By Staff

Carl Junction edges Hillcrest, breaks cycle for tournament advancement

Carl Junction made sure that history didn’t repeat itself on Tuesday night.

Ten years ago its girls’ basketball team earned a ticket to the Class 4 state tournament and lost in the first round.

This year’s team not only put a halt to the years racking up of no Carl Junction state appearance, but it’s also advancing to the quarterfinals with a 52-41 victory against Hillcrest.

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Carl Junction head coach Brad Shorter said, “We’ve got an opportunity. We certainly do. We’ve got a really good team and a number of kids who can score, and our defense is continuing to get better. I think out biggest thing is continuing to work and have fun.”

With a 26-2 record, it’s easy to see Shorter’s statement is accurate.

Hillcrest head coach Jeni Hopkins said, “They (Hillcrest) have to understand that that is a great basketball team. They’re ranked in the state for a reason.”

She also said of her team, “I’m very proud of what those ladies have accomplished this year.”

Even with Hillcrest’s back-to-back district championships and experience in the Final Four last year, Carl Junction couldn’t be stopped in breaking their decade-long curse.

But not without facing the tough Lady Hornet squad, of course.

“Early we were a little nervous, and you could see that the nerves were there,” Shorter said. “We forced turnovers, missed layups and things of that nature. But once we settled in and talked about some X’s and O’s, we were ready to certainly get some things accomplished.”

Carl Junction had a slim 22-19 lead at the half, but Hillcrest was quick to catch up.

With a couple of three-point shots from Emma Frack, who had four on the night, the Lady Bulldogs grabbed a 32-26 lead after the third quarter.

In the final frame, five girls combined for a total of 20 points to earn a kind of win Carl Junction hasn’t seen in a long time.

Leading the way was junior Alexandria Vogt with 17 points. Joining her in double numbers was Frack and Megan Scott with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

“It was a well-fought battle,” said Shorter. “It really was. Kaycee Gerald is one heck of a player, and I felt like our girls did a really good job defensively on her.”

Gerald, a senior, scored a total of 16 points for the Hornets.

Hillcrest finished their season with a 16-12 record.

Hopkins reflected on her team’s accomplishments and said, “This game simply does not define their season. They’ve had some fantastic games. A lot of people didn’t have high expectations for them this year and they exceeded those expectations. And that is a successful season.”

In an effort to continue Carl Junction’s (26-2) successful season, they will play Owensville (23-5) 1 p.m. Saturday at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar.

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