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By Jeff Kessinger (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Braden Branstetterʼs fingerprints were all over Hartvilleʼs 57-46 win over Nixa Thursday afternoon at JQH Arena. But with cameras and microphones in his face after the game, that was the last thing he wanted to talk about.
“This feels good. I donʼt care how I play, I just care about how the team finishes,” the senior guard said. “We got the job done. We beat a team we really wanted to beat.”
Hartville, the top seed in the Blue Division and one of the smallest schools in the tournament, hoisted its second straight Blue & Gold Tournament title playing its trademark brand of basketball. Smart decisions, great shooting, hard defending and a little bit of grit.
“Any time you can compete with Nixa, you feel pretty good about it. They’re a hall-of-fame program with a hall-of-fame coach,” Hartville coach Brett Reed said. “We feel very fortunate to come away with the win tonight. … When I first started coaching I never thought in my wildest dreams this would happen, weʼd win the Blue & Gold. To win two now is almost surreal. Itʼs a credit to the kids. Iʼve got a great group of kids and Iʼm blessed to be their coach.”
Reedʼs squad led wire-to-wire. Branstetter got things started with five straight points to open the game and help Hartville build a 17-8 lead after one. The lead was 20-14 when Nixa got back-to-back 3s from Colin Ruffin and T.J. Sorgenfrei. But Branstetter had the answer. He sank a 3-pointer from the left wing, then finished an and-1 to restore order.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Ruffinʼs half-court shot beat the buzzer and electrified the crowd, but Hartville still led at the break, 31-25.
Nixa rallied several times in the third quarter, but Hartville always had the answer. And it always started with defense. Hartville strung together eight stops in nine possessions to keep Nixa at bay. That included a charge drawn by Race Piper, one of a handful of charges drawn on the day by Hartville.
“With our size weʼre not going to block many shots,” Reed said. “Weʼve got to establish defensive position and, if the offense keeps going, weʼre there to draw one. Thatʼs a staple point for our defense, and rebounding, and our kids do a really good job of it.”
Hartville led 44-35 after three and milked the clock successfully in the fourth quarter to put the game on ice.
“Iʼd say (Nixa coach Jay) Osborne is probably really pushing for a shot clock right now,” Reed said. “We just felt like that gave us the best chance. Nixa can strike back at any minute, just like they did to Parkview yesterday. We just wanted to keep the ball out of their hands.”
Branstetter finished with 19 to lead all scorers. Cody Mahan (17) and Piper (12) joined him in double figures. Nixa was led by 16 from Ruffin and 14 from Sorgenfrei. NHS cashed in from behind the arc, with three players teaming up to make eight 3-pointers.
“(Branstetter) can flat shoot it,” Reed said. “Heʼs made big-time plays for us all year long and heʼs really improved defensively. Thatʼs something he really bought into in the offseason and heʼs been fantastic for us. Heʼs an all-state player, no doubt about it in my mind.”
Both teams move on to the second half of the season, with eyes on bigger prizes. For Hartville that means winning back-to-back state titles and this win by has them feeling great about their chances to keep playing into March.
“Weʼve been playing together forever,” Branstetter said. “Itʼs just a bond that we all have. We play well together and itʼs a bond we canʼt break. Winning big games and playing a tough schedule prepares us for the end of the road. Weʼre ready for it.”
Box Score
Nixa 8 17 10 11 — 46
Hartville 17 14 13 13 — 57
Nixa — Colin Ruffin 16, T.J. Sorgenfrei 14, Jaret Nelson 4, Jason Jones 4, Kaleb Wofford 3, Kael Combs 3, Colten Berry 2
Hartville — Braden Branstetter 19, Cody Mahan 17, Race Piper 12, Eli Cook 7, Brady Ward 2
