Joplin rebounds with win over Bentonville West

NEOSHO, Mo. — Joplin’s 62-53 bounce-back win over Bentonville West on the second day of Gold Bracket play at the 64th Annual Neosho Holiday Classic was a sign of growth according to coach Jeff Hafer. The Eagles (5-5) jumped out to a 12-point advantage after the first quarter thanks to tenacious defense. The Wolverines (6-6) responded in the second and third periods, thanks in large part to their work on the offensive glass, to take a 43-41 lead with one quarter to play. Joplin opened the fourth with a 9-0 run, sparked once again by its defensive pressure, before sealing the win at the charity stripe down the stretch. “This was a great response,” Hafer said. “We had a very good start, and that was important after how poorly we started (against West Memphis on Thursday). I was really proud of the kids for that, and for how well they defended for the most part in this game.” Joplin’s 17-5 scoring advantage in the first quarter was due in large part to forcing the Wolverines into seven turnovers. “We did a couple of different things, starting the game with a run-and-jump trap,” Hafer said. “I felt like that got us going. We changed it up and played a little zone and ran some trap out of that, which got us some unforced turnovers to go our way. All in all, what it really game down to was we sat down in the half court and made them work.” The Wolverines climbed back into the game in the middle quarters with the help of their ability to grab the offensive rebound. Bentonville West had six offensive boards in the second quarter and eight more in the third. Though it accounted for 13 second-chance points for the Wolverines, the damage could have been worse. “Sometimes you’ve got to get a little lucky because a lot of those offensive rebounds didn’t turn into second-chance points for them,” Hafer said. “In the fourth quarter, I felt we were able to lock that back down.” Joplin went into the fourth down by two, but a 9-0 run to start the period put the Eagles in the driver’s seat with a 50-43 advantage. Isaiah Davis started off the run with a 3-pointer to give the Eagles the lead, 44-43. Evan Guillory found room inside for a layup off the break and then followed with a steal at half court before finishing at the other end with a score. “It was very unselfish play with very good execution,” Hafer said. “Evan found Isaiah on the perimeter to start the run. Then, we got a stop, came down and got a score and then Evan stole the ball at half court for a finish the other way and that just got us going.” While they weren’t perfect, the Eagles sank 6-of-10 free throws down the stretch to seal the win. “They are not oblivious to the fact that we have struggled from the line,” Hafer said. “We spend a lot of time shooting free throws. It’s just a hurdle you have to get over. “What I told our guys was, we took a small step forward because we didn’t come away empty. We came away with at least one make each trip.” Guillory had a double-double in the win, scoring 18 points and grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds. He added three assists, a steal and a block for Joplin. “I felt like Evan Guillory was the difference in this game,” Hafer said. “He came out and impacted the game defensively, offensively and by rebounding. When he plays with that kind of motor, we all get better as a team.” Zach Westmoreland scored a game-high 21 points on 5-of-7 shooting and 11 free throws, while adding four rebounds. Davis had eight points, five rebounds and two assists. Dawson Bailey led Bentonville West with 20 points and four rebounds, while Jonas Higson finished with 14 points and eight rebounds. Joplin has a chance to finish out its three-day tournament stretch with a 2-1 record, as the Eagles play Lafayette at 9 a.m. today in the fifth-place game. Bentonville West plays eStem Charter at 10:30 a.m. at Neosho Junior High. “To find a way to possibly come out 2-1 against this level of competition speaks to how we are growing as a team,” Hafer said. “Lafayette is a very good team, and we look for different challenges throughout the season to draw back on. Learning how to play a physical game against these teams is going to pay dividends down the road for us.”

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Bentonville West High School Athletics

JOPLIN REBOUNDS WITH WIN OVER BENTONVILLE WEST

LUCAS DAVIS

Joplin Globe | 12/30/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Bentonville West Athletics