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Lady Tigers complete tall order by beating 6-foot-5 Mancini and Webb City

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Alexis Solomon kept her sense of humor and was able to make light of some situations she found herself in Thursday.

For instance, the 5-foot-7 Ozark center jumped but couldn’t reach a Webb City pass that Lady Cardinals 6-5 post player Sami Mancini caught while not even having to leave her feet.

“In my head, I was laughing because I was trying to do all I could do,” Soloman said.

Soloman also kept her composure and wits about her while helping Ozark get the best of Webb City and Mancini 63-58 in overtime.

Mancini, who is regarded as one of the state’s top sophomore prospects and ranked No. 84 nationally by one publication, scored 20 points. But she was scoreless over the final three minutes of regulation and all of the overtime. 

Soloman’s relentless physical nature put Mancini out of position and led to misses on her final two shots with the game on the line.

“All I could do was body her as much as I could. Being smaller, that’s all you really can do against a girl that size,” Soloman said. “Getting her off the block was something I was really trying to do. I was trying to keep her high or way below the block. As soon as she got me on the block, there was nothing I could do about it.

“I was pushing her the entire time,” she added. “Even if she didn’t move, I was pushing her.”

Ozark’s defense down the stretch stood out all over the floor. Webb City forced overtime when Mia Robbins swished a 3-pointer at the buzzer. But the Lady Cardinals managed just five points over the last seven minutes.

The Lady Tigers trailed 53-50, before scoring six straight points near the end of regulation. In overtime, they scored the game’s final seven points.

Guard Macey Sult switched things up and played more like a swingman. She starred late by scoring four of Ozark’s final six points in regulation and the Lady Tigers’ first two points in overtime.

Even with Mancini in the middle of Webb City’s zone, Sult repeatedly went to the paint. She banked in a pretty finger-roll away from her body and twice was fouled, resulting in four free throws.

“(Mancini) was blocking me at first. She had blocked everything I had gone into (the paint) against her,” Sult said. “I had the ball one time at the free-throw line and wasn’t sure what to do. I was going to pass. Coach (Brandon Clift) had told us to go at her and get her in foul trouble. It was nerve-racking because I’m normally outside. But I couldn’t hit a 3 tonight, so I knew I had to get my points somewhere else, either at the free-throw line or down under.”

Ozark trailed for much of the night, after not quite being able to keep pace with Webb City from 3-point land. The Lady Cardinals were 11-of-25 on their 3-pointers, while Ozark was 8-of-22.

Jordyn Foley scored 19 points and Molly Rushing 13. But they were kept in check late by Webb City defenders. Clift felt the Lady Tigers couldn't keep avoiding Mancini and had to look for points in the paint.  

“(Webb City coach Lance Robbins) told his wings to stay out and try to take away our shooters. Penetrating had to be the counter to that move," Clift said. "(Mancini) is such a presence. She clogs up the lane. We talked about (her) at halftime. I said, ‘We’ve got to be willing to go in there and make her guard somebody and make good decisions.' I was proud of the girls for being aggressive, getting downhill and putting them in pressure situations. 

“Macy did a nice job late,” he added. “She got to the free-throw line. Seeing her attack the basket is a really good thing for us.”

“We struggled getting downhill in the first half because I think all of us were playing timid against (Mancini),” said Soloman, who had 10 points and seven assists while playing the full 36 minutes. “She is so big in the middle of the zone. Once we started attacking her, she would step toward us and we would have easy dump-downs to people who were open. We had to bring her with us when we had the ball and that would leave someone open."

Clift was also proud of Ozark's rebounding. The Lady Tigers won the battle of the boards 29-23. Webb City did not get a single second-chance opportunity in overtime.

Sydney Hampton was twice fouled in overtime after establishing position on a rebound. She made 4-of-6 free throws in the extra period. 

Ozark (9-9 overall and 2-1 in the COC) had been 0-3 at home and 0-2 in overtime games. The Lady Tigers have won seven of their last 10 games.

"It feels great to get that first home win and I’m so glad we finally won in overtime," Soloman said.

Ozark 63, Webb City 58 OT

WEBB CITY (58) — Lopez 5 1-4 15, Robbins 2 0-0 6, Long 1 0-0 2, Brownfield 5 1-2 15, Mancini 9 1-2 20.

OZARK (63) — Foley 6 4-4 19, Kirkland 0 0-2 0, Eisenmann 1 0-0 3, Hampton 2 4-6 8, Sult 2 6-6 10, Rushing 4 1-3 13, Soloman 4 2-3 10.

Webb City  12 13 25  6   2  - 58

Ozark          12 16 17 11  7  - 63

3-point goals - Rushing 4, Lopez 4, Brownfield 4, Robbins 2, Foley 2, Mancini, Eisenmann.


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