West Plains girls basketball remains a model of consistency
Hannah Judd casually stepped to the free-throw line Wednesday before proceeding to hit both late attempts, the difference in West Plains' 45-44 overtime win over Marshfield in the Pink and White Lady Classic quarterfinals at the O'Reilly Family Event Center.
Her surname is heavily tied to the program's Class 5 state girls basketball championship last March, but the senior forward has no familial relation to the high-scoring talent who also helped the program garner nearly 100 wins.
Ashton Judd− now a contributing freshman at Mizzou − is a legend of Zizzers past.
Hannah Judd − a role player in previous years − is among the pieces keeping West Plains' tradition intact.
Their collective effort helped longtime West Plains coach Scott Womack earn his 600th career win.
"Losing a player like Ashton is big, but we're a pretty experienced team," said Hannah Judd, often assumed as a relative of the 2022 Class 5 Player of the Year. "We have been playing together for a long time and have a deep bench."
Deep-shooting Marshfield, which hit nine 3-pointers to claw back from a double-digit deficit, had the final possession in regulation and overtime, but West Plains (8-1) clamped down when it mattered most.
More:Pink and White: Takeaways and results from Day 1 of tournament play
Junior forward Allysa Joyner came up with a key block before the final horn to secure West Plains' trip to the Pink Division semifinals. The second-seeded Zizzers will face No. 3 seed Nixa on Thursday at 2 p.m. at the same venue.
Joyner, who also scored late in the fourth quarter to help force overtime, had a game-high 18 points.
The All-State selection and college recruit is among several key returners for a Zizzers team that looks to stay atop of its brawny district. Olivia Lawson (12 points) and Kaylee Dixon (eight points) have also been consistent scorers for defensive-minded West Plains.
"A lot of these players have been in two state championship games," Womack said. "They have won a lot of games together."
Womack, a Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee, has engineered a consistent winner for much of his 35-year career.
From his state title with the Zizzers in 1998 to their recent tear, suffocating defenses are often Womack's hallmark.
Womack, who briefly retired from teaching before returning this year due to a teacher shortage, had Marshfield (8-2) in a 32-17 hole on Wednesday before the Blue Jays caught fire.
"We could have played better defensively today," Womack said. "But credit to Marshfield. They're a good team and (coach Katie Pitchard) has done a great job over there."
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: West Plains beats Marshfield in Pink and White Tournament
