BY JASON PEAKE
In a back and forth game that saw 11 lead changes through four quarters, the Joplin Eagles finally took control when an extra session arrived.
Joplin scored the first eight points of overtime and then held off Webb City's late charge for a thrilling 83-79 victory on Tuesday night in the Central Ozark Conference boys basketball opener for both teams inside a packed Kaminsky Gymnasium. "I was really proud," Joplin coach Jeff Hafer said. "That was a tough game, and it was a fun game. I'm still trying to process it. Both team's guards played at a high level. That's a hard game defensively. The team that could get a bucket and a stop was going to get a win. Nobody was stopping each other. It was a heck of a way to start conference play."
"I think Joplin is as good as anyone in our conference," Webb City coach Jason Horn said. "If a couple possessions here or there go our way, it might have been a different game. But Joplin showed a lot of resolve. Our kids showed a lot of heart. We didn't quit. There are things we can work on and fix, and we'll get better from this one."
With the game deadlocked at 71 after four quarters, the hosts grabbed all of the momentum right away in overtime.
Joplin's Always Wright drilled a 3-pointer to start the extra frame before the Cardinals turned the ball over and Zach Westmoreland streaked to the hoop for a layup.
After another Webb City turnover, Wright swished a long trey near the top of the key for a 79-71 cushion.
"That start to overtime was huge," Hafer said. "They answered the bell. It showed what this team is capable of."
"I think we got caught up in the moment a little bit," Horn said. "But we could have folded, and we didn't. It was a good situation to be in. I wish it would have turned out differently."
The Cardinals made things interesting down the stretch, as Tanner Rogers and Terrell Kabala both hit 3-pointers and Nickhai Howard scored in the lane, trimming his team's deficit to two with 20 seconds left.
After a timeout, the Eagles converted nicely on an out of bounds play, as Westmoreland received a pass from Isaiah Davis and soared down the lane for a dunk that all but sealed the win.
"We've run that a couple of times," Westmoreland said. "It's just a back cut and it always works. This win is big, especially with it being our first COC game and with Webb being a big rival."
"That was just great execution," Hafer said.
Four players scored in double figures for Joplin (94), which hit 34-of-61 shots (56 percent). Senior guard Dakarai Allen scored 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting, while backcourt mate Davis added 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds. A sophomore, Wright added 17 points and hit five 3-pointers, while Westmoreland contributed 15 points.
Webb City (3-6) was led by senior guard Kabala's 23 points. Kabala made 9-of-13 shots. A junior, Howard added 18 points and sophomore guard Cohl Vaden contributed 16 points with three treys. Webb City made 30-60 field goal attempts.
The intense rivalry game featured a number of swings.
The Eagles held an early 10-point lead, but Howard's buzzer-beater from beyond halfcourt cut Webb City's deficit to 21-19 at the end of the first quarter.
Webb City used a 10-0 burst to go up 31-25 in the second period, but the Eagles finished the first half on an 11-2 run for a 41-38 lead at the break.
The game was tied at 56 at the end of the third period. Neither team was able to separate late in regulation. Joplin's Tommy Hafer had a key tip-in and then drew a charge on the other end down the stretch.
"There were several times late in the fourth quarter where we had the game where we wanted it but couldn't close it out properly," Hafer said. "Webb City has a lot of kids that are tough matchups."
Joplin Globe 01/15/2020 (Used by permission)