Monett boys basketball beats East Newton

Lady Cubs fall to Lady Patriots, 40-33; now 13-5, look to Nevada
 
The Monett High School boys basketball team traveled to East Newton on Friday, Jan. 30 and came home with a 52-43 win.
Monett jumped out to an 18-8 first quarter lead but saw it evaporate in the second Quarter, as the Patriots outscored the Cubs 18-6 to take a 26-24 halftime lead. A 12-point third quarter by East Newton saw the Patriots extend their lead to 38-35. In the fourth quarter though, Monett played great defense and were able to contain the Patriots to just five points, while scoring 17 points of their own to win the game by nine points.
Jack Stephens ended the game with a double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Alex Meeks added 13 points in the victory.
“It was fun to watch our team come together late in a close ball game on the road and find a way to make big plays,” said head coach Andrew Ballock. “We received great bench minutes from Henry Walker and Camden Towles who poured in 12 points combined. I was really proud of our group for being able to stay together and play through the adversity of being down on the road. Winning a game like that will pay dividends down the road.”
Monett is now 8-11 on the season and were scheduled to host Cassville last night before heading to Nevada this Friday.

Girls basketball
The Lady Cubs also made the trip to East Newton last week, losing to the Patriots, 40-33 on Thursday, Jan. 29.
It was a low scoring first half for both teams, as Monett scored just four points in the first quarter and five points in the second quarter, while East Newton managed seven points in the first quarter and eight points in the second to take a 15-9 halftime lead. The Lady Cubs were able to chip into the lead a little bit in the third quarter, by outscoring East Newton 10-7 but still trailed, 23-19. In the final quarter of play, the Patriots tacked on 17 more points to Monett’s 14 to win the game by seven points.
Kilee Wilson led Monett with 14 points.
“East Newton’s Defense gave us fits, and we struggled to score all night,” said Head Coach Josh Kleine.
Monett is 13-5 on the season and were scheduled to host Cassville on Monday night before heading to Nevada tomorrow night and then returning home to play Clever on Friday night.