By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Aurora High School boys basketball team lived up to its No. 1 seeding at the expense of Joplin in the championship game of the Carthage Tournament on Saturday night.
Ryan Carmichael, a 6-foot-4 senior, scored 16 of his 33 points in the second period as Aurora defeated the third-seeded Eagles 70-52.
Seneca nudged McDonald County 44-41 for third place in the 62nd annual event.
Carthage beat Neosho 59-43 for fifth place and Monett trimmed Nevada 63-41 for seventh.
Said Aurora coach Darin Meinders: “We know we have a lot of things to improve, but this is a good way to start the season. I thought we did a great job with our defensive pressure considering we were playing on back-to-back nights.”
Said Joplin coach Tim Spiers: “They were aggressive on defense. They also did a good job attacking us.
“Aurora did a good job of getting to the foul line,” Spiers said. “They were 25-of-28 from the line to our 5-of-12.
“Two big keys were their offensive rebounding and our 18 turnovers,” Spiers said.
“I was proud of our effort. I thought we became a little tired,” Spiers said.
Carmichael hit from all angles in the second quarter in sparking Aurora to a 37-24 halftime lead. He added a 12-point fourth quarter keyed by 8-of-8 accuracy from the charity stripe.
“Whatever it takes to win,” Meinders said. “This is an unselfish group.”
Kaleb Roy, 6-1 senior whose specialty is a 3 from the corner, connected for three 3s in netting 11 and 6-2 classmate Devin Hillman tallied nine.
Defending champion Joplin received 17 points from 6-4 junior Matt McCreary and 10 from 6-6 junior Phillip Davis.
Joplin opened the second half with five points and missed on another possession before the winner regained momentum on Kaleb Roy’s trey, a free throw by Carmichael and a follow by 5-10 senior Kyle Roy.
Seneca, 44-41
The Indians, leading 30-29 entering the fourth period, built a 39-31 lead and held on to hand the Mustangs their second straight tough loss in the consolation round.
McDonald County, hitting free throws, pulled within two points down the stretch — 41-39 at 1:50 — and within one at 42-41 at 16.7.
But two free throws by 5-10 junior Jimmy Reed produced the final score at 10.9. McDonald County missed a game-tying 3 from the corner as time expired.
Seneca received a combined 36 points from 6-3 senior Nick Chasten, 6-7 junior Stryker Harris and 6-3 junior Toby Roelfsema.
Bo Bergen and Tyler Shaver, 5-11 seniors, led the scoring for McDonald County with 14 and 13, respectively.
Carthage, 59-43
A balanced scoring attack and a 22-point final quarter carried the Tigers past Neosho for consolation honors.
Carthage, which expanded a 23-17 halftime advantage, got 12 points from 6-3 junior Cody Caster, 11 from 5-10 senior Dylan Samuelson and 10 apiece from 5-11 senior David Brown and 6-0 junior Lane Stephens.
The Tigers, in the fourth period, got a combined 14 points from Samuelson and 6-3 senior Anthony Bordeaux.
Carthage finished with six treys.
Neosho received 15 points from 5-10 sophomore Alex Wise.
Monett, 63-41
Kirk Moore, 6-2 senior who had four 3s, and 6-3 classmate Kyle Coatney tallied 24 and 23 points, respectively, to power the Cubs.
Moore had 11 points in the third period as the Cubs outscored Nevada 20-13 to expand a 25-19 halftime lead.
Nevada got 12 points from Cole Ogle and 11 apiece from Trevor Freeman and Jordan Tumm. All are 6-1 seniors.
Sports
December 6, 2008
Aurora outguns Eagles
Carmichael scores 33 as Houn Dawgs win Carthage Tournament
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Outlaws open season Thursday on the road
Chris Oldner takes a cut during the Joplin Outlaws practice Tuesday afternoon. The Outlaws open their season on Thursday night at Rossville and play seven road games before their home opener on June 5.
The Joplin Outlaws and new coach Rob Vessell have set some lofty goals for the 2012 baseball season.
Continued ... - Stanton’s homers fuel Marlins’ surge in May
- Five sign to join Missouri Southern women's track team
- Whisner ignites Joplin Miners past Webb City
- Venus Williams joins Serena on sideline in Paris
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- Pittsburg State Sports
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- Vengels sixth in heptathlon; PSU picks up two seventh-place finishes
- Ethan Cordray signs with Pittsburg State
- Lions, Gorillas begin competition in outdoor track and field championship
- Three finalists named for PSU head baseball coach position
- Lions qualify 10, PSU 15 for Division II outdoor track meet
- Missouri Southern Sports
- High School Sports
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Area athletes turn shine at state meet
Webb City's Jarvis Jones takes sixth in the 200.
- Cleo Elbert steps down at Thomas Jefferson
- Frontenac wins first state baseball title
- Joplin's Jeremy Lynn takes fifth at state tennis
- Frontenac advances at state baseball
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