Jackson dominates to earn big victory over Lady Mules

The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules attempted to keep their recent hot streak rolling, but they had a tough task ahead as they hosted the Jackson Lady Indians on Thursday.

After snagging their third consecutive win in their last contest, the Lady Mules struggled to get much going offensively and fell to Jackson 69-35 as their winning streak came to an end.

The Lady Mules have lost the last four contests against the Lady Indians, but coming in with three straight wins, their chances of capturing the win seemed high. Despite the momentum, Jackson stood in the way of any run the Lady Mules planned.

Jackson came out hot and kicked off the game with a long-distance 3-pointer to set the tone. The Lady Indians immediately jumped into a full-court pressured defense to rattle the Lady Mules, and once they saw a weakness, they took full advantage.

Jackson exploded on a quick 9-0 run, which produced a quick timeout as the Lady Mules looked to regroup. Despite their efforts, the high-pressured defense and quick hands from Jackson were too much for the Lady Mules.

While the Lady Mules struggled to get the ball past halfcourt, Jackson didn’t hesitate to convert forced turnovers into easy baskets. Jackson continued its offensive dominance for the remainder of the contest and with a comfortable lead heading into the final quarter, it was an easy coast to a victory.

Julissa Johnson led the Lady Mules with nine points, while Abby Wilson and Ireland Gowen added six apiece. Holland Guilliams ran the show for Jackson as she led the team with 19 points and Camryn Aisdorf added 17.

The Lady Mules head to Bloomfield on Friday to take on the Lady Wildcats.

__Neelyville 69, Van Buren 29__

The Neelyville Lady Tigers had an easy night as they eased past the Van Buren Lady Dawgs. The Lady Tigers improved to 10-7 and collected their fourth straight win.

With the OFC Tournament right around the corner, getting a dominant win such as this is a confidence booster. Earlier this week, Lady Tigers head coach Becky Hale said the goal for the team is to become more mentally tough. With very few shooters on the squad, Hale said defense would be the key to their success.

The Lady Tigers utilized their defense well in the first quarter when they exploded with a 29-10 run, withholding Van Buren from any decent looks at the rim. The Lady Tigers continued to put up major points for the remainder of the game, and by the third quarter, the win was in the bag.

Haylyn Crockett led the Lady Tigers with 16 points and Layni Dobbins had 13. Van Buren’s Kinsley Murphy led the squad with nine points, while Kalynna Flowers had six.

Woodland 43, Twin Rivers 41

With a chance to get back on the winning side, the Twin Rivers Lady Royals fought down to the wire as they fell short to Woodland.

The Lady Royals fall to 10-9 on the season after their fourth straight loss.

Lady Royals head coach Michael Snider said they got open looks down the stretch for a shot at the win, but they struggled to get anything going. He said the Lady Royals faced a lot of adversity as they had to battle through injuries and foul trouble for the entire game.

“We started out really well and jumped out to a lead,” Snider said. “Woodland did a great job of clawing back into the game and taking the lead before the half. They have a good team, and I am happy we were able to schedule the game. Being put in these situations is a great thing for us, and we just hope to learn and keep getting better.”

Lilly Oliver led the Lady Royals with 14 points, eight rebounds with two assists, Amelia Douglas had 11 points and seven rebounds with two assists, Reese Crismon had 10 points, two rebounds and two assists, while Layla Tompkins finished with four points and eight rebounds.

__BOYS__

__Neelyville 55, Van Buren 40__

The Neelyville Tigers went head-to-head against the Van Buren Bulldogs on Thursday. The Tigers head into the OFC Tournament with a full head of steam after landing the win over a red-hot Van Buren squad.

The Tigers improved to 14-7 on the season and were led by junior Casen Stevens, who dropped 22 points and pulled down 24 rebounds to secure the win.

Head coach Brad Burdin said the Tigers executed the game plan well. He said this was the win they needed as they set their sights on the OFC Tournament.

“They really prioritized the possessions and rebounded the ball well,” Burdin said. “Van Buren is a very tough team and physical, and we were blessed to come out with a win on this one.”

__Puxico 78, Twin Rivers 39__

The Twin Rivers Royals hit the road on Thursday as they looked to knock off the Puxico Indians. The last time both teams matched up, Puxico was able to squeeze past the Royals 50-60 earlier in the season, so Twin Rivers was set on getting their win back.

Despite the effort, Puxico was too much for the Royals.