By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The opening White Division semifinal game Wednesday night was not one for the faint of heart. The pace was frenetic, the play physical and nearly every pass was deflected or had a hand on it the entire night.
But it was the Strafford Lady Indians who survived the battle of two high-energy, high-intensity teams as they captured a 46-41 victory over second-seeded Nixa in the Pink and White Lady Classic at the O’Reilly Family Event Center.
“It was a great team effort,” Strafford coach Dustin Larsen said. “We were faced with some adversity. That’s something, we keep growing; that’s the main focus as a team. It’s a process and it’s a team effort. Each night, our kids keep growing and getting better together.”
Strafford, the third seed, jumped on top in the first quarter for a 13-7 lead with every starter getting in the scorebook. Then Nixa caught fire in the second quarter, going on a 10-0 run to pull ahead 19-13, as the two teams traded baskets before the quarter ended with the Lady Eagles holding a 23-20 lead going into the intermission.
But no lead is safe with either team on the opposing side.
Strafford fought back and tied the game in the third quarter at 31 on a baseline jumper by senior forward Mattilyn Walker. Nixa’s Rhianna Gibbons answered with a jump shot of her own to put the Lady Eagles back on top (33-31). Emma Mullings then picked up a loose ball and scored to tie it back up at 33 heading into the final quarter.
And the Lady Indians kept attacking, scoring nine of their 13 fourth-quarter points from the free-throw line.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
“We’ve just got to focus on doing what we do, and just staying the course,” Larsen said. “I thought our kids did that; they kept that look in their eye, kept believing. That’s why you play four quarters. It’s December right now and we’re going to make mistakes. We just don’t want to ponder on those mistakes. We just want to keep getting better and growing.”
Nixa coach Jennifer Perryman said she and her players agreed that they were outplayed Wednesday night.
“Strafford did a tremendous job, and we just didn’t go after the loose balls,” Perryman said. “We didn’t rebound, we missed free throws, missed rotations and I think that was a sign of our lack of toughness tonight. I think Strafford was tougher tonight, physically and mentally.
“And I think if we don’t learn from this, and we don’t rebound from this, then they’re going to beat us twice. So, I just told them, ‘make sure this is the only time they beat us tomorrow. They don’t beat us because we recover, and we come back and we reconvene who we really are.’ And we’ve got to have that element of toughness.”
Strafford, which won three straight Pink Division titles (2016, 2017, 2018) is excited to be back in the title game – this time, for the White Division title.
“It feels really good,” senior guard Emma Compton said. “I think it’s the first time in three years we are going back to the championship, so it feels really good. We’ve wanted it for a while. We’ve just got to do that again and be ready for tomorrow – we’ve got just one more to give it all we got.”
(3) STRAFFORD 46, (2) NIXA 41
Pink and White Lady Classic
White Semifinal
STRAFFORD 13-7-13-13—46
NIXA 7-16-10-8—41
(3) STRAFFORD (8-1) – Lauren Jones 14, Laney Humble 5, Mattilyn Walker 11, Emma Mullings 6, Emma Compton 8, Bailey Chrisman 2.
(2) NIXA (8-2) – Sadie Conway 3, Ali Kamies 8, Norah Clark 4, Macie Conway 17, Rhianna Gibbons 9
Up next: White Division championship – Strafford vs. Georgetown-West Plains winner, 2:30 p.m. Thursday, O’Reilly Family Event Center; third place – Nixa vs. Georgetown-West Plains loser, 5:30 p.m., Thursday, OFEC
