No. 5 Labette locks down share of KJCCC title with win over Neosho County

Neosho County struggled to find the bottom of the net early on, allowing Labette to open the game on a 20-0 run. The Panthers shot just 30 percent on the night, while the Cardinals scored at a 46 percent clip.

“Clearly in the first quarter they were ready to go, and it took us a bit to get going. They were playing with a sense of urgency and we weren’t,” Neosho County head coach J.J. Davis said. “They looked like a championship team that has been at the highest level, and we looked like the team that’s trying to get there. We just haven’t gotten there yet.”

Although the Labette defense was solid all night, head coach Mitch Rolls was quick to point out that the Panthers had an uncharacteristically rough night from the floor.

“I think that was just them missing shots,” Rolls said. “They’re a good shooting team, and you’re not gonna see that too often.”

Trailing 44-22 at halftime, the Panthers came out of the locker room with a bit more energy. Neosho County grabbed a few key buckets to cut the deficit to 13 at one point in the second half.

“They were doing a good job of turning us over, speeding us up and putting us in bad positions,” Rolls said. “We’re a sophomore-led team with a lot of leadership… but we looked like freshmen at times, so credit to how hard they played.”

The Panthers actually outscored the Cardinals in the second half, but the early hole was insurmountable.

“We started doing what we do, and they had a hard time with it. We just gave them a big head start,” Davis said. “They’re the No. 5 team in the country for a reason.”

Neosho County’s second half push was fended off thanks to a 30-point, 20-rebound performance by Ishuana Hunter.

“I’ve never seen that in person,” Rolls said with a look of near-shock on his face.

The Cardinals also benefited from a pair of 17-point nights from both Wakiryah Daniels and Jayla Smith. Nisea Burell marked the fourth player to score double digits with 12 of her own.

“If we can (have a scoring spread) like that, we should come out on the winning end most times,” Rolls said.

Burrell and Alexis Calderon both provided 10 assists from the point, while Smith backed up Hunter on the boards with 11 of her own.

Neosho County sophomore Im’Unique White led the Panthers with a career-high 31 points, all coming in the second half. White also tallied four rebounds, three assists and three steals.

“She’s a stud,” Davis said. “She came out, played hard and did her thing. I’m proud of her.”

Sophomore Zariyah Washington added 15 points and six assists, while sophomore Chantoryia Rivers and freshman Jahniya Brown netted 10 points and five rebounds each.

Up Next

With the regular season finished, both squads now await the release of the bracket for the NJCAA Region VI Tournament. Once matchups are released, action kicks off on Monday.

“We’re gonna be working on everything, we’re not done,” Rolls said. “Anybody we see in the playoffs is going to be good, so there's really no time to relax.”

WOMEN

No. 5 Labette 93, Neosho County 76

Labette: 24 20 27 22 — 93

Neosho County: 2 20 25 29 — 76

Scoring

Labette: Ishuana Hunter 30, Wakiryah Daniels 17, Jayla Smith 17, Nisea Burrell 12, Janiya Reed 6, Alexis Calderon 5, Dkiai Edouard 5, Kalyn Williams 2, Emery Maze 2

Neosho County: Im’Unique White 31, Zariyah Washington 15, Chantoryia Rivers 10, Jahniya Brown 10, Kori Babcock 6, Myah Coleman 6, Breonna Carey 2