Nevada Lady Tigers fall to Benton, 53-45, in Class 4 quarterfinals

The Nevada Lady Tigers fought hard but ultimately fell to second-ranked Benton Cardinals in the Class 4 quarterfinals on Saturday. The game was played on the campus of State Fair Community College and saw Benton take control early on with strong play on both ends of the floor.

Despite Nevada's efforts to come back, Benton held them at bay during the middle quarters before putting the game away down the stretch for a final score of 53-45. The loss means that Nevada closes the season with a 22-7 record and will be saying goodbye to seniors Maddy Majors and Abbey Heathman.

Benton, on the other hand, improves to 26-3 and is back in the Final Four for the third straight season. They will be taking on the Central Rebels out of Park Hills in the Class 4 semifinals in Springfield on Thursday.

Nevada found themselves in a double-digit first-quarter deficit, thanks to Benton's strong play. The Cardinals limited the Tigers to just two field goals in the first eight minutes of action. Heathman managed to score on the break and Holcomb knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner, but Benton quickly took control. Kelsey Johnson scored 10 points in the first period, including two 3-pointers, while Andrea Simmons and Peyton Anderson added four points and a 3-pointer, respectively. The first quarter ended with Benton leading 21-5.

Despite the early deficit, the Tigers showed their fighting spirit in the second quarter. Nevada managed to trim the deficit to 13 points by halftime, thanks to five points from Holcomb and field goals from Swearingen and Katie Johnson. At halftime, the score was 31-18.

Benton started the second half with a 6-2 run, thanks to two baskets from Johnson and a steal that turned into a score on the break by Avery Morlock. The Cardinals carried a 16-point lead into the fourth quarter, with a score of 42-26.

Benton pushed the lead to more than 20 for the first time with just over four minutes left in regulation, thanks to a score on the break by Simmons and a three-point play from Anderson. Benton eventually lifted its starters, giving Nevada an opportunity to score 10 unanswered points in the waning minutes of the game.

Heathman led Nevada with 18 points, while Swearingen added nine points and Majors had seven. Johnson led Benton with 17 points, followed by Simmons with 15 points.

"Unfortunately, that first quarter was a difference maker," stated Head Coach Blake Howarth. "Once you allow a team like that to get into a rhythm, there's no other distractions." Howarth noted that the rest of the game was "pretty even," but it was an uphill climb due to the first quarter.