Game Audio Below:
The West Plains Zizzer Boys Basketball team faced the Hillcrest Hornets @ Hillcrest High School in Springfield, MO on Tuesday night, February 25th, 2025 for their final Ozark Mountain Conference game of the season. Districts seatings for the Zizzers will be announced the following day. Zizzers played a strong first half of play but were ultimately upset by the Hornets as point guard Kyrese Simpson lead all scorers for the Hornets and rendered a final score of 73-58.
Summary:
1st Quarter: Kyrese Simpson for the Hornets is fouled in the act of shooting the three right at the start, this forces Clayton Robbins to the free throw line to make three free throws. Robbins makes all three and gives the Zizzers a 3-0 lead. Make it 6-0 as Ethan Tuma shoots a good three pointer. First three pointer of the night for the Hornets by Ethan Weaver makes it a one point game, but a fallway shot by Tuma puts the Zizzers back up by three. Zizzers make several more baseline shots, one a piece from Tuma as well as Josiah Long and Jared Kraft. Two more buckets by the Hornets; one for James Collins and one for Kyrese Simpson. Simpson is given a chance to make up for his foul earlier, quarter ends with the Score, West Plains: 17/ Hillcrest: 12
2nd Quarter: Zizzers have yet to make a turnover as Jared Kraft puts another one in off the glass. Rebound Hornets and another floater is up and good by James Collins. A good three by Robbins for the Zizzers, answered by Kyrese Simpson for the Hornets who narrows the lead to six. Zizzers have still not reached the level of momentum the exhibited last Friday night when they faced the Carl Junction Bulldogs. Kyrese Simpson gets a chance to two more free throws as Zizzers have picked up their first team foul of the 2nd quarter. Another baseline jumper by Levi Romero is good and the lead is cut down to four. Zizzers begin to change up their defense after a time out and Josiah Long makes his sixth point. Hillcrest makes another turnover and Clayton Robbins put in three more. Kyrese Simpson with the rebound as Ethan Weaver tries to put the ball in but Simpson catches it and lays it back up and in. A steal and a tie up by Ethan Tuma at 29 points, Jared Kraft with a jumper and the Zizzers are back up by two, Zizzers are changing back to a man to man defense as Kraft scores another baseline jumper.
HALFTIME- West Plains Zizzers: 31/ Hillcrest Hornets: 29
3rd Quarter: First blood of the second half drawn by Ethan Weaver for the Hornets who ties up the Game at 31. Zizzers throw the ball away and James Collins scores on the first field goal of the Second Half. Two more threes by Collins as Zizzers have yet to score in the Half. Hornets are now cutting loose with a 40-31 lead. Finally some momentum; Jared Kraft with a good baseline jumper. Josiah Long cuts down the lane and puts one in. Hornets are still not laying off as another baseline rim shot is good by Collins for the Hornets. Tanner Hicks for the Hornets who originally had most of the trouble in the First half for the Hornets, cuts in and puts in a good three pointer. Rebound Kraft and another close two, this as the Zizzers trail by at least ten. Josiah Long cuts it back to eleven with another three. Zizzers trail by eleven at the end of three, 51-37.
4th Quarter: Hillcrest initially turn it over but end up getting it back after the Zizzers make another turnover as Tanner Hicks for the Hornets cuts it back two thirteen with another baseline jumper. Another foul call and this sends Hillcrest to steadily continue their run as Ethan Tuma only makes one free throw. Kyrese Simpson cuts the trail to as many as fifteen from the line as he makes two more. Tuma is able to score a few floaters in between but not seeing any looks at doing the damage that has already been done.
*Hillcrest outscored the Zizzers 44-27 in the Second Half
* Point guard, Kyrese Simpson for the Hornets scored 28 of these points
Scoring:
Jared Kraft- 25 points
Clayton Robbins- 14 points
Ethan Tuma- 9 points
Josiah Long- 8 points
Aiden Judd- 3 points
