17 points for the Tigers, who are now 5-5.

Clinging to a 39-34 halftime lead, Nevada won the second half 46-31 to earn a statement victory in a game that had district implications.

“We started the game a little shaky versus the zone trap, and we also struggled to keep Mason Mitchell off the glass,” Nevada coach Shaun Gray said. “But our guys kept battling and striving to clean those things up. We guarded well in the halfcourt, and when we started rebounding better, that’s when the game turned.”

The Tigers knocked down eight 3-pointers in the 27-point second quarter, with Cheaney hitting five from long range.

“After Mason Majors hit a 3-ball to spark the perimeter scoring, Jack Cheaney sparked us from the 3-point line in the second quarter, which made Harrisonville get out of their zone,” Gray noted. “And when they went man to man that allowed Brice Budd to drive to score and to draw a lot of fouls.”

Smith scored 14 points in the second half, hitting four treys.

“Gabe had the hot hand from 3 in the second half,” Gray noted. “Our guys shared the ball well and found the open man all night. Free throw shooting has been a point of emphasis lately and we finally got to the line and also covered at a high clip, making 24 of 27 (89%).”

Three players scored in double figures for Harrisonville (7-4), as Mitchell scored 20, Michael Moore added 13 and Mason Worthley had 12.

Gray added Tuesday’s victory should give his team plenty of confidence going forward.

“This was a great win to send us into the break, we can enjoy a few days off to recharge and then get back to the grindstone in an effort to keep building,” he said. “This group is hungry to find its ceiling and we know it will take a lot of hard work to get there.”

Nevada returns to action on Jan. 2 against Clinton.

BOYS HOOPS: Nevada earns blowout win for 7th place at Butler tourney

Posted on by Jason Peake

BUTLER, Mo. — With a solid overall performance, Nevada’s boys basketball team defeated University Academy Charter 58-26 in the seventh-place game of the Butler Tournament on Saturday afternoon. 

The Tigers built a 36-15 halftime lead.

“I’m proud of the way our guys showed up and with the energy we brought,” Nevada coach Shaun Gray said. “There was no let down or feeling sorry for ourselves (after two straight losses). Our guys brought defensive intensity from the tip and that fueled our 36-point first half.”

The Tigers held a 54-21 lead by the end of the third quarter on their way to the lopsided win.

“In the second half we focused more on our halfcourt defense and were able to limit the Gryphons to 11 total points,” Gray noted. “It was really nice to see all 14 guys get extended minutes and to see 10 guys score. Our main rotation guys were enthusiastic and very supportive of their teammates when the roles were flipped, and they were manning the bench for longer than normal portions of the game. That togetherness and family attitude is another thing that makes these guys so special and fun to be around every day.”

Brice Budd scored 19 points to lead Nevada. 

“Brice Budd led our defensive effort and his energy also led to several transition buckets,” Gray said. “He also played well off of two feet in the paint and took advantage of University Academy’s lack of size.”

Also for the Tigers, Jack Cheaney scored eight points, Mason Majors had seven and Gabe Smith and Alex Ast contributed five points apiece. Rounding out Nevada’s scoring were Sean Simmons (4), Uche Mba (3), Kellen Braden (3), Riddick Shook (2) and Montgomery Palmer (2).

“Our bench guys played great in extended minutes,” Gray said. “And our 3-point defense was solid, holding University to only one 3-point goal.”

Nevada is now 4-5 on the season, and Gray noted there’s still work to do.

“Areas to improve on would be our court vision, seeing the open man sooner, and also our free throw shooting,” Gray said. “It’s something we have to correct in order to win big and close games.”

Nevada travels to Harrisonville (6-3) on Tuesday. 

“We are excited to get to work Monday in preparation for a Tuesday game against district opponent Harrisonville, who is off to a great start this season,” Gray said. 

BOYS HOOPS ROUNDUP: McAuley Catholic wins, Thomas Jefferson falls at Gem City Classic

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

MCAULEY CATHOLIC 57, SARCOXIE 43

DIAMOND, Mo. — Four players scored in double figures as the McAuley Catholic boys basketball team defeated Sarcoxie 57-43 on Monday night at the Gem City Classic.

“Solid effort from our guys tonight,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said. “It was a really solid defensive effort in the middle quarters. I’m very pleased with our play this early in the year.” 

The Warriors were clinging to a 16-15 lead after the first quarter, but McAuley outscored Sarcoxie 16-3 in the game-changing second quarter for a 32-18 halftime advantage.

McAuley held a 43-28 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Alex Bohachick scored 14 points to lead the Warriors, while Rocco Bazzano-Joseph added 13, Michael Parrigon had 11 and Bradley Wagner scored 10.

Matthew Swayne scored 17 points to lead Sarcoxie and Garrett Smith added 10.

McAuley (2-0) meets El Dorado Springs (1-0) at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the tourney semifinals. 

 

EL DORADO SPRINGS 79, THOMAS JEFFERSON 29

DIAMOND, Mo. — El Dorado Springs took control early in Monday’s win over Thomas Jefferson at the Gem City Classic at Diamond High School.

The Bulldogs built a 23-8 lead by the end of the opening frame and held a comfortable 47-17 advantage at halftime.

Kohl Thurman scored 10 points and hit a pair of 3-pointers to lead the Cavaliers (0-3), while Jack Twiss chipped in seven points.

Three players scored in double figures for El Dorado Springs, as Landon Murry poured in 32 points, Joe Gordon had 21 and Rees McCullough added 13.

Thomas Jefferson meets Sarcoxie on Wednesday at the tourney. 

 

OTHER SCORES

Marshfield 66, College Heights Christian 49

Carl Junction 87, Hollister 45

BOYS HOOPS PREVIEW: Thomas Jefferson will have new faces in big roles

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Thomas Jefferson boys basketball team will have a new look this winter, as the Cavaliers have no returning starters entering the 2023-24 season.

“The team is young, but excited to get to work,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said. “We have a long way to go, but the kids seem eager to put in the time and effort it’s going to require to move this team forward.” 

A year ago, the Cavaliers featured five seniors in the starting lineup—Jay Ball, Tyler Brouhard, Tony Touma, Kip Atteberry and Levi Triplett. And last year’s senior class led the way as Thomas Jefferson went 21-7 overall, 5-1 in conference play and advanced all the way to the Class 1 quarterfinals.

With that, the Cavaliers will rely on a large group of underclassmen this season.

Two players return with prior varsity experience—junior forward Ethan Renger and sophomore forward/center Kohl Thurman.

The 6-foot-4 Thurman averaged 2.6 points and three rebounds a game last winter, while the 6-2 Renger averaged one point and one rebound a contest.

Sophomores Jaxx Wisdom (G), Kyler Beard (G) and Trenton Farley (G) and freshmen Jack Twiss (PG), Spencer Long (F), Yousuf Mokhtar (F) and Simon Studer (G) are players who are expected to compete for varsity playing time.   

Coach Myers noted that Twiss is the leading candidate to take over the starting point guard duties. 

Additionally, Myers said he expects Wisdom, Long and Mokhtar to compete for starting roles. 

While the young and untested Cavaliers may experience some growing pains along the way, Coach Myers is confident his squad will make steady progress throughout the ’23 campaign.

“We are in a rebuilding phase as the old saying goes,” Myers said. “We have graduated several key players over the past two seasons and will have to look to young players this year to fill those roles. While we will likely lean on several freshmen this season, the expectation is that we will get better as the season goes on. Though young, this group seems hungry to get better.”  

