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Lady Tigers win fifth in a row
Nevada Daily Mail
HARRISONVILLE ----The Nevada Lady Tigers shrugged off a rugged start, as they went on to crush Harrisonville 57-33 Thursday night, en route to their fifth consecutive victory (7-2, 4-1).
Nevada hasn't lost since Dec. 6, when they fell to McDonald County in the Carl Junction tournament championship game.
"In the last week and a half our confidence has grown as a team and as individuals," Nevada head coach Brent Bartlett said.
Bartlett was thrilled that his team won the final game of their pre-holiday schedule.
"It's important to win your last game before Christmas, because it gets the team on a positive note going into Christmas break," he said.
Nearly two minutes elapsed from the clock before the first points of the evening were scored. Nevada center Rilie Good scored in the post with 6:07 to play in the first quarter, with the assist going to point guard Morgan McNeley.
After a cold shooting first quarter by both teams, the Lady Tigers led 7-2.
"It seemed like Harrisonville wanted to play football instead of basketball," Bartlett said of the physical play. "That's their style of play, and it kind of got in our heads a little bit."
Nevada opened the second quarter on a 7-0.
A few minutes into the quarter, sophomore Chloe Bartlett grabbed an offensive rebound and went back up for two points. Bartlett's basket put the Lady Tigers on top 16-4.
A key play in the first half came when forward Megan Payne hauled in her own miss, and scored just before the second quarter clock expired, giving Nevada a 25-14 halftime lead.
"What an effort play to get the rebound and put it right back in before the buzzer," Bartlett said. "It was a big momentum boost."
Second Half
Chloe Bartlett scored the first five points of the third quarter, as Nevada built a 16-point lead.
"She does a nice job under the basket," Bartlett said. "Her offense has been struggling a little bit. So it was kind of good to see her slow herself down a little and hit some shots. I was really proud of the way she stepped up."
A straightaway 3-pointer courtesy of senior guard Mikayla Bartlett, gave the Lady Tigers a 33-14 lead with 6:04 left in the third quarter.
Bartlett said his team looked much better offensively in the second half.
"We told them to stay more organized offensively," he said. "We were taking quick shots in the first half. And I felt like if we just got more organized and set some screens, we would get better shots. And that's what happened in the third quarter."
McNeley's short jumper in the lane area capped a 10-0 run, pushing Nevada's lead to 35-14
Later in the third quarter, Mikayla Bartlett reeled off five quick points. The first basket came off a steal and layup, which she followed up by drilling her third 3-pointer of the night, staking Nevada to a 42-20 lead. The visiting Tigers led 46-20 heading into the fourth quarter.
Chloe Bartlett, who didn't play in the first quarter, fouled out with 7:24 remaining in regulation, but still managed to finish with a career high nine points.
"She hit some big shots for us," Bartlett said. "It's unfortunate that she got into foul trouble."
As the newest member of the West Central Conference, Bartlett said he is thrilled with the Lady Tigers fast start.
"We're trying to let people know that we're serious about being in the conference," he said. "And competing each and every night."
Good was a defensive force, according to Bartlett.
"She probably had eight or nine blocked shots," he said. "I loved how she controlled the inside."
Bartlett said Good was playing with a chip on her shoulder.
"When she gets mad, that's when she really starts blocking shots and intimidating in there," Bartlett said with a chuckle. "And that's kind of what happened last night."
The Lady Tigers have had a busy week. On top of finals, Nevada has won three games over the past four days.
"The whole team was mentally and physically a little but tired from playing three games in four days," Bartlett said. "So I'm glad for the break, to get us healed up and refreshed."
For Nevada, Mikayla Bartlett led scorers with 16 points, while McNeley added 12.
"Morgan's one of our leaders," Bartlett said. "She started off really slow, and then she came on strong. That's the type of competitor she is."
The Lady Tigers resume play when they host Monett, Jan. 5. The junior varsity team will take the court at 6 p.m., with the varsity game following.
"I think this team is just realizing the potential they have," Bartlett said.