NEOSHO, Mo. — Carthage built an early lead on the way to a Central Ozark Conference road win over Neosho on Monday in what turned out to be a memorable night for Tigers junior point guard Kianna Yates.
The Tigers (10-12, 1-3 COC) built a 10-point lead by the end of the first quarter and went into the intermission leading 26-16. Carthage methodically grew the lead over Neosho (8-13, 0-4 COC) in the second half through the final horn. 
"It was a good road win for us tonight," Carthage coach Scott Moore said to SoMo Sports. "Neosho plays a tough 2-1-2 zone and it took us a few minutes to get into a rhythm. When we did, the shots started to fall and we were able to play with a double-digit lead for most of the game.
"The biggest key to victory tonight was our defense," Moore added. "We switched between about four different defenses to keep Neosho off-balance. It's a huge credit to all 10 girls who played that they handled all of that so well."
During the win, Yates made history as she eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career. Yates finished the night with 14 points to tie for the team lead.
"Junior Kianna Yates accomplished a big milestone tonight with her 1,000th point," Moore said. "Her teammates were so excited for her when we called time out. She is such a great basketball player and an even better teammate. We are proud of her and know she will score many more points before her career is over."
Lauren Choate also finished with 14 points, while Maggie Boyd was right behind with 12. Sophie Shannon added six.
"Freshmen guards Lauren Choate and Maggie Boyd have really matured their offensive games this season," Moore added. "To have both of them in double digits again gives us a three-headed monster for other teams to try to stop."
Beclynn Garrett scored 13 points for the Wildcats, while Karlee Ellick added 10 points. 
Carthage hosts Willard on Thursday, while Neosho hosts Branson on Thursday.
-SoMo Staff Reports

Carthage JV 36, Neosho JV 29