VAN BUREN --This time around, the Neelyville girls basketball team had an answer for any comeback attempt by Thayer to earn a seventh straight title.
The Tigers overcame an early seven-point deficit and maintained a double-digit lead for much of the second half to avoid a repeat of last year's final, winning 63-47 in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 3 championship Thursday night.
"We were a little iffy about it," Neelyville senior Mackenzie Hobbs said of a 15-point lead to start the fourth quarter. "We can't get too big about it because last year it burned us.
"We just stuck with it, played defense and just played hard."
The Tigers spoiled second-ranked Thayer's unbeaten season a year after sabotaging a late comeback by the Bobcats with a three-point win.
Neelyville (22-4), ranked No. 5 in the last state coaches poll, will face the District 4 winner at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Mountain Grove High School. Hartville (23-3), ranked No. 6, is set to face Fordland (22-6) in the District 4 final Friday.
The Tigers enter the playoffs on a roll, having won 14 straight with a convincing win over Thayer (25-1) in front of 1,200-plus fans.
"Our shots were falling tonight," said senior J'Kayla Fowler of Neelyville's 62.2 percent shooting performance.
Autumn Dodd scored all but two of her 20 points in the first half to lead the Tigers. Jentri Worley added 18 points, four assists and four steals while Fowler added 11 points. Hobbs sank a pair of 3-pointers for six points as the Tigers knocked down 7 of 13 long-range shots.
Two nights after shooting 33.5 percent from the field in a semifinal win, Neelyville couldn't miss.
"We hadn't played her this year, it's kind of different," Hobbs said. "Our shots could fall a lot better tonight so I think being here the other night helped."
Neelyville coach Becky Hale agreed and added that the Tigers' ability to rebound helped.
"Knowing your teammates are down there ready to get that if you miss (a shot), it makes you feel better," Hale said.
The Bobcats finished plus-7 on rebounding but had just eight second-chance points despite 15 offensive rebounds, 10 by April Earls who scored eight points off the bench.
Julie Stone scored a game-high 22 points to lead Thayer, which shot 33.3 percent from the field. Taylor Madden scored all eight of her points in the first half while Caitlin Jones, who scored 22 in the semifinal, had just five points.
"We had our opportunities and missed our shots we'd like to make," Thayer coach Cecil Meyer said. "They had something to do with that too."
Thayer raced out to a 12-5 lead by scoring seven straight points but the Tigers closed the quarter with a 10-1 run, then extended it to 22-5 in the second quarter to take command.
Neelyville forced six turnovers during the run which also featured a drought of 6 1/2 minutes between field goals for the Bobcats.
The rally started with a steal by junior Rhegan Tutor on a pass to the post and another by Worley that led to a 3-pointer by Hobbs. Another steal by Worley led to a layin by Dodd before Worley tipped a ball loose to Dodd for another steal and layin for a 13-12 lead.
Dodd's pull-up jumper in the closing seconds put Neelyville up 15-13 heading into the second quarter. The junior then sank consecutive baskets on drives from the wing to cap a 14-1 swing.
"I just think we were relentless in our defense," Hale said of overcoming the early deficit. "Just kept at it and it paid off."
The Tigers scored 13 points off turnovers in the first half.
Madden sank Thayer's first field goal in 6 1/2 minutes but Dodd answered with a 3-pointer for a 25-17 lead then got a steal as the Tigers pressed. Her layin pushed the lead to 10 with five minutes left in the half.
The Bobcats got within six but Worley answered with a 3 before picking up her third foul a minute later. A missed foul shot didn't allow her to sub out and Worley scored off a pass from Dodd in transition.
Neelyville took a 36-23 lead into halftime but the Bobcats scored the first six points of the second half. Worley ended the run with a leaner and Fowler followed with a three-point play on a drive from the high post.
That started a 12-1 run that ended with a 3-pointer by Worley and a runner by Dodd for a 48-30 lead.
"They didn't miss much," Meyer said. "They shot a high percentage. As well as they played we had a time there, early in the fourth quarter, we had a layup we didn't make to cut it to (single digits).
"I think the momentum was headed our way right there."
Down 10, Jones got a steal but the Bobcats missed on the other end and Dodd came away with the rebound, hit Fowler with a pass for a transition bucket. Each time Thayer got back within 10, Neelyville answered with two free throws. Hobbs sank a 3 for a 58-43 with 3 1/2 minutes left, taking the air out of Thayer's comeback.
"We trust each other and we know everybody's going to work hard out there on the floor and hope that it goes our way," Hale said.