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DISTRICT HOOPS: Carl Junction advances to title game with lopsided semifinal win

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY, Mo. — The quest for an eighth straight district championship continues for the Carl Junction girls basketball team.

Top-seeded Carl Junction cruised to a convincing 68-37 victory over fourth-seeded Grandview on Saturday afternoon in the semifinals of the Class 5 District 7 tournament inside the Cardinal Dome.

“Our program has been able to be a part of nine straight district title games, so that’s a pretty good run,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said. “That’s a testament to our kids and how hard they play. It feels good to get back to another district title game. Hopefully we can get our eighth in a row.”

Carl Junction (27-1) will meet second-seeded Webb City (18-10) in the district title game at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

“Hopefully we’ll come out and play hard on Tuesday night,” Shorter said. 

In the regular-season meeting, Carl Junction edged Webb City 56-53.

Ranked first in Class 5 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, Carl Junction is taking a 22-game winning streak into the title game.

 

GAME RECAP

In a clash between Bulldogs, Grandview stayed within striking distance early by hitting four 3-pointers in the opening frame. 

Carl Junction received hoops from Klohe Burk, Destiny Buerge and Kylie Scott and treys from Hali Shorter and Burk to take a 17-8 lead.

Grandview’s Lariah Tucker drilled a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the first period to keep her squad within six.

Buerge scored the first five points of the second quarter, a 3-pointer and a layup, to extend CJ’s advantage to 22-11.

Grandview buried back-to-back 3-pointers to remain close, but Carl Junction responded with a game-changing 10-0 burst.

During the surge, Destiny Buerge recorded a pair of hoops, DeShaye Buerge added a bucket of her own in the paint and Burk converted two attempts at the foul line to give CJ a 32-17 cushion.

Grandview made 1-of-2 free throws late in the first half, trimming Carl Junction’s lead to 14 at the break.

“They hit some deep 3s early in the game,” Shorter said of Grandview. “But we’re going to stay in our matchup zone and we’re going to do what we do. Sometimes we have to live with a few of those 3s. When they make them from that deep, you tip your hat. But I think we needed to do a little better job of boxing out because they got some offensive rebounds and second chances. We shouldn’t have allowed some of those offensive rebounds.”

Carl Junction put the game away by outscoring Grandview 18-10 in the third period. Destiny Buerge took over in the quarter, knocking down three treys and a pair of 2-pointers in a 13-point outburst that gave Carl Junction a comfortable 50-28 advantage.

“She got on a roll,” Shorter said of his senior standout. “And we’d talked about getting her in the post. She had a smaller guard on her, so we wanted to take advantage of that. We were able to take advantage of that mismatch.”

The district’s top seed took a commanding 55-28 lead with seven minutes left in the game after buckets from Buerge and Scott. 

Overall, Carl Junction outscored Grandview 18-9 in the fourth frame to account for the final score.

 

NAMES & NUMBERS 

Tasked with going up against Carl Junction’s suffocating zone defense, Grandview made just 13-of-54 field goal attempts (24 percent), including 6-for-20 from 3-point range.

Grandview’s Micah Kirkwood and Tucker scored nine points apiece.

Carl Junction connected on 25-of-48 field goal attempts (52 percent), including 8-of-20 from beyond the arc (40 percent).

The Bulldogs assisted on 18 of their 25 made shots.

“That’s pretty good,” Shorter said of the stat. “We’re moving the ball pretty well. We’re moving it well in transition, and at times, we’re moving the ball in our halfcourt sets. We have to get better at that.”

Destiny Buerge poured in 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting to lead Carl Junction. A Pittsburg State-signee, Buerge made four treys and also handed out five assists to go with five steals.

A 6-3 junior forward, Scott contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. Scott also blocked three shots. 

Burk and DeShaye Buerge scored seven points apiece, Dezi Williams had four points and Jadyn Howard and Hali Shorter contributed three points apiece. Hali Shorter, a senior guard, handed out five assists. 

Carl Junction will attempt to capture a district title for the eighth straight season on Tuesday night.

NOTE: See a separate story on Webb City’s 55-34 win over Bolivar.

DISTRICT HOOPS: Bolivar ends McDonald County’s season in quarterfinals

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY, Mo. — The third-seeded Bolivar Liberators turned up the heat in the second and third quarters during their 61-33 win Thursday night in the Class 5 District 6 quarterfinals against sixth-seeded McDonald County.

The Mustangs, a relatively youthful team with only two seniors in starter Megan Elwood and reserve Analisa Ramirez and winners of seven of their last eight games entering their district opener, were outscored 43-20 alone by the Liberators in the middle quarters, including 23-7 in the third.

Their fifth, sixth, and seventh points of the quarter arrived on freshman Carlie Martin’s shot near halfcourt to beat the buzzer.

McDonald County still entered the fourth behind 60-29.

“It stinks,” McDonald County coach Sean Crane said. “We’ve been playing really well, but we did not play really well this evening. It’s always frustrating, but with this group going forward … obviously, we’re losing two wonderful young ladies that we’re going to miss a lot, they’re great human beings, great people … we have a lot of young talent.

“I thought our freshman Carlie Martin played her butt off tonight. We’ll return four starters. We’ve got people coming back. Hopefully, we take these experiences and move on, but we came a long way this season.”

McDonald County trailed 17-9 after one quarter, but the Mustangs sliced their deficit in half during a quick span of time early in the second when they came up with a pair of consecutive steals and four points from Martin and Roslynn Huston.

“It looked like we were going to make a run,” Crane said. “That’s what we had to do against them. They’re so stinking big. Bolivar’s got a good ballclub. We thought if we could get out in space, we had some chances. We thought both Carlee Cooper and Carlie Martin could get to the rim at will. We just could never get into space consistently and that hurt us. Big thing is, Bolivar outplayed us.”

McDonald County’s season comes to an end with a record of 13-14 and the Mustangs improved by eight wins from the previous season.

Martin led McDonald County with 10 points, Huston added seven, Cooper and Elwood five each, freshman Tatym Trudeau entered the scoring column with a trifecta in the fourth, Natalie Gillming added two points, and Katelynn Townsend made a free throw for her lone point.

Bolivar saw three players reach double figures Thursday: 6-foot senior Cora Roweton finished with a game-high 22 points, 13 of them scored in the first half with nine in the third; freshman guard Carly Cribbs especially heated up from outside to score all 16 of her points in the second and third quarters; and 5-11 senior Dailynn VanDeren also punished a smaller McDonald County squad on the inside with 10 more points.

“It was for tonight,” Bolivar coach Ben Glasgow said of the focus on turning up the pressure defense. “Our last three games of the season, we played Kickapoo, West Plains, and Lebanon. They’re all really good and we just can’t do that (press) against them. We had it done to us and we’re not capable of giving it back, they’re just too big and athletic. When we face someone our class, our size, we’re going to try and do it.

“We had nine days off, so we wanted a lot of possessions tonight. I was going to live with some ugly things, but I wanted more possessions than normal.”

Crane said it was Bolivar’s 13 second-chance points in the first half that proved more responsible for the Mustangs’ 37-22 halftime deficit than Bolivar’s press, which hurt McDonald County more in the third quarter.

Bolivar (19-8) plays No. 2 seed and district host Webb City (17-10) in the semifinals at 2:30 on Saturday inside the Cardinal Dome.

DISTRICT HOOPS: Webb City avoids upset, rallies past Belton in quarterfinals

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Points were definitely at a premium for both the district host and second-seeded Webb City and seventh-seeded Belton for the vast majority of their Class 5 District 7 quarterfinal game Thursday in the boys gym at Webb City High School.

Webb City endured about one quarter’s worth of not scoring a point, falling behind for most of the first three quarters, but the Cardinals’ defense stymied Belton on their way to a 34-24 win for the higher seed.

The visiting Pirates scored no more than seven points in any quarter on Thursday, and they finished with one made field goal in the second half, including none in the critical third quarter that saw Webb City turn a 14-10 halftime deficit into a 25-18 lead entering the fourth behind a 15-4 advantage in the third.

Seven of Belton’s 10 second-half points were from made free throws, and Belton senior Anna Shrum’s trifecta with 2 minutes and 44 seconds remaining in regulation proved to be their only field goal in the final 16 minutes.

Webb Citys Kirra Long goes up a for a layup against Belton on Thursday night at Webb City High School. Photo by Israel Perez.

“I thought we did a pretty good job the whole game of defending,” Webb City coach Lance Robbins said. “We struggled a little bit offensively tonight, which didn’t allow us to get into our press and do some things early in the game that we wanted to do.

“Overall, when we needed to make plays, we stepped up and made plays. At this point in the season, you’re going to get everybody’s best shot because it might be the last time they step on the floor. We’re anxious to play on Saturday.”

Webb City (17-10 overall) faces third-seeded Bolivar in the semifinals on Saturday inside the Cardinal Dome.

