BY JASON PEAKE
The Webb City boys basketball team left Carl Junction with a win on Tuesday night, but it wasn't easy. With a strong finish, the Cardinals held off the Bulldogs' late charge and left town with a 75-66 Central Ozark Conference victory.
A familiar pattern developed throughout the rivalry game as every time the Cardinals appeared to be in control with a double-digit lead, the Bulldogs responded to pull within striking distance.
Webb City coach Jason Horn noted the Bulldogs definitely made his Cardinals earn the win.
"Credit to Carl Junction, they kept fighting," Horn said. "But our guys stayed the course, and we made free throws down the stretch. And we took better care of the ball in the last two minutes after they got back in the game."
The Bulldogs trailed by as many as 18 points before trimming their deficit to six with four minutes to play with an inspired rally.
"I was proud of the way we came back," Carl Junction coach Skip Brock said. "We didn't play well in the third quarter, but you have to credit Webb City. They did a lot of good things, and they're very athletic. We made a good run in the fourth quarter. But in the end, a key factor was that we just didn't rebound the ball very well, and they did."
Carl Junction senior standout Trent Smith poured in a career-high 40 points, making nine 2-point goals, four 3-pointers and 10-of-12 free throws.
Smith scored 17 of Carl Junction's 25 fourth-quarter points.
"In my opinion, Trent is the best player in the league right now," Horn said. "He willed them back in the game, and he made some big shots for them."
Alex Baker added 12 points for the Bulldogs.
Webb City's depth was a key to victory as four players scored in double figures and a fifth just missed double-
digits. Alex Gaskill led the Cardinals with 20 points, while Jaystin Smith had 16, Austin Bash added 14 and Tanner Rogers contributed 10. Terrell Kabala chipped in nine.
"We feel like we have 10 guys who can get on the floor and play," Horn said. "Guard play is a big plus for us. We have a number of lineups we can throw out there, and I really like where we're at right now."
Rogers and Jaystin Smith both buried 3-pointers and a putback by Bash pushed Webb City's lead to 26-17 midway through the second quarter. By the break, the Cardinals were up 33-24.
Trent Smith scored 12 points in the third period for the hosts, but Webb City's Jaystin Smith buried a corner trey at the buzzer to give the Cardinals a 55-41 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Hoops from Trent Smith and Baker cut Carl Junction's deficit to six at the four-minute mark, but the Cardinals answered on the other end with hoops from Gaskill and Jaystin Smith and free throws from Rogers.
A pair of hoops from Trent Smith, including a two-handed dunk, kept Carl Junction within single digits with a minute remaining, but Webb City's Rogers and Gaskill hit late charities to seal the win.
Brock hopes his squad can take something from the setback.
"Every experience you have, even losses, are learning opportunities," Brock said. "I'm hoping our guys will gain some confidence knowing that we were in the game with four minutes to go. We just need to keep getting better."
Joplin Globe 02/06/2019 (Used by permission)