Nevada girls quell Carthage comeback attempt

Thursday, February 8, 2007
NHS senior Amanda Wilson (32) shoots between Carthage defenders Aleisha Joyce and Kori Gregory (24) during Wednesday's Southwest Conference game at Wynn Gymnasium. Nevada won 56-48.

By Joe Warren

Nevada Daily Mail

NEVADA, Mo. -- The Nevada Lady Tigers held off a furious late Carthage rally as they won the Southwest Conference battle at Wynn Gymnasium Wednesday, 56-48.

After blowing a 15-point second half lead and allowing Carthage to go up 44-43 with just under three minutes to play in the game, Nevada snapped out of their funk to close the contest with a 13-4 run, notching their second conference win of the season.

Nevada (15-3 overall, 2-1 in the conference) controlled the contest for two and a half quarters, taking an 11-9 lead after one period and then going into halftime with a 26-14 advantage.

Nevada did a great job of taking care of the basketball in the first half, turning it over only twice before intermission.

Meanwhile, they were getting a balanced offensive effort, and were doing a good job of taking away Carthage's two biggest scoring threats. Nevada held sophomores Denise Taylor and Ryann Hartlet to a combined seven points in the first two quarters.

But in the third period things started to turn the other way. Nevada took their biggest lead in the game with a 31-16 count after a bucket by Amanda Wilson with 5:12 to play in the third.

Carthage head coach Bobby Waggoner called a timeout, and that's when the visitors made their move.

Carthage (12-8, 2-3) went on a 6-0 run to make it 31-22. Nevada answered with buckets by Jordan Webb and Lindsay Rice, and a free throw by Erica Klinksick to push the led back to 36-24. Carthage scored the final bucket of the third period to make it 36-26, but it still appeared as if Nevada was in command.

That's when Hartley scored five points and steered a 9-0 run to start the fourth period that brought Carthage to within one, and the game was back-and-fourth from then on.

Rice scored to make it 38-35, stopping the bleeding temporarily.

A free throw by Aleisha Joyce and a bucket by Taylor tied the score at 38, but a charity toss by Kristen Badgley put Nevada up by one again.

Taylor scored to give Carthage their first lead of the game with 4:27 to play, 40-39.

Wilson, who struggled from the field much of the game, hit a jumper from the left baseline to put Nevada back up, 41-40.

Joyce scored to give Carthage a 42-41 edge, but Wilson again answered, hitting a jumper from the elbow for a 43-42 lead.

Taylor scored again to put Carthage up yet again, but the 44-43 lead wouldn't last for the visitors.

Rice hit a jumper to go back up 45-44, then Afton Baldwin hit a couple of free throws to make it a three-point game.

A steal and layup by Baldwin put Nevada up 49-44, and the Lady Tigers converted at the free-throw line the rest of the way to secure the win.

"We just lost some intensity level in the second half and our shots weren't falling," Nevada head coach Brent Bartlett said of the comeback. "We did a great job in the first half of moving and taking away some things, but they were just one step ahead of us in the second half, until the last few minutes when we picked it up."

The Lady Tigers were very balanced offensively, with four players in double figures. Baldwin led the team with 13, while Rice had 12, Web 11 and Wilson 10. Rice also led Nevada with eight boards.

Taylor led all scorers with 17 points for Carthage, while Hartley tallied 13. Taylor also had nine rebounds.

The win came on the heels of a loss at Neosho Tuesday, as the Lady Tigers play a string of four conference games in five days. Nevada is off today before hosting McDonald County Friday, then visiting McDonald County Saturday in a weather-delayed game that was originally scheduled for Jan. 12.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: