Mustang Boys Win At Seneca, Lose At Monett
Boys Suffer First Loss Of Big 8 Conference Season
McDonald County got back in the win column Monday night and received a boost to its depth as well.
Six-foot-six senior forward Eli McClain led with 19 points, including the last 10 overall, and the Mustangs pulled away for a 59-44 victory at Seneca.
Pierce Harmon scored 12 points, including eight in the fourth quarter, helping McDonald County turn a 33-27 lead into a 45-28 advantage after a Harmon 3-pointer.
Cross Dowd added 11 points for McDonald County, while 6-foot-10 senior center Teddy Reedybacon returned to the court with eight points after missing the last several games with an arm injury.
McDonald County opened the game on a tear, taking a 14-3 lead after the first quarter.
McClain scored seven points in the first quarter and Sterling Woods had a pair of buckets and Dowd had a 3-pointer.
McDonald County pulled ahead 23-12 at halftime as Reedybacon had a pair of baskets in the quarter, wh ile Harmon had the other five points for the Mustangs, including a 3-pointer.
Seneca got back in the game in the third quarter, thanks to the hot 3-point shooting of Cooper Long.
Long hit three of his five 3-pointers in the third quarter, trimming the Mustangs’ lead to five points.
A Gavin Hoover bucket pulled the Indians within 28-25, but a bucket by Bo Leach got the lead back up to 30-28.
Dowd’s jumper at the end of the quarter gave the Mustangs a 33-27 lead entering the fourth. It also started what would be a 14-1 run for McDonald County spanning into the fourth quarter.
Everyone seemed to get involved in the surge as Reedybacon had a putback, Harmon had a pair of layups and a 3-pointer and Dowd had another jumper.
McClain and Reedybacon added baskets to make it 49-33. McClain scored the last 10 points on four field goals and a pair of free throws for the Mustangs.
Ethan Altic hit three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter for Seneca.
Long led the Indians with 23 points, while Altic had 11 and
Hoover 10.
Sterling Woods added seven points for McDonald County, while Leach had two.
Monett 64, McDonald County 57
The Mustangs suffered their first Big 8 Conference loss on Tuesday night, falling 64-57 at Monett.
Monett led 10-6 after the first quarter and 23-21 at halftime.
McDonald County (10-11, 3- 1) pulled within 43- 42 going into the fourth quarter, but the Cubs outscored the Mustangs 21-15 in the final period.
Blaine Salsman led the Cubs with 21 points, while Ian Waterman had 12. Monett hit 27 of 35 from the free-throw line.
Cross Dowd led McDonald County with 16 points, while Pierce Harmon had 12, Sterling Woods eight, Eli McClain six, Teddy Reedybacon and Cole Martin each with five, Archer Wagner three and Bo Leach two.