By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
Neosho vs. Webb City was about all you could want for an early test in girls prep basketball.
Webb City rallied in the final minutes to prevail 63-61 in the title game of the 12th annual Joplin Freeman/Lady Eagle Classic on Saturday night in Kaminsky Gymnasium.
It was the Class 4 Cardinals’ sixth win in seven games. Class 5 Neosho lost for the first time in six games.
Miller nudged Marshfield 65-63 for third place behind Hannah Wilkerson’s 36 points.
Joplin beat Springdale (Ark.) Har-Ber 63-53 for consolation behind Jessica Hill’s 24 points and Blue Valley West of Overland Park, Kan., turned back Harrison (Ark.) 70-42 behind Rachel Boan’s 18 points.
The all-tournament team included a trio of Webb City front-liners — 5-foot-8 senior Nicole Hudson, 6-0 sophomore Kaitlin Jaeger and 5-9 sophomore Hailey Roderique.
Neosho was represented by 5-7 senior Savannah Snow, who raked the Cardinals for 26 points, and 6-2 sophomore Kayln Vlasin.
Completing the elite were the Joplin pair of 5-10 senior Hill and 5-7 sophomore Jessie McMullen and Wilkerson of Miller.
Neosho took a 60-56 lead against Webb City on a basket by Lorelei Snow — Savannah’s twin — with about 2:40 remaining.
But Hudson cut into the deficit with two free throws at 2:17 before the Wildcats’ Melanie White, a 5-9 senior, hit a charity at 1:43 to make it 61-58.
Jaeger connected on the inside for Webb City before a turnover by Neosho at 1:10 and its miss at 32.9 at the foul line in the bonus crippled its finish. Still, Neosho led 61-60.
Jaeger was fouled at 16.8, however, and cleanly drilled two free throws in the double bonus to make it 62-61.
Neosho committed another turnover at 6.3 to set up 5-5 sophomore Breanna Baker’s 1-of-2 at the line at 5.8.
Neosho then couldn’t get off a shot in the closing seconds.
“This was a battle with a lot of effort,” Webb City coach Brad Shorter said. “Everyone got their money’s worth. Maybe neither team played exceptional. But each played well.
“We’ve been trying to focus on defense and rebounding,” Shorter said. “Our players did a great job defensively down the stretch. I thought the defense also kept us in the game.”
Savannah Snow’s 11 points to open the Neosho scoring in the second quarter gave it a 24-16 advantage at 5:16. Neosho led 31-26 at the half.
Said Neosho coach Grant Young: “I thought, in the end, we beat ourselves. I believe we were 1-for-5 at the line in the last 1:45. We could have capped the win.
“I thought Webb City played outstanding defense all four quarters,” Young said. “But we had a tougher time finding the open shots in the second half.
“Savannah (Snow) probably played her best game of the season.”
Jaeger scored 16, Hudson 12, 5-5 sophomore Sharenda Campbell 11 and Roderique and 5-7 sophomore Sammy Stroud nine apiece.
Vlasin tallied 17 and Lorelei Snow 15 to support Savannah Snow for the Wildcats.
Miller, 65-63
Wilkerson, a 5-7 junior all-stater, took a feed underneath from classmate Betsy Epps on an inbounds play to score as time expired to lift the Cardinals.
Wilkerson spiced her effort by sinking 21-of-22 from the foul line.
Seniors Katrina Logan added 15 and Sam Hendrickson 11 for Miller.
Marshfield received 17 points from 5-3 sophomore Amanda Gourley, 14 from 5-9 senior Anna Glenn and 12 from 5-8 senior LaTasha Baderdeen.
Joplin, 63-53
Hill and McMullen broke loose in the second half for the Eagles.
Hill had 14 points and McMullen all 13 of her output as Joplin piled up 38 points in the second half in erasing a 28-25 halftime deficit.
“We played great after the first quarter,” Joplin coach Ben Glasgow said. “This is our best game of the season. This is the first time we’ve been able to competently hold the lead.
“We had several people step up and perform well,” Glasgow said. “Jessica (Hill) stayed aggressive the whole time.”
May Lee, a 5-6 junior, added 16 points for Joplin.
Har-Ber’s Sabrina Westmoreland, a 5-9 senior, tallied 19 and 5-8 junior Halee Castleman had 13.
