The Neosho Wildcats's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their fifth straight loss. 2024 welcomed they with a 58-37 loss courtesy of Carl Junction. Neosho was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Carl Junction apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in February of 2023.
Several Wildcats players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Tyrone Harris, who scored 11 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Quincy Simpson, who scored seven points along with six rebounds.
Even though they lost, Neosho were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Carl Junction only pulled down 24 offensive rebounds.
Leading Carl Junction to victory were Brody Pant and Deacon Endicott. Pant scored 13 points along with eight rebounds and three steals, while Endicott dropped a double-double on 11 points and 12 rebounds. That's the first time this season that Pant pulled down eight or more rebounds. Another player making a difference was Wyatt McAfee, who scored eight points along with 13 rebounds.
Neosho has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost seven of their last eight matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-9 record this season. As for Carl Junction, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-6.
Neosho and Willard will face off at 7:30 p.m. on January 11th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Willard presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Neosho in Missouri (Willard is ranked 58th, while Neosho is ranked 380th). As for Carl Junction, they will be playing at home against St. Mary's-Colgan at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
