Community R-6 girls win battle with New Franklin 30-25, take home tournament title

Out of all the Community R-6 girls’ New Franklin Tournament championships, they had to work the hardest for this one.

On Friday night, the Lady Trojans defeated host and Central Activities Conference foe New Franklin 30-25, maintaining a lead that grew to as much as eight points throughout the game. Olivia Kuda led Community (11-2) with 12 points and nine rebounds, knocking down 3-of-4 free throws in the fourth quarter to seal the team’s fifth tournament championship in as many years.

Head coach Bob Curtis said it was clear each team knew the other really well as Community has met the Lady Bulldogs (10-3) in the New Franklin tournament four times, with three of the last four years ending in a Community-New Franklin championship game.

“In the first half, both teams were so good defensively, nobody could get anything,” Curtis said. “You can tell they studied us, and we studied them. It was just a really fun half as the kids competed and guarded, and there was nothing easy.”

Brooklynn Glasgow was the next highest scoring Lady Trojan with four points along with two steals, Sarah Angel finished with five steals, and Kylie Brooks pulled down six rebounds.

Kuda came through in all the big moments, especially with Community clinging to a 27-25 in the final seconds that widened to a two-possession lead after Kuda hit two free throws. She also put back a couple misses on a night that both teams were struggling with their shots — evidenced by each team having only one 3-pointer.

“I’m just super proud of her as a senior, knocking some of those down,” Curtis said.

“They really have 6-foot or 6-foot-1 in the post. We’re not that big — we’re talking 5-foot-9 with our two starting post players,” Curtis said. “I thought we got good positioning, we loaded up and launched and got a lot of boards from their size. We really competed on the boards. We usually outrebounded people, but I’m not sure we did that tonight. We were at least balanced with them, and that’s what we needed.”

New Franklin had most of its rebounds from both Fairs on its roster as Kelsi Fair led with nine rebounds and KeBrea Fair had six boards along with seven points and two steals off the bench. Carly Dorson added eight points, and Brynn Belstle scored seven points for the Lady Bulldogs.

Curtis said he noticed how much the Lady Trojans had to fight with each of these players for loose balls, typically on one of the many misses. Oftentimes, girls ended up on the floor while holding the ball tightly to try to squeeze every possession out of the game because every one mattered.

“Every missed shot was a war,” Curtis said. “There were girls just working, and it was a championship game for sure.”

Kelsi Fair established her interior presence early with five rebounds and two blocks in the first quarter, but Kuda and Glasgow were able to hang around with four points each to give Community an 8-6 lead. Alyssa Beamer throwing up an underhanded layup while falling down, and Kayla Jett hitting a 3-pointer helped keep Lady Trojans ahead 14-10 at halftime.

Belstle had New Franklin’s lone field goal in the third quarter, but Community could also manage only one on an Angel floater, leading 22-15 after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, the Lady Trojans had a 26-18 with about five minutes remaining following an offensive putback by Kuda. KeBrea Fair led a 6-0 New Franklin run that cut the Community lead to two points and was in danger of being a tie game following a Lady Trojan turnover that promptly turned into a Lady Bulldog miscue thanks to a Kuda steal. After a New Franklin missed shot, Kuda picked up her ninth rebound and sank both free throws in a one-and-one situation, making it 29-25 with 29.5 seconds left in the game.

After defeating New Franklin by about 20 points each time in the past, including a 51-33 victory in last year’s championship game, Community came away with a nailbiter Friday. Curtis said that can be explained by the talent the Lady Bulldogs have this season.

“They’ve got a really good point guard in the (Lilly) Chitwood girl that’s a freshman this year,” Curtis said. “It really makes them better. Dorson’s a load, and they’re just a well-rounded team. We’re just lucky to escape on the road at their place for a championship.”

When close play turned into fouls, Curtis said Community is fortunate to have players that can step up when its own players pile up the personal fouls. With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Lady Trojans had 10 personal fouls to go into the double penalty. Angel picked up her fourth foul in the fourth quarter so was forced to sit on the bench with some other Lady Trojans in foul trouble.

“In the second half, when we got into some foul trouble, we had Aaliyah Welch, Alyssa Beamer and Peyton Beamer come in and just — I think we had a seven- or eight-point lead — held it at that while they were in,” Curtis said. “I thought they did a good job of just being composed and not turning it over a whole lot and just getting us through that stretch.”