Of course, overcoming so much inexperience will be the team’s main key to success this winter.

“Our youth and inexperience will be a big area of concern for us,” Myers said. “These kids are going to have to trust the process, and not get discouraged as we battle through the season.  

“I’m fully confident this group will work hard and continue to push for success – whether that success is found this season or in future seasons is yet to be determined.” 

The Cavaliers will open the 2023-24 season at home against Exeter on Nov. 20.

HOOPS: CJ’s Buerge, Joplin’s Wright earn top honors from 4-States Basketball Coaches Association

Posted on by Jason Peake

The 4-States Basketball Coaches Association has named Carl Junction’s Destiny Buerge and Joplin’s All Wright as its players of the year for the 2022-23 season.

A standout 5-foot-8 senior guard, Buerge is the area’s top girls player for the second straight season.

Carl Junction senior guard Destiny Buerge is the repeat winner of area girls basketball player of the year.

Buerge currently averages 25 points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists per game for Brad Shorter’s Bulldogs. She makes 74 percent of her free throws and has hit 73 3-pointers this season.

A Pittsburg State signee, Buerge is Carl Junction’s all-time leading scorer and has earned nearly every accolade possible during her prep career.

The Bulldogs (28-1) will play Lincoln College Prep on Saturday in the Class 5 quarterfinals. 

An explosive 6-2 junior guard at Joplin, Wright averaged 26 points, 4.5 rebounds, three assists and just under two steals a game this winter for the Eagles, who went 17-10. 

Wright made 75 percent of his free throws and 34 percent of his 3-point attempts.

A first-team all-area pick last season, Wright was recently named a unanimous first-team selection to the All-Central Ozark Conference squad.

Joplin junior guard All Wright is the area boys basketball player of the year.

The 4-States Coaches Association’s all-area teams are listed below.

 

4-STATES BASKETBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION 

ALL-AREA GIRLS TEAM

Player of the Year: Destiny Buerge, Carl Junction (Sr.)

 

FIRST TEAM

Clara Swearingen, Nevada (Jr.)

Sami Mancini, Webb City (Soph.)

Kylie Scott, Carl Junction (Jr.)

Grace Frazier, Diamond (Jr.)

Marlie Wright, Greenfield (Sr.)

Kianna Yates, Carthage (Sr.)

Hazley Grotjohn, Seneca (Soph.)

Karlee Ellick, Neosho (Sr.)

Kyndall Scott, Golden City (Sr.)

Crystal Smith, Jasper (Soph.)

 

SECOND TEAM

Maddy Majors, Nevada (Sr.)

Kate Brownfield, Webb City (Sr.)

Ellie Creasey, Aurora (Sr.)

Dezi Williams, Carl Junction (Soph.)

Gabbi Hiebert, Thomas Jefferson (Jr.)

Libby Fanning, College Heights Christian (Soph.)

Carlie Martin, McDonald County (Fr.)

Kylee Cole, Aurora (Soph.)

Hali Shorter, Carl Junction (Sr.)

Ashlyn Stettler, Lamar (Sr.)

Kloee Williamson, McAuley Catholic (Jr.)

Special Mention: Brynn Driver, Joplin (Sr.)

 

ALL-AREA BOYS TEAM

Player of the Year: All Wright, Joplin (Jr.)

 

FIRST TEAM

Max Templeman, Carthage (Sr.)

Isaiah Green, Neosho (Sr.)

Barron Duda, Webb City (Jr.)

Tyler Little, Galena (Sr.)

Mason English, Pittsburg (Jr.)

Jay Ball, Thomas Jefferson (Sr.)

Curtis Davenport, College Heights (Sr.)

Josh Reeves, Golden City (Sr.)

Jacob Stellwagen, Verona (Jr.)

Terrance Gibson, Joplin (Sr.)

 

SECOND TEAM

Justin Ray, Carthage (Jr.)

Cooper Long, Seneca (Sr.)

Ayden Bard, Carl Junction (Sr.)

Ian Ngugi, Lamar (Jr.)

Cade Beshore, Nevada (Sr.)

Alex Martin, Webb City (Sr.)

Blaine Salsman, Monett (Sr.)

Sterling Woods, McDonald County (Sr.)

Kael Smith, Neosho (Sr.)

Jarrett Zerby, Mount Vernon (Soph.)

 

DISTRICT HOOPS: Webb City boys fall in semifinals

Posted on by Jason Peake

BELTON, Mo. — Second-seeded Webb City suffered a season-ending 79-63 setback to third-seeded Ruskin on Friday night in a semifinal contest of the Class 5 District 7 boys basketball tournament at Belton High School.

After a close first half, Ruskin pulled away after intermission, as a lack of defensive stops and too many empty possessions were too much to overcome for the Cardinals.

Webb City ends the season with a record of 17-11.

Ruskin (19-8) meets fourth-seeded Belton (17-11) at 6 p.m. on Monday in the district title game.

Webb City took an early 9-6 lead after senior guard Joe Adams knocked down a 3-pointer, but Ruskin put together an 11-0 run to go up 17-9.

A hoop inside from Alex Martin and a trey from Barron Duda cut Webb City’s deficit to three before the Eagles scored just before the buzzer for a 19-14 lead at the end of the opening period.

Ruskin went up eight early in the second period, but the Cardinals used a 10-2 run to tie the game at 27. During the surge, Duda and Omari Jackson scored five points apiece.

The Eagles ended the first half on an 11-6 surge. Led by 19 first half points from Jaquan Smith, Ruskin held a 38-33 halftime advantage.

In a key swing of momentum, Ruskin began the second half on an 8-0 run to go up 46-33.

Webb City senior forward Trey Roets, in his first significant action of the season, scored five points off the bench before hoops from Eli Pace, Holton Keith and Martin kept the Cardinals within striking distance.

However, Ruskin led 56-46 at the end of the third period.

The Cardinals were unable to overcome the deficit in the fourth quarter. Ruskin held a 71-57 lead with just over two minutes to play en route to victory.

A junior guard, Duda paced Webb City with 15 points and eight rebounds. Martin and Roets added 11 points apiece in their outings. Pace and Jackson scored seven points apiece, while Adams and Keith added six points apiece. A sophomore, Pace handed out eight assists.

Webb City went 25-for-57 on field goals (44 percent), including 6-of-17 from beyond the arc.

Ruskin shot 52 percent for the game (29-of-56) and the Eagles made nine treys. Smith scored 28 and hit six 3-pointers for Ruskin.

Webb City’s seniors are Roets, Martin and Adams. Roets missed nearly all of the season due to a shoulder injury after starting as a junior. 

Tourney host Belton knocked off top-seeded Grandview 59-51 in Friday’s first semifinal. 

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

DISTRICT HOOPS: Seneca boys win first district title in a decade

Posted on by Jason Peake

MONETT, Mo. — The top-seeded Seneca Indians earned their first district title in boys basketball since 2013 with a 61-47 win against the second-seeded Aurora Houn’ Dawgs in the Class 4 District 12 championship game on Friday evening at E.E. Camp Gymnasium.

Seneca trailed just once early on at 5-3 and led by double-digits for the vast majority of the second half.

