MCHS Jr. High Boys BB Finishes Season On Upside

Toby Moore scored 14 points and Destyn Dowd added 12 to lead the McDonald County seventh-grade boys’ basketball team to a 41-36 win over Nevada in the third place game of the Wild West Seventh-Grade Boys’ Basketball Tournament held Feb. 14 at Anderson Middle School.

Leading 9-8 at the end of the first quarter, McDonald County outscored the Tigers 11-4 in the second quarter to take a 20-12 lead at halftime. Both teams scored eight points in the third quarter to leave the Mustangs with a 28-20 lead entering the fourth period.

Sam Barton added nine points for McDonald County while Xavier Sosa had five and Rylan Armstrong had one.

McDonald County opened the tournament with a 44-24 win over Neosho. McDonald County built a 21-12 lead at halftime and outscored the Wildcats 23-12 in the second half to seal the win.

Destyn Dowd scored 16 points and Toby Moore added 10 to lead McDonald County followed by Armstrong, Sosa and Barton with five points each and Alex Jones with three.

In the semifinals, Joplin cruised to a 60-40 win over the Mustangs.

Tied at 13-13 at the end of the first quarter, Joplin used an 18-10 advantage in the second to take a 31-23 lead at intermission. The Eagles outscored the Mustangs 14-9 in the third quarter for a 45-32 lead after three quarters.

McDonald County was led by Destyn Dowd with 23 points and Barton with 10. Rounding out the scoring for the Mustangs were Moore with four points and Sosa with three.

McDonald County finishes the season with a 10-6 record.

Eighth Grade

Nevada outscored the McDonald County eighth grade 11-8 in overtime to claim a 41-38 win in the championship game of the consolation bracket of the Wild West Eighth-Grade Boys’ Basketball Tournament held Feb. 14 at Monett High School.

McDonald County led 13-8 at the end of the first quarter before Nevada rallied in the second to tie the score at 18-18 at halftime.

The Tigers built a 27-21 lead after three quarters, but McDonald County rallied to tie the score a 30-30 at the end of regulation.

Sterling Woods scored 12 points and Weston Gordon had 11 to lead McDonald County. Jack Parnell added seven points while Cross Dowd had six and Dalton McClain had two.

McDonald County was knocked to the consolation bracket with a 36-24 loss to Carthage in the tournament opener.

Carthage jumped out to a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter and stretched the margin to 24-13 at halftime and to 32-19 at the end of three quarters.

Cross Dowd scored 12 points and Parnell and Gordon had six each to account for all McDonald County’s scoring.

The Mustangs advanced to the consolation finals with a 36-30 win over Webb City. McDonald County took a 13-5 lead after the first quarter and led 17-11 at halftime and 27-18 after three quarters.

McDonald County was led by Cross Dowd with 14 points followed by Parnell with seven, Woods with six, McClain five and Gordon four.

The eighth grade finishes its season with a 13-3 record.