Aurora senior Corey Gregory started the season opener at home against Neosho the same way he started the overtime, by nailing two consecutive treys, and that would spell victory for the Houn Dawgs, 81-76. Gregory finished the night with 18 points, including 5 3-pointers.

Aurora jumped on top 6-1, but Neosho sophomore standout Darian Guillory scored five of the Wildcats' next six points to put Neosho on top 8-6 and the Wildcats were able to hold onto that lead through most of the game. By the end of the first quarter, the Wildcats led 19-17.

Four missed Aurora free-throws opened the second quarter, which helped Neosho open a 7-point lead, 24-17, early in the second. That lead got to 10 a couple of times in the quarter, including the halftime score of 40-30.

Aurora opened the second half much like it started the game, as they used inspired defense to pull to within two, 40-38, as Austin Carmichael had two steals and four points and Logan Bader, who tallied 18 points in the win, had two steals and two points.

The Wildcats pushed the lead back to eight on 3-point baskets by sophomore Kaden Roy and Lukas Werneke. The score after three still favored Neosho, 57-50.

Aurora once again opened a quarter on a run, the third time they had done so in the game, scoring the fourth quarter's first three points to cut the Wildcat lead to four. And Aurora would continue to fight its way back into the game as the clock began to wind down, taking a 61-60 edge with 3:48 remaining. It was the Houn's first lead since 12-11 in the first quarter.

Fourth quarter foul shooting woes for Neosho allowed Aurora to stay close, as Neosho hit just five out of 15 free-throws down the stretch. Those misses let Aurora back in the game, as Logan Bader and Josh Fronabarger combined for four points at the end of regulation to tie it up at 67-67.

"We didn't play as strong defensively as I had hoped," said Aurora head coach Daniel Cutbirth after the win. "But we did have some shutdown moments. These boys never give up. I couldn't always say that in years past, but this group believes in each other."

The overtime belonged to the Houn' Dawgs, as they outscored Neosho 14-9, as Fronabarger and Bader nailed crucial free-throws down the stretch, once again. But it was those two treys to open the overtime by Gregory that helped the Houn's secure their home opener 81-76.

"They were leaving me open early and I put a couple in," said Gregory. "They started to clamp down on me but I was able to get open again a couple of times in the overtime."

Gregory and Logan Bader led Aurora with 18 apiece, while Skylar Cahill added 11 for Aurora.

Neosho was led by Guillory's game-high 25, while Roy and Logan Stuart added 11 each.