Community (3-0 CAC) returned home Tuesday against CAC foe Madison (1-9, 0-4 CAC), riding the high of another successful New Franklin Tournament.

“They run a phenomenal tournament over here,” Curtis said. “It’s a great small school tournament. We’ve been lucky enough to win it five years in a row. New Franklin does a great job — big tournament, big crowd tonight.”

Allen, Carroll help Community R-6 boys clinch third with 64-56 win vs Sturgeon

It was so close, the Community R-6 boys could feel it Saturday.

The Trojans went into their final game in the 2023 New Franklin Basketball Tournament with a chance for their highest ever finish in the event, and they came away with third place after a 64-56 victory against Central Activities Conference foe Sturgeon (4-8).

Gavin Allen and Mason Carroll helped Community (6-7) win the rebounding battle 37-25 with each of their double-doubles. Allen finished with 29 points and 13 rebounds, and Carroll followed with 19 points and 12 rebounds, hitting three 3-pointers. Eli Johnson had seven points, and Tucker Robnett added six rebounds.

Head coach Tad Shotten said Saturday’s placing game against a conference foe was definitely once his players wanted badly. It was great that the Trojans could rely on their two best players, who are also their hardest workers.

“They work hard 365,” Shotten said. “I think that’s why they’re succeeding so much. They put in time in the weight room. They’re two of my hardest workers, and when your best players are your hardest workers, that really helps you out. I’m really proud of those two.”

The teams were tied at 12 after one quarter following a Grant Cope offensive putback, and Community was just staying ahead of Sturgeon 28-24 at halftime thanks to Allen sinking 4-of-6 free throws in the second quarter and Carroll nailing two 3-pointers.

After Shotten said Community was able to overcome the nerves and simply play basketball, the Trojans made mistakes less frequently and showcased a smoother form of basketball that involved slick passes to the open man.

Allen was on the receiving end of those passes a lot as he scored nine points in the third quarter to lead the Trojans on a 7-0 run. The stretch was broken up by a Kota Perry putback but not before a 40-32 lead was opened up, and Allen and Carroll each notched a double-double by the end of the quarter. With seconds left until the fourth quarter.

“We played a little nervous in the first quarter, which is to be expected because I think the guys really wanted it,” Shotten said. “I think (in the third quarter) we were just playing basketball and not thinking. I think, in the first half, we were doing a little too much — we kind of got undisciplined and didn’t run our stuff. I thought, in the second half, we ran our stuff offensively, and that led to the better shots.”

Shotten said Sturgeon was tougher than when the Trojans defeated the Bulldogs 47-28 in December. Alex Ducayne led with 15 points and five blocks, Perry followed with 11 points and 10 rebounds, putting back four misses, and Isaac Bolles finished with 12 points and two 3-pointers.

“Sturgeon, whatever they put on the floor, they’re going to give you a battle,” Shotten said. “They’re really well-coached, and they play hard. They’ve gotten a lot smarter, they’ve gotten better throughout the season, and they’re really patient so give credit to them for fighting.”

While Community dominated on the defensive glass, Sturgeon was able to snag key offensive rebounds to stay within striking distance up until the final three minutes of the third quarter. The Trojans’ eight-point lead after three quarters eventually grew to as much as 13 points.

First, Eli Johnson knocked down a 3-pointer to extend the lead to double digits for the first time at 11 points and then Carroll’s 3-pointers made it 13 points for the first time. Allen and Carroll continued to present a problem for Sturgeon as the duo combined for 17 points in the fourth quarter.

Shotten said the defense was excellent throughout the game, including Eli Johnson on that end of the floor, and Logan Johnson came through with three free throws late as the Bulldogs tried to chip away at the lead in waning seconds of the game.

“I think our defense and our rebounding was tremendous,” Shotten said. “Give credit to Logan Johnson. He hasn’t been scoring the ball for us very much, but he does a great job just getting everybody in control and slowing us down. Eli did a great job on the defensive end.”

Community (2-1 CAC) faced Chamois on the road Monday before returning home for a Tuesday game with conference foe Madison (1-6, 0-3 CAC).

