By Payton Hannah (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Nixa Eagles emerged victorious over the Central Bulldogs on Friday night in a thrilling showdown between two of the area’s premier basketball programs.
The 64-51 victory not only preserved Nixa’s perfect record in the Central Ozark Conference East but also guaranteed the Eagles at least a share of the COC East title.
The Eagles came out strong with an early 5-0 run to set the tone. Nixa was led by senior Jaise Combs, who tallied five points on a long 3-pointer and crafty mid-range jumper. The Bulldogs struggled to find their tempo, hitting just 1 of 6 of their 3-point attempts in the opening quarter. Both teams struggled with turnovers and missed opportunities, as Nixa held a four-point lead late in the quarter. That was until Central forward Bryce Walker electrified the crowd with a thunderous two-handed jam, cutting the deficit to 11-9 as the buzzer sounded.
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The Bulldogs couldn’t maintain the momentum shift as they went scoreless the first five minutes of the second quarter. Nixa found success through quick ball movement and fast-break opportunities, while Combs added eight more points to his first-half total of 13. The Eagles maintained control, keeping their lead in double digits until Central guard Jordan Pittman drove in for a tough and-one layup, snapping the Bulldogs’ scoring drought. The Bulldogs had another late and-one basket by Keion Epps to make it a 29-22 Nixa lead heading into halftime.
Central came into the third quarter with a new intensity and physicality that propelled them to their first lead of the game (33-31), fueled by an 11-2 swing. The run was capped off by another huge Walker dunk that was set up by a beautiful no-look pass from Donovan Martin, giving the Bulldogs a 41-36 lead. The Eagles refocused and found their rhythm, sparking their own run to regain the lead. A tough and-one layup from Adam McKnight highlighted the stretch, helping Nixa take control once again, ending the quarter on top, 46-41.
“The difference in the game came when we were down by five,” Nixa head coach Brock Blansit said. “We called that timeout and made adjustments to our defense. From there, our guys locked down and got eight or nine stops in a row and turned that five-point deficit into a five-point lead.”
Central couldn’t find the late rally they needed in the fourth, despite a strong effort from Keion Epps, who finished tied for a game-high 18 points. Nixa was able to maintain their lead largely thanks to senior forward Lane Meltabarger, who was unstoppable in the second half. Meltabarger scored 11 points in the fourth quarter alone, finishing the game with 18 total. With their momentum building, the Eagles sealed the 64-51 win.
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“We’re starting to build momentum going into districts” Meltabarger said. “We’re playing really well right now and I hope we can keep it up.”
The Eagles close out the regular season Tuesday with a home matchup against rival Ozark, with a chance to clinch the outright COC East title. They will follow that up Friday with one more road game against Neosho.
The Bulldogs close out their regular season Tuesday with a road trip to Waynesville, followed by a home matchup against Kickapoo next Friday.
Nixa: 11-18-17-18-(64)
Central: 9-13-19-10-(51)
Top Performers
Nixa: Lane Meltabarger 18, Jaise Combs 15, Adam McKnight 14
Central: Keion Epps 18, Jordan Pittman 11, Bryce Walker 11
