BY JASON PEAKE
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Taking the court in front of a large homecoming crowd, Webb City started fast and finished strong in a 73-45 win over Cassville on Friday night in nonconference boys basketball action inside the Cardinal Dome.
The Cardinals raced out to a 22-5 lead, often getting transition layups by beating the Wildcats down the court. With a smothering pressure defense, Webb City forced the visitors into a number of turnovers early in the contest.
"I thought our energy was good early," Webb City coach Jason Horn said. "Defensively, we were in the spots that we needed to be in and we put a lot of pressure on the basketball and reading passing lanes. I thought they really propelled us the rest of the game."
Webb City got back above .500 with the win, improving to 8-7.
With a fifth win in six outings, the Cardinals appear to have knocked off the rust that came with getting off to such a late start after the school's football team captured a state championship in early December.
Webb City made 55 percent of its field goal attempts (32-of-58).
Four Cardinals reached double figures. Junior guard Mekhi Garrard scored 15 points on 7-of-15 shooting and also handed out six assists and grabbed five steals.
Senior guard Tanner Rogers added 14 points and hit four 3-pointers, including two in a key stretch that allowed the hosts to put the game out of reach.
"The first couple shots didn't go for him, but he's confident," Horn said of Rogers. "We got him some good looks and he knocked them down. Tanner can really stretch the defense. When he catches it in rhythm, he's as good anyone in our conference."
Senior guard Terrell Kabala and junior forward Luke Brumit added 10 points apiece. Kabala, who threw down a two-handed dunk off a baseline drive, also compiled five rebounds and four assists. Junior guard Nickhai Howard contributed eight points, six rebounds and three steals.
Cassville (6-12) had three players score in double figures. Carson Roller scored 13, Jacob Thomas added 12 and D.J. White chipped in 11. The Wildcats made 19-of-52 shots (36 percent), including 5-of-22 attempts from long range.
Cassville struggled against Webb City's pressure defense, turning the ball over 21 times.
After facing a big early deficit, Cassville outscored the hosts 20-14 in the second period to trail 36-25 at halftime.
"The level of our play dropped," Horn said of the second quarter. "It seemed like we were a step behind defensively. But I thought Cassville's level of play picked up. They got some shots to fall, they gained some confidence and they competed hard."
The Wildcats pulled within eight at 44-36 with 1:30 remaining in the third period, but the Cardinals responded with a 21-4 surge.
The Cardinals scored 10 unanswered points during the run. Rogers drained a wing 3-pointer and Trenton Hayes scored a pair of hoops off the bench, making it 51-36 at the end of the quarter. Rogers began the fourth quarter by knocking down another trey to cap the surge.
"Defensively, we were pretty good again during that run," Horn said. "And we started making the extra pass again and had guys make shots."
Webb City outscored Cassville 22-9 in the final frame.
NOTES: Webb City is now 3-0 against Class 4 District 12 opponents. The Cardinals played without senior post player Gary Clinton, who is dealing with a sore knee. Now finished with nonconference games, Webb City returns to Central Ozark Conference play on Tuesday at Willard.
Joplin Globe 02/01/2020 (Used by permission)