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HOOPS ROUNDUP: McAuley boys, Nevada girls earn wins; Thomas Jefferson splits with Bronaugh; CHC, Joplin girls drop openers

 

MCAULEY CATHOLIC BOYS 50, LIBERAL 34

LIBERAL, Mo. — The McAuley Catholic boys basketball team opened the 2023-24 season on a positive note by beating Liberal 50-34 on Tuesday night. 

“Solid win to open up the year,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said. “Liberal is always a tough place to play. I’m proud of our guys for stepping up and accepting the challenge.”

The Warriors led 15-8 at the end of the first quarter and took a 23-19 lead into halftime. 

McAuley pulled away in the third quarter, taking a 40-29 advantage. The Warriors outscored the Bulldogs 10-5 in the final frame. 

Michael Parrigon scored 12 points to lead the Warriors, while Connor Taffner added 10. Rocco Bazzano-Joseph contributed eight points for McAuley, while Alex Bohachick chipped in seven and Bradley Wagner had six.

Kole Wiles scored nine points for Liberal and Quincy Bazal added seven. 

The Warriors (1-0) will take on Sarcoxie on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the Gem City Classic at Diamond High School. 

 

BRONAUGH BOYS 86, THOMAS JEFFERSON 44

Visiting Bronaugh took the lead early and never relinquished it against the host Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers on Tuesday night. 

The Wildcats led 20-7 at the end of the first quarter and Bronaugh took a 47-18 lead into halftime.

The visitors won the third period 33-18.

Jack Twiss, Ethan Renger and Kohl Thurman scored 10 points apiece for Thomas Jefferson, while Spencer Long added seven points. Twiss hit two 3-pointers.

Bronaugh’s Tucker Duncan poured in 38 points and teammate Strauss Banes added 25. Luke Bowling also reached double figures with 12 points for the Wildcats (1-0).

Thomas Jefferson (1-1) will compete at the Gem City Classic beginning on Nov. 27.

 

RUSH GIRLS 44, COLLEGE HEIGHTS CHRISTIAN 29

The College Heights Christian girls basketball team dropped its season opener on Tuesday.

“RUSH possessed two highly skilled guards, but our own guards did an outstanding job of defending them, limiting their combined points to just nine in the first half,” College Heights coach John Blankenship told SoMo Sports. “This allowed us to keep the game close.”

The visitors led 17-14 at halftime. However, RUSH’s strong defense proved to be challenging in the second half, as they outscored CHC 27-15 for the final margin. 

“Their size advantage on the perimeter presented some matchup difficulties for us, particularly in rebounding,” Blankenship said. “Although this was our first game, facing such a tough opponent at the start of the season highlighted areas where we need improvement. As a young team, we will continue to grow and develop with time and experience. Our kids are young, but determined to get better, and they will. I saw a lot of things to be encouraged by in our first game, and we will use that to build upon.”

Libby Fanning led College Heights with eight points and 16 rebounds. Also for the Cougars, Maddy Colin contributed six points and three boards, while Ava Lett scored five points and Jesalin Bever handed out six assists.

The Cougars (0-1) will meet Lockwood at 8:30 p.m. on Monday at the Gem City Classic in Diamond.

 

NEVADA GIRLS 47, LEBANON 31

NEVADA, Mo. — Nevada’s girls basketball team overcame an early deficit and used a strong second half to knock off the Lebanon Yellowjackets in the season opener on Tuesday.

Lebanon led 12-5 at the end of the first quarter, but Nevada outscored the visitors 42-19 the rest of the way. 

Nevada senior guard Clara Swearingen scored a game-high 22 points. A Pittsburg State recruit, Swearingen made a pair of 3-pointers.

Also for the Tigers, Lakyn Applegate scored seven points and Peyton Eaton and Kara Phillips added six apiece. 

Bodie Cox scored 13 points to lead Lebanon. 

Nevada will be among the teams competing at next week’s Carl Junction Classic. 

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON GIRLS 50, BRONAUGH 25

Thomas Jefferson improved to 2-0 with a convincing win over the Bronaugh Wildcats on Tuesday night.

Gabbi Hiebert scored 17 points to lead the Cavaliers, while Lannah Grigg added 13 and Sarah Mueller had eight.