The Indians led 14-8 after one quarter, 32-21 at halftime after Morgan Vaughn was fouled with 0.3 seconds remaining before halftime and he made two free throws for their first double-digit lead, and 46-34 entering the fourth.

The Houns did their best to stay in the game with their 3-point shooting, scoring 15 of their 21 first-half points with five 3-point baskets and they made three more trifectas in the second half for eight 3-pointers overall and 24 of their 47 points on the night.

The Indians were not without their three-point plays either.

For example, Aurora seniors Daunte Floyd and Trandan Darnell cut the deficit to eight at 42-34 with a pair of made free throws by Floyd and a basket from Darnell.

That’s when Vaughn scored an old-fashioned three-point play and Gavyn Hoover split a pair of free throws for a return to a 12-point lead entering the fourth.

Seneca sophomore Zane Grotjohn hit a trifecta early in the fourth to extend the lead to 15 at 51-36 and the Indians would eventually grow their lead to as large as 19 in the fourth.

Seneca senior Cooper Long scored a game-high 18 points, and it’s only fitting the outstanding senior opened the scoring with a 3-point basket and closed out the clock and the district title victory with the ball in his hands.

Vaughn finished with 14 points, Blake Hurn 10, Grotjohn eight, Hoover seven, and Ethan Altic added four points, including a steal-and-score in the third that put Seneca ahead 39-22.

The Indians, now 17-11 overall, won a district title in Cort Hardy’s first season as head coach and they will face District 11 champion Rogersville (25-3) in the Class 4 sectionals at 7:45 p.m. on Monday at the Meyer Sports Center on the Southwest Baptist campus in Bolivar.

Rogersville defeated Hollister 53-40 on Friday for the Wildcats’ fifth district title in six seasons. The Wildcats, ranked seventh in Class 4 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, have won 11 straight games since a 52-47 loss Jan. 27 against Troy Buchanan.

Seneca’s district title in boys basketball joins the Indians’ previous district titles this school year in softball, volleyball, and football.

The Seneca girls have a chance to make it five district titles for the Indians this school year when they play the top-seeded Aurora girls Saturday in Monett.

Aurora senior Kelton Brown scored a team-high 15 points, and the Houns finish 10-18 overall.

BOYS SECTIONAL HOOPS: Thomas Jefferson advances to quarterfinals for 3rd straight year

Posted on by Jason Peake

WILLARD, Mo. — For the third straight season, the Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers are heading to the ‘Elite Eight.’ 

Thomas Jefferson defeated Rich Hill 68-58 on Monday night in a sectional contest of the MSHSAA Class 1 state boys basketball tournament at Willard High School.

With the victory, Thomas Jefferson (21-6) advances to Friday’s quarterfinals in Warrensburg. 

“I couldn’t be prouder of the boys, it was a great team win,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said. 

Monday’s clash was a rematch of last year’s sectional matchup that saw the Cavaliers knock off the Tigers 55-35.

This year’s meeting was much closer.

The Tigers held a 10-5 advantage before the Cavaliers ended the first quarter on a 9-3 run to take a 14-13 lead. 

Senior guard Tyler Brouhard scored eight points in the opening frame for the Cavaliers on a pair of 3-pointers and a runner in the lane, while 6-foot-7 senior center Jay Ball had six points on three hoops inside.

Rich Hill held a 23-19 lead in the second quarter, but Thomas Jefferson finished the first half on a 13-3 surge.

During the spurt, Brouhard hit back-to-back 3-pointers, Ball scored inside, Brouhard made a short jumper near the foul line and senior guard Levi Triplett buried a corner trey just before the buzzer to give the Cavaliers a 32-26 halftime lead. 

Rich Hill started the second half on a 10-0 run to go up 36-32. But the Cavaliers responded by finishing the third period on a 14-7 burst to take a 46-43 lead into the fourth quarter. 

During the third quarter spurt, Triplett hit a pair of key 3-pointers and Kohl Thurman contributed a basket in the lane.

Ball scored five straight points early in the fourth quarter to stretch out TJ’s lead to 51-45.

However, Ball and Brouhard both picked up their fourth fouls early in the final frame, and both had to spend time on the bench.

But the Cavaliers never relinquished their lead. Rich Hill pulled within two with just over three minutes to play before Ball scored in transition to make it a two-possession lead at 55-51.

Thomas Jefferson sealed the win by making 13-of-16 free throws down the stretch. Brouhard went 10-for-12 at the charity stripe, while Tony Touma and Ball also connected on late free throws.

The Cavaliers closed the game on a 15-7 run.

Thomas Jefferson’s 1-2 punch of Brouhard and Ball combined to score 52 points. 

Brouhard led the way with 27 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots. Brouhard made four 3-pointers.

Ball scored 25 points to go with 17 rebounds and six blocked shots. 

Triplett added 10 points with a trio of treys, while Thurman scored four and Touma had two.

“Tyler and Jay had big games, but Levi Triplett stepped up and hit some big shots and Kohl Thurman played some big minutes for us tonight,” Coach Myers said.

Rich Hill finishes the season with a record of 21-8.

The Tigers received 16 points apiece from Zane Becker and Magal Chol-Case. Lane Hardin added 10 points for Rich Hill. 

 

QUARTERFINALS

For the Cavaliers, a familiar postseason foe awaits—St. Elizabeth. Thomas Jefferson has suffered season-ending losses to St. Elizabeth in the quarterfinal round the past two years.

Friday’s quarterfinal clash between Thomas Jefferson and St. Elizabeth (19-10) is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at UCM. 

DISTRICT HOOPS: Thomas Jefferson beats Golden City to win third straight district title

Posted on by Jason Peake

GOLDEN CITY, Mo. — The top-seeded Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers earned their third district championship in a row with a 57-47 win against host and second-seed Golden City in the Class 1 District 7 title game on Friday night.

Thomas Jefferson and Golden City exchanged scoring runs in the second and third quarters before the Cavaliers went on a decisive 16-0 run in the third that gave them a 36-19 lead.

The Cavaliers would stretch their lead to 39-21 later in the third before Golden City trimmed it down to 10 early in the fourth with eight straight points.

Golden City then narrowed it to seven twice late in the fourth, but time simply ran out for the Eagles and the veteran Cavaliers also made enough free throws and defensive stops down the stretch to keep the Eagles at bay.

“We got on a run in the first half and got it to nine (18-9),” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said. “Then we got away from what was working and let them get back into it a little bit. We came out early in the third and had some of those same issues, then came up with a couple stops and settled in offensively. We were able to stretch it out and get a little bit of a lead and did a good job to maintain it.”

The Cavaliers did their best defensively against Golden City’s outstanding senior Josh Reeves, who finished with a game-high 37 points, including 21 of Golden City’s 23 points in the final quarter.

“We challenged him all night and he rose to the challenge,” Myers said. “He’s a phenomenal player, a great kid. Those shots he was hitting were unbelievable, but I was proud of our kids. They made it hard for him. They did what they had to do as far as limiting everybody else, getting tough rebounds and hitting enough free throws down the stretch.”

Golden City freshman Spencer Parrill scored eight points and senior Ty Force added two.

Meanwhile, Thomas Jefferson’s dynamic senior duo of Jay Ball and Tyler Brouhard once again proved that two great players are better than one.

Ball and Brouhard combined for 43 points and 24 rebounds—Ball recorded a double-double with 25 points and 17 rebounds, while Brouhard finished with 18 points and seven rebounds.

