SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10
By: Lucas Davis
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Joplin entered the fourth quarter trailing by four, but once the Eagles regained the lead, they never relinquished it on the way to a 60-54 win over Carthage in the 76th annual Carthage Invitational championship game on Saturday. 

"We didn't have a very good start to the first quarter, but I think we held them to 10 points," Joplin coach Bronson Schaake said. "Then we got into some foul trouble and they went after those guys. We stayed within one at the half, and I thought whoever had the lead after the third was going to win. We were down, but our dudes battled and we got stops.

"I thought the matchups were tough on both sides. They can shoot and we're a big team, so I just told our guys to get to the paint and make free throws as well. It was a grind-it-out game, which we needed. … They're a really good team. (Max) Templeman is a shifty, quick guard who is smart and can get into your body. He gets them going. (Justin) Ray is constantly moving, and he has expanded his game—he has the mid-range and he is getting to the bucket. (Clay) Kinder is always a matchup problem. If he knows he can take a big, he is really smart about it. They're just a well-coached team and they move the ball extremely well."

With the win, the Eagles, who improved to 4-1, are the first back-to-back Carthage Invitational champions since Heritage (Arkansas) in 2013 and '14.

"Confidence," Schaake said when asked what this early-season tournament title win does for his team. "I think it shows them what they can do. Ray-Pec is a quality team and Carthage is going to be one of the better teams in our league. It shows that we have a whole new level we can get to as well. I think confidence is pushing us in the right direction."

The defeat is the first of the year for Carthage, which falls to 3-1.

"I thought our kids played hard," Carthage coach Nathan Morris said. "When Max (Templeman) hit that shot to send us into the fourth quarter with a four-point lead, I thought we were in a good spot despite the fact that we didn't rebound well enough throughout the entire game. They were more physical than us at the rim, and we aren't going to win many basketball games when we shoot 3-of-15 or 16 from the 3-point line and these guys know that. We're pretty good at attacking the rim, but we're going to have to bury some outside shots.

"I hate this for our seniors, who had a chance to win this tournament. Our group was upset, but they weren't down because they realize that we still have a high ceiling for our team this season. We are going to keep getting better."

DOWN THE STRETCH

After a free throw from the Tigers early in the fourth, Joplin rallied to regain the lead, 42-41, with six straight points coming in the form of two buckets from junior G All Wright and dunk on the break by senior F Terrance Gibson off a turnover by Carthage.

The Tigers jumped back out in front on a drive by senior G Max Templeman the next trip down the court, but it would be the last time Carthage held the lead in the waning minutes.

Joplin used a basket from junior F Whit Hafer and a 3-pointer off a ball screen at the top of the key by Wright for a 47-43 advantage with 5:30 to play. 

Joplin pushed the lead to five thanks to a three-point play on a putback score from Gibson with 4:15 to push the lead to make the score 49-45.

The Eagles and Tigers traded scores evenly through the remainder of the contest without Carthage able to trim the lead to one possession for a chance to tie the game.

HOW THEY GOT THERE

Carthage opened the game with the momentum after kicking things off with an 8-2 run through the first three and a half minutes of action, fueled by six points from senior F Clay Kinder on a pair of old-fashioned three-point plays. 

Joplin responded by closing the first period on an 11-2 surge to take a 13-10 lead into the second quarter. Junior F Hobbs Gooch scored in the paint early in the run and closed it out with a driving score. Sophomore G Collis Jones grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback and Wright hit a pair of runners to fill out the run.

The lead changed hands five times in the final 2:15 of the second period. Joplin led 16-10 early in the period on a Jones' 3-pointer before the Tigers rallied to tie it on a 3-pointer from Kinder at the wind with 3:15 to play. Carthage went in front on the next trip down the court on a free throw from Templeman. Wright and Templeman traded two makes at the stripe before trading driving scores to close out the first half with the Tigers on top 27-26.

"You can just point out how important every detail is," Morris said when asked what he hopes his team takes from this loss moving forward. "A rebound here, missed free throw there, a missed assignment on defense or you didn't execute a set on the offensive end—they matter in games that are that tight."

Joplin took the lead back out of the break with the first two buckets of the second half on a mid-range jumper from Hafer and a transition layup by Gibson for a 30-27 advantage. 

