Bulldogs stumble against Poplar Bluff

Brennan Stebbins, The Joplin Globe, Mo.
·3 min read

Jan. 6—After a quarter of play Thursday night, the Carl Junction boys basketball team looked to be cruising to a big win.

But the Bulldogs went cold after that, and Poplar Bluff outscored them by 20 points the rest of the way as Carl Junction suffered a 53-45 loss in first-round action at Joplin's Kaminsky Classic.

"In the first quarter we came out and played our game," Bulldogs coach Justin Pock said. "We attacked them and I thought we did pretty well defensively and did the things we wanted to do. The last three quarters we changed our game plan, I guess. If you get outrebounded like we did, you're not going to win games."

"We came out really flat and lackadaisical," Poplar Bluff coach William Durden said. "Carl Junction came out and played like it was really important to them. I can't say we played the same way. We can't come out with that kind of energy and be successful."

Carl Junction led by double digits barely five-and-a-half minutes into the game and finished the first quarter leading 20-8 after shooting 69% (9-13).

But the Bulldogs made only eight field goals the rest of the game and got out-rebounded 41-21 overall. The Mules, meanwhile, only shot 37% for the game but had plenty of second chances while grabbing 22 offensive boards.

Poplar Bluff scored the first eight points of the second quarter and had cut the lead to 29-26 by halftime. The Mules scored the first five points of the third.

Carl Junction led 36-33 at the 2:26 mark of the third after Jett Hocut made a 3-pointer, but barely 30 seconds later the Mules were back in the lead. That field goal by Hocut was Carl Junction's last make from the floor for nearly seven-and-a-half minutes.

It was tied at 41 early in the fourth before Poplar Bluff used an 8-1 run to take command. Carl Junction's Wyatt McAfee grabbed an offensive rebound and scored with 2:57 remaining to make it 51-45, but the Bulldogs didn't score again.

"We went away from things we were trying to do; we tried to do it by ourselves," Pock said. "I don't know if we were panicking or what but we gave them way too many chances, way too many opportunities."

Carl Junction shot 45% for the game and made 7 of 12 attempts at the line, all in the fourth quarter. Poplar Bluff shot 37% and was 6 of 8 at the line.

Cooper Vediz led the Bulldogs with 15 points and Ayden Bard added 13 and three steals. Gavin Rivers was the lone Mule in double figures with 14 points and nine rebounds.

Carl Junction, 5-6, will face Jefferson City at 6 p.m. Friday in the consolation semifinals. Poplar Bluff, 6-4, takes on Webb City at 9 p.m. in the championship semifinals.