#22 Moberly Gets Strong Second Half To Outlast #18 Mineral Area In Overtime

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(Feb. 26, 2022) Jefferson City, MO – After four straight defeats handed to them from the Cardinals last year, and the first two regular season matches in this 2021-22 campaign, the #22 Greyhounds take the last two, and more importantly, the one that makes them Region 16 Champs.

Trialing 38-34 at the half, Moberly had to score the last six of that period to get back in it. Not much seemed to be going right, but none the less, Moberly fought through some foul problems and other adversities to keep it close.

“I felt, the way things went in the first half, that we were lucky to be down by only four,” said an elated HC Patrick Smith after his Hounds overcame several thirteen point deficits in the last period to ride out the Cardinals, in overtime, 86-82.

Moberly (26-6) used 21 of Sincere Parker’s game high 26 to propel themselves into the Central District Championship game next Saturday, March 5. A game in which they will host either Triton College or Kankakee College, who are fighting it out Monday night in River Grove, IL for the Region 4 title.

In addition to Parker’s 26, Moberly got strong efforts form James Dent with 16 points, more than twice his season average, along with 14 each from Tyren Moore and Michael Thomas. Jimmy Bell added 12. Moore and Parker went six for six from the charity stripe at the end to preserve the victory, and the Hounds first Region 16 title since 2019, and fourth in the last seven seasons.

Brett Thompson powered Mineral Area with 17 points. His contested three from 30 feet with :03 left in regulation splashed home to send the game into the extra period. Gavin Harris added 16, and it was his hot streak that took the Cardinals to a double digit lead coming out of the locker room. Jamir Price and Keonte Jones each finished with 14.

The Cardinals (24-7), a quarterfinalist in last season’s National Tournament, will have to wait to see if their resume will be good enough to receive one of the eight At-large bids to see if they will make a return trip to the Salt City (Hutchinson, KS).

The Greyhouds have now reeled in ten straight Ws since back to back region losses to Three Rivers and Mineral Area in mid January. Ironically, those are the same two teams the Hounds beat to claim the R16 first place plaque. MACC defeated Three Rivers in the semifinal Friday, 77-76.

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