Carthage girls ride second-half run to beat Joplin

Jan. 9—The Carthage Tigers rode a two-minute run in the fourth quarter to break open a tight basketball game at Joplin's Kaminsky Gymnasium and beat the Eagles 44-36 to win their first COC Conference game of the season.

The Joplin girls held a 12-8 lead after a defensive first half and the Lady Eagles held the lead for most of the third quarter and were up by five points — Joplin's largest lead — with 2:05 left in that third frame.

Then Carthage went on 21-6 run at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth to take a 39-29 lead with 4:07 left in the fourth quarter before they started working the clock to preserve the win.

Carthage increased its lead to 42-31 with 1:35 left in the game and held off a final surge.

Sophomore Alissa Owens was Joplin's leading scorer with 15 points, including two 3-point shots, one in the first quarter and one in the third quarter.

Junior Ava Wolf scored nine points on the night, including going 5 for 6 at the free throw line.

Joplin junior Alyana Kroll, senior Ashley Phillips and junior Isabella Cruse scored four points each to round out Joplin's scoring.

The Lady Tigers had two players in double figures — junior Lauren Choate with 15, including a 3-point shot in the first quarter and 11 points in the fourth quarter, and junior Maggie Boyd, with 10 points, all in the second half.

Junior Jaidyn Brunner had nine points in the game, all on 3-point shots, one in the first quarter, one in the third quarter and one in the fourth quarter.

Junior Ashlyn Brust scored five points in the third quarter, senior Trisha Kanas had a 3-pointer in the third quarter and Freshman Kylinn Stonebreaker had two points.

Carthage moves to 6-7 on the season and 1-0 in the COC while Joplin falls to 4-8 and 0-1 in the conference.