Bolivar (19-8) rolled 61-33 over No. 6 seed McDonald County in the game after Webb City and Belton.

“It will be a big challenge no doubt about it,” Bolivar coach Ben Glasgow said. “They’re really good, they’re playing on their home floor, and they have some very unique weapons. We’re considered an underdog and I get that, but I feel like we have a good chance.”

Webb City and Bolivar are scheduled to tip at 2:30 p.m.

In Thursday’s win over Belton, a sequence late in the first half changed the entire complexion of the contest for both the Cardinals and the Pirates.

Kate Brownfield made a 3-point shot with only a few seconds before halftime for a 14-10 score and the Cardinals just missed on a one-point halftime deficit after a steal and a dramatic shot at the buzzer rimmed out.

“I thought that was a big momentum boost for us,” Robbins said. “That three was huge and I know Kirra (Long) didn’t make the halfcourt shot, but the steal and everything there at the end of the half gave us some confidence and energy going into the second half. I thought we played a little better offensively in the second half, but still not up to par for what we normally do.”

Webb City sophomore post Sami Mancini scored a game-high 12 points, including nine in the second half, despite the best efforts of the Belton defense to deny her the post entry passes with ball pressure on the passer and a bunch of defenders ready to swarm Mancini when the ball entered her possession.

“She was working hard in the post,” Robbins said. “The few times we tried to force the ball into her, we got some turnovers. We’re seeing a lot of double and triple teams right now. That makes it difficult sometimes to get the ball there into her, but most of the time when we get it in, she’s got her shot and she’ll take it. If not, she’ll look to get other people involved.”

Brownfield finished with seven points, Long and Mia Robbins each had five, Malorie Stanley’s three points arrived on a trifecta to give the Cardinals their 25-18 lead entering the fourth, and Dawsyn Decker added two points.

Amaya Crowder led Belton with nine points, Shrum added eight, Sh’ryah Wright five, and Morgan Bandy two points for the Pirates, who ended their season 7-19 overall.

 

Webb City senior Izzy Lopez shoots a jumper during Thursday’s district game against Belton. Photo by Israel Perez.

 

Webb City senior Kate Brownfield passes to a teammate against Belton on Thursday night at Webb City High School. Webb City won the game 34-24. Photo by Israel Perez.

DISTRICT HOOPS: Thomas Jefferson girls fall to Liberal in semifinals

Posted on by Jason Peake

LIBERAL, Mo. — The third-seeded Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers were outscored 30-14 in the first and third quarters, including 19-6 in the third, during a 57-41 loss against No. 2 seed and tournament host Liberal in the Class 1 District 6 semifinals on Thursday evening.

Thomas Jefferson and Liberal played even in the second and fourth quarters, with that third quarter proving to be the difference in what otherwise was a three-point game.

“Honestly, the third quarter, yeah, it was rough,” Thomas Jefferson coach Lindsey Showalter said. “They pressed the dog out of us, and they kept it up consistently throughout the whole game. Unfortunately, we just didn’t take care of the ball. Credit to them and props to them for continuing it and it worked. We didn’t do our job on that side of the floor.”

Thomas Jefferson fell behind 22-11 in the middle of the second quarter after the Bulldogs went on a 15-3 run over the final minute of the first and the first half of the second, erasing Thomas Jefferson’s 8-6 lead.

Liberal started the second half with the first night points and the Bulldogs extended their lead to 43-25 before Gabbi Hiebert’s basket made it a 43-27 score entering the fourth.

Hiebert scored a team-high 22 points to pace the Cavaliers with 10 of her points in the second and eight of her other points in the fourth.

Lannah Grigg finished with 12 points, and she had all eight of the Cavaliers’ points in the first.

Sarah Mueller added three points and Tannah Cassatt and Kiera Onyango each finished with two for the Cavaliers, who ended their season 14-11 overall.

“I’m very proud of the girls,” Showalter said. “This is the best season the Thomas Jefferson girls have had since 2004, the most wins since 2004, and first 10-win season since 2008. We were plagued with injuries all year, lost our starting point guard to a broken leg which she actually returned in our first district game against McAuley, and had a few other injuries.

“We’re all proud of the girls for their resiliency to finish the season strong at 14-11. Although we didn’t get the results that we wanted, it’s definitely the start of a tradition and a steppingstone leading into the following years.”

The Cavaliers’ 14 wins this season doubled last season’s win total and matched their four previous seasons combined.

Thomas Jefferson seniors Cassatt, Nico Carlson and Phoenix Wade closed out their high school careers.

“This is my first year coaching and the three seniors have just been incredible leaders for us,” Showalter said. “Nico, she has just improved so much, especially at the end of the season, doing what we need from her being that scrappy defensive player. She’s very durable, very smart, and she’s a big part of our success.

“Phoenix, she is definitely a good role player for us. She knows her role on this team, she’s very coachable, and she always does her job. Tannah, she’s our horse. She brings the fire, she brings the aggression, she’s always up for the challenge, and we’re definitely going to miss those three girls.”

Bailey Couch scored a game-high 24 points to spark the hosts Thursday, highlighted by a dominant third quarter during which she produced 16 of the Bulldogs’ 19 points.

Abby Barton added 11 points, Taylor Swarnes 10, Ellaina LaNear seven, and Laney Simpson five points for the Bulldogs, who improved to 17-11 on the season entering Saturday’s district title game against top-seeded and ninth-ranked in Class 1 Golden City (23-4).

 

GIRLS HOOPS: Carl Junction completes undefeated run through COC with thrilling win over Webb City

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY, Mo. — In a thrilling end to the regular season, the Carl Junction girls basketball team completed an undefeated run through the always-tough Central Ozark Conference by holding off Webb City 56-53 on Monday night inside the Cardinal Dome.

Ranked first in Class 5 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association and now 25-1 overall, Carl Junction went 9-0 in the COC, which is regarded as one of the toughest conferences in the state of Missouri. 

“It’s a testament to our kids and our coaching staff,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said of securing a COC championship. “All of them have done a great job all year. It all started last summer. We wanted to make a statement this season. This group has been working at it for a few years now, so it feels good to be able to win the conference and to go undefeated in the conference too. It doesn’t happen a lot in the COC. And we are the smallest school in the conference.”

The game was deadlocked with 2:25 to play before the visitors took the lead for good with one final surge. The Bulldogs also came up with one last defensive stop in the final seconds to secure a hard-fought win. 

In the end, Carl Junction was the team that got it done in crunch time.

“Tonight’s game was a wake-up call for us,” Shorter said. “We needed one of those. We needed a tough game in a tough environment. Things didn’t go our way a lot of the night, but I’m proud our kids were able to hang on and get the win. They kept playing hard, they kept their poise and good things happened for them in the end.”

It’s safe to say the Cardinals made the Bulldogs earn the victory on Monday night. 

“I’m just really proud of them because they battled some adversity and they fought the whole game,” said Webb City assistant coach Brooke Stauffer. “We were right there at the end, so I’m just really proud of them.”

Stauffer, a former Missouri Southern Lion and Neosho Wildcat, handled the head coaching duties in place of Lance Robbins. 

“It was a little nerve-racking tonight, but it was also very exciting for me,” Stauffer said of making her head coaching debut. “I’m glad I was able to coach our two seniors on their Senior Night.” 

Receiving votes in the Class 5 poll, Webb City now has a record of 15-10. The Cardinals went 5-4 in the conference.

 

GAME RECAP

Carl Junction played a large part of the first half without the services of senior standout Destiny Buerge, who picked up two early fouls.

Treys from junior guards Mia Robbins and Malorie Stanley and a hoop inside from sophomore center Sami Mancini gave the Cardinals an 8-5 lead at the end of the low-scoring opening frame.

In the second quarter, the Bulldogs put together a 9-0 run, as sophomores Dezi Williams and DeShaye Buerge buried 3-pointers and junior forward Kylie Scott converted a bucket in the lane and made a free throw for a 19-11 lead.

Mancini scored a pair of hoops to keep the hosts within striking distance before CJ senior guard Hali Shorter scored from in close to give the visitors a 21-16 halftime lead.

Webb City started the second half on a 13-8 run and the game was tied at 29.

Carl Junction reeled off 11 straight points to take their biggest lead of the game, as Williams scored inside before senior guard Klohe Burk, Destiny Buerge and Williams all hit treys.

Webb City’s Kirra Long scored just before the third period ended, cutting her team’s deficit to 40-31 entering the final frame.

With a final spirited run, the Cardinals began the fourth quarter on an 18-9 burst to tie it up at 49.

Stanley scored five points early in the fourth period for the Cardinals, while Mancini and Long had baskets. During the same stretch, Carl Junction got two hoops from Scott and another from Destiny Buerge. Webb City’s Robbins made a pair of trifectas before senior guard Izzy Lopez hit a game-tying trey of her own with 2:25 to play.