Ball and Brouhard scored 13 of the Cavaliers’ 16 points during that pivotal scoring run. Brouhard had nine with two of his three 3-point baskets.

Levi Triplett started that 16-0 run with a trifecta and finished with five points, while Kohl Thurman, Kip Atteberry and Tony Touma each produced three points.

“It’s a team game and they were trying to take the two (Ball, Brouhard) away, but we stayed patient in our offense and kept moving until we could get the matchups that we wanted,” Myers said. “Of course, Jay and Tyler, we feed off them quite a bit.

“Levi hit a big corner 3, and Kip and Tony do a lot of things that don’t show up in the stat book. They’re out there playing … Kip played 32 minutes tonight, that’s big … he’s out there chasing around, playing defense, and getting the ball into those scorers’ hands. That stuff doesn’t show, and they don’t get a lot of credit for it, but they’re a big part of who we are.”

Thomas Jefferson improved to 20-6 overall and the three-time defending district champions are back in action Monday with a Class 1 sectional contest against District 8 champion Rich Hill (21-7) at Willard High School. The game is slated to start at 7:45 p.m.

Thomas Jefferson defeated Rich Hill 55-35 in the sectional round last season in Webb City and 76-51 in the Class 1 District 7 tournament two seasons ago at the TJ Fieldhouse.

The Cavaliers have advanced to the state quarterfinals the past two seasons.

 

The Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers captured the Class 1 District 7 championship on Friday night by beating Golden City 57-47. Courtesy photos.

The Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers captured a third straight district title on Friday night.

DISTRICT HOOPS: College Heights falls to Marionville in title game

Posted on by Jason Peake

VERONA, Mo. — A third straight district championship wasn’t meant to be for the College Heights Christian School boys basketball team.

Top-seeded Marionville finished strong for a 52-38 victory over second-seeded College Heights on Friday night in the championship game of the Class 2 District 12 tournament at Verona High School.

College Heights trailed by just four with five minutes to play, but Marionville closed the game on a 15-5 run to capture the district title.

Ranked sixth in Class 2 by the MBCA, Marionville improved to 26-2 and the Comets extended their winning streak to 16.

College Heights ends the season with a record of 23-6.

College Heights was looking to capture a third straight district championship. The Cougars beat Verona in last year’s title game after topping Liberal for the crown in ’21.

The Cougars got off to a great start, as the lower seed took a 10-4 lead. Senior forward Curtis Davenport scored eight of those 10 points, with classmate Ben Thomas adding one hoop.

But Marionville put together a 13-0 run to pull away for a 17-10 advantage. During the surge, Wil Carlton, Blane Young and Gage Guerin all hit 3-pointers for the Comets.

CHC’s Colsen Dickens knocked down a trey from the right corner to trim his team’s deficit to four at the end of the first quarter, 17-13.

The Comets outscored the Cougars 9-5 in the low-scoring second period. College Heights managed just two made field goals in the second quarter, a 3-pointer from Dickens and a short jumper from junior Caleb Quade, who battled foul trouble.

Marionville held a 26-18 cushion at halftime. 

College Heights put together a 7-0 run in the third period, as Logan Decker made two free throws, Jayce Walker contributed a hoop and Thomas buried a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

The two teams traded buckets before a hoop from Carlton gave the Comets a 33-27 lead.

There was a key swing in momentum at the end of the third quarter. Down six, College Heights missed a 3-pointer before Marionville’s Guerin banked in a buzzer-beating trey for a 36-27 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Cougars kept coming. Hoops from Quade, Davenport and Decker cut CHC’s deficit to four, 37-33, with 5:10 to play.

That’s when Marionville put together its game-ending 15-5 surge.

Young converted an old-fashioned 3-point play before Guerin made a trio of 3-pointers for a 49-36 advantage.

College Heights got hoops from Thomas and Quade, but free throws from Young accounted for the final score.

The 6-5 Davenport scored 11 points in his final outing for CHC. Also for the Cougars, Thomas scored seven, while Quade, Dickens and Decker added six points apiece. Walker rounded out the scoring with two points.

Three players scored all 52 of Marionville’s points.

A senior guard, Carlton scored a game-high 21 points for the Comets. A junior guard, Guerin scored 18 points on six 3-pointers. A senior guard, Taylor added 13 points.

With Friday’s win, Marionville advances to the sectional round of the Class 2 state tournament. The Comets will meet Crane at 6 p.m. on Monday at Carthage High School.

BOYS HOOPS ROUNDUP: Webb City, Neosho suffer losses in regular-season finales

Posted on by Jason Peake

HILLCREST BOYS 63, WEBB CITY 43

WEBB CITY, Mo. — It wasn’t the way the Webb City Cardinals wanted to end the regular season.

Hillcrest took an early lead and never relinquished it en route to a 63-43 win over Webb City on Thursday night inside the Cardinal Dome.

“We didn’t do a very good job of rebounding the basketball tonight,” Webb City coach Jason Horn said. “And we had too many empty possessions. We didn’t convert point-blank shots and we didn’t finish shots off from the perimeter. You can’t have that many empty possessions against a good team. They were able to stretch the lead on us.”

Webb City ends the regular season with a record of 16-10.

The Cardinals made just 8-of-26 field goal attempts (32 percent), including 3-of-18 from beyond the arc.

Sophomore guard Holton Keith scored 14 points to lead the Cardinals, while classmate Eli Pace added 10. Junior guard Omari Jackson contributed eight points off the bench.

Hillcrest (16-11) shot 47 percent from the floor (22-of-47). The Hornets also went 17-for-24 at the foul line. 

Braxton Baker recorded 24 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Hornets, while Anarre Clark added 21 points and Cole Griesemer contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Hillcrest out-rebounded Webb City 37-21.

Utilizing an early 11-2 run, Hillcrest led 20-9 at the end of the first quarter. 

Webb City outscored the visitors 10-9 in the second period, but the hosts trailed 29-19 at intermission.

The Hornets led 47-30 at the end of the third quarter and never surrendered their advantage in the final frame.

Second-seeded Webb City will meet seventh-seeded Carl Junction at 7 p.m. on March 1 in the quarterfinals of the Class 5 District 7 tournament at Belton High School.

“I think we have a chance to win the district, but we obviously have to get through that first game with Carl Junction,” Horn said. “Carl Junction played us really tough the other night and we know there are some really good teams in our district. It’s going to come down to which team gets hot at the right time. If we can get hot, stay confident and make plays, and maybe get a little luck on our side, we can come out of there with a district championship.” 

 

NIXA BOYS 71, NEOSHO 35

NIXA, Mo. — The Neosho Wildcats dropped the regular-season finale to the undefeated Nixa Eagles. 

Neosho ends the regular season with a record of 19-7. The Wildcats went 6-3 in the always-tough Central Ozark Conference. 

With Thursday’s win, Nixa remained undefeated and locked up an outright Central Ozark Conference championship. Ranked second in Class 6, Nixa improved to 26-0 and the Eagles went undefeated in the COC at 9-0.

The Eagles led 24-10 at the end of the first quarter and 30-21 at halftime. Nixa pulled away with a big third quarter, as the hosts took a 60-31 lead into the fourth quarter.

Sixth-seeded Neosho meets third-seeded Republic at 8:30 on March 1 in a quarterfinal contest of the Class 6 District 5 tournament at Ozark.

