Welcome to Top Sports News

By JUSTIN BURKHARDT

TopSports.news

The Class 4A No. 3-ranked Hayden Lady Wildcats entered Emporia rolling hot, getting off to a 9-0 start to the season and looked to continue that streak Friday against against the Lady Spartans.

Senior Millie Ramsey led undefeated Hayden in Friday's 56-16 Centennial League win over Emporia. [File photo/TSN]

Senior Brylee Meier scored 14 points in Friday's 56-16 Hayden win over Emporia. {File photo/TSN]

The Wildcats would get off to a big start led by their starting five, featuring four seniors and one freshman.

Hayden would take an 18-7 lead after the first quarter and went on to build a 37-7 halftime advantage over its Centennial League rival, led by seniors Milie Ramsey and Brylee Meier.

It would be all Wildcats from there on out as Hayden would roll to a 56-16 win over the Lady Spartans, which had three freshmen in its starting five.

“They are a very improving team, so it was nice that we came out and didn’t overlook them because we beat them big already this year and its natural for you to kind of take it easy,'' Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said. "But we didn’t and I was proud of our girls for that.”

The Wildcats got big nights again from both of their 6-foot seniors, with Ramsey leading all scorers with 17 points and Meier add another 14 points.

“It’s big, we’re a pretty balanced team and having them to go in the paint and their ability to shoot the ball is obviously big strengths for us,” Reynoldson said.

Read more …

By JUSTIN BURKHARDT

TopSports.news

Hayden boys basketball entered the Baldwin Invitational coming off a 3-point loss to Manhattan and was looking to get something started as they would face defending Class 3A state champ Wellsville in Round 1.

Sophomore Mason Becker led Hayden with 20 points in Saturday's 63-49 win over Baldwin as the Wildcats captured the tournament title. [File photo/TSN]

The Wildcats topped the Eagles 63-50 and never looked back, rolling to a 74-34 win over Augusta in the second round and capping their tournament run with a 63-49 win over host Baldwin, No. 4-ranked in Class 4A, in Saturday's finale.

Baldwin would have nothing for the Wildcats as the championship game was all Hayden.

The Wildcats would go up 14-8 after the first quarter and roll behind their sharp shooting 5-foot-11 sophomore guard Mason Becker,  who would finish the night with 20 points while shooting 5-6 from 3-point range.

“I really love our group, I am not surprised at all with Mason,'' Hayden coach Dwayne Anthony said. "Earlier in the year we were coming off some football legs, is what I call it, and I saw how my guys played and worked with each other. I knew it was a matter of time before the ball goes into the basket.''

Senior James Kuta (3) scored 19 points to help Hayden top Baldwin 63-49 in the final of the Baldwin Invitational. [File photo/TSN]

Junior Connor Hanika (5) scored 15 points in Saturday's 63-49 Hayden win over Baldwin. [File photo/TSN]

Hayden would also get a huge night from their two post players in 6-3 senior James Kuta and 6-4 junior Connor Hanika, who would have 19 and 15 points respectively.

“I am not surprised with Kuta, he has been creeping at the door, he does so many of the hard work things for us,'' Anthony said. "He rebounds, rebounds, rebounds, and is starting to get settled into his offensive game where he puts those right back in the hoop.”

“I thought I played hard,'' Kuta said. "I missed a couple layups, but I also made a lot and just hard defense all over, and I made sure I got the rebounds when I could and do whatever I could to help our team win today.”

“Kuta is a big time player, he does all the dirty work and tonight had some big time threes,'' Becker said. "But Kuta is a hard worker and with him and Hanika down low, it is tough to stop.”

Read more …

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Fans have grown accustomed to Highland Park's boys basketball team running up and down the court with numerous dunks and highlight-film plays.

Senior Mikey Williams scored a game-high 17 points Friday as Highland Park advanced to its third straight Topeka Invitational championship game with a 52-41 semifinal win over Lawrence. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Highland Park senior Ja'Corey Robinson scored 13 points Friday in the Scots' 52-41 semifinal win over Lawrence in the Topeka Invitational Tournament. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

But Friday night was more about getting the job done at a slower, grind-it-out pace, with the 10-0 and top-ranked (Class 5A) Scots advancing to the Topeka Invitational Tournament championship game for the third straight season with a 52-41 semifinal win over Lawrence at Topeka High.

"When it comes down to it, we're going to see games like we've had over the last couple of nights,'' said Scots coach Mike Williams, whose team took a 12-point win over Shawnee Mission North in Thursday's opening round. "Over the last couple of years I can count on two fingers the single-digit games that we've gotten in the regular season.

"So we've found pockets to get a few more games that are kind of challenging us in a different way and we're seeing different things show up for our guys. Some things aren't as good at times, but it's OK. It's not the end of the world if we get out there and make a mistake or two. That allows us as coaches to do our job.''

Highland Park, which has won 19 Topeka Invitational titles, trailed just once, at 2-1, in the game, but the Lions (2-6) were able to stay within single-digits most of the night before the Scots closed out the 11-point victory to earn a berth in Saturday's 2:30 p.m. championship game against city rival Topeka West.

