By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
When the offense needs a jolt, it’s nice to just put the ball in the hands of your 6’5” all-state point guard and let him go to work.
Kael Combs scored 15 of his game-high 26 in the second half to help Nixa overtake Fair Grove and win 53-45 in the Gold Division semifinals on Wednesday night.
“It’s just the people around me trusting in me,” Combs said of his performance. “Then, the work I put in, I put in a lot of work. I don’t think too many people that we play can stay in front of me.”
It was a simple but solid performance from the Nixa senior, who has yet to decide where he’ll play in college. Combs made just one 3-pointer and was 5-for-6 at the free throw line against Fair Grove, instead doing most of his damage on drives to the basket.
“He’s had a good year,” said Nixa coach Brock Blansit. “He would be the first to admit, by his standards, that this wasn’t one of his better games either.
“He’s a tough matchup, no doubt, and a big reason why we can do what we do.”
Nixa will play Logan-Rogersville in the Gold Division championship game at 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield.
“I’d say we’re battle tested at this point,” Blansit said. “We played Park Hill up in Kansas City, and they’re one of the better teams in the state. We’ve played against good competition in championship games already. Hopefully they’ll be up to the challenge (Thursday) night.”
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE GAME
Nixa hopes to restore its championship standard in Springfield’s annual holiday tournament.
Nixa has the third-most Blue and Gold Tournament titles all-time (10), but the Eagles haven’t finished first since 2014.
Combs has seen Nixa come close during his career, including a pair of one-point losses (2019, 2021) in the semifinals. In 2020, Nixa lost to Hartville in the Blue Division championship.
“I want one so bad,” Combs said. “I know it’s a super-big deal around here. I just want to put my name in the books and put our team in the books and win one for Nixa. It’s been a while.”
Against Fair Grove, Nixa erased a four-point halftime deficit with defense and bench play. Nixa limited Fair Grove to just 17 points in the second half.
“We decided at halftime that we weren’t going to chase them around anymore,” Blansit said. “Because what they do, they do a very good job at it. They were getting backscreens and back-cuts and layups. We just decided that we’d start trapping and take our chances. If they beat us, they beat us. We were going to go down with what we like to do.”
Jaxon Rowden’s three-point play midway through the fourth cut Nixa’s lead to 48-45, but Fair Grove went scoreless over the final four minutes.
Blansit, a longtime assistant at Nixa, has guided the Eagles to an 11-0 start in his first season at the helm. His players, particularly the backups, have bought in.
“I’m not sure if I’ve had this much fun coaching,” Blansit said. “It’s not just because we’re winning. I know when you win, it’s a lot more fun. These guys have been awesome.
“You look at a kid like Devon Kemp. He hardly played in the first half tonight. Comes off the bench in the second half and he’s the difference in the game. Every night we have a different kid who steps up and does something positive for us. That’s what you got to have.”
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Combs has embraced the style change as well in his senior season.
“It’s been really fun,” Combs said. “We like to play fast paced, and (Blansit) is always stressing that. You don’t get pulled if you make a mistake, so a lot of people are playing more freely than they have in the past. He wants us to have fun and he wants the best for us, so it’s very fun playing for him.”
Bryden Baxter led Fair Grove (9-3 overall) with 21 points. Fair Grove plays Greenwood in the Gold Division 3rd place game at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
Nixa could add its name to another category in the record books on Thursday night.
The Eagles made five 3-pointers against Fair Grove, giving them 32 treys through three games.
Ozark set the Gold Division record for made 3s (39) in 2011. West Plains holds the overall tournament record for 3-pointers with 42, set in 1994.
Nixa 53, Fair Grove 45
Fair Grove 13 15 9 8 — 45
Nixa 16 8 16 13 — 53
Fair Grove (9-3 overall) – Bryden Baxter 21, Spensar Seiger 11, Jaxon Rowden 9, Tyler Barnett 4
Nixa (11-0 overall) – Kael Combs 26, Devon Kemp 6, Garrett Hines 6, Corey Kemp 5, Josh Peters 4, Noah Engelman 3, Carsten Seitz 3
