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By TODD FERTIG

TopSports.news

The Shawnee Heights girls hit 23 field goals in their 59-11 United Kansas Conference win over Lansing Friday. But the first bucket was the most important.

T-Birds make Senior Night special for injured captain Tayler Hanshaw. [Photo by Kirk Hockman/Special to TSN]  

As part of the T-Birds’ Senior Night celebration, senior Tayler Hanshaw made her first start of the season. Wearing a brace on her right knee, Hanshaw jogged to the offensive end after Lansing conceded the opening jump ball. Hanshaw was fed a pass on the right block, which she laid in for her first, and only, score of the season.

Hanshaw was a key member of last year’s T-Birds that were knocked out in a Class 5A sub-state finals. She figured to be a leader for coach Bob Wells’ team in her senior season. But an injury ended her season just as it was beginning.

“Over the summer I put in a lot of work, going to the gym every day,” Hanshaw recalled. “But, like, 20 minutes into the first practice I was doing a defensive drill and I just stepped wrong and (my knee) popped. I was very disappointed because I was really looking forward to this season.”

A torn ACL deprived Hanshaw of her senior season, and deprived Shawnee Heights of an important player.

“It was really sad, especially the way it happened on that very first day of tryouts,” said fellow senior Reianna Vega. “We knew it was going to affect us a lot because she was one of our point guards and she shot a lot of threes. Knowing she wasn’t going to be back for the rest of the season, we knew we had to step up and do what we had to do to fill her spot.”

Hanshaw surrendered her position on the floor, but she wasn’t going to give up her influence on the team, which, with the win over Lansing, is now 14-4.

“I still wanted to be in that captain role,” Hanshaw said. “I knew I wasn’t going to give that up. So, I came to practice every day. I showed up to every game. I sat on the bench and supported the team. Even though I couldn’t play, I still wanted to be there for them.”

The T-Birds were able to play everyone in the romp over Lansing. Junior KK Emmot led Heights with 14 points, followed by senior Imani McGlory and Vega, who added 11 apiece. Nine T-Birds scored in the game.

Hanshaw appreciated the opportunity to get in the game, to score a bucket, and to be recognized in the post-game ceremony as one of the T-Birds’ four seniors.

“It was really exciting to go out there and even being able to shoot because I didn’t know if I would be able to do that,” Hanshaw said. “I’m really glad it worked out because I have a lot of family that came to support me.”

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By TODD FERTIG

TopSports.news

JaiMarion Cook had a night shooting the basketball he won’t soon forget. The senior connected on all seven three-pointers he attempted Friday against Lansing to lead the T-Birds to a 73-52 win on Shawnee Heights’ Senior Night.

Shawnee Heights senior JaiMarion Cook hit seven 3-pointers in Friday's 73-52 win over Lansing. [File photo/TSN]i

Cook swished the game’s first shot to trigger a 12-0 run to open the game. The T-Birds hit their first five shots, and nine of 11 attempts in the first period to bolt to a 23-5 lead. Cook did most of the damage, hitting four 3-pointers, barely grazing the rim on any of his attempts.

Shawnee Heights stretched that lead to 38-12 at the half, with Cook hitting another 3-pointer.

The senior buried Shawnee Heights’ first two shot attempts of the second half to give him seven 3-pointers in the first 18 minutes of the game. Only late in the third period did he finally miss a shot – a tough reverse on a drive through traffic. The senior finished with 23 points to lead all scorers.

“I felt it before I even walked out of the locker room,” Cook said. “It just felt like, when we embraced each other on the middle of the court before the game…it was like something was in the air.”

Though he kept connecting, Cook didn’t worry about his perfect streak.

“It’s not about a streak,” Cook said. “I just told myself, ‘Keep shooting. You’re on fire right now.’ ”

At times this season, Shawnee Heights coach Ken Darting has lamented his team’s offensive limitations. He smiled when discussing the team’s blistering start and Cook’s perfect night from behind the arc.

“When I’m disappointed, I’m usually disappointed with effort, because our margin of error is so that we have to be perfect,” Darting said. “We can’t make mistakes. But we can shoot it, if we take our time to get what we call ‘gold shots.’ That’s a shot you can make.”

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NOTE: Statistics for city girls basketball teams were compiled by Seaman girls coach Matt Tinsley. The following stats are the second of three statistical reports which will be released during the 2025-2026 season, capped by the season-ending stats. Topeka West statistics were not available.

Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, Topeka High

SCORING

Name, school                    Gms.  Pts.    Avg

Rayton, Topeka High           13      307     23.6

Schmidtlein, Hayden            13      230     17.7

Emmot, Shawnee Heights    16      275     17.2

Caryl, Topeka High                10      152     15.2

Anderson, Washburn Rural   13       190    14.6

McGlory, Shawnee Heights   15       194    12.9

Gragg, Seaman                      13       163    12.5

Marshall, Topeka High           14       158    11.3

Carter, Shawnee Heights       15        163   10.9

Kincade, Highland Park          13        137   10.5

Beaton, Seaman                     11        114    10.4

Jones, Highland Park              13        134    10.3

Carlgren, Washburn Rural      14        143    10.2

Hirschi, Washburn Rural         14        130      9.3

Backman, CPLS                        13        115     8.8

REBOUNDING

Name, school                    Gms.   Total    Avg.

Caryl, Topeka High                10      116       11.6

Walker, Washburn Rural        14      124         8.9

Gragg, Seaman                      13      105         8.1

Schmidtlein, Hayden              13        92         7.1 

Carter, Shawnee Heights        12        84         7.0

Jones, Highland Park              13        88         6.8

Dreher, Seaman                      13        83         6.4

Vega, Shawnee Heights          13       74          5.7

Gotru, Topeka High                13        72         5.5

Anderson, Washburn Rural     13        71         5.5

Marshall, Topeka High             14       76          5.4 

Watts, Hayden                          13       70         5.4                  

Carlgren, Washburn Rural        14        74         5.3

Barnett, Highland Park             12        60         5.0 

Walter, Hayden                         13        60        4.6

Baum, Shawnee Heights            13       60        4.6

Hailey Caryl, Topeka High

ASSISTS

Name, school                     Gms.   Total    Avg.

Caryl, Topeka High                10          69       6.9

Jones, Highland Park             13          42       3.2

Beaton, Seaman                    11           35      3.2

Gragg, Seaman                      13           41     3.2

Marshall, Topeka High           14           42      4.0

Emmot, Shawnee Heights      13           35      2.7

Baum, Shawnee Heights         13          34      2.6

Foster, Hayden                        13          30      2.3

Cosey, Highland Park              13          30      2.3

Anderson, Washburn Rural     13          29      2.2

Schmidtlein, Hayden               13          28      2.2

Vega, Shawnee Heights           13          28     2.2

Rayton, Topeka High                13          28     2.2

Rutherford, Washburn Rural     13          28     2.2

Watts, Hayden                           13          26     2.0

Kincade, Highland Park             13          26     2.0

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