Carthage countered by scoring 11 of the last 15 points of the third quarter to take a 40-36 lead into the final eight minutes. Senior G Britt Coy started the run with an offensive rebound for a putback score before junior G Justin Ray buried a 3-pointer from the corner to give the Tigers a 34-32 lead with 2:50 to play. Kinder added a baseline drive before the half closed with Gibson getting a pair of scores in the paint for Joplin, with Ray and Templeman countering with inside hoops of their own to keep the Carthage lead at four entering the fourth quarter.

"We talked about it in the locker room after the game, but you have to care if you're going to be good at anything," Schaake said when asked about his team closing out games in the fourth quarter this season. "We're young in areas and we have pieces who are getting better and better. I don't think we are anywhere near where we are going to be defensively. We still have to get better with communication on certain things. … But (the way they are closing out games) shows me that they care enough to want to buckle down and fight, which is what you need from a young group."

SCORING LEADERS

Wright led all scorers with 23 points, 12 coming in the first half. Gibson closed with 16 points, while Quin Refro had six and Jones five. Hafer and Gooch each added four.

Kinder and Templeman each finished with 17 points to lead the Tigers in scoring. Coy added 11 to give Carthage three players in double figures. Ray finished with seven and Trent Yates scored two.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

MVP – All Wright, Joplin

Max Templeman, Carthage

Justin Ray, Carthage

Ashton Jermain, Raymore-Peculiar

Joseph Graves, Rush

Barron Duda, Webb City

Alex Martin, Webb City

Quin Renfro, Joplin

Jeremiah Lewis, Leavenworth

Elijah Watts, Raymore-Peculiar

FINALS
3rd Place: Raymore-Peculiar 59, Webb City 28
5th Place: Leavenworth (KS) 59, RUSH 52
7th Place: Nevada 55, Ft. Smith Southside (AR) 53

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9
By: Jason Peake
jpeake@somo-sports.com 
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Nathan Morris noticed something about his Carthage Tigers in the moments leading up to Friday's showdown with rival Webb City.

"I could tell before the game the boys were locked in and ready to go," Morris said. 

That pregame assessment turned out to be correct.

With a strong overall performance, and ignited by a strong start, Carthage rolled to a 70-48 win over Webb City in the semifinals of the 76th Carthage Invitational boys basketball tournament.

"I'm so proud of these guys," Morris said. "If they play that hard night in and night out, I like our chances against anybody. The level they played at for 32 minutes was phenomenal. I know these kids really well and they felt like this one was theirs to go get. I'm really happy for the kids in that locker room." 

Carthage (3-0) will meet Joplin (3-1) in the invite's championship game at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. 

Morris noted it's special for his squad to be playing in their own tournament's title game. 

"There are two pictures in that locker room from back to back championships from 2010 and 2011," Morris said. "We haven't had a chance to play for a championship in our tournament for a long time, so it's special for the team and special for our town."

In 2011, Carthage edged Joplin 57-56 in the tourney title game.

As far as Friday's finale, Carthage built a 36-18 halftime advantage with solid overall play on both ends of the court and never let up in the second half.

"These teams know each other so well and our kids took the scouting report to heart," Morris said. "I was happy with our offense in the first half, but it was more about the defensive end. We contested every shot and they did not make a 3-pointer in the first half.

"There was an amazing atmosphere tonight," Morris added. "It got a little crazy at times, but that's going to happen when it's Carthage vs. Webb City. It's probably going to happen when it's Carthage and Joplin." 

Four players scored in double figures for Carthage.

Senior guard Max Templeman led the way with 24 points and nine rebounds. Templeman made 6-of-15 field goal attempts and was a perfect 11-for-11 at the charity stripe. 

Senior guard Britt Coy recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Junior guard Justin Ray scored 11 and sophomore guard Trent Yates added 10. Senior forward Clay Kinder chipped in eight points.

The Tigers made 22-of-57 shot attempts and 20-of-25 free throws. Carthage out-rebounded Webb City 37-25.

Webb City was led by junior guard Barron Duda's 12 points. Senior forward Alex Martin and senior guard Joe Adams contributed nine points apiece, with the 6-5 Martin also grabbing 10 rebounds. 