Also of note, Nixa’s girls defeated Neosho 70-40 on Thursday night. No other information was available.

Seventh-seeded Neosho (10-16) meets second-seeded Nixa (20-6) at 7 on March 2 in the opening-round of the Class 6 District 5 tournament at Nixa. 

 

DISTRICT HOOPS: College Heights advances to title game

Posted on by Jason Peake

VERONA, Mo. — Second-seeded College Heights Christian held on late for a 61-59 win over third-seeded Purdy on Wednesday night in a semifinal contest of the Class 2 District 12 boys basketball tournament at Verona High School.

The Cougars will meet No. 1 seed Marionville at 6 p.m. on Friday in the district championship game.

On Wednesday, Purdy led 19-18 at the end of the first quarter, but CHC had built a 33-28 lead by intermission.

College Heights held a 43-39 lead by the end of the third period.

The Cougars were clinging to a 47-45 lead with five minutes to play and they were up 58-56 with a minute to play on their way to a close win.

Purdy finished the season with a record of 17-11.

College Heights is now 23-5 on the season. Ranked sixth in Class 2, Marionville is 25-2.

Marionville beat fifth-seeded Verona 77-50 in the other semifinal.

DISTRICT HOOPS: Brouhard, Ball lead Thomas Jefferson past Sheldon in semifinals

Posted on by Jason Peake

GOLDEN CITY, Mo. — The top-seeded Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers scored the game’s first seven points, never trailed, scored the last seven points of the third to enter the fourth ahead 46-36, and scored eight unanswered in the fourth on their way to a 65-54 win over fourth-seeded Sheldon on Wednesday night in the Class 1 District 7 semifinals at Golden City High School.

Thomas Jefferson seniors Tyler Brouhard and Jay Ball both gave sensational performances: Brouhard scored a game-high 28 points and had seven rebounds, five steals and six assists, while Ball recorded a triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 11 blocks and he also led Thomas Jefferson with seven steals.

The Cavaliers had an answer either offensively or defensively or both for every time Sheldon knocked at the door.

“It’s that time of year,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said. “You know teams are not going to go away. They’ve got the same thing at stake as you do, it’s a lose and go home situation, so we knew they were going to come at us again. Credit to the boys for weathering the storm. They cut it down to three, but we kept our composure and stretched it back out and got it done down the stretch.

“We’ve been in a lot of tight games, and we’ve been fortunate to be on the right side of most of them, but the ones that we weren’t helped us prepare for those situations. You just hope the guys keep it together and put it together and find a way to get it done at this time of year.”

Near the end of the third, with Sheldon down 37-34 and then 39-36 for their smallest deficit since they were behind three on two occasions in the first quarter, Levi Triplett opened the 7-0 run with a basket then Brouhard delivered his third of four 3-pointers in the game and closed out the quarter with a difficult fall-away jumper at the buzzer.

Sheldon trailed 57-51 with 3 minutes and 10 seconds remaining in regulation after a pair of Aiden Ellifrits free throws, and that’s when Thomas Jefferson scored eight consecutive points all on free throws while Sheldon went scoreless for nearly a three-minute stretch until Ellifrits closed out the scoring with an old-fashioned three-point play in the final seconds.

Triplett finished with nine points, four steals, and four assists, while Kip Atteberry and Kohl Thurman each contributed three points for the Cavaliers.

William Chapman led Sheldon with 20 points, 17 of them in the second half, and Riley Chapman and Ellifrits both finished with 14 points and Shon Bogart and Aiden Bogart produced four and two points, respectively.

The Panthers finished their season 17-9 with two of their nine losses this season against Thomas Jefferson (67-44 their first one on Jan. 13).

Thomas Jefferson improved to 19-6 on the season and the Cavaliers play for a third straight district title with the championship game Friday against No. 2 seed and district host Golden City, who defeated Lockwood 54-42 in the other semifinal game on Wednesday and improved to 18-10 on the season.

“We’re very familiar with both of these teams, of course,” Myers said. “I don’t think there will be many surprises, just like they’re familiar with us. We’re anticipating a good one no matter who it is and we’re just looking forward to it.”

Thomas Jefferson and Golden City — the two most successful Class 1 programs in the area in recent seasons — tip at 6:30 p.m. on Friday for all the marbles.

Last season, Thomas Jefferson beat Golden City 49-38 for the district title and the Cavaliers also defeated Lockwood 60-44 in the semifinals, ending both teams’ seasons with 18-9 overall records.

Golden City won three straight district titles from 2019 through 2021, a streak ended by Thomas Jefferson, and the Eagles placed third in Class 1 in 2020.

BOYS HOOPS: Neosho finishes strong in rivalry win over Carthage

Posted on by Jason Peake

NEOSHO, Mo. — The Neosho Wildcats and the Carthage Tigers went back-and-forth like a pair of champion boxers all Tuesday evening during their Central Ozark Conference bout at Neosho High School.

The lead exchanged hands many times — for example, Carthage led Neosho 34-29 late in the first half, but the Wildcats took a 41-34 early in the second half after scoring the final two points before halftime and the first 10 points after halftime.

Carthage regained the lead late in the third only to see Neosho tie it up at 48 entering the fourth.

Around the midway point of the fourth quarter, Neosho gained a 57-55 lead on a Brock Franklin 3-point basket and then extended it to 60-55 after three free throws from Isaiah Green and two Carthage empty possessions on the other end.

The Wildcats outscored the Tigers 24-19 in the fourth to earn a 72-67 win.

“My gosh, we got it up to eight (66-58) and we missed some free throws and fouled on an and-one,” Neosho coach Zane Culp said. “They didn’t go down without a fight, but Isaiah Green’s been great at the line at the end of games all year. (Carter) Baslee had a couple great shots there with Kael Smith facilitating in the middle. It was a great game.

“Thinking back, it was such a wild game that I don’t even remember certain parts of it. I just know Brock Franklin had a huge three in the corner that gave us the lead that we kept the whole time. (Carter) Fenske shot the heck out of it that first half.

“Yeah, I would say there in the second half the biggest difference is we made a few more free throws and they missed several, and we made our closer shots, they missed a few layups. When it comes down to two good teams, it’s the small things that make the difference.”

Carthage led 18-15 at the end of the first quarter, 34-31 at halftime, and 55-54 for the last time in the fourth.

“That was probably the fastest-paced first half of basketball that we’ve played all season,” Carthage coach Nathan Morris said. “I’m sure it was exciting basketball to watch. When it counted most, they made some big shots and some winning plays and the right pass. We just didn’t, and we had some chances. We did a good job of speeding them up late, earning some turnovers, and we were unable to finish. They were absolutely lights out from the free-throw line down the stretch.”

Green and Baslee led Neosho with 18 points each — Green scored 10 of his points Tuesday on free throws, including seven of them in the fourth, and Baslee finished strong around the basket for six of his points in the final three minutes. Baslee’s last two points on a breakaway slam dunk gave Neosho a 70-64 lead.

Smith added 14 points, Fenske finished with 12 points with a quartet of trifectas, Collier Hendricks scored all five of his points in a row to earn Neosho a 23-all score early in the second quarter, Franklin’s three points might have been the most important three of the game, and Jared Siler finished at the basket in the first quarter for his two points.

The Wildcats honored their seniors Green, Baslee, Smith, Fenske, Franklin, Siler, and Michael Day before the game Tuesday.

