District Championship Game Standouts for Ozark vs Nixa
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The high school playoffs is always exciting to follow, with upsets, great individual performances and scintillating games between the best teams, especially as we get deeper into the playoff brackets. One such game was the district championship game between Ozark…
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Continue ReadingThe high school playoffs is always exciting to follow, with upsets, great individual performances and scintillating games between the best teams, especially as we get deeper into the playoff brackets. One such game was the district championship game between Ozark and Nixa, and what a game it was! The game went into overtime and despite the tense environment, great players for both teams stepped up and made clutch plays. It was one of those games where mistakes at the end didn’t decide the outcome, rather it was big shot after big shot. Nixa would end up winning this one by 3 to win the district title and move on to play powerhouse Kickapoo, who needed overtime themselves to knock off a hard nosed and well coached Republic team. We take a look at the standouts for the Nixa vs Ozark game here…
Macie Conway Macie Conway 5'8" | CG Nixa | 2022 State MO , 2022 Nixa – The Rockhurst commit has consistently come up big for Nixa all season and has been their most consistent player. She was hot early, scoring NIxa’s first four points, but saved her best for last, scoring from mid range off a nifty spin, and then with her team down 5 in the fourth quarter, she nailed a big 3 and later made some big free throws. Make no mistake, Nixa would not be playing in a sectional game if not for her contributions and consistent scoring this season.
Ali Kamies Ali Kamies 5'5" | CG Nixa | 2022 State MO , 2022 Nixa – Kamies is another Rockhurst commit who was quiet throughout this game but saved her best for last. She made a smooth runner in the lane near the end of regulation and then hit a huge 3 on a quick catch and shoot in overtime to give her team the one point lead, and then she secured an offensive rebound with 3 seconds left in the game off of a teammate’s missed free throw to ice the game. Kamies is a tough defender and has a serious nose for the ball and while she is not putting up huge scoring numbers, she can be counted on in the clutch to take and make the big shots.
Rhianna Gibbons Rhianna Gibbons 5'6" | CG Nixa | 2022 State MO , 2022 Nixa – Yet another standout junior for Nixa, Gibbons was also huge in this game before fouling out towards the end, but she made several free throws without missing any, including some down the stretch that turned out to be important. She came up with several loose balls, made a couple of 3’s, and drove and either drew the foul or scored. She is a nice all around player and a very good athlete.
Moriah Putt Moriah Putt 5'10" | SF Ozark | 2022 State MO , 2022 Ozark – Putt has developed into one of the better all around players in her class this season. She has size, quickness, speed, and leaping ability. That combination plus a motor that doesn’t quit means that she makes an impact on the game at both ends. In this game she slithered her way to the rim several times to score off of scoop layups and also had some offensive rebound put backs and made a big mid range shot down the stretch in the game against Nixa. Putt is a high ceiling player and as her outside shot develops, she will continue to move up the ranks.
Riley Boggs Riley Boggs 5'9" | CG Ozark | 2022 State MO , 2022 Ozark – Boggs is straight up hustle, all the time. She dives on the floor for loose balls and constantly makes winning plays. She made an important 3 late in regulation and later scored on a couple of drives. She has good upper body strength that enables to finish well with either hand and she can be counted on to take care of the ball as one of the prominent ball handlers on Ozark. On the other end, she is an excellent man to man and help defender.
Anna Hitt Anna Hitt 5'10" | CG Ozark | 2020 State MO , 2021 Ozark – Hitt is headed to Drury after this season, and it’s easy to see why. Few players are faster with the ball than Hitt is, and few players create more havoc on defense. At 5’9, she has great length to go with her speed and quickness. Similar in build and athleticism to Putt, they pair up nicely to give the Lady Tigers a tough duo to contend with around the basket. Hitt not only scored key baskets in this game, mostly at the rim off of drives, but she made several nice passes to teammates for easy buckets either in the half court or in transition and has nice handles.