Thomas Jefferson hosts Liberal on Nov. 28.

 

MOUNT VERNON GIRLS 44, JOPLIN 35

MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — Joplin’s girls basketball team suffered a 44-35 loss to Mount Vernon on Tuesday night.

Alissa Owens scored 17 points for Joplin, while Addie Hall had 19 for the Mountaineers.

Joplin (0-1) is at Pittsburg, Kansas, on Dec. 1. 

Mount Vernon (1-0) will compete at next week’s Fair Grove Invitational. 

 

OTHER SCORES

RUSH boys 69, College Heights 46

East Newton boys 40, Clever 35

HOOPS ROUNDUP: Joplin, Carthage, Nevada boys end tourneys with wins; Carthage girls, TJ boys suffer losses

 

JOPLIN BOYS 77, WILLARD 69

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Joplin jumped out to a big lead in the first quarter and preserved that cushion all the way to a win over Willard in the seventh-place game of the Bill Hanson Memorial basketball tournament on Saturday.

The Eagles jumped out to a 12-point lead following the first eight minutes after outscoring Willard 26-14. The Tigers rallied back to cut Joplin’s lead to one by halftime, 39-38, but the Eagles pushed the lead to six to start the fourth and held on for the win.

Terrance Gibson led Joplin with a game-high 32 points, while All Wright finished with 16 points. Whit Hafter had 10 points, while Quin Renfro closed with eight.

Joplin is at Springfield Central on Tuesday.

 

GALENA BOYS 74, THOMAS JEFFERSON 41

LIBERAL, Mo. — The Galena Bulldogs from Southeast Kansas remained undefeated by beating Thomas Jefferson in the boys championship game of the Tony Dubray Classic on Saturday night at Liberal High School.

“Galena is a great team,” Cavaliers coach Chris Myers told SoMo Sports. “Though outmatched, I felt our kids did a good job of competing in the second half. As a coach, you hope playing teams like this help prepare you for big games down the stretch.”

The Bulldogs raced out to a 21-7 lead. Galena was up 38-16 at halftime and 64-33 by the end of the third quarter.

Thomas Jefferson fell to 11-4. 

Tyler Brouhard scored 21 points and hit six 3-pointers for the Cavaliers. Jay Ball added 10 points.

Brouhard and Ball were both all-tourney selections.

Galena’s Tyler Little scored 15 points and was named tourney MVP. Maverick Harmon also scored 15 points for the Bulldogs.

Thomas Jefferson travels to Jasper on Tuesday night.

 

CARTHAGE BOYS 73, CHANUTE 28

CHANUTE, Kan. — Carthage outscored host Chanute 19-2 in the first quarter and never looked back in a win to wrap the Ralph Miller Classic on Saturday. 

The Tigers scored 19 points in the second period, 22 in the third and closed the win with a 14-4 fourth quarter against the Comets. 

Max Templeman, named to the all-tournament team, finished with 24 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Justin Ray knocked down four 3-balls on the way to 16 points, while Britt Coy finished with 14 points, also making two triples. 

Carthage is at Nevada on Friday.

 

NEVADA BOYS 57, OWENSVILLE 40

FRONTENAC, Kan. — Nevada’s boys won the Four State Raider Classic’s seventh-place game in convincing fashion on Saturday at Frontenac High School.

Nevada held a 27-19 lead at halftime.

The Tigers outscored the Dutchmen 20-2 in the third period to take a comfortable 47-21 advantage into the final frame.

Three players reached double figures for the Tigers (7-11), as Jack Cheaney scored 13 points, Brice Budd added 12 and Drew Beachler had 10. 

Nevada (7-11) is at Carl Junction on Tuesday. The two teams met earlier this season, with Nevada winning on a buzzer-beater.

 

OLATHE NORTH GIRLS 57, CARTHAGE 53

PITTSBURG, Kan. — The Carthage girls basketball wrapped up play in the Bill Hanson Memorial basketball tournament with a 57-53 loss to Olathe North in the fifth-place game. 

Carthage (8-8) trailed by four heading into the second period before outscoring Olathe North 14-7 in the second period for a 25-22 lead by the intermission. Olathe North took a two-point cushion into the fourth quarter and held off Carthage down the stretch to earn the win. 