“When the seniors got here as freshmen, that was only my second year (as head coach),” Culp said. “We hadn’t had any kind of consistency, even having coaches for multiple seasons. We had a 14-win season every now and then, but as soon as they stepped on the floor as freshmen that wasn’t going to be status quo anymore. They challenged seniors, it didn’t matter, and it was like we’re here to win and that’s what we’re going to do.

“They were 19-3 as freshmen. When they stepped on the floor, they were on a mission to change this program. I’m just so glad I got to be the coach to shepherd them through. I’m so proud of them for all the accomplishments we’ve had. First back-to-back winning seasons since 2003, most wins in a season since 2003, and most COC wins ever … and playing in back-to-back district championship games during their run. They’re great young men and they’ve not only had a great season, but they’ve set us up moving on forward.”

Neosho improved to 19-6 overall and 6-2 COC, and the Wildcats finish their regular season on Thursday on the road against unbeaten and second-ranked in Class 6 Nixa (25-0, 8-0 COC).

“They haven’t lost,” Culp said. “All we can do is go in there and battle. We’ll find out our district seed (Wednesday). We should fall around the five or the six. We’ll see how that goes. Either way, it will probably be a rematch with either Republic or Joplin. It should be fun. Our mind is on Nixa. We’ll go out there and compete, and it’s not going to have any bearing on seeding. We just want to enjoy these last couple, hopefully several, games with these seniors.”

Max Templeman sparked Carthage with a game-high 30 points, while Justin Ray finished with 14, Clay Kinder 10, Britt Coy nine, and Kruz Castor and Trent Yates two points each.

“Max is an ultra-competitor no matter what he’s doing,” Morris said. “It doesn’t have to be basketball, it’s anything he does. Huge competitor and he means a lot to us. He puts a lot on his shoulders, and he didn’t probably have his best night late in the fourth quarter. It wasn’t for a lack of effort from any of our kids, we just didn’t finish the plays late.”

The Tigers finished their regular season 14-11 overall and 4-5 COC, and they find out their next opponent Wednesday when the seeds for the Class 6 District 5 tournament are determined.

 

 

BOYS HOOPS: Webb City scores at the buzzer to upend Carl Junction in double OT

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY, Mo. — It may have been Senior Night, but a sophomore made the biggest play of the game for the Webb City Cardinals.

Sophomore guard Holton Keith’s tip-in at the buzzer lifted Webb City to a thrilling 68-66 victory over Carl Junction in double overtime on Tuesday night inside a packed Cardinal Dome.

The final Central Ozark Conference clash of the season was deadlocked at 66 in the final seconds of the second extra session when Webb City senior guard Joe Adams hoisted up a 3-pointer from the left corner. 

The shot was off the mark, but Keith soared down the lane, grabbed the offensive rebound, and while still in the air, banked in the game-winning bucket just before the final horn sounded.

“Coach (Jason) Horn was telling us in our last timeout that we have to go get rebounds and we have to hustle to the ball,” Keith said. “That’s what I tried to do. It was exciting and a lot of fun. It’s big to get the seniors a win tonight. We all just played hard tonight…we really wanted it. And it feels great to break our losing streak.” 

The buzzer-beater finished off a significant comeback for the hosts, as the Cardinals trailed by 15 in the first half before rallying late in the game. 

“You have to give Carl Junction a lot of credit,” Cardinals coach Jason Horn said. “They punched us in the mouth at the start of the game. They’ve got some young talent and the (Ayden) Bard kid can really score the ball. There’s a lot of emotion in this game and I thought our kids did a good job of not getting rattled early. They stayed composed and kept chipping away. Our kids battled their way back. Our kids have been in a lot of tough games and some good environments this year. I’m just proud of their composure.”

For the Bulldogs, a signature win slipped away despite the valiant effort.

“I’m super proud of our guys,” Carl Junction coach Justin Pock said. “We played hard and we knew this would be a hard-fought battle. That’s what CJ versus Webb City is all about. It was a great environment here tonight and our guys answered the call. Every one of them played for each other tonight and they did the things we wanted them to do. But unfortunately, there has to be a winner and there has to be a loser. The game could have gone either way.”

 

GAME RECAP

Hot-shooting Carl Junction stormed out of the gates and scored the game’s first 10 points, with freshman guard Cooper Vediz scoring eight.

The Bulldogs led 17-6 at the end of the first quarter and extended their advantage to 15 at 24-9 before Webb City used a 15-2 surge to get back into the game, with Adams providing much of the scoring punch.

Propelled by 15 first-half points from Bard, the Bulldogs led 31-24 at halftime. The visitors were still up 46-42 entering the fourth quarter.

Adams came through in the clutch late in regulation by drilling a game-tying 3-pointer with two minutes to go. 

Both teams traded turnovers before senior forward Alex Martin recorded a key blocked shot with 37 seconds left. 

But the Cardinals’ alley-oop attempt failed with four seconds to play and Vediz’s heave from just inside halfcourt was off, sending the game to the first OT.

The teams scored four points apiece in the first overtime.

On the final play of the first OT, Webb City junior guard Barron Duda got the ball inside, but his shot from in close didn’t go down.

“We had good looks at the end of regulation and at the end of the first overtime,” Horn noted. “I thought we executed them pretty well. The pass was off a bit at the end of regulation. And then Barron got a good look, it just didn’t go in for him.”

In a key swing of momentum, the Cardinals scored the first five points of the second overtime to take a 66-61 lead. Martin scored inside, Keith made one free throw before Carl Junction turned the ball over and fouled, resulting in two made free throws from Adams with 1:30 to go.

The Bulldogs weren’t done. 

Carl Junction junior guard Jett Hocut swished a 3-pointer from the corner with just over a minute to play, trimming his team’s deficit to two.

The Cardinals missed the front end of a 1-and-1 free throw with 53 seconds left. On the other end, Carl Junction’s Lucas Vanlanduit scored inside and drew a foul to tie it up with 44 seconds remaining.

However, the ensuing free throw was off the mark, keeping the game deadlocked.

The Cardinals ran the clock down before Keith’s game-winning putback set off a celebration on the court for the hosts.

“It was a set play that we run,” Horn said of the final possession. “Alex made a good pass, Joe floated to the corner and got a good look. Holton just plays with a lot of energy. He was going to fly in for the rebound and he wasn’t going to be denied.”

 

SENIOR NIGHT

Webb City snapped a five-game skid on the night the program’s seniors—Adams, Martin, Trey Roets and Karstan Gooch—were recognized.

Roets has missed the entire season due to a shoulder injury, but he suited up, started the game and got off a shot in the opening minute before exiting.

“Our seniors have shown a lot of growth from junior high to where they are now,” Horn said. “It would have been easy for these guys to call this season a wash after we lost Trey and Dante Washington. Trey has been at practice every day even though he’s hurt. They’re a good group. They’ve shown that we’re still a good team even though we’re missing a couple of good players.” 

 

NAMES & NUMBERS

Webb City is now 16-9 overall and the Cardinals went 3-6 in the always-tough COC. 

Adams led Webb City with 23 points. He hit seven 3-pointers, including four in the second quarter that allowed the Cardinals to remain within striking distance.

“There was a stretch where Joe carried us,” Horn said. “We just couldn’t get anything to fall. We’ve been telling Joe he has to shoot it when he’s open, and tonight, he did that.” 

