BY JASON PEAKE
Webb City made all the crucial plays down the stretch to secure a 72-64 victory over Neosho on Tuesday night in Central Ozark Conference boys basketball action inside the Cardinal Dome.
Trailing by a single tally with under three minutes remaining, Webb City finished the game on an 11-2 run.
"Give a lot of credit to Neosho, but our guys showed a lot of resolve in the fourth quarter," Webb City coach Jason Horn said. "No one panicked in that situation. Our upperclassmen led us and made plays. We did a good job of finishing the game off."
The Senior Night win wasn't easy for the Cardinals, as the Wildcats definitely made the hosts earn it.
"We were right there with the lead in the fourth quarter," Neosho coach Zane Culp said. "Our guys really came out and competed. I'm proud of them. If a few different things had gone our way, we'd be a little happier right now."
"Coach Culp had his guys organized and they had a good game plan," Horn said. "They executed offensively, and they made us earn every shot we took and every basket we got."
Alex Gaskill, the team's lone senior, led the Cardinals with 23 points on the night he was recognized. Junior guard Terrell Kabala scored 18, while sophomores Jaystin Smith and Nickhai Howard contributed 10 and nine points, respectively, for the Cardinals (13-8, 4-3 COC).
Three players reached double figures for Neosho, as AC Marion scored 19, Cade Cradduck had 13 and Mason Gammons added 11 for the Wildcats (9-13, 1-6 COC).
"We scored well," Culp said. "We would have liked to play better defense, but Webb City has a high-powered offense."
A back and forth first period ended deadlocked at 19. Webb City scored the first six points of the second quarter, but Neosho put together a game-changing 13-1 surge.
The Wildcats caught fire from the perimeter during the burst, as Cradduck scored seven points before Gammons knocked down back-toback 3-pointers, giving Neosho a 32-26 advantage. Hoops from Gaskill and Kabala cut Webb City's halftime deficit to 36-33.
The third period ended with Neosho clinging to a 50-49 lead, but Webb City outscored Neosho 23-14 in the final frame. After a trey from Kaden King and free throws from Cradduck and Marion, the Wildcats led 6261 just under the three minute mark.
But the Cardinals scored seven straight points, as Kabala banked in a short jumper, Howard swished two free throws and then, in a big moment, Gaskill converted an old-fashioned three-point play on a set play.
During the key possession, the Cardinals ran their motion offense patiently until Tanner Rogers found a cutting Gaskill in the lane for the hoop and the foul.
"It was a great job by Tanner making the pass and Gaskill read the screen and came over the top and just made a play," Horn said. "We showed a lot of patience. That was a big learning moment for us."
The Cardinals cashed in 4-of-6 free throws in the final minute to seal the win, while the Wildcats committed turnovers on three straight possessions down the stretch.
Horn noted the rivalry clash had postseason implications, as well.
"This win gives us the opportunity to be the No. 1 seed for the district tournament, so this was a big one for us," Horn said.
Joplin Globe 02/13/2019 (Used by permission)