“That was a great high school basketball game,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said to SoMo Sports. “Two teams fighting tooth and nail for 32 minutes. I’m really proud of how our team battled this weekend. However, there are some little things we need to get fixed to make sure the lessons we learn in these tournaments help us down the road when we have similar battles in the COC.”

Kianna Yates led Carthage with a game-high 27 points, which included two 3-pointers and seven free throws. Lauren Choate added 10 points, while Jaidyn Brunert finished seven.

“Kianna Yates had a phenomenal game,” Moore said. “Every time that Olathe North made a little run, Kianna got us a basket to stop their momentum and swing it back our way.”

Carthage hosts Seneca on Thursday.

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS SQUADS END LANCER CLASSIC

CHEROKEE, Kan. —  The College Heights Christian boys basketball team defeated Riverton 58-52 in the third-place game of the Lancer Classic.

The Cougars improved to 12-4.

The College Heights girls suffered a 41-38 setback to Riverton in the tourney’s third-place game.

“For the second game in a row, we dug ourselves in a hole with a slow start,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “We trailed 9-0 before we slowly began chipping away at their lead.”

CHC’s Libby Fanning hit a 3-pointer to pull the Cougars within four at halftime. 

“We took the lead late in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t hold it down the stretch,” Blankenship said. “Jayli Johnson almost tied the game on a halfcourt shot that spun out of the basket. We have played two larger schools this week and competed down to the wire. I am proud of my players. I have no doubt we got better this week, which is our primary objective heading into conference games and postseason play.”

Fanning scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and recorded a double-double in every game of the tournament.

Addie Lawrence hit a pair of 3-pointers for six points.

Johnson and Fanning were named to the all-tournament team. 

The CHC girls are now 9-8.

The Cougars are at Verona on Tuesday night.

HOOPS: All-Ozark 7 teams released; McAuley’s DeRuy named girls POY

 

The All-Ozark 7 Conference boys and girls basketball teams are listed below.

Verona’s Jaiden Carrasquillo and McAuley Catholic’s Kennedy DeRuy were named the conference’s players of the year.

College Heights Christian’s Eric Johnson and John Blankenship were named the coaches of the year. 

 

ALL-OZARK 7 BOYS

Most Valuable Player: Jaiden Carrasquillo, Verona

Coach of the Year: Eric Johnson, College Heights Christian

 

First Team

Miller Long, College Heights 

Josh Reeves, Golden City 

Corey Hilburn, Exeter 

Kelton Park, Wheaton 

Jay Ball, Thomas Jefferson

 

Second Team

Caden Myers, Thomas Jefferson

Jacob Stellwagen, Verona

Elijah Pettengill, Golden City

Curtis Davenport, College Heights

Drew Goodhope, Thomas Jefferson

 

Honorable Mention

Ethan Meeks, College Heights

Noah Black, McAuley Catholic

Max Parrill, Golden City

JJ Felipe, Exeter

Ethan Adel, College Heights

 

ALL-OZARK 7 GIRLS

Most Valuable Player: Kennedy DeRuy, McAuley Catholic

Coach of the Year: John Blankenship, College Heights

 

First Team

Kendall Scott, Golden City

Kayleigh Teeter, McAuley Catholic

Libby Fanning, College Heights

Allison Whitman, Wheaton

Jayli Johnson, College Heights

 

Second Team

Brooke Beerly, Golden City

Addie Lawrence, College Heights

Monica Hinojosa, Wheaton

Avery Eminger, McAuley 

Gabbi Hiebert, Thomas Jefferson

 

Honorable Mention

Lily Ray, Wheaton

Yoselin Martinez, Verona

Kloee Williamson, McAuley

Kylee Scott, Golden City

Lily Black, McAuley 

PREP HOOPS: Carl Junction girls, McDonald County boys begin ’22 with wins

 

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Taking the court for the first time in 2022, Carl Junction’s girls and McDonald County’s boys recorded prep basketball victories on Monday night at Carl Junction High School.

However, those respective victories were quite different. 