Duda added 17 points and seven boards, while Keith scored 11 points and had five assists and Martin contributed 12 rebounds, nine points and seven assists.

“I thought Barron played amazing from the second quarter on,” Horn said. “He finished plays. I can’t say enough about him. Our two young guards, Eli Pace and Holton Keith, they got us back in the game with their defense. Alex made a big free throw. The guys who came in off the bench made energy plays. It was just a great team effort.” 

The Cardinals made 23-of-58 field goal attempts (40 percent), including 11-of-28 from beyond the arc. The hosts went 11-for-16 at the charity stripe.

Carl Junction fell to 8-18, 1-8 in the COC. 

The Bulldogs hit 26-of-55 shots from the floor (47 percent), including 8-of-23 on 3-pointers. Carl 

Junction went 6-of-11 at the foul line.

Bard paced Carl Junction with a game-high 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting. 

Vediz added 14 points with three treys, while senior Xavier Perkins scored seven, sophomore Wyatt McAfee had six and senior Ky Warren scored five.

 

THEY’LL MEET AGAIN 

Second-seeded Webb City will meet seventh-seeded Carl Junction at 7 p.m. on March 1 in the quarterfinals of the Class 5 District 7 tournament at Belton High School.

“To me, they’re not the seventh seed in that district,” Horn said of the Bulldogs. “I think they’re one of the top five teams in the district. We know Carl Junction will be a challenge for anyone in our district.” 

Pock noted Tuesday’s solid showing should give his squad confidence going into the postseason rematch.

“We gained some confidence tonight,” Pock said. “Webb City’s a good team. We took them to two overtimes and they only beat us by two. That should give us a lot of confidence going into districts. We’re going to battle them again.” 

Before the postseason begins, Webb City hosts Hillcrest on Thursday night in the regular-season finale. 

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

DISTRICT HOOPS ROUNDUP: College Heights boys advance, McAuley boys suffer season-ending loss

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS BOYS 61, WHEATON 40

VERONA, Mo. — Second-seeded College Heights defeated seventh-seeded Wheaton 63-40 on Monday night in the opening-round of the Class 2 District 12 tournament.

College Heights (22-5) advanced to the district semifinals, where they’ll take on third-seeded Purdy (17-10) at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Verona High School.

Purdy beat sixth-seeded Miller 56-40.

The other semifinal features No. 1 Marionville vs. No. 5 Verona at 6.

Verona defeated No. 4 Pierce City 65-63 and Marionville had a first-round bye at the top seed.

No other information on CHC’s win was available to SoMo Sports. 

 

SHELDON BOYS 54, MCAULEY CATHOLIC 40

GOLDEN CITY, Mo. — Fifth-seeded McAuley Catholic saw its season come to an end on Monday night against fourth-seeded Sheldon in the opening-round of the Class 1 District 7 tournament.

The Panthers led 16-7 at the end of the first quarter, 28-23 at half and 43-33 by the end of the third period. 

The Warriors were unable to come from behind in the fourth quarter. 

Rocco Bazzano-Joseph led McAuley with 16 points. He hit four treys. Michael Parrigon added seven points and Bradley Wagner scored six.

The Warriors went 7-20 this season.

Sheldon’s William Chapman scored 16 points and Shon Bogart added 14.

Sheldon will meet No. 1 seed Thomas Jefferson at 6 on Wednesday in the district semifinals at Golden City High School.

BOYS HOOPS: Gibson, Hafer lead Joplin to convincing win over Webb City

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

In a game featuring a number of standout guards, Joplin’s forward tandem of Terrance Gibson and Whit Hafer stole the show.

Joplin’s frontcourt duo combined for 50 points as the Eagles rolled to a convincing 81-64 victory over the rival Webb City Cardinals on Tuesday night in a Central Ozark Conference clash inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.

“This win is huge for us,” Eagles coach Bronson Schaake said. “When I got here I understood pretty quickly the rivalry between Joplin and Webb. I knew it would be a dogfight tonight.”

The game was deadlocked at 19 at the end of the first quarter before the Eagles outscored the Cardinals 22-9 in the game-changing second period to take the lead for good.

Joplin junior guard All Wright races up the floor past Webb City’s Holton Keith on Tuesday night. Photo by Derek Livingston.

“We made some defensive adjustments in the second quarter,” Schaake said. “Our guys did a great job. We were able to get out and get some easy buckets and we were able to pull away.”

Joplin’s starting forwards definitely played a crucial role in Tuesday’s win.

A 6-foot-5 senior, Gibson poured in a game-high 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting to go along with six boards and three steals. 

A 6-7 junior, Hafer added 23 points by making 8-of-15 field goal attempts, including five made 3-pointers. Hafer also had a team-high seven rebounds.  

“When those two are playing like that, it’s definitely hard to stop them,” Schaake said. “They both have size. And people probably don’t realize Whit can shoot like that. He’s getting more and more confident. And those outside shots opened things up inside for Terrance.” 

Joplin scored at least 17 points in every quarter.

“We weren’t very good defensively the whole game,” Cardinals coach Jason Horn said. “We allowed too many straight-line drives and we didn’t do a good job of rebounding the basketball. They pretty much man-handled us.”

Schaake noted that Tuesday’s performance is evidence his Eagles have made big strides since the start of the 2022-23 campaign. 

“This is a good conference win and I think we’re going in the right direction,” Schaake said. “We’ve been playing a lot better basketball the last two or three weeks. Hopefully we can keep it going.”

 

NAMES & NUMBERS

Webb City’s Alex Martin scores inside against Joplin’s Terrance Gibson on Tuesday night. Photo by Derek Livingston.

Three players scored in double figures for the Eagles, who improved to 14-8 overall and 5-2 in the COC.

In addition to Gibson and Hafer, standout junior guard All Wright contributed 13 points and five assists. Clearly the focus of Webb City’s defense, Wright made 6-of-8 shots from the floor. Junior guard Quin Renfro added eight points for Joplin.

The Eagles shot 54 percent (33-of-61) and out-rebounded the Cardinals 28-17. Joplin also won the turnover battle, as Webb City had 18 turnovers to the hosts’ 12.

With a fourth straight setback, Webb City slipped to 15-8 and 2-5 in the always-tough COC. 

The Cardinals made 59 percent of their field goal attempts (26-of-44), but they went just 4-for-12 from beyond the arc.

Sophomore guard Holton Keith led Webb City with 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting. Senior forward Alex Martin scored 15 points and junior guard Barron Duda added 10 to give the Cardinals three players in double figures.

Sophomore guard Eli Pace contributed nine points, three steals and three assists.

 

GAME RECAP

Webb City raced out to a 12-5 lead after back-to-back 3-pointers from Duda and Keith before Joplin responded with seven straight points to tie it up. 

Hafer buried a trio of 3-pointers in the opening frame and the game was tied after the first eight minutes.

The Eagles started the second quarter on an 11-2 burst. Hoops from Renfro and Hafer and a pair of buckets inside by Gibson finished off the spurt and the hosts were up 30-21.

“When they’re focusing on All like that, other guys have to step up and lift up their teammates,” Schaake noted. “They were able to do that.”

Joplin took its first double digit advantage at 36-26 after a hoop from Wright. 

Webb City was plagued by empty possessions throughout the second quarter and the visitors had 12 turnovers in the first half.

