Carthage girls win, Joplin boys lose close on in Bill Hanson Memorial Tournament
Jan. 21—PITTSBURG, Kan. — The Carthage girls won their seventh-place game against host Pittsburg, 49-32, on Saturday at the Bill Hanson Memorial Tournament.
Carthage (7-10) jumped out to a 22-10 lead after the first quarter, courtesy of three three-pointers by Jaidyn Brunnert and a pair of treys by Lauren Choate. Both teams struggled to put up points in the second period, each scoring just six, and Carthage went into halftime with a 28-16 lead.
Pittsburg (2-10) outscored Carthage 13-6 to tighten the game at 34-29 after the third quarter, but Carthage responded by outscoring Pittsburg 12-8 in the final frame to go on for the 49-32 win.
Choate led Carthage with 22 points, including four three-pointers, while Brunnett chipped in with 11.
Jacqueline Hall led Pittsburg with 12 points, while Gabrielle White added seven.
Carthage hosts Seneca (2-16) on Thursday.
Joplin
The Joplin Eagle boys (2-14) fell 44-41 to Willard (11-6) in the seventh-place game, despite leading most of the way.
The Eagles enjoyed a 14-7 advantage at the end of the first quarter, courtesy of a Cooper Williams three-pointer, but the Tigers outscored Joplin 12-8 to claw back within three points at 22-19 going into the half.
Neither team scored until Willard's Nahmey Kelley hit a trey to give the Tigers a 24-22 lead at 4:52. It was the Tigers first lead since 3-2 early in the game. Williams gave the lead back to Joplin with a banked three at 4:30 to make it 25-24.
Willard managed one more score to tie the game at 26-26 going into the final period.
The Eagles scored the first six points of the fourth quarter, but a Willard free throw and back-to-back threes by Drew Quinlan and Brandon Boyer brought the Tigers within one at 34-33.
Joplin was able to extend its led to five at 40-35 with a Whit Hafer dunk, but Willard's Boyer hit again from behind the arc to make it 40-38.
Willard capitalized on Eagle turnovers to take a 42-40 lead with 1:38 left in the game and hung on for a 44-41 win.
Joplin hosts Springfield Central on Tuesday at Kaminsky Gymnasium.
