Moniteau evens record at 5-5 with win over rival
KARNS CITY — Moniteau's girls basketball team didn't get off to the start it hoped it would this season.
But after beating Karns City 42-36 on the road Thursday night, the Warriors showed their early adversity could pay dividends later.
Things are looking up for the Warriors, who have won four of their past five games to improve to 5-5.
“This is a big boost, because we have some hard games — Redbank (Valley), Karns City, and Union — right in a row,” Moniteau coach Dee Arblaster said. “I think it's going to be anyone's race (in the division).”
In what turned out to be a defensive battle, the Warriors' unit ended up being stingier, holding its opponents to single digits in three of four quarters.
The Warriors leaped out to an 11-point lead by the end of the first quarter, which they then watched be erased by the hosts' 17-2 surge in the next eight minutes. Moniteau missed five of its first six shots from the field in the period.
Karns City guard Emma Johns, who led both teams in scoring, hit three treys in the opening half before being held scoreless in the third.
Abbey Jewart's three-pointer moments into that frame flipped the game's momentum and took back the advantage for Moniteau. Karns City (4-4) wouldn't hold it again.
The Gremlins could only muster four points in the eight minutes out of the break, but somehow found themselves only two possessions down at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
“The first quarter and the whole second half, we just haven't found that stride,” Karns City coach Steve Andreassi said. “It's what we're working towards, is trying to find that fluency. We had it for the second quarter and we lose it.”
The Gremlins couldn't recapture the success they enjoyed in the second frame, despite holding their guests to 18 points in the second half.
Desperate to gain ground, they missed all but one of their seven attempts from behind the arc in the fourth quarter.
They also held the Warriors' Catherine Kelly to a dozen points.
“We're going to see that all year,” said Arblaster of other teams' respect for the former. “That's what we talked about last year when we had Aslyn (Pry). Catherine stepped up big last year. This year, we have four girls that at any time can be our leading scorer.”
Kendall Sankey, having recently having recently returned from a major knee injury suffered almost a year ago, chipped in for the guests with 10 points of her own.
Jewart added eight and Victoria Pry seven.
MONITEAU 42
Catherine Kelly 3 3-5 12, Kendall Sankey 4 2-2 10, Abbey Jewart 3 0-0 8, Victoria Pry 3 1-2 7, Davina Pry 1 3-4 5. Totals: 14 9-13 42.
KARNS CITY 36
Emma Johns 4 2-3 13, Abby Callihan 2 2-2 7, Cameryn Booher 1 4-4 6, McMillen 2 1-1 5, Chloe Fritch 1 0-0 3, Rosie Carden 0 2-2 2, Emma Dailey 0 0-2 0. Totals: 10 11-14 36.
Moniteau 19 5 9 9 — 42
Karns City 8 17 4 7 — 36
