For the second consecutive year, Cassville met Gentry (Ark.) in the title game at the Southwest Holiday Tournament, and for the second consecutive time, the Lady Wildcats hoisted the second-place trophy.

The Lady Pioneers put the game out of reach early, sinking 12 total 3-pointers in the first half and another 4 in the second to defeat Cassville, 65-20.

“We knew going in they would take 50 shots and 30 of them would be 3-pointers,” said Clayton Bagby, Cassville girls basketball coach. “They just hit them at a much higher percentage than I was hoping. Against teams like them, playing man, you have to keep your person in front of you. You can’t let them break you down and kick out to help for a shot, and that’s what they did.”

Senior Ashlynn Bryan said though the result was a tough one, it was a learning experience for the squad.

“We have to learn from it and figure out how to adjust,” she said. “We need to work hard in practice, and hope that learning shows in our next games.”

Cassville’s tournament began with a 59-39 win over Wheaton, then the Lady Wildcats held on to get a 41-37 win over third-place Pierce City in the semifinal.

“The way we played against Pierce City, that was one where we really didn’t have it, but the girls gutted it out,” Bagby said. “They pulled out that win, and it was a great effort there. We knew the championship would be tough, and they magnified the things we need to work on.”

Bryan said despite the last loss, the team has accomplished something by making the championship two years in a row.

“It feels good knowing we are not getting worse,” she said. “We are getting better and Gentry is a good team. This will be the same as last year. We’ll take what we’ve learned from this and add to it.” The Lady Wildcats hosted Purdy on Tuesday and travel to Miami (Okla.) on Friday before jumping into the conference and district slate. All Cassville’s district opponents are members of the Big 8.

“ Conference-wise, Nevada is the team to beat,” Bagby said. “After them, there are about five teams all together, and it will come down to who improves the most and guts out wins as they go. Our goal is to compete for a conference championship, and we can do that.”

Cassville (9-3) is one of only two team in Class 4, District 12 that is above .500, the other being Aurora (5-1).

“The district keeps getting better, and we are giving ourselves a shot,” Bagby said.

“As a team, we want to be consistent and play our game,” Bryan said. “We can’t let our opponents dictate how we play.”

Bagby said the Lady Wildcats have looked to their main contributors so far this year, but newcomers are also making their marks.

“Most of our production is coming from the four we expected, and after that, we are working on settling some roles,” Bagby said. “This tournament, Ellie Ramaeker stepped up for us on the defensive side, and Kyler Hayward stepped up for us against Pierce City. She’s young but does a good job as the other guard every night.”