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NMS eighth-graders top Joplin South, run win streak to seven
Nevada Daily Mail
Playing in their final home contest of the season Thursday night, the Nevada Tigers eighth-grade boys basketball team sprinted past the Joplin South Eagles en route to a 56-44 victory.
The Tigers have now reeled off seven consecutive wins, improving to 9-1.
"It's just a big monkey off their backs," Nevada first year head coach Lance Sargent said. "Joplin South won the Tri-County (Tournament) last year, and (Nevada) played them twice and got beat both times. So it's a big win for those guys. They wanted that one more than any so far this year."
An offensive rebound and layup courtesy of forward Kayden Ast handed the Tigers a 6-2 lead with 3:48 to play in the first quarter. The lead extended to 9-2 when guard Carter Swearingen completed a traditional three-point play.
Midway through the first quarter, Swearingen broke Joplin South's full court press, passing to point guard Bronson Smith, who then dished off to Ast under the basket for a lay-in putting Nevada out in front 11-4.
The Tigers capped an 8-0 run with an exclamation point, as Ast leaped high into the air, grabbing an inbounds lob pass, and scoring all in one fell swoop. Ast's highlight-reel play increased the Nevada advantage to 17-4 with 2:01 left on the first quarter clock.
With better half-court execution, Joplin South closed out the first quarter on a 7-0 blitz, to pull within six at 17-11.
Forward Matt Thompson scored the first points of the second quarter, following up his own missed shot with a layup, giving Nevada a 19-11 lead.
Ast continued to wreak havoc on the offensive glass, plucking a Will Johnson miss out of the air, and pumping in two more points for a 22-13 Tigers lead.
Later in the second quarter, after a call was reversed giving the ball back to Nevada under their own basket, a seemingly confused Joplin South squad lost track of Ast, who was left wide-open on the left block. After the Thompson to Ast layup, Nevada led 24-15.
On the following possession, Ast took an entry pass from Thompson, and then backed his defender down a couple of feet, before turning and scoring, putting the Tigers up 11 with 2:29 remaining in the half.
Alex Gaskill's rainbow 3-pointer from the right baseline, sliced the Joplin South deficit to 26-20, heading into intermission.
At the half, Ast led all scorers with 13 points.
The Tigers opened the second half on a high-note, as Thompson caught Swearingen's bullet pass and went up for two, giving the Tigers an eight point cushion.
With 4:47 to play in the quarter, Swearingen pump-faked and drove in from the left wing, scoring and drawing contact on the play. Swearingen's free throw gave the Tigers a 31-22 lead. Later in the quarter Swearingen again drove hard from the left wing, finishing at the rim, to put Nevada up by a bakers dozen at 35-22.
A 5-0 run brought Joplin South to within eight, however, a Smith reverse layup with five seconds remaining in the quarter, increased Nevada's lead to 37-27.
"That was a big lift for us," Sargent said.
The win didn't come easy for Nevada, as Joplin South guard James Acres erupted for 11 fourth quarter points, which included three 3-pointers. Acres final 3-pointer of the night sliced Nevada's lead to 49-44 with 50 seconds remaining. However, the Tigers iced the game at the free throw line.
'We didn't defend the three well," Sargent said.
Swearingen finished with a team-high 18 points, while knocking down 10 of 13 free throws.
To view pictures from the game, go to www.nevadadailymail.com