However, the Bulldogs wouldn’t be denied.

Burk came up huge by drilling a go-ahead corner 3-pointer before Destiny Buerge hit a short pull-up jumper near the foul line after Scott’s offensive rebound.

But Mancini made one free throw and scored in the paint, cutting CJ’s lead to 54-52 with 50 seconds remaining.

Next, Destiny Buerge connected on two key free throws with 26 seconds left for a four-point cushion.

With 19 seconds left, Webb City senior guard Kate Brownfield hit 1-of-2 free throws to make it a three-point game.

The Bulldogs misfired on the front end of a 1-and-1 free throw with nine seconds remaining.

After a timeout, Webb City had one last chance to tie the game. Robbins hoisted up a trey from the right corner, but Carl Junction’s Scott blocked it just before the final horn sounded.

“Webb City hit some big shots and we didn’t do a very good job of getting out to their shooters,” Shorter said. “Destiny getting into foul trouble early didn’t help us out tonight. And Mancini makes things difficult for you with her play inside. But I’m proud of my kids for getting it done. I thought we got some great minutes off the bench tonight. They provided us with some good defense.” 

 

NAMES & NUMBERS

Williams led Carl Junction with 16 points, while Destiny Buerge scored 15 points and Burk and Scott added 10 points apiece. 

The Bulldogs made 19-of-46 field goal attempts (41 percent) and made just 11-of-22 free throws.

A 6-5 sophomore forward, Mancini scored a game-high 22 points and also grabbed 12 rebounds while battling foul trouble. 

A junior guard, Robbins added 12 points, hitting four 3-pointers. Stanley added eight points and Lopez had six. The Cardinals shot 39 percent (20-of-51 FG). 

Webb City recognized Brownfield and Lopez on Senior Night.

“They’re great leaders, they’re great team players and they’re wonderful kids on and off the court,” Stauffer said of the senior tandem. 

 

DISTRICT TOURNEY AWAITS

The Bulldogs not only secured an outright conference title on Monday, they also extended their winning streak to 20. 

“I feel like we have some pretty good momentum going into the district tournament,” Shorter said. “We do have a pretty big layoff coming up here, but it will give us a chance to heal up some injuries and work on some things. Hopefully we’ll continue to get better.” 

Carl Junction and Webb City could meet again, as the Bulldogs and Cardinals are the top two seeds for the Class 5 District 7 tournament that will be hosted by Webb City.

No. 1 Carl Junction meets No. 8 Ruskin at 5 p.m. on March 2 inside the Cardinal Dome, while No. 2 Webb City takes on No. 7 Belton at the same time in the “boys gym.”

The semifinals are March 4 and the title game is slated for March 7.

“It’s been a great regular season and hopefully we’ll be able to play for a district championship,” Shorter said. 

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

GIRLS HOOPS: Nevada falls to Marshfield in Big 8 title game

Posted on by Jason Peake

NEVADA, Mo. — Nevada’s late comeback fell short, as Marshfield held on for a 61-56 victory over the Tigers on Monday night in the overall Big 8 Conference championship game inside Wynn Gymnasium.

Marshfield built a 32-17 lead by halftime and the Jays held a 45-34 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

The Tigers erupted for 22 points in the final frame, pulling within four late in the game. But the visitors wouldn’t be denied, as Marshfield never surrendered its lead.

Big 8 West champion Nevada fell to 19-5 overall. The Tigers were looking to repeat as overall Big 8 champs.

Maddy Majors led Nevada with 19 points, while Katie Johnson had 12 and Lakyn Applegate added 11. Abbey Heathman scored eight points for Nevada, while Clara Swearingen had six.

Marshfield, ranked 10th in Class 5, improved to 20-4. The Jays from the Big 8 East have won 12 straight games. 

Four players scored in double figures for Marshfield, as Abigail McBride had 16 points, Quinn Aldridge added 13, Lauren Luebbert scored 12 and Lillie Findley added 11.

Nevada hosts El Dorado Springs on Thursday in the regular season finale.

GIRLS HOOPS: Carthage starts, finishes strong for COC win against Branson

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Carthage Tigers jumped out to a 51-27 halftime lead and their red-hot start held up in the second half for a 71-50 win on Monday night against the visiting Branson Pirates in Central Ozark Conference play.

Carthage used an 18-4 end to the first quarter to go ahead 30-11 after one and the Tigers built a 21-point lead with the first basket of the second quarter at 32-11.

It looked as if the game might turn out to be a tale of two halves, as Branson scored the last eight points of the third quarter and entered the fourth down 58-42 behind a 15-7 edge in the third for the Pirates.

The Pirates cut their deficit to 60-46 around the 3-minute mark, but the Tigers scored 11 of the game’s final 15 points to earn a 21-point victory.

“That’s probably one of the best first halves I’ve ever been a part of as a coach for a team because it was against a pretty good opponent,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “In the past, we’ve put up 40-45 on a team who maybe hasn’t won a whole lot of games this year. Branson coming into tonight was very even with us record wise and success and failure versus similar teams.

“For us to come out of the gates and hang 51 in the first half, I just loved their energy on offense and defense. We played with a little bit of swag, which we’ve talked about all year playing with that confidence that gets results. Happy to see that.

“We definitely wanted that same energy to carry on for the whole second half, but shots didn’t fall as well so that led to a lack of energy and plus it takes us out of our press package which usually gives us energy. But definitely, a great start to the game.”

A basket from Kianna Yates and a trifecta from Lauren Choate extended Carthage’s lead back out to 19 at 65-46, then Yates and Choate scored the last six points on made free throws within the final 80 seconds.

“With a young team, they need to learn to close out games and close out teams you have a significant lead on,” Moore said. “Hopefully, we did learn that, because we didn’t do that early in the fourth quarter. We started making bad passes, taking bad shots, let them get layups and fouls got us into some foul trouble situations. We’ll look at that on film and talk about it on Wednesday about how going forward we need to finish better and what it takes to do it.”

The Tigers honored seniors Yates and Landry Cochran before the game.

“Obviously, Kianna Yates has had a fabulous career,” Moore said. “She’s closing in on the school’s all-time scoring record, and we hope that she can get that done this year. That would be a great accomplishment for her. We’re going to miss her because she’s an everyday influence on the program. Hardest worker in practice, first kid here last to leave, getting up extra shots and doing extra work. The face of the franchise for the last four years, she’s been that important to us for that long.

“Landry, on the other hand, is more of the behind-the-scenes and doesn’t put up a whole lot of stats. She’s the person who has us running our plays correctly, telling her teammates what to do, and she has us in the right defense because she’s communicating. Her positive influence in practice and in games … I’ve never seen her say even a mean word, she’s always positive, always encouraging, lifting up her teammates.

“The two of them have been such an integral part of what we’re trying to build here that we’re going to miss that from them the next few years after they’ve graduated, but they’ve definitely made a lasting impression on our program.”

Yates scored a game-high 26 points and she’s 75 points away from surpassing former Carthage standout Maya Williams’ school record of 1,547 career points. The Tigers have at least four games remaining on their schedule.

Choate added 17 points, Maggie Boyd nine, Lexa Youngblood eight, Jaidyn Brunnert seven, and Cochran and Zye Clark rounded out the scoring with two points each.

Carthage improved to 10-13 overall and 2-5 COC, and the Tigers hit the road on Friday to face Willard for their first of three straight road games to close out the regular season.

The Tigers snapped a five-game skid with the win Monday.

Taylor Foster led Branson (9-11, 1-4) with 17 points and Ellison Mehrhoff provided the Pirates a second scorer in double figures with 12 points.

 

GIRLS HOOPS: Webb City keeps pace in COC race by beating Joplin

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

Webb City remained near the top of the Central Ozark Conference standings by earning a convincing 54-19 victory over Joplin on Monday night in a girls basketball clash inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.

The Cardinals are now 15-8 overall and 5-2 in conference play with two COC games to go. 

Carl Junction is currently undefeated in conference play, while Republic has just one loss and Nixa, Ozark and Webb City have two setbacks apiece. 

“One of our goals at the beginning of the season was to be in the hunt for a conference title,” Cardinals coach Lance Robbins said. “Coming down to the end of the season, we’re still in the conversation. We have two tough games coming up with Nixa and Carl Junction to end the conference schedule. We know both of those teams are also right there in the hunt for a conference title. We’d have to have some help along the way, but we just need to take care of our own business. We just have to continue to get better each day and we’ll see what happens.”

Webb City is at Class 6 No. 4 Nixa on Thursday, and the Cardinals end COC play next Monday at home against league leading and Class 5 No. 1 Carl Junction.

In Monday’s clash with the Eagles, Webb City took control with a strong second quarter and then slowly pulled away the rest of the night. 

“I thought we kind of sputtered early offensively,” Coach Robbins said. “I thought Joplin’s girls were getting after it defensively. It took us a few minutes to get adjusted. Once we got adjusted, I thought we got into a groove and did some good things. We had good minutes all the way around from all of our kids tonight.” 

The Eagles, who have played a large part of the season without injured senior team leader Brynn Driver, fell to 4-19 overall and 0-7 in the COC. 

“Kudos to Webb City, they played extremely hard, and we knew they would be ready to play,” Joplin coach Brad Cox said. “We did a really good job of taking care of the ball in the first quarter. But in the second quarter, we started having turnovers and that was the difference in the game. And our Achilles’ heel all year is not being able to make shots. We just have to get better at making shots.”

Cox noted he was pleased with his team’s effort.

“We play extremely hard every game,” Cox said. “There’s never a question about that. I’m proud of the girls. We never have to question them about playing hard, no matter the score.”

 

GAME RECAP

The game was deadlocked at five early when the Cardinals reeled off seven straight points to end the first quarter for a 12-5 advantage. 

Webb City pulled away for good with a game-changing 17-2 burst in the second quarter. 

Junior guard Malorie Stanley scored eight points off the bench during the surge, while senior guard Izzy Lopez hit a 3-pointer and sophomore forward Sami Mancini scored inside. Also, junior forward Dawsyn Decker, senior guard Kate Brownfield, junior guard Mia Robbins and Mancini all contributed free throws that extended Webb City’s lead to 29-8.

“I thought Malorie gave us a big boost off the bench defensively and offensively,” Coach Robbins noted. 

While the Cardinals got going, the Eagles were plagued with empty possessions throughout the second period. But a hoop in the lane from junior guard Bailey Ledford and a pair of midrange jumpers from sophomore forward Riley Kelly cut Joplin’s deficit to 29-12 by intermission. 

The Cardinals outscored the Eagles 13-4 in the third period to take a comfortable 42-16 lead into the final frame.

In the fourth quarter, baskets from sophomore guard Kirra Long, Lopez and Brownfield extended Webb City’s advantage to 49-18 to force a running clock. 

Webb City limited Joplin to seven made field goals in the game, and the Eagles were held to seven points in the second half. 

“We played a lot of man-to-man in the first half and in the second half we switched some things up with our zone defenses,” Coach Robbins said of his team’s solid defensive effort. “I thought our kids did a great job defensively of applying pressure and getting into the passing lanes. And I thought we did a good job of boxing out and rebounding, too.” 

 

NAMES & NUMBERS

The 6-foot-5 Mancini scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Cardinals. The 5-8 Stanley also reached double figures with 13 points.

Also for the Cardinals, Decker scored nine points, Long added eight and Lopez had five. Brownfield scored three points and Mia Robbins added a single tally. 

The Cardinals took advantage of 21 Joplin turnovers while committing just eight turnovers of their own.

Ledford led the Eagles with seven points, while Kelly had six points. Senior guard Izzy Yust scored three points, freshman forward Alissa Owens had two and freshman forward Raniya Triplett added one point.

Joplin travels to Branson on Thursday. The Eagles conclude COC play at home next Monday against Ozark. 

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

GIRLS HOOPS: Webb City earns COC win over Willard

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

WEBB CITY, Mo. — The Webb City girls basketball team rode a strong third quarter to a 47-39 Central Ozark Conference victory over Willard on Monday night inside the Cardinal Dome.

After scoring just 13 points in the first half, and trailing on the scoreboard, the Cardinals righted the ship after the break. 

Clicking on all cylinders, Webb City scored the first 12 points of the third period to take a lead they would never relinquish.

“At halftime we talked about the fact that we were getting the shots we wanted in the first half, but they just weren’t falling,” Webb City coach Lance Robbins said. “I thought our defense kept us in the game in the first half. At halftime, we told them to stay confident and to keep getting the ball inside to Sami (Mancini). We wanted to establish Sami in the second half, and I thought we were able to do that. She went up strong and was able to finish some shots she missed earlier in the game. That opened up things for us and we had kids step up and make some shots from the outside.” 

Webb City outscored Willard 34-22 in the second half.

“We tried to mix things up defensively to keep them out of rhythm,” Robbins said of the second half. “We knew they could be an explosive team offensively. Offensively, we just wanted to keep getting the ball into Sami. I thought she did a great job of scoring when she needed to or kicking it out. There’s no secret…we have to get her the ball in the paint.” 

Receiving votes in the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association’s Class 5 poll, Webb City improved to 14-7 overall and 4-1 in the COC with the come from behind win.

A sophomore post player, Mancini scored 21 points and grabbed 20 rebounds to lead the Cardinals. The 6-foot- 5 Mancini, who was double or triple-teamed when she received the ball in the paint, made 9-of-19 field goal attempts.

Three players scored seven points apiece for the Cardinals—senior Kate Brownfield, junior Mia Robbins and sophomore Kirra Long. Izzy Lopez contributed three points and Malorie Stanley had two to round out Webb City’s scoring.

The Cardinals made 14-of-46 field goal attempts (30 percent), including 4-for-23 from beyond the arc.

Willard shot 27 percent from the floor (12-of-44), and the visitors hit just 2-of-11 attempts from long distance. 

Senior Kailyn Washington led the Tigers (6-12, 1-3 COC) with 20 points and freshman Elise Murray added 12 points. 

The first quarter wasn’t exactly pretty, as Webb City did not make a field goal in the opening frame, just a pair of free throws. 

At the end of the low-scoring first period, Willard held a 9-2 advantage. 

The Cardinals started the second period on a 9-0 burst, as Mancini converted three hoops inside and Mia Robbins knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

The Tigers responded with an 8-0 run for a 17-11 lead. Two charities from Long trimmed Webb City’s deficit to four by the break. 

The Cardinals stepped it up immediately after intermission. 

Webb City started the second half on a game-changing 12-0 surge, with Mancini scoring three hoops inside and both Brownfield and Mia Robbins draining 3-pointers for a 25-17 lead.

The Tigers stopped the spurt, but the Cardinals scored seven straight points late in the third quarter, and the hosts held a 34-27 lead heading into the fourth period.

Overall, Webb City won the third period 21-10.

Webb City’s lead was down to two in the fourth quarter, but the hosts never gave up their lead.

Mancini converted a bucket in the paint and Lopez made two free throws to give the Cards some breathing room.

The Cardinals made 11-of-16 free throws in the final frame to secure the win. 

Taking better care of the ball against Willard’s full-court pressure down the stretch was another key to victory for the Cardinals. 

“At times we didn’t handle the pressure real well,” Coach Robbins said. “But I thought when we needed to late in the game, we did a good job of handling their pressure. We did a better job of stepping to passes and looking up the floor.”

Next, Webb City hosts Class 6 No. 3 Republic on Thursday in another COC clash. 

“Republic’s a very good team and they’re well-coached,” Robbins said. “We’re excited and ready for the challenge.” 

 

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

GIRLS HOOPS ROUNDUP: Carthage hangs tough with No. 3 Republic; Joplin suffers setback at No. 7 Nixa

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

REPUBLIC GIRLS 68, CARTHAGE 53

REPUBLIC, Mo. — Carthage girls basketball coach Scott Moore looked on the bright side after his team suffered a 68-53 Central Ozark Conference setback to the third-ranked Republic Tigers on Thursday night.

“I don’t say this much after losses, but I’m really proud of how our girls played tonight,” Moore told SoMo Sports. “We played even with the No. 3 ranked team in Class 6 for 28 minutes. Those last four didn’t go our way, but that doesn’t tarnish how well we played tonight. 

“This was probably one of our best games of the year,” Moore added. “We discussed in the locker room how this has to be our basement now, not our ceiling. We need to learn from the little mistakes, build on the positives and make a strong run the rest of the season.”

The visitors gave the hosts everything they could handle through three quarters.

Republic held a 29-28 halftime advantage and the host Tigers led 49-43 at the end of the third period.

Republic won the fourth quarter 19-10 for the final margin.

“We threw some new wrinkles at Republic defensively tonight and it kept them off-balance after the first quarter,” Moore said. “I’m really happy with the girls buying into the defensive scheme and kept getting better as the game went on.” 

Lauren Choate scored 19 points to lead Carthage, while Kianna Yates added 17 and Maggie Boyd had eight.

“Lauren Choate and Kianna Yates carried us offensively tonight, but all the girls played with great energy on the offensive end,” Moore said. “We executed our game plan pretty well and had Republic on their heels defensively.”

Republic standout Kaemyn Bekemeier poured in 34 points. The Missouri State signee made 14 field goals, including four from beyond the arc.

“Republic has one of the best players in the state and it’s hard to contain her,” Moore said. “Bekemeier can hit the deep 3-pointer and then out-jump us in the paint for offensive rebounds. That’s where she did most of her damage tonight.”

Carthage (9-11, 1-3 COC) is at Class 5 No. 1 Carl Junction (19-1, 3-0 COC) on Tuesday night.

