A role player who easily could have been overlooked by college coaches, Corey Kemp is sure playing for Nixa helped him on his recruiting trail that led to College of the Ozarks.
He was told as much
“It definitely did (help),” Kemp said. “(C of O coach Steve Shepherd) said to me, 'You're from Nixa, top school in the state, undefeated and you start for them, that's a lot going for you.’”
In turn, it helped Nixa mightily Wednesday that Kemp plays for the Eagles. In fact, the senior combo guard saved Class 6’s only undefeated team from a first-round post-season exit.
Kemp’s 15 points were pivotal in No. 1-seeded Nixa’s 57-55 Class 6 District 5 opening-round triumph against No. 8 seed Ozark.
Kemp scored all 15 of his points over the first three quarters, as Nixa built as much as an 18-point lead, 43-25, with 3:25 remaining in the third quarter.
Kemp and Kael Combs combined for 31 of Nixa’s first 36 points.
Given the Eagles’ struggles offensively in the fourth quarter, they were thankful to rely on every point they had put up earlier.
Kemp responded to post-season pressure admirably. He more than doubled his scoring average on a night in which most of the Eagles endured a sub-par outing.
“I had some nerves. But I tried not to show them,” Kemp said. “In warmups, I was hitting my shots better than usual and my form felt great. So, I was loose and not so uptight like I usually am. I was ready for the game.”
“He came up big,” Combs said of backcourt ‘mate. “I’m glad we have him. I'm glad he gets to play at the next level. He definitely deserves it.”
Kemp gave C of O a verbal commitment a week after Shepherd was on hand at the Nixa Invitational Tournament in late January.
“I've been dreaming about playing college basketball since I was little,” Kemp said. “Here I am living my dream.”
Kemp also shined defensively. He was part of Nixa’s efforts limiting Ozark’s Hudson Roberts to 11 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
"That kid can score as soon as he walks in the gym," Ozark coach Mark Schweitzer said of Roberts. "For them to hold him to 11, they did a good job. They were physical with him (away from the ball)."
Schweitzer, a C of O grad, could at least find some consolation that his ol’ college coach is getting a good one in Kemp.
“He had a big game. He hit big shots and his defense was great,” Schweitzer said. “I’ve watched that kid since he was young. He'll be a Bobcat and coach Shepherd should enjoy him and his athleticism.”
Ozark and Nixa fans showed why the best fans in SWMO are in Christian County by combining for an impressive gathering for the 4 p.m. matinee.
The fans were spirited, too, as Ozark (12-15) made quite a game of it by rallying from 18 down to within a point of Nixa.
The Eagles (27-0) got up by 18 by getting hot from 3-point land. They started 2-of-8 shooting 3s, but made five straight beyond the arc over the second and third quarters and finished 9-of-16 on their 3s.
Over the final three minutes of the third quarter and the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, the Tigers outscored the Eagles 22-6 to pull within two of the lead, 49-47.
Ozark matched up very well against Nixa along the front line on paper and it played out that way. The towering Tigers grabbed 14 offensive rebounds.
"This is why as a one seed it was a terrible matchup for us,” Eagles coach Brock Blansit said. “Our defensive rebounding was the biggest issue we had tonight. They're probably the biggest team we've played this year and they're so physical.”
The Tigers’ second-chance opportunities and the hot hands of Ethan Sutherland and Ryan Engel triggered their comeback. Sutherland and Engel both scored 12 points over the third and fourth quarters.
“I thought we guarded really well for three quarters,” Blansit said. “Then, they got hot. They saw the ball go through the basket quite a few times. Some of it was momentum. Momentum is a real thing.”
Alas, Ozark’s upset bid fell short. With Nixa leading 51-50 and 1:15 to play, Roberts missed a 3-pointer. With the Eagles up 53-50 and :37 left, Garrett Ballard missed a 3.
“We got two really clean 3-ball looks, but they didn't fall,” Schweitzer said. “We go up and it changes the whole game.”
With Ozark forced to foul, Nixa finished the fourth quarter 9-of-10 at the free-throw line. The Eagles had just one field goal in the fourth quarter.
Combs made 5-of-6 free throws in the fourth quarter and Josh Peters was 4-for-4.
Combs has been clutch at the foul line all season. He’s making freebies at a 79-percent clip, after being mired in the mid-60s last season.
"I worked a lot on (free throws) in the off-season, focusing more and getting my routine down. I'm glad it's paying off,” Combs said. “I think I was rushing it last year. I’m standing at free-throw line a little longer now and going through my routine. Trusting that I'm going to make it has been the key.
“In the championship game of the Willard Tournament, I was 16-of-18 on free throws. That definitely helped toward my confidence,” he added. “I always want to be at the line. If anybody's going to be at the line, I want to be the one on the line with the game on the line, if we're down or up.”
Combs scored 25 points, but didn't enjoy a normal night. He was 6-of-19 from the field.
“It felt like it,” Combs said when told of his shooting totals. “I don't think I've ever had an off night (inside the 3-point line) like that. It's my worst game of the season. I haven't had any games like that.
“You're always going to have one bad game," he added. "It's (good) getting it out of the way. I know next game will be a lot better.”
Nixa has now had six one-possesson games decided by three points or less.
Next up for Nixa is a 6 p.m. semifinal matchup Friday opposite Joplin (17-9), which was a 90-88 double-overtime winner against Springfield Central on Wednesday.
Nixa last lost to Joplin in December, 2019, at the Carthage Tournament.
The other semifinal will feature No. 2 seed Kickapoo (19-8) against No. 3 seed Republic (24-3) at 7:30 p.m.
Nixa 57, Ozark 55
OZARK (55) — Roberts 5 0-0 11, Whatley 3 1-2 7, George 2 0-0 5, Sutherland 6 0-0 14, Ballard 2 1-2 6, Engel 3 3-4 12.
NIXA (57) — Peters 1 4-4 7, Hines 4 0-0 10, Engelman 0 0-2 0, Combs 6 10-15 25, C. Kemp 6 0-0 15, McCoy 0 0-2 0.
Ozark 6 9 20 20 - 55
Nixa 12 12 23 12 - 57
3-point goals - Engel 3, C. Kemp 3, Combs 3, Sutherland 2, Hines 2, George, Peters, Roberts, Ballard.
