Welcome to Top Sports News
No. 8-ranked Wildcat girls take 61-23 Centennial League win over Blue Jays
By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
The Class 4A No. 8 Hayden girls hosted Junction City on Friday night and delivered a dominant performance, rolling to a 61–23 Centennial League victory.
The Blue Jays stayed within striking distance early, pulling to within one midway through the first quarter at 9–8, but that would be as close as they would get.
Hayden quickly took control with a 12-0 run to close the opening period, building a 19-8 lead heading into the second quarter.
From there, the Wildcats’ pressure defense and aggressive play in the paint made it difficult for Junction City to find any offensive rhythm.
Hayden consistently attacked the basket, converting high-percentage looks and forcing turnovers on the defensive end.
Junior Alana Mitchell continued her strong recent play late in the second quarter, providing a spark that helped Hayden pull away before halftime.
Mitchell knocked down two 3-pointers and scored seven of her 10 points in the closing minutes of the half, sending the Wildcats into the locker room with a commanding 35-13 lead.
“I have been playing the best that I can, putting all my effort into it, being aggressive, and working extremely hard to help my team win,” Mitchell said.
Hayden showed no signs of slowing down after the break.
The Wildcats came out firing in the third quarter, with Hailey Schmidtlein scoring nine consecutive points during a decisive run that pushed the lead to 44-15.
Hayden continued to stretch the margin, closing the quarter ahead 56-21 and triggering a running clock in the fourth.
Schmidtlein led Hayden with a game-high 18 points.
Junction City was led in scoring by Laniyah Warmack, who finished with 10 points.
The Blue Jays struggled all night to generate consistent offense against Hayden’s defensive pressure.
With the win, Hayden built momentum heading into a challenging road matchup on Tuesday against Topeka High.
The Trojans are coming off an impressive 45-26 win over Washburn Rural, though Hayden defeated Topeka High earlier this season, 51–40, at home.
“They’re a dangerous team with a lot of talent,” Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said. “We’ll have to play good defense and move the ball well on offense.”
HAYDEN 61, JUNCTION CITY 23
Junction City 8 5 8 2 --23
Hayden 19 16 21 5 -- 61
Junction City (2-13 0-4) -- Warmack 4-8 2-2 10, Henry-Rivers 1-3 1-4 3, Pruitt 1-12 0-0 2, Riley 1-3 0-0 2, Nabus 1-1 0-0 2, Covington 2-4 0-0 2, Hatcher 0-1 0-0 0, Douglas 0-2 0-0 0, Allen 0-1 0-0 0, Briley 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 10-36 3-6 23.
Hayden (13-4 4-1) -- Schmidtlein 6-14 6-9 18, Walter 3-11 0-2 7, Foster 2-5 0-0 4, Watts 1-1 1-2 3, Huscher 0-0 0-0 0, Mitchell 3-5 2-4 10, Borjon 3-8 1-1 8, Wichman 3-6 1-2 7, Connell 2-8 0-0 4, Wrench 0-1 0-0, Slyter 0-1 0-2 0, Scheer 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-61 11-22 61.
3-point goals -- Hayden 4 (Mitchell 2, Walter, Borjon). Total Fouls -- Junction City 17, Hayden 10. Fouled out -- Pruitt.
Wildcat boys drop 76-56 Centennial League decision to Junction City
By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
Hayden boys basketball fell at home to Junction City, 76–56, in a Centennial League game Friday night as the Blue Jays set the tone early and never let the Wildcats gain sustained momentum.
Senior Kade Mitchell (2) led Hayden with 14 points in Friday's 76-56 loss to Junction City. [File photo/TSN]
Junction City came out aggressive from the opening tip, knocking down shots from the perimeter and pushing the pace to build a 27-11 advantage by the end of the first quarter.
The early run energized the Blue Jays and forced Hayden to play from behind for most of the night.
The Wildcats responded in the second quarter with improved ball movement and better defensive effort, cutting into the deficit with a more controlled offensive approach.
Kade Mitchell provided a steady presence for Hayden, attacking the basket and finishing the half as the team’s leading scorer. Mason Becker also gave Hayden a lift from the outside, connecting on two 3-pointers as the Wildcats tried to stay within striking distance heading into halftime.
Any momentum Hayden gained was quickly halted after the break.
Junction City opened the third quarter with another strong surge, outscoring Hayden 26-15 during the period.
The Blue Jays consistently found open shooters, finishing the night with 10 3-pointers, and used their depth to keep fresh legs on the floor.
Lavell Autry led the way for Junction City, scoring a game-high 20 points while setting the tone on both ends of the court.
Despite the growing margin, Hayden continued to compete and showed flashes of solid execution late in the game.
Mitchell finished with 14 points to lead the Wildcats.
Washburn women to close out road swing at Central Missouri
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Senior Yibari Nwidadah leads 15-6 Washburn in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage entering Saturday's game at Central Missouri. [File photo/TSN]