The Cardinals made just 17-of-44 field goal attempts, including 3-of-18 from long range (17 percent). 

After making four 3-pointers in the opening frame, Carthage took an 18-10 lead into the second quarter.

The Tigers extended their lead with hot shooting in the second period. Coy caught fire in the frame, hitting a 3-pointer, a mid-range jumper and then a runner in the lane to make it 30-16. 

Overall, Carthage outscored Webb City 18-8 in the game-changing second quarter to take a commanding 36-18 halftime advantage. 

In the first half, Carthage made 11-of-30 field goal attempts, including 6-of-12 from beyond the arc. On the other, Webb City made just 6-of-20 shots, including 0-for-8 from 3-point land. The Cardinals did not make a field goal in the final six minutes of the first half.

The Tigers extended their lead past 20 in the third quarter and led 57-35 entering the fourth quarter. 

The final outcome was never in doubt in the fourth quarter. 

Webb City (2-1) will take on Raymore-Peculiar (1-2) in the third-place game at 3 p.m.

Semifinals Round
RUSH 61, Nevada 46
Leavenworth 59, Ft. Smith Southside 46
Joplin 56, Raymore-Peculiar 50

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8
By: Jason Peake
jpeake@somo-sports.com 
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Longtime rivals Carthage and Webb City will meet in the semifinals of the 76th Carthage Invitational boys basketball tournament.

In Thursday's opening round, Carthage started fast and held on late for a 45-37 win over Fort Smith-Southside from Arkansas, while Webb City got it done in crunch time to earn a 57-52 overtime victory over Leavenworth (Kan.) in the night's finale. 

The Tigers (2-0) and Cardinals (2-0) will meet at 8:30 on Friday night, with the winner earning a spot in Saturday's title game.

CARTHAGE 45, FT. SMITH SOUTHSIDE (AR) 37

Clinging to a two-point lead with just over two minutes remaining, the Tigers finished strong.

The hosts scored the game's final six points and came up with a number of key defensive stops to secure a hard-fought win.

"We are far from a finished product," Tigers coach Nathan Morris said. "Our guys know that. We've got some guys still working to get into basketball shape. We've got some guys banged up and we had a starter that's been sick. We're working through those things. I knew the team that played sound basketball for more of the game was going to win. We kept our cool and kept our heads late in the game. It would be nice to win that game by 15, but I'm OK with us having to grind some wins out right now."

Carthage got off to a blistering start. The Tigers hit six treys in the first quarter against Southside's zone defense en route to taking a 20-12 lead. 

Justin Ray hit three 3-pointers in the opening frame, while Max Templeman hit two and Clay Kinder knocked down one of his own against the Mavericks, who struggled with early turnovers.

"It was great to get that from Justin," Morris said. "We also asked him to defend their best player for 32 minutes. But we're ready for Justin to take the next step and be that guy with Max." 

After scoring 20 points in the first quarter, Carthage tallied just six in the second period. 

Southside pulled within four, but back to back hoops from Ray gave the Tigers a 26-18 halftime advantage.

The Mavericks stayed within striking distance throughout the third quarter, as a pair of hoops from Gibran Sullivan trimmed Carthage's lead to four.

Kinder buried a 3-pointer from the right wing to give the Tigers a 35-28 cushion at the end of the third period.

Southside pulled within two in the fourth period, but Carthage never surrendered its lead down the stretch.

After a Southside turnover, Kinder and Templeman hit two free throws apiece to make it 41-37 with 35 seconds left. 

Sophomore guard Trent Yates hit two foul shots with 17 seconds remaining for the final margin.

The Pioneers didn't score in the final 2:20.

"We have a tough, gritty group," Morris said. "These guys have bought into doing the dirty work. Britt Coy is an undersized post player, but he fights for every rebound. Clay knows how to use his body, and I'll take our three guards."

A senior guard, Templeman led Carthage with 18 points. A junior guard, Ray added 13 points and Kinder, a senior forward, added 10.

Yazed Faforo scored 12 points for Southside.

First Round Games
Webb City 57, Leavenworth 52 OT
Raymore-Peculiar 54, Nevada 33
Joplin 61, RUSH 52