2023 Pink and White Tournament: Takeaways, scores from Thursday's quarterfinals
The semifinal matchups at the 2023 Pink and White Tournament are set and there is a lot to look forward to come Friday.
Thursday was highlighted by Glendale earning one of its biggest victories in quite some time while a few other area powers set up local showdowns that basketball fans in the area won't want to miss.
Here's what you need to know following the quarterfinal round at the Pink and White.
Glendale earns marquee win over Republic
The rise of the Glendale girls' basketball program over the last two years has been one of the better local stories girls' hoops have had to offer. The next step for the Lady Falcons under Matt Powell appeared to be getting a victory over one of the area powers.
They got that win on Thursday night.
A 52-43 win for the Lady Falcons over Republic in White Division competition helped further announce Glendale's arrival.
More: Predicting the 2023 Pink and White Tournament. Can Glendale make a special run?
Glendale got 23 points out of standout senior Avery Givens to help lead her team to its first win over Republic in over a decade.
A strong second quarter from Glendale helped it go into halftime up 30-17. Great early-season defense from the Lady Falcons continues to be key as it hasn't allowed more than 47 points in a game amid an 11-0 start.
Who is the best team in southwest Missouri? Kickapoo vs. Fair Grove on Friday could give us an answer
An argument could have easily been made that Fair Grove should have been the No. 2 seed in the opposite bracket, not taking away anything from Nixa. Fair Grove has been that good to start the season and may be better than its team that won a state championship back in March.
Thankfully, basketball fans will benefit as we'll get what could be the best local matchup of the entire Pink and White in Friday's semifinal.
Kickapoo and Fair Grove will meet for a trip to the Pink Division championship. Both teams won by 18 or more points in the quarterfinals to set up what should be an epic clash.
More: What to know about the 2023 Pink and White Tournament: Brackets, top players, storylines
The Lady Chiefs got 22 points out of standout guard Mikayla Pilley in a 50-32 win over Ozark while the Lady Eagles got 26 from star junior Ashton Bell in a 72-44 victory over Logan-Rogersville.
This is a game you would have immediately circled when the brackets were released. Friday afternoon should be a fun one.
Nixa vs. Marshfield isn't half bad either
The other local matchup will come between Nixa and Marshfield with both being touted as two of the best teams in the area. The two met last year with Nixa winning 58-43 in an early December matchup. Marshfield appears to be much better than it was way back then.
Nixa saw Sadie Conway score 20 in a 71-56 win over Strafford — which is one of the better seven-seeds the tournament has seen in quite some time. Marshfield got through Skyline in a 58-40 victory with senior Abby McBride scoring 20 points.
More: 5 big things we're looking for in the 2023 Pink and White girls' basketball tournament
Marshfield's chances at breaking through and looking like a district favorite appear to be getting better and better with every time it wins and the stronger opponents in its group fall. This would be quite the statement heading into the rest of the season if it can get past Nixa.
Can an area team knock an Arkansas team out?
The two out-of-area teams have qualified for the semifinal round and will take on two of the area's best on Friday.
Fort Smith Northside will get El Dorado Springs in the Pink Division. El Dorado Springs saw sophomore McKinli Mays score 23 points in its 69-42 win over Willard — a day after Willard upset West Plains in the first round.
Greenwood (Arkansas) will face off with Glendale which is coming off its statement win over Republic. If the Lady Falcons weren't excited enough about their progress, a win here would put them over the moon.
Pink Division quarterfinal results
No. 2 Kickapoo 50, No. 7 Ozark 32
No. 3 Fair Grove 72, No. 6 Logan-Rogersville 44
No. 1 Fort Smith Northside 52, Aurora 31
No. 5 El Dorado Springs 69, Willard 42
White Division quarterfinal results
No. 2 Nixa 71, No. 7 Strafford 56
No. 3 Marshfield 58, No. 6 Skyline 40
No. 1 Greenwood (Arkansas) 72, Clever 58
No. 5 Glendale 52, No. 4 Republic 43
Pink Division semifinal schedule
Games Thursday in O'Reilly Family Event Center
2 p.m. — No. 2 Kickapoo vs. No. 3 Fair Grove
3:30 p.m. — No. 1 Fort Smith Northside vs. No. 5 El Dorado Springs
White Division semifinal schedule
Games Thursday in O'Reilly Family Event Center
5 p.m. — No. 2 Nixa vs. No. 3 Marshfield
6:30 p.m. — No. 1 Greenwood (Ark.) vs. No. 5 Glendale
Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or X at @WyattWheeler_NL. He's also the host of the weekly "Wyatt's World Podcast" on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcasting platforms
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Pink and White Tournament 2023: Takeaways, scores from quarterfinals