In a non-conference doubleheader, Carl Junction’s girls grinded out a 49-34 win over the Mustangs, while McDonald County’s boys rode a huge first quarter to an 85-50 victory in the nightcap.

 

CARL JUNCTION GIRLS 49, MCDONALD COUNTY 34

In the team’s first action since Dec. 15, Carl Junction held a 14-point lead by the end of the first quarter. But the Bulldogs only outscored the Mustangs by one, 31-30, the rest of the way. 

“We started off really well,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said. “We made some substitutions and we quit communicating and we didn’t do some things we’re capable of doing. I saw some good things over the break, but I think our application is really poor right now.”

The Bulldogs hit four treys in the opening frame en route to an 18-4 lead. But the Mustangs outscored the Bulldogs 18-12 in the second quarter, trimming their deficit to eight at the break, 30-22.

Destiny Buerge scored seven straight points during the third quarter and Kylie Scott’s coast-to-coast layup gave the Bulldogs a 41-27 cushion entering the final frame.

In a low-scoring fourth quarter, one where both teams struggled, Carl Junction outscored Mac County 8-7 for the final margin.

“We may have been a little rusty tonight, but for the first four or five minutes of the game, we looked pretty good,” Shorter said. “If we can’t carry that over to the rest of the game we have to do some soul searching and just be better at what we do. I felt like we were pretty robotic tonight. We have to be better defensively. We just have to come together as a team, just get out there and play and see what happens.”

Buerge led Carl Junction with 19 points, while Anna Burch scored 10 points. Also for the Bulldogs (8-3), Scott contributed nine points and Klohe Burk chipped in seven points.

“I thought Anna Burch was superb off the bench,” Shorter said, noting the sophomore forward had 11 rebounds. 

Samara Smith scored 12 points for the Mustangs, while Anna Clarkson added seven points and Kaitlynn Townsend had five. 

The CJ girls will take on Fatima at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Southwest Baptist University. McDonald County hosts Carthage on Thursday. 

 

MCDONALD COUNTY BOYS 85, CARL JUNCTION 50

With Cross Dowd’s hot-shooting leading the way, the Mustangs came out firing on all cylinders in an impressive first quarter. McDonald County hit eight 3-pointers in the opening frame, six by Dowd, and the visitors took a commanding 34-12 lead into the second quarter.

“Our team played a great first quarter,” Mustangs coach Brandon Joines said. “Everything fed off Cross Dowd’s hot start. And 34 points in a quarter…that’s tough to come back from for anybody. That’s more points than we’ve been averaging in a half. It was a great team game overall where one guy got to stand out.” 

The Mustangs led 48-26 at halftime and 78-46 at the end of the third period en route to the lopsided win.  

McDonald County’s Cross Dowd scored 31 points on Monday against Carl Junction. Dowd hit nine 3-pointers. File photo by Shawn Fowler.

A junior guard, Dowd erupted for a career-high 31 points.

The 5-foot-9 sharpshooter made nine 3-pointers, a layup and two free throws.

“Cross is very capable of doing that…he’ll pull up from anywhere,” Joines said. “When someone’s doing that, hitting six 3-pointers in a quarter, everything else comes easier. We ended up with a lot of nice looks down low for Eli McClain and Teddy (Reedybacon). Pierce Harmon and Sterling Woods found driving lanes and Cole (Martin) was more than willing to distribute the ball to every one of them. Everyone got involved, including Toby Moore, Weston Gordon and Destyn Dowd off the bench. It was just a good team win.”

In addition to Cross Dowd, three others reached double figures for the Mustangs, as McClain scored 15, Harmon had 11 and Woods chipped in 10. 

Kyler Perry scored 14 points to lead the Bulldogs, while Ayden Bard added 12 points and Ky Warren had 11. 

Perry hit four treys, while Warren made three 3-pointers and Bard added two makes from long distance. 

The Mustangs were coming off a runner-up finish at the Neosho Holiday Classic, while the Bulldogs were competing for the first time since Dec. 18. 

Carl Junction (3-7) will compete at this week’s Kaminsky Gymnasium at Joplin High School, while McDonald County (7-5) is at Webb City on Tuesday night. 

