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Tigers upended
NEVADA, Mo. -- The Nevada Tigers never led as they were upset again by the Neosho Wildcats Tuesday at Wynn Gymnasium.
Nevada (13-8 overall, 2-3 in the Southwest Conference) got off to its customary slow start, falling behind Neosho (4-20, 3-3) early and the Tigers were never able to get that final push to get by the Wildcats.
Neosho scored the first four points of the game, and they rode the hot hand of senior Zach Stuart, who pumped in 21 points and five 3-pointers.
Stuart was a Tiger killer the entire game, coming up with clutch shot after shot, thwarting many Nevada chances at making a run.
Stuart single-handedly outscored Nevada in the opening period, finishing with 10 points as Neosho led 12-6.
In the second period Nevada made their biggest move of the game, outscoring Neosho 10-4 to tie the game at 16.
Nathan Hoskins, the shortest player on the court at 5-2, hit a three with 40 seconds left in the half and Neosho led 19-16 at halftime.
In the second half Neosho scored the first bucket on Stuart's third trey, then got a basket from Gabe Wyatt to go up 24-16.
Nevada chipped away, getting back-to-back threes by J.R. Mills to close the gap to 26-24, but another Hoskins three stopped the momentum.
Later in the period Nevada had managed to get within 31-29 after Mills' third three of the quarter, but two Terrence McDonald free throws and another Stuart three pushed the advantage to seven.
Drew Weatherly hit a three with eight seconds left in the period and the fourth quarter began with Neosho up by four.
Bryan Campbell scored two of his 12 points to make it a two-point game, but Stuart dropped another dagger from downtown and Nevada was again turned away.
Nevada would pull to as close as two with less than a minute to play, but Neosho made free throws down the stretch and Nevada turned the ball over at inopportune times to seal their fate.
Nevada had only eight turnovers in the game, but three came with a chance to tie the game or take the lead.
"This is a ballgame where it's nobody's fault but my own," Nevada head coach John McNeley said. "We didn't do things we're capable of doing."
Nevada seemed to play into Neosho's hands, allowing the Wildcats to slow down the tempo with their zone defense and never pressuring the Wildcats at the offensive end.
"It's my responsibility, but we're not a very good basketball team right now," McNeley said.
Neosho has half of its season win total against Nevada, as they also won in Neosho on Jan. 20.
Mills led Nevada with 14 points, 12 in the second half.
Nevada will play at McDonald County Friday in another league contest.