By Levi Payton
sports@joplinglobe.com
NEOSHO, Mo. — The one constant throughout the Neosho Holiday Tournament has been the dominant play of the Neosho girls team.
With convincing victories of 19 and 27 points to get into the championship game, the Wildcats continued to roll over opponents as they downed Springdale 51-37 on Wednesday night in the Neosho High School gymnasium.
The win marked the first time the Wildcats have ever won their tournament. However, they would have preferred to win it in a different way.
One night after scoring 27 points on East Newton, the Wildcats’ Savannah Snow went down with an injury to her left knee. Snow, who injured her right knee in last year's Holiday Tournament, was seen on crutches later.
Despite the loss of Snow, the Wildcats went to work on the Bulldog defense as Lorelei Snow took over for her sister and had 21 to lead all scorers. She knocked down five 3-pointers and was named tournament MVP after the game. She also scored her 1,000th career point in the game.
"I think Lorelei has come a long way," Wildcats coach Grant Young said. "She's really matured in the few years that I've been coaching her, and to get her 1,000th point in a game like this is really special."
Young was also pleased with the way his team rallied after Snow’s injury.
"We had a lot of adversity from the first to the fourth quarter," he said. "I thought our kids handled it really well. The big thing is we had some young kids step up and handle the ball well for us."
Kayln Vlasin scored 10 for the Wildcats, including eight from the free throw line.
Tiffany Wiseley scored 10 to lead Springdale.
In the all-Arkansas boys championship Van Buren toppled Morrilton 53-35.
Morrilton built a 19-6 lead in the first quarter but the 7A Pointers proved to be too much as the game wore along.
"I thought it was a great effort," Pointers coach Randy Loyd said. "We did start off a little slow with them going up 11-0. But I thought our kids just competed extremely hard. I'm really proud of them."
Brooks White, who was named tournament MVP after the game, came up with 15 points to lead the Pointers.
The Pointers outscored the Bulldogs 21-8 in the third quarter, which proved to be the key.
"(It was) a great third quarter," Loyd said. "Then we came out in the fourth quarter and did what we had to do to keep the lead."
Hooper Vint scored 11 for the Pointers while David Ostrander added 10.
Maurice Templeton rattled in 11 to lead the Bulldogs while teammate Adam Rasheed followed with 10.
Sports
January 1, 2009
Neosho's tourney title dampened by injury
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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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