“Coming into the new year, we wanted to get something going and that’s a heck of a start,” Joines said of Monday’s win. “Tomorrow night will be a tough one at Webb City. We’ll have to come out and be ready to play with some grit. I know we will.”

PREP HOOPS: One last look at the 2020-21 season

 

A number of Joplin area prep basketball teams had successful and memorable seasons this winter.

In fact, 11 local teams captured district championships, while six area squads advanced to the quarterfinal round of their respective state tournaments. 

Let’s take one last look at how the local squads fared.

 

STATE RUNNER-UP

Mount Vernon’s girls had a season to remember. 

Grant Berendt’s Mountaineers finished as the Class 4 runner-up after falling to Boonville in the state championship game.

It was Mount Vernon’s first title game appearance since 2012. The Mountaineers, who won a district title for the fifth straight season, finished with a record of 28-4.

The Mountaineers were led by a talented senior backcourt. Lacy Stokes is headed to Missouri Southern, while Ellie Johnston will play collegiately at Morningside. 

 

QUARTERFINAL APPEARANCES

Six area squads advanced to the “Elite Eight.”

Thomas Jefferson’s boys and McAuley Catholic’s girls both advanced to the quarterfinals of the Class 1 state tournament. 

Chris Myers’ Cavaliers ended the season with a loss to St. Elizabeth, a team that went on to win the state tourney’s third-place game. 

Thomas Jefferson went 20-6 and reached the final eight for just the second time in program history. 

Mike Howard’s McAuley girls ended the season with a loss to Walnut Grove, a team that finished third in the state. The Warriors went 20-9 and reached the quarterfinals for the third time in program history. 

Brad Shorter’s Carl Junction girls were in the quarterfinals for the fifth time in six years. 

The Bulldogs (18-9) suffered a season-ending setback to West Plains, a team that ended up the state runner-up in Class 5. 

Boys teams from Nevada (Class 5) and East Newton (Class 4) also advanced to the quarterfinal round in their respective brackets. 

Nevada (22-6) fell to eventual state runner-up Bolivar, while East Newton (26-3) dropped a close quarterfinal contest to Blair Oaks, a team that finished third in the state tourney. 

The Miller girls were in the quarterfinals in Class 3. The Cardinals (28-2) fell to Steelville, a team that took third place. 

 

DISTRICT CHAMPIONS

The following local boys basketball teams captured district championships — Thomas Jefferson, Golden City, College Heights, Miller, East Newton and Nevada.

College Heights, Golden City and Miller fell in the sectional round. 

Girls teams that won district titles were McAuley, Miller, Mount Vernon, Carl Junction and McDonald County. 

Carl Junction won a district crown for the sixth straight season. The Mustangs lost to the Bulldogs in the sectional round. 

The College Heights Christian girls fell in a district title game and finished with a stellar record of 22-3.

Boys teams from Webb City and Neosho also ended the season in Class 5 district title games. The Cardinals fell to Nevada, while the Wildcats ended the season with a loss to Logan-Rogersville.

 

ALL-COC PLAYERS

The following area girls were named to the All-Central Ozark Conference team — Carl Junction’s Destiny Buerge and Jessa Hylton, Carthage’s Hailey Fullerton and Kianna Yates, Webb City’s Jaydee Duda and Neosho’s Olivia Hixson. 

Joplin’s Emma Floyd, Webb City’s Sierra Kimbrough and Carthage’s Yates were listed on the all-defensive team.  

The following boys were named All-COC — Webb City’s Nickhai Howard and Cohl Vaden, Joplin’s Always and All Wright, Neosho’s Landon Austin and Carl Junction’s Alex Baker. 

 

JOPLIN’S ALL OZARK-7 PLAYERS

Joplin area boys listed on the Ozark 7 Conference team were College Heights’ Miller Long and Curtis Davenport, McAuley’s Daniel Wagner and Thomas Black, Thomas Jefferson’s Dhruv Gheewala, Caden Myers, Jay Ball and Drew Goodhope.

Local girls recognized on the Ozark 7 team were College Heights’ Grace Bishop, Lainey Lett, Catie Secker, Kaynahn Burk and Jayli Johnson, McAuley’s Kayleigh Teeter, Kennedy DeRuy and Gliza Damaso and Thomas Jefferson’s Sydney Stamps and Alivia Beard. 

