Basketball

Lady ‘Cats eyeing No. 2 seed
With five games left on the schedule, the Cassville girls basketball team already has the most wins in a season since 2017-2018, and the Lady Wildcats are hoping to ride their success in a successful postseason.
Scoreboard, Feb. 5
The Cassville boys basketball team (4-13) has only seven games left before Class 4, District 12 action in Monett, and four of the seven games have Big 8 implications. The Wildcats are two weeks removed from a fifth-place finish at the 40th Annual Spokane Invitational, falling 59-52 to Strafford in the opening round, but rebounding with wins over Southwest and Ash Grove to take fifth.
Tigers finding new identity mid-season
Exeter boys basketball coach dislikes the phrase “rebuilding year,” but there are not many other ways to describe this year’s Tigers squad as they find their new identity. After losing a strong group of seniors to graduation last year, Williams said Exeter is still working to find its best lineup, a work in progress.
Scoreboard, Jan. 22
The Cassville girls basketball team (12-3) has now won 10 of its last 11 contests following a 3-win week Jan. 13-16.

Cassville pressing through competitive schedule
In the absence of a Christmas break tournament, the Cassville boys basketball team is ready to turn the season’s corner and use back-to-back tournaments as a springboard to Big 8 Conference play. At 1-8, the Wildcats have played a competitive schedule, facing only one squad with a sub-.500 record, Buffalo, which they beat in the Strafford Tournament, 48-46, on Dec.
Scoreboard, Jan. 15
The Purdy boys basketball team (10-6) has split games to start the new year, and the win was a significant one. The Eagles bested Marionville in overtime, 80-73, on Jan.

Lady ‘Cats earn holiday hardware
It has been four years since the Cassville girls basketball team lifted the Southwest Girls Holiday Tournament trophy, and for the fourth time in the competition’s 11-year history, the Lady Wildcats are title-holders again.

Two grand
Southwest senior Kasen Holder reached a milestone with this off-balance layup, tallying his 1,000th and 1,001st career points with the 2-point play in the opening minutes against Gentry at the Southwest Holiday Tournament on Dec. 30, 2024.

Coaches reflect on tourney performances
A total of 15 teams participated in the Southwest hoops tournaments from Dec. 27-30, 2024, with one local team winning a title and another taking third.
3 local schools head to tourney
11th Annual Southwest Girls Holiday Tournament starts Friday BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com The Southwest, Cassville and Wheaton girls basketball teams will play a trio of games over the holiday break, as all three will participate in the 11th Annual Southwest Girls Holiday Tournament. Action begins on Friday, with No.