The Scots led 8-5 after a slow-paced opening quarter and led 22-12 at the half after senior Mikey Williams scored three straight points to end the second quarter.

Highland Park went up 13 points (29-16) with 5:42 left in the third quarter on a 3-pointer from senior Da'Mykel Hales but Lawrence got within six late in the third before Scot senior Ja'Corey Robinson hit a follow shot at the buzzer to put Hi Park up 33-25 at the start of the fourth quarter.

Lawrence got no closer, with Highland Park leading by as many as 14 points (43-29) midway through the final quarter.

Williams scored a game-high 17 points to lead three Scots in double figures, with Robinson adding 13 points and Hales 11 with three 3-pointers.

Lawrence got a team-high 11 points from freshman Joey Dooley while senior Aden Ramirez added nine points.

Scot coach Mike Williams wasn't surprised to get a test from Lawrence, which has advanced to the Topeka Invitational championship game nine times since 2010 with four titles and a championship-game loss to the Scots in 2023.

"They've got pride,'' Williams said of the Lions. "Highland Park and Lawrence is a traditional matchup in the TIT. They know that, the fans know that, their school knows that.

"The coaches have pride and they're going to get their kids out there and compete, and when you get in tournament play, records are out the window. I'm just happy our guys were able to get a challenge and overcome.''

HIGHLAND PARK 52, LAWRENCE 41

Lawrence         5 7 13 16 -- 41

Highland Park 8 14 11 19 -- 52

Lawrence (2-6) – Johnson 1-4 0-0 3, Ramirez 2-5 4-4 9, Foster 3-3 0-2 6, Roman Nose 3-8 1-2 7, Dooley 4-8 1-1 11, Becker 0-0 0-0 0, Simar 1-2 0-2 2, Doleman 1-2 0-0 3. Totals: 15-32 6-12 41.

Highland Park (10-0) – Wilson 2-5 0-0 5, Hales 4-7 0-0 11, Kelley 2-4 0-0 4, Williams 6-13 5-8 17, Robinson 4-7 4-6 13, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Kingcannon 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 19-38 9-14 52.

3-point goals – Lawrence 5 (Dooley 2, Johnson, Ramirez, Doleman), Highland Park 5 (Hales 3, Wilson, Robinson). Total fouls – Lawrence 13, Highland Park 14. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.

Lansing pulls away late to top Topeka High

For the second straight night Topeka High put itself in a position to post its first win of the season.

But after Topeka High took a six-point lead at 55-49 with 4:10 left, Lansing scored the final 14 points of the night to take a 63-55 win on Friday on the Trojans' home court.

High fell to 0-10 on the season while Lansing improved to 2-8.

"I told the guys, this one's on me,'' Topeka High coach Geo Lyons said. "I knew we were playing at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, no band, no student section. It was like a middle school basketball game and I didn't have my team ready to go and that's what it came down to.

"And once a team already has it on and then you try to turn it on, it's hard to play catchup. We put so much energy into trying to get back into the basketball game and even taking the lead that we just didn't have it down the stretch and really that came down to we were mentally tired.''

Topeka High led 16-10 after one quarter but the Lions rallied to take a 31-29 advantage at the half.

The Trojans led 45-43 at the start of the final period and held a lead until Lansing went in front to stay with 2:14 remaining.

Junior Jalen Aldridge led Topeka High with 19 points while junior Octavian McFadded added 16 points.

Junior Jesse Wilson came off the bench to lead Lansing with a game-high 21 points.

LANSING 63, TOPEKA HIGH 55

Topeka High 16 15 14 10 -- 55

Lansing          10 19 14 20 -- 63

Topeka High (0-10) – Guest 3-9 0-0 9, McFadden 7-10 0-0 16, Aldridge 7-14 2-3 17, Campbell 1-2 0-0 2, McComas 3-6 3-6 9, Redmond 0-5 0-0 0, Wilkerson 0-3 0-0 0, Trotter 0-0 0-0 0, Carter 0-3 0-0 0, Dingle 0-1 0-0 0, Mallory 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 22-56 5-9 55. 

Lansing (2-8) – Stephens 8-18 0-2 18, Heim 1-4 0-0 2, Zimmerman 0-7 1-2 1, Mattingly 2-6 4-5 8, Boden 5-8 0-0 13, Anderson 0-0 0-0 0, Wilson 6-9 9-14 21. Totals: 22-52 14-23 63. 

3-point goals – Topeka High 6 (Guest 3, McFadden 2, Aldridge), Lansing 5 (Boden 3, Stephens 2). Total fouls – Topeka High 22, Lansing 8. Fouled out – McComas. Technical fouls – none. 

TOPEKA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

RESULTS FRIDAY

Wichita SE 69, SM North 66

Lansing 63, Topeka High 55

Highland Park 52, Lawrence 41

Topeka West 71, Olathe East 59

GAMES SATURDAY

10 a.m. -- Topeka High vs. SM North (seventh place).

11:30 -- Wichita SE vs. Lansing (fifth place).

1 p.m. -- Lawrence vs. Olathe East (third place).

2:30 -- Highland Park vs. Topeka West (championship).