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Rural boys move to first place in Centennial League with 50-42 comeback win over Emporia

By KYLE MANTHE

Special to TopSports.news

When the Washburn Rural boys (11-4, 4-1) and coach Alex Hutchins were down 24-10 to Emporia (10-5, 3-2) in the middle of the second quarter, they did not necessarily expect to be leaving the night with a 50-42 win and sole possession of first place in the Centennial League.

Senior Jack Bachelor led the way with 17 points as Washburn Rural took a 50-42 Centennial League win over Emporia Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

“Down the stretch we were, but I probably don’t want to say that we were tough in the first quarter, but I thought we were very tough in the way that we responded,” Hutchins said. “It’s one game at a time, I’ve got to give the coach cliches ,but that’s true and I’m really proud of our guys for holding serve at home in the league … we’ve got to get every one we can so it was great to get this one.”

The game’s slow tempo was not ripe for comebacks but the uber-efficient Junior Blues, shooting over 50 percent from the floor, were able to swing the game by 22 points in their favor.

Rural got a combined 38 points from seniors Jack Bachelor and Wyatt Conklin along with junior JC Heim.

Bachelor led all scorers with 17 while Conklin and Heim combined to shoot nine of 10 from the floor.

A game by game look at Friday night's Shawnee County girls basketball contests

'By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

MANHATTAN (6-8, 2-2) at HAYDEN (8-4, 1-3)

No. 8-ranked (Class 4A) Hayden has been off since winning the Wellsville Top Gun Tournament last Saturday with a 48-39 win over Spring Hill. The Wildcats have now won four straight games and put sophomores Brylee Meier and Kaliya Fulton and junior Lauren Sandstrom on the all-tournament team. Manhattan is coming off a 46-35 win over Dodge City and has won two straight games for the first time this season.

Senior Brooklyn DeLeye scored 19 points in Washburn Rural's 54-52 overtime loss to Blue Valley Northwest on Tuesday. [File photo/TSN]

EMPORIA (12-2, 3-1) at WASHBURN RURAL (9-4, 4-0)

No. 4-ranked (Class 6A) Washburn Rural will be looking to protect its lead in the Centennial League race while No. 4 (5A) Emporia will be looking to pull even with the Junior Blues. Both teams are coming off losses, with the Spartans dropping a last-second 46-43 decision to Seaman in the Glaciers Edge championship game last Saturday while Rural fell to non-league foe Blue Valley Northwest in overtime on Tuesday, 54-52. Senior Brooklyn DeLeye scored 19 points against Blue Valley Northwest while senior Chloe Carlgren added 11 points and sophomore Tenly Bunck nine points on three 3-pointers.

LEAVENWORTH (2-11, 2-7) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (9-5, 7-3)

Ninth-ranked (Class 5A) Shawnee Heights is coming off a tough 37-33 United Kansas Conference loss at Basehor-Linwood Tuesday night while Leavenworth is coming off a 59-26 loss to Bonner Springs. Shawnee Heights took 49-36 UKC win over the Pioneers earlier in the season. All five of Shawnee Heights losses have been by four or fewer points. Senior Riley Showalter led the T-Birds with 11 points against Basehor-Linwood while seniors Emari Doby and Taylor Rottinghaus added 10 and seven points, respectively.

Home-grown coach: Former star McGreevy to lead Wildcat volleyball program

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Getting the opportunity to come home to Hayden as a school counselor wasa dream come true for Corrinne (Stringer) McGreevy.

Corrinne (Stringer) McGreevy, who helped lead Hayden to its first Class 4A state volleyball championship in 2007, has been named the Wildcats' head coach. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

And now the 2008 Hayden graduate will get the chance to guide the Wildcat volleyball program she starred in, which is icing on the cake.

"I love being a school counselor,'' McGreevy said. "I love this job so much, I can't say that enough, but now that I get to coach on top of that, too, and be a part of the game I love is just so exciting for me.''

McGreevy led Hayden to its first Class 4A state championship as a senior in 2007 after a pair of third-place state finishes and went on to play college volleyball at Kansas, Pittsburg State and Washburn.

McGreevy was coached her final three seasons in high school by Jesica Farmer-Walter and Carrie Schmidt and said the two coaches strongly encouraged to take on the coaching role.

"One hundred percent,'' McGreevy said. "They've been so positive and uplifting with it and they really encouraged me to take it. They just kept telling me all these positive things, how I could really make an impact on these girls, and they talked about how I know what it takes to win a state title and because I went here they said, 'It would be a great fit for you.' ''