Eighth grade boys sweep Joplin North

The Nevada eighth-grade boys' basketball teams split with Carl Junction Tuesday night.

The boys' A team prevailed, 34-27. Matt Sommer had 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Patrick Ferry had nine points and nine rebounds.

"Carl Junction was a very big and athletic team that really pushed us," noted Tigers head coach Tyson Beshore. "We continue to improve each game offensively and our intensity on the defensive end was led by Tyler Ketterman, who was outsized again but he outworks our opponents every game."

The B team fell to Carl Junction by a final score of 42-31.

"We started slow and never recovered in the first half. I am extremely proud of the boys and their effort in the second half," continued the coach. "We outscored them in the third and fourth quarters."

Cameron Diaz and Payton Bright led the team in scoring, with 16 and seven points, respectively. Thomas Prewitt had six rebounds.

"Blake Majors is really stepping up defensively for us," Beshore said.

Earlier, Nevada's A team fell to Joplin North by a final score of 50-23. Matt Sommer led a balanced attack with 16 points. Patrick Ferry had 11 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocked shots.

"He was a difference maker in the paint," Beshore said of Ferry. "Jacob Johnson hit some big shots for us as well."

The A team's record is now 2-1.

The B team won, 26-22, for its first win of the season in three outings. Tyler Seaver led Nevada with eight points, including two "big" 3-pointers, noted the coach. Cameron Diaz and Payton Bright had 10 and eight rebounds, respectively.

Ako Marley "played well," Beshore said, and had three assists.

"It was a close game that came down to the end but we took care of the basketball and played great team defense," summed up the coach.