SHOOTING CLINIC

LAWSON – Richmond varsity girls basketball coach Kaylee Vantrump and her Spartans might have wondered if West Platte would ever miss a shot during Richmond’s 45-20 loss Tuesday night.

At least for the first quarter-and-a-half. The Blue Jays opened the 29th annual Lawson Invitational meeting in the Barker Center with a 23-1 run that stretched into the second quarter. That run included a 7-for-8 field goal shooting display the first quarter.

By contrast, the Spartans went 0-for-7 from the field the first quarter. They didn’t make their first field goal until first-year high schooler Genevieve Didier dropped in a layup with 4 minutes, 23 seconds left in the second quarter.

The loss was Richmond’s third ballgame of 2023. The Spartans fell 50-45 Jan. 5 at Alma to Santa Fe, then claimed a 39-31 Jan. 6 road win over Pleasant Hill before the tournament.

As of this writing, the Spartans were slated to continue their schedule Wednesday night in the Lawson Invitational consolation semifinals, with the outcome to determine if they would play for fifth or seventh place Friday night.

THE BIG 1-0

Hardin-Central is eyeing its 10th win this season in varsity girls basketball.

The Bulldogs are 9-4 overall and 5-2 in the Carroll-Livingston Activities Association (CLAA) entering Friday night’s courtwarming and CLAA meeting with the Hale/Bosworth co-op. They went 6-2 before Christmas. They closed 2022 by winning back-to-back holiday shootout games, thumping Green Ridge 38-19 Dec. 28 at the W-K Holiday Shoot-Out in Sedalia and handling Penney of Hamilton 42-30 Dec. 30 at the Twelve Courts of Christmas at Hy-Vee Arena in Kansas City.

After opening 2023 with a 52-31 loss on Jan. 4 to visiting Brunswick, the Bulldogs rebounded Jan. 6 by edging visiting Tina-Avalon 35-31. Libby Fifer paced Hardin-Central against Tina-Avalon with 15 points.

The Bulldogs fell to Braymer 59-26 Tuesday night at Braymer in CLAA play.

A FLIP OF THE SCRIPT?

The Hardin-Central varsity boys will seek to reverse a trend Friday night, when they face the Hale/Bosworth co-op for courtwarming.

The Bulldogs have lost six of their last seven games, starting with a Dec. 15 home loss to Northwestern of Mendon. A 45-38 Dec. 19 road defeat to Polo followed.

Hardin-Central then dropped back-toback shootout games, falling 40-29 to Green Ridge Dec. 28 at the W-K Holiday Shoot-Out in Sedalia and 50-27 to Penney of Hamilton Dec. 30 at the Twelve Courts of Christmas at Hy-Vee Arena in Kansas City.

After a 54-26 loss Jan. 4 to visiting Brunswick, the Bulldogs got their first win since Dec. 13 by cruising past Tina-Avalon 56-38 Jan. 6 at Hardin-Central. Kameron Pugh and Drew Hawkins led the Bulldogs to victory with 16 points apiece.

Hardin-Central fell again Tuesday night at Braymer. The 47-42 CLAA loss put the boys at 5-8 overall and 3-4 in association play.

STILL ROLLING

Orrick was still rolling in varsity boys basketball entering Tuesday night’s non-conference meeting with visiting Carrollton.

The Bearcats were 7-3 and winners of five straight. They were coming off a 64-28 thumping of Norborne Jan. 6 at Norborne.