Canton’s Clay earns NJCAA Division II all-tourney honors as Morton College takes fifth place

Morton College freshman guard Nariah Clay, a Canton, Mo., native, was named to the NJCAA Division II all-tournament team after averaging 18.5 points over four games in Joplin, Mo. | Photo courtesy Morton College

JOPLIN, Mo. — Nariah Clay’s freshman season ended with an eye-opening performance. The Canton, Mo., native scored 18 points and finished with four rebounds, four assists and four steals as the Morton College women’s basketball team beat Iowa Western 75-67 on Saturday in the fifth-place game of the NJCAA Division II national tournament. It capped…

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Show-Me Spotlight: Canton’s Clay finds college fit that makes her feel right at home

Canton senior Nariah Clay, left, is a three-sport standout who has committed to play basketball at Morton College, an NJCAA Division II program in Cicero, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mathew Kirby

CANTON, Mo. — Nariah Clay admits the college recruiting wasn’t going the way she had envisioned. Then Morton College came along. Playing with the Cross Over Hoops AAU basketball program last summer, the Canton senior three-sport standout was introduced to Morton College women’s basketball coach Jason Nichols and assistant coach Kevin McManaman during a tournament…

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Area Distributors Area Athlete of the Week: Canton’s Nariah Clay

Second-seeded Canton’s Nariah Clay gets off a shot during last Saturday’s championship game of the 79th annual Tony Lenzini Invitational against top-seeded Palmyra in Palmyra, Mo. Photo courtesy Mathew Kirby

PALMYRA, Mo. — Nariah Clay’s clutch free-throw shooting and consistent play throughout the week carried the second-seeded Canton girls basketball team to the championship of the 79th annual Tony Lenzini Invitational. That included going 8 of 9 from the line and scoring 14 points in a 68-54 victory over top-seeded Palmyra in last Saturday’s championship…

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