Tigers take Classic crown

Nevada senior Logan Moore uses the glass during Saturday's Tiger Classic championship game. Moore scored nine points, all in the fourth quarter, as the Tigers held off Carthage 56-47.

NEVADA, Mo. -- The Nevada Tigers gradually pulled away from the Carthage Tigers to win the Seventh Annual Tiger Classic title Saturday, 56-47.

J.R. Mills scored 10 of his 21 points in the third quarter and Nevada went on a 9-0 run to go up by 12 and Carthage didn't challenge again.

Mills hit a pair of 3-pointers during the run, securing his place on the all-tournament team.

Bryan Campbell added 12 for Nevada, also being named to the all-tourney team, as the Tigers won the Classic for the first time.

"It's a short-term goal you throw in there in the middle of your season," Nevada head coach John McNeley said. "Our kids took a very good approach tonight."

The game was physical, with numerous fouls called on both teams in the paint, often away from the ball. Starting posts Nathan Gragg for Nevada, and Tyler Breitag for Carthage each finished the game with four fouls.

"That's not our bread and butter, but I think our kids will battle," McNeley said of the physical play. "When it's that physical, it's difficult to decide where we draw the line between a foul and not a foul."

Nevada was playing their second game in two days, while Carthage had a day off to prepare for the hosts. McNeley said that definitely gave the advantage to the visitors.

"We're playing a team that's playing very well and they had a day of preparation," he said.

Breitag carried Carthage in the first half, scoring 12 points before the break. He finished with 14, one short of team-high honors held by Jason Adams.

Nevada improved to 12-5 this season with the victory.

In other Classic games Saturday, Kansas City Southwest beat Southeast 53-49, in the third-place game.

Emmanuel Maxi scored 24 points and Rudy Williams added 11 as the Warriors held off the Knights in a close contest.

Williams was also named to the all-tourney team, for Southwest.

Southeast was led in scoring by Darwin Beane and Jeffrey White, who each scored nine. Tyrone Tanner scored six for Southeast, and he joined Williams on the all-tournament team.

In the fifth-place game played at Nevada Middle School, El Dorado Springs beat Humansville 54-35.

The Bulldogs used a big fourth quarter to get the win, outscoring Humansville 21-6.

Kellen Hoover scored 18 points to lead El Do, and Ethan Bozarth added 16.

Derek Chaney led Humansville with 16 points.

Joining Campbell, Mills, Williams and Tanner on the all-tournament team were Carthage's Breitag and Adams.