Lady Tigers drill Warrensburg, win eighth straight

Ralph Pokorny/Daily Mail/ Nevada sophomore Chloe Bartlett sets for a jumper, Jan. 5 against Monett High School.

Nevada Daily Mail

The Nevada Lady Tigers picked up their eighth consecutive victory, leveling Warrensburg 52-30 in a Friday night West Central Conference road contest.

The win improves Nevada to 10-2 (7-1, WCC).

Ralph Pokorny/Daily Mail/ Nevada guard Madi Culbertson drives to the basket during a matchup against Monett.

"We played really well tonight, and took them out of a lot of things they wanted to do," Nevada head coach Brent Bartlett said.

The Lady Tigers led 15-6 after the first quarter, and 32-8 at halftime.

"We kept them off-balance," he said. "Our defense was the key."

Bartlett added that he was pleased with his team's offensive effort as well.

"Offensively, I thought we executed really well," he said. "We had some good looks that we passed up for a better shot. It was just good all-around teamwork."

For Nevada, senior Rilie Good scored a game-high 19 points.

"There were some nice passes made to Rilie, and she did a good job of finishing," he said.

Despite playing under the weather, Bartlett said that Good was extra focused for the game.

"They held her to two points when they played down here last year, and just shoved her all over the gym floor," he said. "And she just kind of determined that wasn't going to happen again."

Additionally for Nevada, guard Mikayala Bartlett scored 10, while Madi Culbertson added eight. Megan Payne and Morgan McNeley scored six apiece, Chloe Bartlett chipped in with two, and Jansen Miller scored one.

"I see Madi and Chloe's confidence growing on the offensive side," Bartlett said. "Chloe is shooting free throws better, and Madi's hit some 3-pointers. So they're doing things we need them to do."

In his more than two decades coaching basketball, Bartlett said this year's team has the potential to be the best of them all.

"We've had some good team's, and this one ranks right up there with them," he said. "I'm pretty proud of them. They've taken some bumps the past couple of years, and improved and grown as a team."

The Lady Tigers will have an opportunity to avenge their early-season loss to McDonald County, as the teams square off at Wynn Gym, with the first game starting at 6 p.m.

Listed below, the Class 4 girls basketball rankings, via Ozarkssportszone.com

1. Incarnate Word (6-2)

2 . Bolivar (10-1)

3. MICDS (6-1)

4. Borgia (5-1)

5. West Plains (9-3)

6. St. Charles (10-1)

7. Hillcrest (8-4)

8. Benton (8-2)

9. Smithville (8-2)

10. DeSoto (11-2)

Class 4 Boys rankings:

1. Helias (10-2)

2. Lafayette (8-2)

3. Lincoln Prep (7-2)

4. Rolla (8-1)

5. Moberly (7-1)

6. St. Charles (12-2)

7. Westminster (7-2)

8. Cape Central (10 - 4)

9. Pacific (5-3)

10. Parkway West (7-3)