“We missed some assignments defensively,” Horn said. “We were trying to do something to slow All (Wright) down, but we got a little confused in our rotations and they got some open looks. Offensively, we had too many unforced turnovers in the first half. We were being loose with the basketball and a good team will beat you if you do that.”

In the third period, Hafer’s fifth trifecta gave the hosts their biggest lead at 54-36 with 3:40 to go.

Webb City responded with a 9-0 run before the Eagles got a trey from sophomore Collis Jones and a hoop in transition from Hobbs Gooch for a 59-45 lead heading into the final frame. 

Overall, Joplin out-pointed Webb City 18-17 in the third quarter and 22-19 in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

The main highlight of the fourth quarter for the Eagles was a pair of dunks by Gibson.

Webb City trimmed its deficit to 10 with just over two minutes to play before the Eagles reeled off the final seven points of the night for the final margin.

“I think we got a little fatigued late in the game and Webb City has some good guards,” Schaake said. “But we were able to withstand that run and stretch it back out at the end.”

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Webb City is at undefeated Class 6 No. 2 Nixa on Friday night. 

Joplin is at Kickapoo on Wednesday night and at Branson on Friday. 

 

Joplin’s Whit Hafer knocks down a 3-pointer in the first quarter of Tuesday’s game against Webb City. Hafer scored 23 points for the Eagles. Photo by Derek Livingston.

 

Webb City’s Holton Keith drives to the hoop against Collis Jones. Keith led the Cardinals with 23 points. Photos by Derek Livingston.

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

BOYS HOOPS: Webb City falls short in COC clash with Class 6 No. 6 Republic

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

WEBB CITY, Mo. — A valiant effort wasn’t enough for the Webb City Cardinals.

Webb City’s late rally fell short, and Class 6 No. 6 Republic left town with a 63-50 Central Ozark Conference victory over the hosts on Friday night in front of a large homecoming crowd inside the Cardinal Dome.

After a close first half, the Tigers doubled up the Cardinals 18-9 in the game-changing third quarter.

Webb City used a spirited surge in the fourth quarter to pull within eight, but Republic stymied the comeback attempt down the stretch. 

“I was happy with our effort,” Webb City coach Jason Horn said. “We had a slow start, but we bounced back after that start, and we gave ourselves a chance. Our kids competed well. We just needed to finish a few more plays to give ourselves a better chance against a good team like Republic.”

Webb City slipped to 15-7 overall and 2-4 in conference games. 

Junior guard Barron Duda scored 14 points for the Cardinals, while senior forward Alex Martin added 12 points before fouling out. 

Sophomore guard Holton Keith contributed nine points, six assists and three steals, while junior guard Omari Jackson added seven points. Joe Adams and Eli Pace chipped in four points apiece.

Webb City shot 49 percent from the floor (20-of-41) but went just 2-for-8 on 3-pointers. 

Republic improved to 20-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference. 

Sophomore guard Brenley Hagewood led the Tigers with 23 points, while senior guard Ahlante Askew added 10 points and junior guard James Rexroat had nine.

The Tigers made 20-of-35 field goal attempts (57 percent), including 6-for-15 from beyond the arc (40 percent). Republic out-rebounded Webb City 27-11.

The Tigers, who never trailed, built an early double-digit lead at 17-7 by the end of the first quarter. 

Webb City was down 23-9 early in the second period, but the Cardinals finished the first half on an 18-7 burst.

Duda, Keith, Jackson and Martin all contributed points during the spurt. Duda knocked down three late free throws to cut Webb City’s deficit to 30-27 at intermission. 

The Tigers owned the third quarter. 

Republic started the second half on a 17-3 run to take a 47-30 lead. The Tigers led 48-36 at the end of the third period.

“We had some really good looks and we ran our sets well, but we just didn’t capitalize in the third quarter,” Horn said. “We missed a couple bunnies around the basket. Republic got the ball to their shooters. I thought we guarded the 3-point line better than we did on Tuesday, but Republic hit a couple that allowed them to stretch their lead. They got us out of sorts a little bit, too.”

The Cardinals didn’t go down quietly. 

With an 8-4 spurt to start the final frame, capped by a hoop inside by Martin and a layup from Pace, Webb City pulled within eight at 52-44.

That’s the closest the hosts would get, however. 

The Tigers finished the game on an 11-6 run to secure the win. 

“I don’t think we capitalized on some things offensively when we had good looks,” Horn said. “I thought Republic did. We showed resolve and fought back late in the game, so I’m pleased with the effort. We just have to put four quarters together.”

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Webb City is at Joplin on Tuesday night for another COC contest.

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

BOYS HOOPS: Webb City suffers home loss to hot-shooting Willard

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY, Mo. — A steady barrage of 3-pointers propelled Willard to an 81-70 win over Webb City on Tuesday night in Central Ozark Conference boys basketball action inside the Cardinal Dome.

The visiting Tigers made 13 field goals from beyond the arc, including seven in the game-changing third period that saw the visitors pull away.

“We were awful defensively,” Webb City coach Jason Horn said. “We gave up way too many wide open looks from 3 to their better shooters. We couldn’t keep them out of the lane. We just weren’t very good defensively tonight. You tip your hat to Willard. They did a good job of finding the open man and they moved the ball quickly. We didn’t move the ball quick enough on offense. We had some sticky hands and held the ball too long. You’re easy to defend when you do that.” 

Receiving votes in the Class 5 poll, Webb City slipped to 15-6 overall and 2-3 in the COC. 

Webb City made 29-of-51 field goal attempts (57 percent), but went just 8-for-25 (32 percent) from 3-point land.

Junior guard Barron Duda scored 23 points and made four treys to lead the Cardinals. Sophomore guard Eli Pace added 14 points, while senior forward Alex Martin and sophomore guard Holton Keith added 10 points apiece.

The Cardinals had 20 turnovers to the Tigers’ 10.

Willard improved to 9-12 and 2-2 in the conference.

The Tigers made 28-of-54 field goal attempts (52 percent), including 13-of-32 from long distance (41 percent). 

Junior guard Drew Quinlan scored 20 points and knocked down six 3-pointers to lead Willard, while junior guard Russell Roweton added 17 points. Two others reached double figures for the Tigers, as senior Riley Wolf scored 14 points and sophomore Braxton Boyer had 11.

Neither team was able to gain much separation in the first half. 

Playing at home for the first time since Jan. 13, Webb City held a 20-18 lead at the end of the back and forth first quarter. 

The Cardinals were up 24-18 early in the second quarter, but the game was deadlocked at 31 with just over two minutes to play in the first half. 

Willard closed the half on a 7-4 run, and the visitors held a 38-35 advantage at the break. 

The Tigers got going in a big way in the third period. Led by the seven made treys, Willard outscored Webb City 26-15 in the third period to take a 64-50 lead.

“They made six 3-pointers in the first half and then made seven in the third quarter,” Horn noted. “You have to guard somebody. We didn’t guard anybody. They had wide open looks.”

The Tigers never relinquished their lead in the final frame. The Cardinals trimmed their deficit to 10 with a minute to play, but the Tigers’ cushion was never in serious jeopardy.

Webb City hosts Class 6 No. 8 Republic (19-2, 3-1 COC) on Friday. Republic suffered a 62-58 loss to Nixa on Tuesday.

“They have as good a team as we’ll play all year,” Horn said of Republic. “It will be tough, so we just have to get back to work at practice and try to get better.” 

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

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