Springfield Hillcrest overcame a one-point Joplin lead by making eight of 10 free throws late in the fourth quarter and defeated the Eagles 64-56 Tuesday night at Young Gymnasium.
Dorial Green-Beckham scored 14 of his game-high 22 points in the second half for the Hornets, whose largest lead was six points until the last 30 seconds of the game.
Joplin tied the score at 50 with 4 minutes, 35 seconds remaining on a layup from Justin Washington off a pass from Charlie Brown, then took its last lead at 56-55 on a follow shot by Washington with 3:02 remaining.
“It was a better game than I would have liked,” said Hillcrest head coach John Schaefer, whose team remained in the race for the Ozark Conference championship at 4-2. “I thought Joplin’s effort was really good and they made some shots.”
Sam Williams, a 6-foot-4 senior, led Joplin with a career-high 20 points, including a 3-point play with 3:25 to go that pulled the Eagles to within 54-53.
Brown, who picked up his fourth foul with 2:40 left in the third quarter, sat out part of the fourth quarter and finished with 13 points.
“Charlie got into foul trouble and he came to me personally and he said, ‘You need to step up.’ We’re the two leaders of the team.
“We’re not giving up. Unfortunately, it came down to the toughest part of basketball, rebounding. That’s three games we could have won.”
Adam St. Peter, a 6-5 junior, worked inside against Green-Beckham and scored 11 points. Joplin (9-12, 1-5) will play Friday in a conference game at Springfield Kickapoo.
Green-Beckham, a 6-6 senior who committed to play football at the University of Missouri last week, drew a reaction from the large crowd with a one-handed slam dunk off a lob pass less than two minutes into the game. He had another one early in the second half.
“The last two games we’ve lost by not boxing out on the free-throw line,” said Joplin head coach Jeff Williams. “We’re trying to get our leaders to get their teammates to do it.”
Joplin took a five-point lead, its largest of the game, twice in the second quarter. Hillcrest answered with a pair of 3-pointers that fueled a 10-2 run that gave the Hornets a 31-28 halftime lead.
Sports
Related Photos
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Joplin's Charlie Brown attempts to drive past Hillcrest's Austin Petry during their Ozark Conference game at Robert Ellis Young Gymnasium.
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Joplin's Sam Williams drives toward the basket against defensive pressure from Hillcrest's Juwan Johnson.
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Joplin's Justin Washington takes a shot between Hillcrest's Roy Hardy (back) and Andrew Zay.
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Joplin High School's Adam St. Peter shoots over Hillcrest's Dorial Green-Beckham (left) and Jonah Hill during their game at MSSU's Robert Ellis Young Gymnasium.
Discussion
Hornets' late charities sting Joplin
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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 ... - Heat take 2-0 lead into Boston in East finals
- McIlroy recovers from rugged start for 71
- Former equipment manager sues Rams
- Stanton’s homers fuel Marlins’ surge in May
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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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