No. 5 Labette opens NJCAA Region VI Tournament with scare

“They had better energy than us and came in with the right mindset,” Labette head coach Mitch Rolls said. “We took bad shots to start the game and turned it over 25 times. Bad things can happen when you do that.”

Fort Scott’s offense connected on 43% of its shots including 8-of-22 from deep.

“I’ll give Fort Scott credit,” Rolls said. “They were fighting for their lives. They didn’t care what we’re ranked. Our kids decided to sleepwalk for three quarters. That’s a testament to how Fort Scott prepared.” 

Labette outscored Fort Scott by nine in the second quarter and eight in the third to keep the Greyhounds at bay.

Wakiryah Daniels led the Cardinals with 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting with four rebounds and two assists.

Janiya Reed added 21 points and seven boards for the Cardinals.

The Greyhounds were led in the scorebook by Kennedy Moss, who poured in 23 points.

“I’m just happy to survive and advance,” Rolls said. “We’ll get three days of preparation, now. We’ll watch this film and figure out what went wrong before it ends our season.” 

Up Next

Labette will face Neosho County for a third time in Friday’s region tournament semifinals. The Cardinals won both prior matchups against the Panthers.

“It’s more about us, now,” Rolls said. “If we have a good three days and pay attention to the scout, we’ll give ourselves a chance. But they’re one of the most dangerous teams in the country right now.” 

The winner of Friday’s game will advance to the Region VI title game with a bid to the national tournament on the line. 

REGION VI TOURNAMENT

WOMEN

No. 5 Labette 87, Fort Scott 78

Labette:    20 25 20 22 — 87

Fort Scott: 24 16 12 26 — 78

Notes

Labette: Patricia Sosa Lora 2, Alexis Calderon 11, Wakiryah Daniels 22, Jayla Smith 4, Nisea Burrell 14, Janiya Reed 21, Ishuana Hunter 10, Emery Maze 4

Fort Scott: Jada Williams 15, Jayla Bibbs 11, Taylor Brokenberry 4, Kennedy Moss 23, Kiarra Guzman 2, Kalawsia Burt 3, Lulu Lara 2, Ja’Teija Brown 17