Leach Leads ’Stangs Past Joplin
Adasyn Leach’s basket from the block with five seconds left in the game lifted the McDonald County Lady Mustangs to a 36-34 win over Joplin in the fifth place game of the 24th Annual Freeman Lady Eagle Classic on Dec. 12 at Joplin High School.
McDonald County trailed 30-28 with 4:12 left in the fourth quarter, but Leach hit a free throw and Kristin Penn made three more to give the Lady Mustangs a 34-30 lead with 2:40 left.
Joplin’s Brooke Nice hit a three pointer with 56.4 seconds left before Emma Floyd hit one of two free throws with 48 seconds left to tie the game.
McDonald County held the ball for the final shot. Sydney Killion began the scoring play by driving to the basket before dishing to Leach for the winning basket.
“We needed that,” said coach Sean Crane of the win. “It’s a big difference coming out of the tournament 1-2 and not going 0-3. We turned the ball over way too much today, but we played good defense and we played hard. We are still having trouble scoring, but we are getting better.”
Joplin led 8-6 after the first quarter behind five points from Floyd and a three pointer by Nice.
Penn hit a pair of free throws and then connected for an old-fashioned three-point play to open the second quarter to give McDonald County an 11-10 lead.
Brynn Driver then made a three-pointer to put Joplin back on top before Samara Smith made consecutive baskets to put the Lady Mustangs back on top 15-13. Driver tied the game at 15-15, but Reagan Myrick hit a short jumper and Smith made a free throw to give the Lady Mustangs an 18-16 lead at halftime.
Joplin outscored the Lady Mustangs 9-7 in the third quarter to forge a 25-25 tie entering the fourth quarter.
Smith finished with 15 points to lead McDonald County. Penn added seven points while Leach had six and Killion and Myrick four each.
The win gives the Lady Mustangs
a 3-4 record heading into its Dec. 15 game against Webb City. The Lady Mustangs are at Carthage on Dec. 17 to close out the 2020 portion of the season. McDonald County’s next game after Carthage is set for Jan. 4 against Carl Junction at home.
Carthage
Carthage claimed a 61-31 win on Dec. 9 in the tournament opener.
The Lady Tigers built a 17-8 lead after the first quarter and stretched the margin to 34-17 before outgoing McDonald County 19-10 in the third quarter.
Caitlyn Barton scored 12 points to lead McDonald County. Rounding out the scoring for the Lady Mustangs were Megan Elwood with six points, Leach five, Penn four, Killion three and Abigail Wiseman one.
Carl Junction
The Lady Bulldogs took a 25-15 lead at halftime and then outscored McDonald County 30-7 in the second half for a 55-win on Dec. 11 in the Lady Mustangs’ final pool game.
Penn scored five points while Barton, Smith and Carlee Cooper had four each to lead McDonald County. Leach and Kloe Myers added two points each and Elwood one to round out the scoring for McDonald County.