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Topeka Invitational: Trojans' bid for first win ends in overtime heartbreaker to Olathe East
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Topeka High boys’ bid for their first win of the season slipped just out of their grasp Thursday night in the Topeka Invitational Tournament on the Trojans’ home floor. Topeka High took Olathe East to overtime before falling, 77-70.
After leading 12-10 after one period, the Trojans fell into a 36-25 hole at the intermission. But the home team chipped away at the deficit, eventually tying the score at 59-59 near the end of regulation on a bucket by freshman Mar’Saun Redmond. The Trojans held at the defensive end and had chances to win the game in regulation but came up short.
In the extra period, the Hawks converted nine free throws to pull away. They were led by Carter Gooding’s 27 points.
Topeka High coach Geo Lyons wasn’t about to be content with a near miss.
“I told the guys when we got down to the locker room that every fan, every parent is going to tell them, you know, we played great…their record is better than ours…they’re bigger than us, and all that stuff,” Lyons said. “But I told them, 'It’s not a moral victory. You guys were supposed to win a basketball game.’ And they really feel like they were supposed to win. They feel like they let one get away today.”
The Trojans were led with 20 points each from juniors Elisha Guest and Jalen Aldridge. Coming off the bench to hit big shots and ignite the defense was Redmond.
“That’s a lot of moxy from a young man,” Lyons said of Redmond. “He acts and walks like he’s supposed to belong. He’s beyond his years already.”
Tuesday/Wednesday HS basketball/bowling roundup: T-Birds' Schattilly bowls perfect 300 game
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights junior Henry Schattilly bowled a perfect 300 game in Tuesday's high school bowling meet at Lawrence, earning the individual title while leading the T-Birds to the team crown.
Schattilly bowled his 300 in his second game after a first-game 182 and finished his series with a 212 to take individual honors by two pins over Ottawa's Shane Circle with a 693 series.
The T-Birds also got a fourth-place individual finish from Caden Cochrane (680) and a fifth-place showing from Trey Donath (662) en route to the team championship by a 2,703-2,342 margin over Free State.
Chevy Stallbaumer added a 634 series for Shawnee Heights while Donovan Davis had a 597 and Cooper Brown a 552.
Shawnee Heights also won the girls team title in Tuesday's event by a 2,068-2,020 margin over Lawrence Free State.
Reese Bell posted a fourth-place individual finish for the T-Birds with a 533 series.
T-Birds sweep titles in home quadrangular
Shawnee Heights swept the individual and team titles in Wednesday's home quadrangular at Gage Bowl.
Junior Henry Schattilly won his second individual championship in as many days, rolling a 643 three-game series to claim top honors by five pins over teammate Chevy Stallbaumer (638).
Trey Donath also posted a top-five finish, placing fourth with a 591 series, as the T-Birds finished first as a team by a 2,479-2,306 margin over Piper. Topeka West finished fourth as a team with a 2,197 team score.
Shawnee Heights sophomore Addison VanMetre won the girls individual title with a 540 series as the T-Birds edged Piper by a 1,953-1,942 margin in the team standings. Topeka West was fourth with a 1,417 total.
Heights' Sophie Scheve finished fifth individually with a 482 series.
Manhattan wins titles in Topeka High bowling quad
Manhattan dominated Tuesday's Topeka High bowling quadrangular at Gage Bowl, sweeping both the girls individual and team championships.
Manhattan's boys swept the top five individual spots on the way to a 2,603-2,212 margin over Highland Park, while Topeka West (2,109) was third and Topeka High (2,030).
Cristian Reyes led Highland Park with a 579 series while Allen McCracken had a 572 series and Aaron Poe a 565 for the Scots.
Alec Rutschmann led Topeka West with a 556 series while Austin Mitchell paced Topeka High with a 551.
Manhattan went one-two individually in the girls division on the way to a 1,997-1,469 margin over Topeka West in the team standings. Highland Park finished third with a 1,336 team score while Topeka High was fourth at 1,297.
West's Kaitlyn Leeburg finished third with a 459 series while Highland Park was led by Thalia Villanueva, who finished fifth with a 434.
Lilly Krohe led Topeka High with a 380 series.
Lady Scots bounce back with 23-point Meadowlark Conference win
Highland Park girls basketball, which suffered its first loss on Tuesday to USD 501 rival Topeka High, bounced back with a 61-38 Meadowlark Conference victory over Atchison Wednesday night.
Sophomores Zayah Kincade and Pearmella Carter scored 15 points apiece to lead Highland Park, which Carter also grabbed 15 rebounds with five steals and Kincade connected on four 3-pointers.
Highland Park improved to 7-1 with a perfect 5-0 record in the Meadowlark Conference.
West boys tune up for tourney with 50-49 UKC win over Bobcats
Juniors Malakyah Duncan and Keimani Paul combined for 30 points Tuesday night as No. 7-ranked Topeka West held on for a 50-49 United Kansas Conference win over Basehor-Linwood.
Duncan scored 18 points to lead the Chargers while Paul added 12 points as West improved to 6-2 overall and in the UKC with its fourth straight win.
West led 10-9 at the end of the first quarter and used a 16-10 second quarter to take a 26-19 halftime advantage.
West went up 42-33 after three quarters and held on for the win after Basehor-Linwood closed with a 16-8 fourth quarter.
Topeka West is competing Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the Topeka Invitational Tournament at Topeka High.
Top-ranked Seaman girls improve to 9-0 with double-digit win over No. 6 Thunder
By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
Seaman, the top-ranked team in Class 5A, hosted sixth-ranked St. James Academy Tuesday in a contest that had been rescheduled due to the snowstorm earlier this month.
Combining a fast start with clutch play down the stretch, the Vikings improved to 9-0 with a 57-44 victory over the Thunder.
Seaman started the game quickly with a flurry of baskets both inside and outside and led 18-8 at the end of the first quarter.
The Thunder responded with a 15-6 run to start the second quarter and cut the lead to 24-23 with 4:20 remaining in the first half. But the Lady Vikes outscored the Thunder 9-3 over the last 3:40, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by senior Kinley Wilhelm, to lead 33-26.
The first four minutes of the third quarter went back and forth and Seaman was able to extend its lead by the end of the quarter to 10 points, 45-35.
In the first three minutes of the final quarter, seniors Jaida Stallbaumer and Anna Becker hit two and three-point baskets, respectively, and along with a free throw by sophomore Maddie Gragg, the Lady Vikes led 51-40. The final five minutes of the contest became a battle of free throws and the Lady Vikes won their ninth straight game of the season.
Seaman Matt Tinsley was pleased with his team’s total performance.
“We guarded and played really well defensively,'' Tinsley said. "We controlled the boards, which was an emphasis before the game. Offensively, we moved the ball, kept our composure and got great shots.”
Prior to the game, Tinsley mentioned to the team that this would be a ‘big girl’ game and it would require toughness throughout.
“Ava Esser had some big shots in the third quarter, Kinley Wilhelm was tough on the boards, Maddie Gragg made tough plays and Jaida Stallbaumer had a couple of important drives for baskets in the fourth quarter,'' Tinsley said. "We needed to have a game like this where the girls had to rely on each other to get it done. The game honors toughness and we were tough tonight.”