 

NIXA GIRLS 74, JOPLIN 18

NIXA, Mo. — Class 6 No. 7 Nixa held a double-digit lead after the first quarter and held Joplin to four points in the second half en route to the Central Ozark Conference win on Thursday.

Izzy Yust and Bailey Ledford each had six points to lead Joplin (3-16, 0-4 COC) in scoring.

Nixa (15-4, 2-1 COC) finished with four players in double figures. Laila Grant had a game-high 16, while Sadie Conway finished with 15. Lily Mahy had 12 and Karis Ferguson finished with 10.

Joplin is at Neosho on Monday.

GIRLS HOOPS: Webb City rides fast start, strong defensive effort to win over Carthage

Posted on by Jason Peake

CARTHAGE, Mo. — A quick start and a strong defensive effort led the Webb City girls basketball team to a 59-42 victory over rival Carthage on Tuesday night in Central Ozark Conference action. 

The Cardinals built a 14-point cushion early in the game and led by 25 entering the fourth quarter on their way to a convincing win.

“I felt like we came out ready to play tonight,” Webb City coach Lance Robbins said. “Our focus early was to get the ball inside to Sami Mancini and I thought we did a good job of doing that. When she started scoring it opened up things on the perimeter and we had girls shooting the ball with confidence. I thought we did a good job defensively early in the game too.”

Webb City improved to 13-6 overall and 3-0 in the COC. 

Webb City’s Sami Mancini scores in the lane against the defense of Landry Cochran on Tuesday night at Carthage High School. Mancini scored 24 points in her team’s 59-42 win. Photo by Derek Livingston.

A 6-foot-5 sophomore post player, Mancini scored a game-high 24 points on 11-of-14 shooting and also grabbed 10 rebounds.

The Tigers had no answer for Mancini, as Carthage’s tallest player is 5-10.

“When you get the ball inside to Sami, good things are going to happen,” Coach Robbins said. 

Also for the Cardinals, junior guard Malorie Stanley scored nine points, junior point guard Mia Robbins had eight, while senior guard Kate Brownfield and sophomore guard Kirra Long contributed five points apiece.

The Cardinals made 25-of-48 field goal attempts (52 percent), including 6-of-14 from beyond the arc. Mia Robbins hit two 3-pointers, while Izzy Lopez, Long, Brownfield and Stanley made one trey apiece.

Carthage fell to 9-10 and 1-2 in conference action.

Senior guard Kianna Yates led Carthage with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists. 

Sophomore guard Maggie Boyd added seven points for the Tigers, who shot 28 percent for the game (14-of-51 FG). The Tigers went 4-for-20 on 3-pointers (20 percent).

Three players, Lexa Youngblood, Lauren Choate and Jaidyn Brunnert, chipped in four points apiece for CHS. 

The Cardinals got off to a great start, as the visitors took a 17-3 lead after nine points from Mancini, a pair of 3-pointers from Mia Robbins and a midrange jumper from Brownfield.

The Cardinals picked apart Carthage’s halfcourt defense to get high-percentage shots and were also able to get second chance points on offensive rebounds.

On the other end, the Tigers struggled with empty possessions early in the game. 

Carthage’s Boyd knocked a trey, but Webb City’s Stanley scored five straight points off the bench, a hoop inside and a wing 3-pointer.

Those points gave Webb City a comfortable 22-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Webb City’s Kate Brownfield drives to the hoop against Carthage’s Lexa Youngblood on Tuesday night. Photo by Derek Livingston.

The Cardinals held a 29-11 advantage in the second period when the Tigers put together a 7-0 surge, with Boyd, Youngblood and Yates contributing points.

But Webb City responded by finishing the first half on a 9-1 burst.

During the late spurt, Mancini converted a pair of hoops in the paint, Long added a hoop in the lane before Brownfield buried a 3-pointer just before the buzzer, giving the visitors a 38-19 halftime advantage.

The Cardinals limited the Tigers to five made field goals in the opening half as opposed to their 16.

“Our girls have taken pride in their defense all season long,” Coach Robbins said. “We defended a little bit differently tonight. We usually play a lot of man-to-man and tonight we played a 2-3 zone. We felt like we needed to extend our defense and get out on their 3-point shooters. And I thought our girls did a good job of doing that.” 

The hosts just couldn’t get shots to fall in the opening half, going 5-for-17 on field goal attempts.

Webb City doubled up Carthage 12-6 in the third quarter to take a commanding 50-25 cushion into the final frame.

“We talked at halftime about the fact that Carthage’s girls have a lot of pride and they’re going to come out and give us their best effort in the second half,” Coach Robbins said of his halftime message. “I thought we did a good job of not letting them go on a huge run in the second half.”

Webb City’s lead was never in jeopardy in the fourth quarter. The Tigers outscored the Cardinals 17-9 in the last eight minutes to account for the final score.  

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Both teams continue COC play on Thursday, as Carthage is at Republic and Webb City travels to Ozark.

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

 

Webb City junior guard Malorie Stanley scores from in close against Carthage on Tuesday night. Webb City beat Carthage 59-42. All photos by Derek Livingston.

 

Webb City point guard Mia Robbins handles the ball under pressure from Carthage’s Kianna Yates.

 

Webb City’s Izzy Lopez plays defense against Carthage’s Lauren Choate on Tuesday night. All photos by Derek Livingston.

GIRLS HOOPS: Nevada’s Swearingen reaches milestone in victory over Frontenac

Posted on by Jason Peake

FRONTENAC, Kan. — Nevada junior guard Clara Swearingen surpassed 1,000 career points in her team’s 54-51 non-conference victory at Frontenac, Kansas, on Monday night.

Clara Swearingen

The Tigers improved to 16-4 on the season.

Swearingen scored 13 points against the Raiders. She entered the night needing just eight points to reach 1,000.

Senior guard Maddy Majors led Nevada with 16 points. Abbey Heathman added 13 points for the Tigers, while Katie Johnson had nine.

Hattie Pyle scored 16 points for the Raiders (8-5), while Mia Brown added 13.

After outscoring the hosts 11-6 in the second quarter, Nevada held a 30-28 halftime lead.

The second half was nearly even, as Nevada outscored Frontenac 8-7 in the low-scoring third period before both teams recorded 16 points apiece in the final frame.

Nevada hosts Neosho on Tuesday. 

 

GIRLS HOOPS: Carl Junction tops Lebanon for I-44 Classic crown; Bulldogs win 4th tourney title

Posted on by Jason Peake

LEBANON, Mo. — Another tournament, another championship.

The Carl Junction girls basketball team defeated tourney host Lebanon 69-57 on Saturday in the championship game of the I-44 Lady’s Classic Basketball Tournament inside Boswell Auditorium.

“We’re excited about this one,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter told SoMo Sports. “It’s not easy to go on the road and stay in hotel beds and do what we were able to do against a team that got to sleep in their own beds. I’m just proud of them. Lebanon is awfully good. They have some really good pieces and Coach (Jacky) Payne does a great job with them.”  

Ranked first in Class 5 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, the Bulldogs have now won four tournament titles this season— the CJ Classic, the Lady Mustang Classic, the Bill Hanson Memorial tourney and the I-44 Classic. 

“It feels good to win another tournament,” Shorter said. “Two of our goals for the season were to be in the championship game of every tournament we played in and then to win the championship in every tournament. We were able to do that in four of five tournaments, so that’s a testament to our kids and how tough they’ve been all season long.”

The Bulldogs were the runner-up at the Fort Smith Tournament of Champions.

On Saturday, the Bulldogs overcame an early deficit en route to the double-digit victory, as Lebanon held a 20-18 lead at the end of the first quarter.

“I think our legs might have got to us a little bit,” Shorter said. “We played really well the last two games and I thought we came out a little sluggish today.” 

The Bulldogs outscored the Yellowjackets 20-11 in the second period for a 38-31 halftime advantage.

Carl Junction held a 50-43 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The visitors outscored the hosts 19-14 in the fourth period for the final margin. 

“We stayed the course and got some things going in the second quarter,” Shorter said. “We weren’t hitting our shots like we were the first two nights, but that’s going to happen. We had to do it with our defense, we did that, and we were able to pull away from them. I thought we could have stretched the lead out a little more, but we had some pretty poor possessions. But we got it done.” 

The Bulldogs are now 18-1.

Senior guard Destiny Buerge led the Bulldogs with 29 points, while senior guard Klohe Burk scored 15 points, junior forward Kylie Scott had 14 and sophomore forward Dezi Williams added eight points.

Western Illinois commit Raegan McCowan scored a game-high 35 points for the Class 6 Yellowjackets, who fell to 12-6.

Ahead of the title game, the Bulldogs beat Warrensburg 94-37 and Lee’s Summit West 75-43 at the event. Both teams have winning records this season.

