By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Zoe Shrubb can be a key indicator for how well the West Plains Lady Zizzers are playing.
As coach Christy Otter explained: “We know when Zoe starts hitting, it’s going to be a good night.”
Shrubb was hitting early and often in what turned out to be a very good Wednesday night for the Lady Zizzers.
The senior reserve poured in 19 points off the bench as West Plains defeated McDonald County 60-39 in a matchup of state-ranked teams in the semifinals of the Class 5 District 6 Tournament at Hillcrest High School.
“Honestly, it’s like I have six starters,” Otter said. “(Zoe) could start any given night, and I would not feel like there would be one ounce of a letdown from the team.”
Shrubb, a William Woods commit, provided a much-needed jolt after West Plains wasn’t in sync early against McDonald County’s zone defense.
She scored 10 of her 19 in the second quarter as West Plains turned a slight deficit into a five-point halftime lead.
“It’s just about having the right mindset,” Shrubb said. “Since you come in off the bench during moments like this, where it matters more, you just have to have the right mindset and act like you were in the game the whole time.”
West Plains (19-9 overall, No. 6 in Class 5 MBCA state rankings) outscored McDonald County 23-8 in the third quarter to bust the game open.
“Really unusual for us to get off to a slow start and have such low scoring for as long as we did,” Otter said. “We have not seen much zone throughout the year. Most teams don’t play us in a zone because of how we shoot, so it slowed us down a little bit.”
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The Lady Zizzers hit 12 3-pointers on the night. Shrubb made five of them.
“I know when I make a shot, I get a little more energy on the defensive end,” Shrubb said. “It brings me up a little, and it brings the team up, too.”
Wednesday’s victory sets up a mega showdown with top-ranked Marshfield for the district championship this Friday night.
West Plains will be seeking its first district title in three years. Marshfield is going for a district three-peat.
Marshfield has two wins over West Plains this season, including a double-overtime thriller on Feb. 16 that helped the Lady Jays clinch a conference championship.
A fast-paced, high-scoring affair is anticipated for Friday night’s trilogy match.
“Our kids like to run and push the tempo,” Otter said. “We are so familiar with each other. It’s been a slugfest every time.”
Sophomore guard Ainsley McWilliams added 11 points for West Plains on Wednesday night.
The Lady Zizzers held McDonald County (21-7 overall, No. 2 in Class 5 MBCA rankings) to single digits in each of the first three quarters. McDonald County shot just 31 percent from the field.
“They were a little weaker with the ball handling, so we just tried to pressure them and get after them so they make silly mistakes,” Shrubb said.
West Plains’ stingy post defense was also a key factor in the performance, Otter said.
“(McDonald County) is a tough matchup with their size. They’re almost 5’10” across the board except for one player,” Otter said. “They tried to post up our guards. I felt like we did a good job fighting inside and holding our own.”
Senior Jamie Washam led McDonald County with 16 points. The Lady Mustangs finish with 20 or more wins for the second time in three seasons.
West Plains 60, McDonald County 39
McDonald County 6 9 8 16 — 39
West Plains 5 18 23 14 — 60
McDonald County (21-7 overall) – Jamie Washam 16, Dakota O’Brien 7, Carlie Martin 7, Kamryn Christie 3, Layla Wallain 3, Kearston Hopkins 3
West Plains (19-9 overall) – Zoe Shrubb 19, Ainsley McWilliams 11, Zoe Scharnhorst 8, Gillian Green 8, Shaylee Peterson 6, Delani Wahome 4, Lucy Hafer 4
