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By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Ozark, Mo. — Brooke Pace has dreamed about this moment all season.
In only her fifth game back from a broken ankle suffered in the preseason, the Ozark junior provided a second-quarter spark to help propel the Lady Tigers to a 51-46 victory over Nixa Thursday night.
After senior Macey Putt headed to the bench in foul trouble, the 5-foot-11 Pace went to work, scoring all eight of Ozark’s points in the second quarter.
Ozark head coach David Brewer praised Pace’s effort during a vital stretch of the game.
“[Pace] broke her ankle early,” Brewer said. “We had her fitted for the starting lineup, possibly, or go two bigs at times. When Macey’s out, we’re not as good, so knowing Brooke’s back — and for her to go out there and play like that — is big for the team.”
Brewer also noted the mental aspect of rehab can take a lot longer than its physical counterpart, and some players can have difficulty trusting themselves on the court.
“Sometimes, kids miss easy shots, and you can see them thinking about their foot as opposed to focusing on the basket,” Brewer said. “She’s had that, but when you’re playing Nixa, kids get focused in, and she looked focused tonight.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Ozark jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter with a 13-2 run. Sophomore Olivia Hanks paced the Lady Tiger flurry with 9 points in the quarter; however, Ozark’s momentum took a hit when Putt was called for her second foul near the end.
After scoring only a single basket in the first quarter, Nixa’s offense slowly started to come around, as well, with sophomore Gabby Nielsen scoring 6 points in the quarter.
Unfortunately for the Lady Eagles, Pace’s strong interior play helped counter the rally. Ozark’s continued defensive pressure also the Lady Tigers to match Nixa basket for basket.
Ozark stretched its lead to as many as 13 points early in the fourth quarter, but the Lady Tigers were unable to put the game away.
Nixa mounted a furious, fourth-quarter comeback with a 14-4 run built through its full-court pressure. The duo of junior Kelsey Biro and sophomore Paige Sportsman also combined for 14 of the Lady Eagles’ 22 points in the final frame.
With 49 seconds remaining, a basket from Nixa sophomore Kenzie Hines cut the Ozark lead to a mere two points at 48-46; however, the Lady Eagles would not score another point in the contest.
Freshman Anna Hitt’s free throws and a rebound in traffic from Pace helped Ozark seal the victory.
After the game, Brewer credited sophomore Madi Braden’s ability to work through the Nixa pressure down the stretch.
“Thank goodness we have a point guard who can dribble through a lot of pressure,” Brewer said. “We were trying to stay organized without using our last couple timeouts, and Madi just has the ability to get through stuff. That’s not coaching … that’s a player doing a really good job at getting down the floor and taking care of the pressure.”
The final seconds proved to be a big confidence boost for Pace, who returned to the game late in the quarter.
“It’s definitely been a struggle trying to get back and working through adversity,” Pace said. “Tonight definitely boosts my confidence, overall. I’m just happy to get back out there, work on the game again and do what I love.”
Putt led Ozark with 14 points and was joined in double figures by Hanks (11).
Nixa was led by Biro’s 14 points.
“Our motto tonight was hard and smart,” Brewer said. “Sometimes, you play Nixa; come out and play too hard and get a little erratic. So, we want to play hard, trust our defense and be smart, and I thought we did a great job the first half. I think it let us understand how good we can be when we do defend, as well.”
Both teams are back in action Monday, Feb. 5. Ozark (12-5) hosts Willard, while Nixa (15-7) travels to Carl Junction.
Varsity Final: Ozark – 51, Nixa – 46
Ozark 13 08 14 14 — 51
Nixa 02 08 14 22 — 46
Ozark scoring: Macey Putt – 14, Olivia Hanks – 11, Brooke Pace – 9, Madi Braden – 8, Katie Mayes – 5, Anna Hitt – 4
Nixa scoring: Kelsey Biro – 14, Gabby Nielsen – 8, Paige Sportsman – 6, Lakin Copeland – 5, Allison Brumley – 5, Bissett Michaelson – 4, Kenzie Hines – 2, Halley Wiggins – 2
Frosh Final: Nixa – 54, Ozark – 19
(Reagan Thomason – 14 points)
JV Final: Nixa – 41, Ozark – 30
(Reagan Thomason – 12 points)