“All of these tournaments have made us better and will help prepare us for the postseason,” Shorter said. “They’ve also forced us to play three nights in a row and get into our legs a little bit against quality opponents. I think these tournaments have helped our team improve its toughness. We’ve been able to see a lot of different styles of play on short notice, and that’s helped our overall level of play.” 

Carl Junction doesn’t have much time to celebrate the tourney championship. The Bulldogs are at Joplin on Monday night, with the Central Ozark Conference clash slated for 7 p.m.

Shorter noted his squad still has work to do if they want to secure a conference title. 

“We’re ready to get back into COC play and we’re ready to work on another goal of ours,” he said. 

The Carl Junction Bulldogs pose after winning the I44 Lady’s Basketball Classic Tournament on Saturday at Lebanon High School. Courtesy photo.

GIRLS HOOPS: Carl Junction upends Nixa in key COC clash

Posted on by Jason Peake

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — For the second time this week, the Carl Junction girls basketball team passed a significant test with flying colors.  

With a strong overall performance, Carl Junction knocked off Nixa 56-43 on Thursday night in a key Central Ozark Conference clash at CJHS.

And for the second time in as many games, the Bulldogs topped a state-ranked Class 6 conference foe. 

Thursday’s statement victory over the Eagles, who entered the night ranked sixth in Class 6 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, comes after the Bulldogs topped Class 6 No. 3 Republic 50-48 on Monday in what could be described as another signature win.

“Looking at our schedule when it came out, I saw Republic and Nixa in the same week and thought, ‘Oh boy, that’s a heck of a week,'” Bulldogs coach Brad Shorter said. “But we beefed up our schedule early in the season and I think that’s helped us. We played two really good teams this week and our kids fought hard in both games, so I’m super proud of them. It’s a good win for us.”

Led by its suffocating defense, which forced more than 20 turnovers, Carl Junction never trailed on Thursday. 

Up seven at halftime, Carl Junction built a 12-point lead by the end of the third quarter and went up by 22 points in the fourth period en route to victory.

“We stayed with our game plan, and I thought we did a really nice job defensively,” Shorter said. “We pressured their guards a little bit and I think we made them uncomfortable. And we can score. We spread the floor and I think it gave them fits. We rebounded the ball well tonight.” 

Ranked fourth in Class 5 by the MBCA, Carl Junction hiked its record to 12-1 overall and 2-0 in the COC. 

Although the conference slate has just begun, it’s safe to say the Bulldogs have now taken a big step forward in the quest for a COC crown. 

“I think these two wins put us in a good spot,” Shorter said. “But we know it’s a battle every night in the COC. We still have games against Ozark, Carthage, Webb City, Neosho…all of the remaining games on our schedule are going to be tough, so we’ll have to be ready to play.”

 

FIRST HALF

The Bulldogs got off to a great start, as the hosts scored the first seven points of the night and jumped out to a 12-2 advantage. 

The Eagles had turnovers on their first five possessions against CJ’s active 2-3 zone.

But the Eagles received a pair of 3-pointers from sophomore Karis Ferguson to stay within striking distance. 

A hoop from sophomore Dezi Williams and four free throws from senior standout Destiny Buerge gave Carl Junction an 18-9 cushion before Nixa’s Norah Clark scored to trim her team’s deficit to seven at the end of the opening frame. 

The Eagles began the second quarter on a 6-3 run to pull within four, with Hali Shorter knocking down a trey for the hosts.

After the two teams traded points, Buerge made one free throw and then converted Klohe Burk’s steal into a transition layup, giving Carl Junction a 26-19 halftime advantage. 

 

SECOND HALF

The Bulldogs used a 10-2 surge, capped by free throws from both Kylie Scott and Buerge, to take a 36-26 lead.

A 6-3 junior, Scott picked up her fourth foul during the third quarter and had to go to the bench.

The Bulldogs finished the third period on a positive note, as Burk buried a corner trey before Buerge scored on a spin move in the post just before the buzzer sounded to give Carl Junction a 43-31 advantage heading into the final frame.

The Bulldogs started the fourth quarter on an impressive 10-0 burst to take a commanding 22-point lead at 53-31.

During the early spurt, Buerge turned a steal into a layup, Burk made one of two shots at the charity stripe, Buerge knocked down a pair of free throws, Burk drilled a 3-pointer from the wing and Scott scored inside on a feed from Buerge after a Nixa turnover.

After a timeout, Nixa put together a 12-0 run, but it was too little, too late, as there were only 34 seconds remaining with the Bulldogs still up 10.

Late charities from Buerge and Jadyn Howard accounted for the final score.

 

NAMES & NUMBERS

A Pittsburg State recruit, Buerge poured in a game-high 30 points. She made nine field goals, all 2-pointers, and converted 12-of-15 attempts at the foul line. 

“Buerge was Buerge tonight,” Coach Shorter said. “I thought she also had a lot of good steals up top.”

Scott had eight points and seven rebounds.  

“Even though Kylie didn’t score a lot tonight, she made some really good passes to open shooters,” Shorter said. “When we can hit those shots from the outside, she’s going to get freed up inside. I’m proud of her effort.”

Burk added seven points, Hali Shorter had six and Williams chipped in four. Just a freshman, Howard contributed seven rebounds and one point off the bench. 

“Klohe is dynamite from the outside when she’s open,” Coach Shorter said. “Jadyn got some huge rebounds for us when Kylie got into foul trouble and I thought Dezi did a nice job of crashing the boards, offensively and defensively.”

Senior forward Norah Clark scored 15 points to lead the Eagles, who fell to 11-3 overall and 1-1 in the COC. 

 

MCDONALD’S ALL-AMERICAN NOMINEE

Buerge was announced as a McDonald’s All-American Nominee on Wednesday. She’s one of eight girls from Missouri to be nominated.

“She’s definitely deserving,” Coach Shorter said. “She’s scored 2,000 points. She has a great work ethic. She’s put in so much time in the gym. We hope the voting goes her way for sure.” 

Overall, there are 722 girls and boys from across the nation nominated to play in the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game, which will be held on March 28 in Houston. The list will be narrowed down to 24 girls and 24 boys on Jan. 24 on ESPN.

The eight girls from Missouri are Buerge, Republic’s Kaemyn Bekemeier, Ellington’s Kaylee King, Grain Valley’s Grace Slaughter, Jefferson City’s Hannah Linthacum, Vashon’s Raychel Jones, Lutheran High’s Megan Aulbert and Westminster Christian Academy’s Julia Coleman. 

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Carl Junction will compete at next week’s Bill Hanson Memorial Tournament in Pittsburg, Kansas.

The Bulldogs take on the host Purple Dragons at 5:30 on Thursday night.

 

GIRLS HOOPS: Nevada earns road win, improves to 9-2

Posted on by Jason Peake

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Nevada High School girls basketball team improved to 9-2 on the season with a 68-57 win over St. Michael the Archangel on Friday at the 12 Courts of Christmas tourney at Hy-Vee Arena.

The Tigers took control of the non-conference contest by outscoring the Guardians 26-11 in the first quarter.

Nevada led 45-33 at halftime and the Tigers were up 59-46 entering the fourth quarter.

Maddy Majors scored 22 points and hit four 3-pointers to lead the Tigers, while Abbey Heathman added 20 points.

Clara Swearingen scored 14 points and made four treys for the Tigers.

Victoria Swingle scored 18 points and Isabella Medlin added 17 for the Guardians (4-4).

Nevada hosts Webb City on Tuesday. 

GIRLS HOOPS: Webb City wins second straight to end ’22

Posted on by Jason Peake

SENECA, Mo. — With a second double-digit win in as many nights, the Webb City girls basketball team definitely ended the 2022 portion of the schedule on a positive note.

Webb City rode a strong first quarter and a solid overall effort to a 60-44 victory over Seneca on Tuesday night in the ’22 finale. 

The win comes one night after the Cardinals pounded Pittsburg (Kansas) 77-29.

Webb City’s Kate Brownfield puts up a shot from in close against Seneca’s Parker Long on Tuesday night. Photo by Derek Livingston.

“This is a positive way to end the first part of the season,” Webb City coach Lance Robbins said. “There’s a lot of good things we saw the last two nights that we can build on. These two wins give us some momentum going into the second half. We’ll use the next week and a half to work on some things and to try to get better. Hopefully we can use this win as a springboard going into the second half of the season.” 

Hot-shooting Webb City used a 19-3 run in the first quarter to take control of the non-conference clash, and the Cardinals withstood Seneca’s mini-surge in the second half.

“I thought we had a good, solid performance all the way around,” Robbins said. 

The Cardinals shot the ball well from the perimeter in the early going. 

Webb City made five 3-pointers in the opening frame, with Kirra Long, Mia Robbins and Sami Mancini each knocking down one trey and Kate Brownfield hitting two of her own.

