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No. 4-ranked Topeka West boys outlast Leavenworth, 66-57
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
The second-best boys team in the United Kansas Conference standings was pushed all night Friday by the second-worst team in the standings. But Topeka West, ranked fourth in the state in Class 5A, held off a feisty Leavenworth team to win 66-57 at West. The win kept the Chargers in the conference title hunt.
Senior Malakyah Duncan tied for team-high scoring honors with 16 points in Friday's 66-57 Topeka West win over Leavenworth. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Leavenworth rallied to take a lead midway through the second period. That ignited a fire in the Chargers. Topeka West ripped off a 10-0 run to lead 32-23. But that fire burned out quickly. The Pioneers repeatedly clawed back from double-digit deficits throughout the second half.
Having trailed by as much as 13 points, Leavenworth scored seven-straight points late in the fourth period to put a scare in the home team. Pioneer senior Kentravion Tolbert drove to the bucket with 1:46 remaining and was knocked to the deck in the process of scoring in traffic. His free throw made the score 58-55 – way too close for comfort in a game that was supposed to be one-sided.
The Chargers responded by outscoring Leavenworth 8-2 down the stretch. But there wasn’t much to celebrate after the victory.
“Leavenworth is a team that has nothing to lose,” said Topeka West coach Christian Ulsaker. “They’re going to come out and play hard, because a lot of those guys are playing for playing time next year.
“For us, we were a little sluggish. We’ve got to start a little better. That’s kind of been our motto the last couple of games, we’ve got to start with a better tempo. That’s on me as the coach. I’ve got to get them going early on.”
It seemed every time the Chargers started to pull away, they lost the momentum.
“I think (in those moments) we had a little bit of a loss of concentration. Maybe just getting complacent,” Ulsaker said. “We’ve got to learn how to continue those runs, make them a little bit longer. And be more sound on defense.”
Seniors Keimani Paul and Malakyah Duncan scored 16 points apiece to lead the Chargers. Paul, who connected on 7-10 shots from the field, found some positives from the game, particularly the Chargers’ full-court pressure.
“We didn’t let them just run over us. We came out trying to play defense, trying to score,” Paul said. “We like to speed things up. (The Pioneers) couldn’t handle the pressure, so we just stayed up, got the ball back every time we turned it over.”
Topeka High girls avenge 15-point loss to Seaman with 61-36 road romp
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Topeka High girls basketball coach Ron Slaymaker told his players said before the season started that defense had to be a big identity of this team, leading to points in transition and the fastbreak.
Junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton scored a game-high 26 points in Thursday's 61-36 Topeka High win at Seaman. [File photo/TSN]
That was the case Thursday night as the Trojans stayed hot, avenging an earlier double-digit loss to Seaman with a 61-36 romp on the Vikings' home floor.
“I’ll tell you what we were hot on and that’s defense,” Slaymaker said. “Our defense created so much of our offense. That’s what we needed to win this game because they (Seaman) are a good team.”
Slaymaker said one big adjustment Topeka High made Thursday was how to break the zone, something they did not do against Seaman the last time these two teams met. And Slaymaker said he faults himself for not having them prepared, but did for Thursday night’s slate.
Topeka High started the game up 8-2 and started the game in a 2-3 zone, giving the Lady Vikings problems finding easy baskets. Seaman junior Jaydin Frickey hit a three to make it an 8-6 game, but that’s the closest Seaman would get the rest of the evening.
After a 7-0 run, Topeka High senior Keimara Marshall finished off a layup in transition, forcing a Seaman timeout at 15-6. Topeka High led 19-6 after one quarter.
In the second quarter, it was no different as junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton used her speed in transition and the fastbreak to get easy baskets off Seaman turnovers, scoring 18 first-half points. She helped the Trojans to a 13-0 run, dating back to the first quarter at 21-6.
“A driving force in this game was Coach Slay said at practice to look up the court and that’s what we did in this game and make that extra pass, looking inside and out and that’s what Slay harps on a lot,” Topeka High sophomore Hailey Caryl said.
Seaman senior Maddie Gragg converted an and-one and knocked down a three to cut the Viking deficit to 24-12 with 6:05 left in the half, but the Trojans just kept scoring after a three from senior Trish Short.
Seaman called another timeout a minute later, down 18, 30-12, and the Lady Trojans took a 20-point lead into halftime, 38-18.
In the second half, the third quarter saw both teams combine for 11 points, but the fourth quarter was nothing but the clinic the Trojans put on in the first two quarters. Topeka High had its biggest lead of 28 in the game thanks to Caryl’s big quarter and continuing to force those turnovers.
Seaman boys survive Topeka High’s late surge, push win streak to five games
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Seaman boys basketball, ranked No. 6 in Class 5A, has won seven of its last eight games after taking down city rival Topeka High on Thursday night at Seaman, 62-55.
Senior KaeVon Bonner scored a game-high 24 points in Thursday's 62-55 Seaman win over Topeka High. [File photo/TSN]
“I thought our defense was outstanding in the first half to hold them to 19 points,'' Seaman coach Craig Cox said. "They’re a team that’s capable of getting hot and getting on a run. Unfortunately, we didn’t do enough offensively to take advantage of that and build a bigger margin other than the six points … knowing they would respond, and they did. I knew it was going to be a battle and this was a good win for our guys.''
“One thing about this team this year is we have pretty good chemistry,” Viking senior Matthew McConnaughey said after finishing with 10 points.
The Trojans began the game with a 4-2 lead but then Seaman went on an 8-0 run to regain the lead and force a timeout for Topeka with 2:47 left in the first quarter, as the Vikings led 12-5.
It took a while for Topeka High to score its first field goal in the second quarter, scoring just three points on free throws as the Trojans trailed by eight, 16-8. They slowly crept their way back off a couple of 3-pointers from senior Bryson McComas and Elisha Guest, making it a 23-19 game.
But then Seaman senior Kae’Von Bonner converted a floater off the window as time expired for halftime, as the Vikings took a six-point lead, 25-19.
Bonner had a game-high 24 points, with 11 of them coming in the fourth quarter.
In the third quarter, Topeka High would re-take the lead for the first time since 4-2 thanks to a 9-2 run to begin the half, led by McComas, Guest (who had a team-high 19 points) and senior Jalen Aldridge as the Trojans went in front, 28-27.
Both teams would trade buckets but then Seaman built a little cushion off a Griffin Zuniga triple, making it 34-30, and the Vikings led 40-35 heading into the fourth.
The Vikings led by eight at one point, but the Trojans trimmed the deficit to two after Octavian McFadden drilled a three making it 47-45.
Seaman built a six point lead again off a Bonner bucket, but then McComas brought High within three (54-51).
But then Seaman got in the bonus early and made crucial free throws when needed.
Zuniga iced the game off a Trojans turnover with under 20 seconds remaining, putting home a layup as Seaman nabbed its 16th win on the year. Zuniga had 14 points for the Vikings.
