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Nevada Tigers fall to Warrensburg at home
By Eric Wade
Daily Mail Sports Editor
"This is the second night in a row where we've done everything but win the basketball game."
Though the Nevada Tigers basketball team came up on the short end of the final score of another game, head coach John McNeley came out of Friday night's double overtime war against the Tigers of Warrensburg High School with nothing but positive words to say about his team, with good reason. Though the Tigers came up five points short in a 71-66 defeat on their home floor, the overall effort was the best McNeley's squad has put forth all season.
"I mean, our kids are, you know, giving us everything that they've got," McNeley said. "It's been fun to watch them come together and improve as a basketball team."
The Tigers came into the night having played two of their best games of the year against Seneca and Carthage in their last two outings and McNeley said after the Seneca game at Wynn Gymnasium that it was the best his team had played all season. Those sentiments changed after Friday's contest.
"This is our best ballgame," he said. "It's our third straight step forward."
The Tigers entered the night knowing they would be at a very distinct disadvantage, right out of the gate, as the Warrensburg roster featured what could be the best player the Tigers will see. That player, Dakota Jones, didn't waste any time showing just how good he is, either, as he took over early and finished the night accounting for 40 of his team's 71 points.
"He's the best player we will play against," McNeley said of the senior Jones. "There's no good way to guard him and the danger is it's hard to guard him one-on-one, but yet, he's good enough to where if you try to zone him, he can split you and the other people are good enough to where they can score."
Jones not only showed the Tigers, firsthand, what kind of player he is, but the rest of the Warrensburg squad had little trouble proving McNeley right as Brady Roop took full advantage of the opportunities Jones created, finishing the night with 12 points of his own.
Though none of Nevada's players were able to reach the astronomical numbers Jones achieved, there were a number of individual performances that left McNeley with a smile on his face as the contest came to an end. Most notable of those, in terms of statistics, was Devion Leavell. Leavell led the Tigers with 19 points and also finished with seven rebounds and one of Nevada's two blocks.
"Devion was a factor and got some big rebounds for us down here on some shots that they probably should have finished," McNeley said. "Devion's a good offensive player and being left-handed is a huge advantage in the post. He's a reason why we've become much harder to guard."
Leavell was joined in double figures on the night by Brandon Barker, who finished with 15 points.
Though McNeley was impressed with the performance put on by his senior center, one of the performances that stood out most was that of a player who didn't really show up much, in the scorebook. Keegan Bell finished the night with three points, three rebounds, two assists and three steals before fouling out of the contest, but McNeley credited him with being one of the best leaders the Tigers had on the court.
"Probably one of the things that says a lot about a team is the fact that you lose Keegan at the end of regulation and then, you play a good team to a tie at the end of the first overtime, without the guy that has the ball in his hands probably 90 percent of the time," he said.
Despite those strong individual performances and what can easily be called the best game of the season the Tigers have played as a team, it wasn't much consolation for McNeley's players. Though his pride in his squad's performance was easily visible after Friday's contest was over, nothing short of a win will give him or his players true satisfaction.
"It's also nice to win, you know, when you throw your heart and soul into it," he said. "That's what we hope for, for our kids, because they deserve a win against a quality opponent."
The Tigers won't have to wait long to see if they can finally get over the hump and earn that quality win as McNeley's squad will get right back into action Tuesday, hoping to improve upon its 2-6 record against the Panthers of St. Mary's Colgan High School. The first of three contests on the schedule that night is set to tip off at 4:30 p.m., in Pittsburg, Kan.