“I thought we shot the ball really well last night and I think our confidence grew from that,” Coach Robbins said. “We made our first couple of shots tonight and I think we fed off of that. But it all starts with our defense. Our defense leads us, and it helps us get good looks on the offensive end.” 

Seneca sophomore guard Hazley Grotjohn kept her team within striking distance by scoring 10 first-quarter points. Webb City’s lead was 21-11 at the end of the first quarter.

The Cardinals continued to knock down shots from beyond the arc in the second period, as Mancini, Izzy Lopez and Long all buried 3-pointers.

Those treys and a free throw from Malorie Stanley gave Webb City a comfortable 31-16 halftime advantage.

Grotjohn scored all but two of her team’s points in the first half.

The Cardinals faced some adversity in the third quarter. 

The 6-foot-5 Mancini picked up her third, fourth and fifth fouls in just over a minute, with the disqualifying fifth foul coming at the 3:13 mark of the third quarter on what appeared to be a clean blocked shot.

“It was my fault that Sami got her fifth foul,” Coach Robbins said. “I didn’t get her out quick enough when she got her fourth. But we played three games without her at the Mac County tournament, so our girls know how to play without her on the floor.” 

Webb City sophomore guard Kirra Long looks for an opening against the Seneca defense during Tuesday’s clash at Seneca High School. Photo by Derek Livingston.

Seneca used a 10-4 run to cut what was once a 17-point deficit down to eight.

But late hoops from Long and Brownfield and a 3-pointer from Mia Robbins extended Webb City’s lead to 47-34 at the end of the third period.

Webb City’s lead was never in jeopardy in the fourth quarter, as it remained in double figures the rest of the way.

“We had several kids step up and hit big shots,” Coach Robbins said. “I thought Kirra Long came ready to play today and she hit some big shots. Mia hit a couple of big shots and Kate gave us another solid performance.”

Three players reached double figures for Webb City, as Brownfield and Long scored 17 points apiece and Mancini had 14 points and 20 rebounds. 

A sophomore, Long made a trio of 3-pointers. A senior, Brownfield also had eight rebounds. A junior, Mia Robbins added eight points. Mia Robbins, Mancini and Brownfield all hit two 3-pointers apiece.

Grotjohn scored a game-high 29 points. She hit four treys and grabbed nine rebounds for the Indians, who fell to 2-5 on the season. Senior Parker Long contributed seven points for Seneca. 

Webb City heads into the Christmas break with a 6-4 record. 

After the break, Webb City is at Nevada on Jan. 3. Seneca hosts Clever on Jan. 2.

 

Webb City coach Lance Robbins gives his team instructions during a timeout on Tuesday night at Seneca High School. The Cardinals beat the Indians 60-44. Photos by Derek Livingston.

 

Webb City sophomore post player Sami Mancini shoots from inside the lane against the defense of Parker Long on Tuesday night.

 

Seneca’s Hazley Grotjohn shoots a 3-pointer against Webb City’s Izzy Lopez on Tuesday night. A sophomore, Grotjohn scored a game-high 29 points. All photos by Derek Livingston.

 

Webb City senior guard Kate Brownfield scores in the lane against Seneca on Tuesday night.

 

Webb City junior guard Malorie Stanley attempts a free throw during Tuesday’s game against Seneca. All photos by Derek Livingston.

 

The Webb City Cardinals earned a 60-44 victory over Seneca on Tuesday night at Seneca High School. Photos by Derek Livingston.

 

Webb City coach Lance Robbins gives his team directions during Tuesday’s game with Seneca.

GIRLS HOOPS: Chillicothe stings Joplin with blowout victory

Posted on by Jason Peake

The visiting Chillicothe Hornets scored the game’s first 13 points and never looked back during their stinging 72-32 win Tuesday over the Joplin Eagles at Kaminsky Gymnasium.

Chillicothe, receiving votes in Class 4 in the preseason rankings from the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, led 53-10 at halftime behind a 26-8 first period and then a lopsided 27-2 second quarter in which Joplin made no field goals and only two free throws.

Joplin trailed by 48 points entering the fourth quarter before outscoring Chillicothe 16-8 over the final eight minutes.

“It’s the simple fact of being able to handle pressure,” Joplin coach Brad Cox said. “That was a really good team we played today. We know that we need to get better at our skill, and we need to get better at taking care of the ball. At the end of the day, that’s what beat us tonight. We did a lot of good things in the second half, and we came back and made it more respectable, but at the same time, we’re just behind on skill. The girls are working extremely hard to get better and to build a foundation here at Joplin.”

Chillicothe senior Jessica Reeter scored 20 of her game-high 23 points in the first half, while teammates Kayanna Cranmer and Cali Burkhardt scored all their 11 and nine points, respectively, during that first-half domination of the home team.

The Hornets scored 19 points in the second half, but the damage had already been done.

Sophomore guard Olivia Munn led Joplin with seven points and Isabella Yust, Alissa Owens and Bailey Ledford each chipped in six points for the Eagles.

Ledford scored Joplin’s first two points at 3:56 of the first quarter with a pair of free throws and her junior classmate Bailey Owens made Joplin’s first field goal at 2:30 of the first.

By that point, Chillicothe already led 20-4.

Joplin dropped to 2-8 on the season and the Eagles are slated to close out their 2022 portion of the schedule Thursday at home against Springfield Central.

GIRLS HOOPS: Webb City starts fast, pounds Pittsburg

Posted on by Jason Peake

WEBB CITY, Mo. — The Webb City girls basketball team built a 29-point lead by the end of the first quarter en route to a dominating 77-29 non-conference victory over Pittsburg (Kansas) on Monday night inside the Cardinal Dome. 

The Cardinals led 32-3 at the end of the one-sided first quarter and the hosts held a commanding 44-8 advantage at halftime.

By the time the third period came to an end, Webb City was up 64-22. There was a running clock in the fourth quarter. 

Webb City improved to 5-4.

Senior guard Kate Brownfield poured in 27 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Cardinals. Brownfield made 10 field goals, including a trio of 3-pointers. 

Brownfield scored 20 points in the first half, going 7-of-8 from the field and 4-for-4 at the charity stripe.

Sophomore forward Sami Mancini scored 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting. 

The 6-foot-5 Mancini did not play at last week’s Lady Mustang Classic, but made her presence known right away by scoring the game’s first six points.

Senior guard Izzy Lopez added 13 points with three treys, while junior guard Malorie Stanley added seven points. Junior point guard Mia Robbins had five assists and five boards to go with four points.

The Cardinals made 29-of-48 shot attempts (60 percent), including 8-for-16 from 3-point range. 

Jacqueline Hall scored 19 points to lead the Purple Dragons. Pittsburg went 11-for-38 on field goal attempts, including 2-for-18 from beyond the arc.

Webb City ends the 2022 portion of the schedule with a date at Seneca (2-4) on Tuesday night. 

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

GIRLS HOOPS: Carl Junction finishes strong, knocks off Strafford for statement win

Posted on by Jason Peake

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Carl Junction’s girls basketball team concluded the 2022 portion of the schedule with a statement victory.

Overcoming a double-digit deficit, Carl Junction put together an inspired fourth quarter rally to earn a 69-55 come-from-behind victory over Strafford on Friday night in a clash between state-ranked squads with Final Four aspirations. 

“I’m just proud of them,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said after his team’s hard-fought win. “We’ve played seven games in nine days, and the girls have been studying for finals this week, too. They may be a little tired. We probably came out a little flat tonight, but we did what we needed to do in the second half to win the game. And this is a great win for our team.”

Fueled by hot-shooting from long range, the Indians built an 11-point lead in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs trailed by three at halftime and were clinging to a one-point cushion entering the fourth quarter.

But the hosts owned the final frame, as Carl Junction outscored Strafford 21-8 in the final eight minutes.

“Our kids were working really hard in our matchup zone and Strafford started missing some shots,” Shorter said. “That proved to be the difference in the game.” 

Ranked fourth in Class 5 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, the Bulldogs hiked their record to 9-1.

Ranked second in Class 3, Strafford fell to 6-2. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak. 

 

EARLY DEFICIT, LATE RALLY  

Playing on their home court for the first time since Dec. 1, the Bulldogs found themselves down 8-0 at the start of the game. 

After the Bulldogs tied the contest at 12, the Indians rattled off the final eight points of the opening frame for a 20-12 advantage.

Strafford took a 26-15 lead at the 6:27 mark of the second quarter after a 3-pointer from Lauren Jones. The trey was her team’s sixth of the first half.

The Bulldogs regrouped and finished the first half on a spirited 12-4 run, pulling within three by intermission.

During that second quarter surge, Carl Junction senior guard Destiny Buerge scored seven points, while juniors Kylie Scott and Anna Burch and sophomore DeShaye Buerge also contributed points. 

Also of note, the Bulldogs missed eight free throws in the first half. 

