2017-18 Winter Preview: Ozark Girls Basketball

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BRANSON MO NEWS: By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
David Brewer’s fifth season at Ozark is one that looks like a rebuild on paper, with just three lettermen returning, but that may be far from the case.
The Lady Tigers return All-COC selections Macey Putt and Madi Braden on a team that was five points away from grabbing a share of the COC-Large and playing for a district championship.
The two Branson losses, coming just two weeks apart by a total of five points, were part of five Ozark losses by four points or fewer. The fact that Branson went on to make an Elite Eight run makes the 52-50 district semifinal loss even tougher.
“The Branson game was difficult for us,” said Brewer. “We led entire first three quarters while doing a good job on Kearney. We had three minute span of doing a poor job against Branson’s halfcourt trap and we missed a lot of opportunities. It’s a difficult loss to swallow.”
While Kearney has moved on to start her career at D-2 power Harding, Ozark returns the best inside-out duo in the COC with Putt and Braden.
Putt, a 6-foot-2 Arkansas State volleyball commit, averaged 9.8 points and a team-high 5.9 rebounds last year. Braden, a 5-foot-8 sophomore guard, was one of the best freshmen in Missouri last year after averaging 13.3 points and 3.1 assists, shooting a blistering 41% from deep with 64 makes.
“Macey has been a bright spot for us,” said Brewer. “Knowing that she was a volleyball first kid we weren’t sure what to expect as her career moved a lot, but she is athletic, talented and has been an offensive and defensive force for us. When she plays totally engaged and motivated, she is a great basketball player!
“Madi has improved her game from a year ago. …



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