Nixa traveled to Kansas City for two non-conference matchups on Dec. 9 and 10. 

The Eagles opened up the road trip against one of the state's top teams and players in Grain Valley and University of Missouri-bound Grace Slaughter.

Grain Valley entered the contest undefeated as the Class 6 No. 2-ranked team and Slaughter is the 53rd-ranked recruit by ESPNW and was a member of the U16 USA Team that won the gold in the 2021 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Americas Championship.

Nixa topped Grain Valley in an overtime thriller for the second-consecutive year in a game that saw many lead changes from start to finish 64-59. Last year's contest witnessed almost an identical scoreline, as Nixa was victorious in overtime 63-57.

Grain Valley scored the first bucket of the game but behind a stellar first-quarter play from Allison Jones and Norah Clark, Nixa led after one 16-11. Jones (8) and Clark (6) combined for the majority of the scoring with baskets inside the post.

Early in the second frame, Grain Valley tied the game at 16-16, forcing a Nixa timeout. Jacy Bray regained Nixa's lead with a mid-range jumper. The remaining minutes of the quarter saw both teams trading baskets with one another.

Two late 3-pointers from Sadie Conway and Lilly Mahy propelled Nixa into the halftime break with a five-point advantage of 26-21.

Out of the break, Bray kicked off the scoring with a three and gave Nixa its largest lead of the game. 

Grain Valley sparked a little run of its own and tied the game at 31-31 with five minutes left in the third, but Laila Grant regained Nixa's lead after sinking a mid-range shot and knocking down a free throw, and it was a Nixa's advantage 34-31. 

With 1:30 remaining in the third quarter, Grain Valley captured the lead 36-34, but a clutch basket by Clark seconds before the clock expired tied the game.

Conway drained a 3-pointer on Nixa's first possession of the fourth quarter, giving Nixa the lead. Grain Valley matched Nixa's three with one of its own in the ensuing possession, and it was tied yet again at 39-39.

From there, Grain Valley went on a 4-0 run and forced a Nixa timeout. Out of the timeout, Bray ended the run with a drive and finish at the basket, trimming Grain Valley's lead to two, and Grant tied the game with 4:30 left in regulation.

Both teams exchanged baskets and went back and forth for the next two minutes. Just moments before the clock was going under the one-minute mark, Clark regained Nixa's lead with a drive and finish inside, and the advantage favored Nixa 49-47.

Nixa's stout defense forced a Grain Valley turnover with 49.4 left and then Nixa was heading to the free-throw line for the remainder of the way, due to intentional fouling by Grain Valley.

A couple of missed free throws down the stretch by Nixa gave Grain Valley the opportunity to tie the game. They did, as Grain Valley knocked down two free throws with just a few seconds left in regulation, evening the game at 49-49 and forcing another four minutes on the clock.

Clark drained a baseline jumper to start the scoring in overtime and gave Nixa the lead of 51-49. Grain Valley converted two free throws in the ensuing possession and it was an even game.

With 3:15 left in overtime, Nixa regained the advantage. Kinley Hammitt knocked down a clutch 3-pointer and then Hammitt forced a steal and converted it into two points in transition, giving Nixa the lead 56-51.

Grain Valley did not give up, though, and was a 3-pointer away from tying the game and changing momentum. 

Free throws down the stretch in the final minute by Bray, Clark, Conway, and Hammitt gave Nixa's its second-straight victory over Grain Valley and handed them its first defeat of the 2022-23 season, as Nixa outscored Grain Valley 15-10 in overtime and exited with the victory.

Nixa converted 19 of 40 field goals and drained four of 12 from deep, three of which came from Conway (2) and Hammitt (1). Nixa had help on offense from nine different scorers, including three in double figures: Clark (15), Hammitt (11), and Conway (10). Bray was a force on the glass and grabbed nine rebounds while dishing out four assists.

The Nixa defense held Slaughter, a nightly 30 PPG scorer, to her lowest-scoring game of the early season 19.

View game photos here.

Box Score:
Nixa 16 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 64
Grain Valley 11 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 59
 

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Nixa took the court less than 24 hours after its thrilling victory over Grain Valley, as the Eagles faced off with the Lee's Summit West Titans who entered the contest 2-1.

After leading for the majority of the game without shots falling the way the Eagles initially hoped for, Lee's Summit West handed Nixa its first defeat of the young season 56-42.

Lilly Mahy scored the first bucket of the game with a fast-break layup at the seven-minute mark and the Eagles' defense held the Titans off the scoreboard for nearly two minutes in the opening quarter.  

Nixa led Lee's Summit West after the first 9-8.

The Titans knocked down the first basket of the second with a 3-pointer, but Kinley Hammitt responded back with a three of her own in the ensuing possession, regaining Nixa's lead. The following two minutes witnessed a scoreless drought by both teams until the Titans converted two freebies from the charity stripe, and the game favored Lee's Summit West 13-12.

Nixa finally got back on the scoreboard and regained the lead with two Brooke Teter free throws with 4:45 left in the first half. The Eagles had the momentum midway through the second quarter, as Nixa went on a 7-0 run and extended its lead to 19-12. The Titans ended the run with back-to-back 3-pointers on their following possessions.

Mahy scored Nixa's next eight points with two threes and a transition steal basket, upping Nixa's lead to 30-19 with under a minute left. Laila Grant extended the Eagles' lead with a free throw and Nixa headed into the break with a 12-point advantage.

The Eagles offense struggled to find their grove in the third quarter, allowing the Titans to slowly inch their way back into the game. Layups from Sadie Conway, Teter, and Grant, along with a Grant free throw, were Nixa's only points.

A 3-pointer by the Titans with 1:40 remaining in the quarter tied the game at 36-36, but Grant's bucket gave Nixa a two-point lead heading into the final quarter. 

Lee's Summit West scored the first basket of the fourth and tied the game. Then the Titans hit back-to-back 3-pointers and took a six-point lead.

Nixa finally got back on the scoreboard midway through the fourth with two Mahy freebies, but the Titans matched those free throws with two of their own, and it was an eight-point lead for Lee's Summit West. 

The clock and rim were not on the Eagles' side late in the game, as the Titans converted free throws down the stretch and Mahy scored Nixa's final points with ten seconds left.

Mahy finished the game with a team-leading 14 points and played a key role on defense, notching four steals and oa block. Conway, Grant, and Norah Clark all finished with six points, while Bray again was a wrecking force on the glass with eight rebounds.

Nixa (4-1) takes another road trip on Dec. 16-17 to Tennessee for a match-up with the University School of Jackson and Hillsboro. 

Box Score:
Lee's Summit West 8 | 11 | 17 | 20 | 56
Nixa 9 | 22 | 7 | 4 | 42