CARTHAGE — A quick start propelled Carthage to a 32-17 victory over Neosho on Monday night in a Central Ozark Conference girls basketball clash inside the CHS gymnasium.
Ignited by an intense defense, the Tigers used an early 14-0 burst to take control in a game where points were hard to come by.
"I thought our team defense was really good tonight," Carthage coach Chad Jones said. "Everybody played together defensively. And it's always good to get a conference win. They don't come easy. They're tough to get on the road, so when you play at home you want to make sure you capitalize when you can."
Neosho coach Matt Hixson noted his young squad was unable to overcome the early deficit.
"We knew our senior (Madi Flynn) was out and it was a chance for our younger girls to step up and show what they're about," Hixson said. "I don't know if it was a lack of confidence in themselves or a lack of focus, but we dug ourselves a hole early and it was hard to overcome."
Sophomore Hailey Fullerton led Carthage with a game-high 10 points. Jillian Brunnert and Karley Crowe added six points apiece, while Sierrah Negrette and Lexi Black contributed five points apiece for the Tigers (12-9), who have now won three of their last four games.
The Wildcats (6-14) are currently playing without of services of Flynn, who suffered a concussion against Ozark.
Sophomore Olivia Hixson paced Neosho with six points.
"I thought we did a good job on Hixson," Jones said. "She can knock down shots. We did a good job of being aware of where she was."
A corner trey from Brylee King gave Neosho an early advantage, but the Tigers rattled off 14 straight points.
Later, a steal and layup from Crowe gave the Tigers a comfortable 17-4 advantage before both teams struggled with empty possessions.
Neosho's Hixson buried a 3-pointer and Avery Renfro scored in the lane, trimming the Wildcats' deficit to 17-9 at intermission.
Neosho's Maile Gindling and Hixson both drilled 3-pointers early in the third period to finish off an 11-1 run. The surge got the Wildcats within three at 18-15.
But the Tigers answered back, as Crowe and Black drained treys and Fullerton hit 1-of-2 free throws for a 10-point cushion.
Carthage outscored Neosho 7-2 in the low-scoring fourth quarter to secure the win.
"Overall, I was satisfied with how we played defensively," Hixson said. "Offensively, we just kept shooting ourselves in the foot."
"We definitely sputtered at times offensively," Jones said. "We were taking shots too quickly at times. We weren't going through the offense, we were just taking the first shot we had. But when we got out in transition we got better looks."
Both teams return to action Thursday, as Neosho is at Branson and Carthage is at Willard.

-Jason Peake, Joplin Globe Sports

Carthage 32, Neosho 17
Neosho        3    6    6    2 - 17
Carthage    12    5    8    7 - 32

Individual Scoring
Neosho: O. Hixson 6, Gindling 3, King 3, Pace 3, Renfro 2
Carthage: Fullerton 10, Brunnert 6, Kar. Crowe 6, Black 5, Negrette 5
3PFG: O. Hixson 2, Black, Brunnert, Kar. Crowe, Fullerton, Gindling, King

Carthage JV 39, Neosho JV 22
Carthage "C" 52, Neosho "C" 24