 

AREA PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Mount Vernon’s Lacy Stokes and Nevada’s Logan Applegate were named area players of the year by the 4-States Basketball Coaches Association. 

 

AREA ALL-STATE PLAYERS 

The Missouri Basketball Coaches Association released its all-state teams for the 2020-21 season.

BOYS

College Heights Christian’s Long was selected to the Class 2 squad. Thomas Jefferson’s Gheewala was named all-state in Class 1, along with Golden City’s Lane Dunlap and Lockwood’s Max Schnelle.

East Newton’s Kyson Lahman was named to the Class 4 team, while Nevada’s Applegate was selected in Class 5. 

GIRLS

Carl Junction sophomore Buerge was an all-state pick in Class 5. 

Mount Vernon’s Stokes and Johnston were both selected all-state in Class 4. Miller’s Claudia Hadlock and Kaylee Helton were picked on the Class 3 team. 

 

STEPPING DOWN

At the conclusion of the season, Jeff Hafer stepped down as Joplin’s boys basketball coach.

Hafer was in charge of the program for seven seasons, and he led his alma mater to a pair of district championships (2018, ’20).

 

FINAL RECORDS

Here are the final records for our main area schools:

BOYS

Thomas Jefferson 20-6

Webb City 18-9

College Heights 17-10

Neosho 13-13

Joplin 12-13

McAuley Catholic 9-16

Carl Junction 7-19

Carthage 7-19

 

GIRLS 

College Heights 22-3

McAuley Catholic 20-9

Carl Junction 18-9

Carthage 15-11

Neosho 10-15

Webb City 9-15

Joplin 7-19

Thomas Jefferson 1-20

 

PREP HOOPS: A glance at local Class 4-6 district tournaments

The postseason is quickly approaching for prep basketball teams competing in Class 4-6.

Below is a look at each district tournament of local interest.

 

BOYS

CLASS 6 DISTRICT 12

March 2 semifinals

(4) Carthage at (1) Kickapoo, 7

(3) Joplin at (2) Republic, 7

March 5 title game

Semifinal winners meet at Republic, 7 

 

CLASS 5 DISTRICT 11

March 1 semifinals

(4) McDonald County at (1) Logan-Rogersville, 7

(3) Monett at (2) Neosho, 7

March 3 title game

Semifinal winners meet at 7, location TBD

 

CLASS 5 DISTRICT 12

March 2 semifinals

(4) Carl Junction at (1) Webb City, 7

(3) Harrisonville at (2) Nevada, 7

March 5 title game

Semifinal winners meet at 7, location TBD

 

CLASS 4 DISTRICT 12

March 1 quarterfinals

(5) Seneca at (4) Aurora, 7

(6) Cassville at (3) Reeds Spring, 7

March 3 semifinals

Aurora-Seneca winner at (1) East Newton, 7

Reeds Spring-Cassville winner at (2) Mount Vernon, 7

March 5 title game

Semifinal winners meet at 7, location TBD

 

GIRLS

CLASS 6 DISTRICT 12

March 1 semifinals

(4) Joplin at (1) Kickapoo, 7

(3) Carthage at (2) Republic, 7

March 4 title game

Semifinal winners meet at Republic, 7 p.m.

 

CLASS 5 DISTRICT 11

March 2 semifinals

(4) Monett at (1) McDonald County, 7

(3) Neosho at (2) Logan-Rogersville, 7

March 4 title game

Semifinal winners meet at 7, location TBD

 

CLASS 5 DISTRICT 12

March 1 semifinals

(4) Harrisonville at (1) Carl Junction, 7

(3) Webb City at (2) Nevada, 7

March 4 title game

Semifinal winners meet at 7 p.m., location TBD

 

CLASS 4 DISTRICT 12

March 2 quarterfinals

(5) Cassville at (4) East Newton, 7

(6) Reeds Spring at (3) Seneca, 7

March 4 semifinals

East Newton-Cassville winner at (1) Mount Vernon, 7

Seneca-Reeds Spring winner at (2) Aurora, 7

March 6 title game

Semifinal winners meet at 1:30, location TBD.