Carl Junction outscored Strafford 21-17 in a back and forth and entertaining third period that featured seven lead changes.

Hoops inside by sophomore Dezi Williams and Scott, along with a trey from Destiny Buerge gave Carl Junction a 48-47 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Bulldogs appeared to hit another gear in the fourth quarter, while the Indians appeared to run out of gas.

Providing a needed spark, Williams scored the first two hoops of the fourth period, the second off a steal, and the Bulldogs never trailed the rest of the way.

“Dezi came up big for us again tonight,” Coach Shorter said. “She’s very athletic, she’s coachable and she gets after it. I’m very proud of her. She’s playing really well.” 

Carl Junction took control from there with one final spurt. 

A trey from Destiny Buerge, an old-fashioned 3-point play from Scott, a layup from Klohe Burk, a strong drive through the lane by Buerge and a putback by Williams capped a 17-7 run for CJ. 

That key surge made it 65-54 with just over two minutes to play and all but sealed the win.

Strafford had several empty possessions in a row in the fourth quarter, and a late layup from Burk gave the hosts a 67-54 advantage with a minute to go. Williams, Scott and senior Hali Shorter all came up with big rebounds down the stretch.

“Strafford’s a tradition-rich program,” Coach Shorter said. “They’ve won several state championships in the last six years or so. Their kids play extremely hard and we knew it was going to be a tough game.”

The Indians made 12 3-pointers in the game, but just one of those treys came in the fourth quarter. 

“They’ve got a number of kids who can shoot it,” Coach Shorter said of the Indians. “They rebounded well and our kids had to really work and fight tonight. But that’s what we needed. That’s why we scheduled Strafford. We scheduled Strafford and the three tournaments so we can prepare our kids for a tough conference schedule and so we can get them ready for the postseason. Our kids are battle-tested.” 

 

NAMES & NUMBERS

A Pittsburg State signee, Destiny Buerge poured in a game-high 33 points. She made five 2-pointers and five 3-pointers to go along with 8-of-11 free throws.

Williams contributed 14 points, with 12 coming in the second half. The 6-3 Scott added 11 points and Burk had eight.

Jones scored 24 points for Strafford and Elsie Larsen had 12. Brooklyn Adney and Laney Humble added nine points apiece.

 

2022 FINALE, STELLAR START TO SEASON

It’s been an impressive start to the winter campaign for the Bulldogs, who have won two of three tournaments. 

Carl Junction has won nine of 10 games, with the lone loss coming when the team was not at full strength in the title game of the Taco Bell Tournament of Champions.

The Bulldogs are now off until Jan. 2, when CJ will return to action with a date at district foe McDonald County. 

Coach Shorter noted he’s been pleased with the first stretch of the season. 

“Our kids are a lot of fun to coach and our team chemistry is really good,” Coach Shorter said. “I think our kids are enjoying this season, and I think we’ve learned a lot. I think our kids are progressing and I think our kids are excited about a long Christmas break.”

 

LADY MUSTANG CLASSIC: Carl Junction dominates tourney title game

Posted on by Jason Peake

ANDERSON, Mo. — The Carl Junction Bulldogs scored the first 10 points of the game and never looked back during their commanding 69-40 win Wednesday night against Bentonville West (Arkansas) in the championship game of the 2022 Lady Mustang Classic.

It’s definitely a sign of a great start for one team and a horrible start for the other when the team losing has more timeouts called than points scored.

At the 3-minute, 47-second mark of the first quarter, Carl Junction already led Bentonville West 15-2 and Bentonville West coach Dion Hargrove already burned three timeouts.

“We came out ready to go,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said. “This entire tournament, we’ve played well and we’re playing together as a team and good things are happening.”

Carl Junction’s Kylie Scott shoots from in close against Bentonville West’s Olivia Nickson on Wednesday night. Photo by Derek Livingston.

By halftime, Bentonville West used four of the five allotted timeouts.

Carl Junction’s five starters combined for 64 points Wednesday — all five of them scored at least seven points, three scored in double figures, and a fourth starter just missed double digits by a single point.

Sharing the basketball and spreading the wealth was Carl Junction’s offense on Wednesday.

“We talked about that in the locker room,” Shorter said. “Trying to increase our assist numbers. We had seven assists in that first quarter alone, and that was a lot of the reason for our great scoring. … I thought our defense was excellent, just smothering them and not giving them open looks. Our kids are starting to understand how to match up, we’re communicating, and having fun, and that’s what it’s all about.”

All-tournament selection Kylie Scott finished with a game-high 19 points, Dezi Williams added 18, all-tournament selection Destiny Buerge had 11 and senior guards Hali Shorter and Klohe Burk combined for 16 points with nine and seven, respectively. DeShaye Buerge hit a 3-point basket late in the third for her only points, and freshman Jadyn Howard closed out the scoring with a pair of free throws.

Carl Junction outscored Bentonville West 45-14 in the first and third quarters, and the Bulldogs turned a 36-24 halftime score into a 59-31 lead entering the fourth thanks to a 23-7 third-quarter advantage. 

The Bulldogs closed out the third with 11 unanswered points in 2:08.

“We talk about the first five minutes to start the game and then in the third quarter,” Coach Shorter said. “Big quarters for us. They beat us 17-14 in the second quarter. We took that and said that we need to do a better job when we come out. We needed to finish this game. This is a good win for us, because Bentonville West is a great team. They’re so well-coached and always so good. Our kids stepped up to the challenge and I’m proud of them.”

All-tournament selection Savannah Rangel led Bentonville West with 17 points and fellow all-tournament selection Maysa Willis added nine for the Wolverines (7-6 overall).

The Bulldogs ran their early season record to 8-1 overall and they seem to be tournament-tested already this season after three consecutive tournaments to start their season — first at their own home tournament and the Lady Mustang Classic, then second at the Tournament of Champions in Fort Smith (Arkansas).

Carl Junction senior standout Destiny Buerge makes a layup against Bentonville West’s Savannah Rangel during Wednesday’s championship game of the Lady Mustang Classic. Photo by Derek Livingston.

“We’re playing seven games in nine days,” Coach Shorter said. “We’ve got one Friday. It will be a tough one too against Strafford, who’s won multiple state championships. We want to battle test them, and I think we’ve done that. Our kids are starting to reap the rewards from it, so it’s a good start for us.”

Springdale, who Carl Junction has defeated twice this season (68-44 on Tuesday and 62-58 in the CJ Classic semifinals), earned third place with a 59-47 win Wednesday over Fort Smith Southside. 

 

Farmington 38, Webb City 35

Webb City finished 1-2 and sixth place overall in the Lady Mustang Classic.

Kate Brownfield scored 11 points to lead the Cardinals, while Mia Robbins had seven and Kim Martin added six. Skylar Sweeney led Farmington with 11, Jade Roth scored seven, and Madison Mills and Shelby Bowling each put in six points for the Knights.

Webb City, 4-4 on the season, returns to action Monday at home against Pittsburg (Kansas).

Gentry 49, McDonald County 33

Tournament host McDonald County failed to come away from their home tournament with a win and finished eighth.

Carlee Cooper led the Mustangs with 10 points, freshman Carlie Martin added seven, and Roslynn Huston had five. Martin was an all-tournament selection. 

Alyssa McCarty scored a game-high 16 points and Emma Tevebaugh generated 11 more points for the Pioneers.

McDonald County, 3-6 overall, does not play again until a new year when it hosts Carl Junction on Jan. 2, 2023.

Lady Mustang Classic
Seventh place: Gentry 49, McDonald County 33
Fifth place: Farmington 38, Webb City 35
Third place: Springdale 59, Southside 47
Title game: Carl Junction 69, Bentonville West 40

Lady Mustang Classic All-Tournament Team
Destiny Buerge, Carl Junction
Kylie Scott, Carl Junction
Maysa Willis, Bentonville West
Savannah Rangel, Bentonville West
Kaiya McCoy, Springdale
Sophia Neihouse, Southside
Skylar Sweeney, Farmington
Kate Brownfield, Webb City
Alyssa McCarty, Gentry
Carlie Martin, McDonald County

 

Carl Junction senior guard Hali Shorter shoots a 3-pointer against Bentonville West’s Ashley Rangel. Shorter hit three 3-pointers in the game.

 

Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter and the Bulldogs’ bench celebrate a hoop during Wednesday’s Lady Mustang Classic title game.

 

Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter gives his team instructions during a timeout on Wednesday night during the Lady Mustang Classic’s championship game.

 

Carl Junction’s Klohe Burk is pictured during Wednesday’s Lady Mustang Classic title game.

 

The Carl Junction Bulldogs accept the championship trophy after winning the Lady Mustang Classic on Wednesday night at McDonald County High School. All photos by Derek Livingston.

 

The Carl Junction Bulldogs pose with the championship trophy and the tourney bracket after winning the Lady Mustang Classic on Wednesday night. All photos by Derek Livingston.

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