Angel scores 1,000th point for Lady Trojans in 59-28 win vs Sweet Springs

The Community R-6 girls advanced to the championship game in the New Franklin Tournament, but that wasn’t the only accomplishment on people’s minds on Wednesday night.

Senior Sarah Angel scored the 1,000th point of her career as she finished with 11 points and four steals, and Olivia Kuda led with 20 points and six rebounds in a 59-28 victory against Sweet Springs. The Lady Trojans (10-2) earned the right to face Central Activities Conference foe New Franklin (10-2) for the title on Friday night.

Head coach Bob Curtis said Angel not only reached the milestone through years of hard work but did so in a fitting fashion. He said she stole the ball at midcourt before finishing at the other end with a layup.

“She is an extremely hard worker and has gotten better every year throughout her standout career,” Curtis said. “It is fitting that her 1,000th point came on a steal that led to the milestone as she is such a good defender and a lot of her points are on turning the other team over.”

Curtis said Angel was recognized after the bucket with an announcement, plaque and game ball as play was stopped so she had time to hug her parents in the crowd. Angel plans to play in college next fall, Curtis said, and she had an “awesome” career thus far with more games upcoming this season.

Alyssa Beamer and Kylie Brooks followed Angel in the scoring for Community with eight points each, and Aaliyah Welch had seven points. Curtis said Kuda, Brooks, Welch and Jocelyn Curtis combined for 37 points of the team’s 59 points in the paint.

He said they were also key in holding Sweet Springs’ senior star Ryan Johnson to only 10 points.

The Lady Trojans went into Friday the winners of three straight games, averaging 60 points in those games.

Lady Trojans defeat Bunceton/Prairie Home 62-50 in free-throw battle

Between the Community R-6 girls and their first-round New Franklin Tournament opponent, they combined for 62 free throws.

The top-seeded Lady Trojans defeated the eighth seed Bunceton/Prairie Home 62-50 on Monday, hitting seven 3-pointers.

Head coach Bob Curtis said Community was concerned about defending Madison Brown, who he regards one of the best players in Mid-Missouri. He thought they did but allowed too many opportunities at the line.

“I felt like we covered her pretty well as she managed just two field goals but went 10-for-12 at the line for 15 points,” Curtis said. “They are young but playing hard for their new coach. It was one of our better offense games, but we did not adjust well to a very closely called contest as 62 free-throws were shot between the two teams. We helped them score on many possessions by sending them to the line with the clock stopping in the second half. We will get better at adapting to what we are faced with.”

Sarah Angel led Community with 17 points and five assists, Kayla Jett followed with 12 points and two steals, Alyssa Beamer and Kylie Brooks each had eight points, and Olivia Kuda finished with six points.

Community (9-2) faces Sweet Springs (5-5) at 6 p.m. tonight in the new gym.

Trojans beat Sweet Springs 54-40 in physical game

The Community R-6 boys had to deal with Sweet Springs’ physicality and relentlessness but were up for the challenge.

The Trojans won 54-40 in the first round of the New Franklin Tournament on Tuesday, staving off a Sweet Springs (2-7) run that cut Community’s lead of 18 points to nine.

Head coach Tad Shotten said he is proud the boys kept their composure even though the team became a “little banged up.” The Trojans (5-6) still did well on the glass and were led in that effort by Gavin Allen, Mason Carroll and Eli Johnson. Allen led with 22 points, Carroll followed with 15 and Johnson had eight points.

“I think we got a little too cute at times and lost our defensive and offensive focus and that’s when they made their run,” Shotten said. “Gavin and Mason did really well on the offensive glass. I thought Eli did a great job even though he missed a few bunnies and didn’t shoot the best from the free throw line. He was very aggressive at getting to the rim, and we need him to do that. He is showing a lot of promise, and I think his ability to get to the rim tonight will do a lot for his confidence.”

Community lost 60-24 to host and Central Activities Conference foe New Franklin (11-1), who was ranked No. 10 in the latest state Class 2 poll, on Thursday in the next round. The Trojans face Sturgeon  (4-7) for third place at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

“They are very good and athletic,” Shotten said. “We will have to prepare (today) and be ready to play them.”

Check back for updates from the tournament as they become available.