Joplin girls log win over Poplar Bluff

4 days ago 2

The Joplin High School girls basketball team logged its fifth victory in six games Saturday with a 44-31 win over the Poplar Bluff High School Mules at Kaminsky Gymnasium.

Joplin (5-5) scored first with an Alissa Owens bucket in the paint.

The Mules (6-5) earned their first lead of the game off an Allie Johnson score that made it a 6-5 game at the 4:20 mark of the opening period.

They were able to extend that lead to 8-5 by the 2:29 mark, but Joplin’s Ava Dunlap hit a trey with 2:06 left to tie the game at 8-8. From that point, the Eagles never trailed again.

Joplin regained the lead off an Adwen Barstow score with an assist from Solei Parker and closed out the quarter with a Parker 3-pointer from the left corner that put the Eagles up 14-10.

The Eagle defense went into stingy mode for the second period, giving up just 2 points in the quarter — an early Johnson score in the paint. Joplin then held the Mules scoreless for the remaining 7:30 of the half.

“Our main pillar is defense," Joplin head coach Brad Cox said. “We take a lot of pride in defense. We made some adjustments on their big (Johnson), and the girls executed that well.”

The Eagles lead increased to 20-12 off a Payton Cunningham score down low and ballooned to 24-12, courtesy of a Barstow putback at the 3:53 mark.

Joplin gained a 20-point advantage at 32-12 off an Owens score to close out the half.

Poplar Bluff made it a 32-15 game to start the second half with an early 3-pointer.

The Mules pulled within 14 points at 33-19 off a Johnson putback at 4:49 of the third, but Joplin responded with back-to-back-to-back buckets by Owens to take a 39-19 lead going into the final stanza.

Addison Valenzuela connected for three straight treys early in the fourth period to pull Poplar Bluff within 11 points at 39-28 with 5:27 left in the game.

Barstow stopped the drought for Joplin with a pair of free throws as the Eagles held on for the win.

“They (Mules) went on a little run in the third and fourth quarters, but we were able to settle that down and get the win today,” Cox said.

Parker and Owens led the Eagles with 13 points each, while Adwen Barstow chipped in with 9.

Valenzuela and Johnson paced Poplar Bluff with 14 points each.

“We talk all the time about following the lead of our seniors — Alissa, Solei and Ava (Wolf)," Cox said. "Ava just got back from a hyperextended knee, and she was out there battling. Solei had some great drives and great passes down the stretch, and Alissa did some 'Alissa' things with big buckets and big moments.”

The Eagles host Springfield Central High School on Wednesday at Kaminsky Gymnasium.

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