By KYLE MANTHE
Special to TopSports.news
Washburn Rural girls basketball showed why you never underestimate the heart of a champion Tuesday night as the defending Classs 6A champions came back from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter to knock off No. 6-ranked Shawnee Mission Northwest, 54-45.
“How we rebounded from two losses in a row, basically I was very proud … however it gets harder and they have to know that they have to do hard things, and I think this group is going to embrace that,” said Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick.
Washburn Rural junior Zoe Canfield scored 26 points with five 3-pointers as the Junior Blues rallied for a 54-45 win over Shawnee Mission Northwest. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Brooklyn DeLeye (middle) scored 16 points to help Washburn Rural rally for a 54-45 win over Shawnee Mission Northwest Tuesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
All 54 points for the Lady Blues were scored by the starting five an 42 of those came from junior Zoe Canfield, who had 26, and senior Brooklyn DeLeye, who finished with 16 points.
“I’d pick those two if I had a draft. Zoe, she is unbelievable when she gets hot from three, there are no limits to how far she wants to shoot them, too,” Bordewick said. “I thought Brooklyn was a lot more fierce in the post than what she has been, we have been harping on her about that, and I think she elevated that quite a bit.”
The Lady Blues did not lead the entire first half, and needed seven first-quarter points from Kansas commit Canfield in the first quarter to trail by just one point, 14-13.
Rural was held to just six points in the second quarter. The cold spell and stout defense by the Cougars allowed them to go on an 8-0 run through the middle of the quarter and go into half leading, 27-19.
Out of halftime the Lady Blues got four straight points but were answered right back with seven in a row by Northwest, which took an 11-point lead.
The next 13 points in the game for either team came from Canfield or Brooklyn DeLeye, giving Rural a 38-36 lead after three.
“I thought our defensive intensity picked up and when that happens I feel like it makes us more in rhythm on offense,” Bordewick said.
It was more of the same in the fourth. Canfield began the quarter hitting her fourth and fifth 3s of the game, creating a seven-point lead.
“I was definitely feeling great but I couldn’t have done it without my teammate's passes and getting me open,” Canfield said.
DeLeye scored the next four as the game moved into the final three minutes. The Lady Blues never gave the Cougars a comeback opportunity, with the lead staying at or above five points until they had a 54-45 home-opening win.
“We definitely had a chip on our shoulder (after losing last game)... we have been working hard all week, so being able to go out there and get that was exciting for us,” Canfield said.
In addition to Canfield’s 26 and DeLeye’s 16, sophomore Kate Hinck had seven for Washburn Rural and helped lead a defensive effort that allowed only 18 second-half points.
Senior Bennett Peck led Northwest in scoring, finishing with 17 points and three 3-pointers. Junior Kaitlin Parker finished in double figures with 10.
The Lady Blues play one more game before the semester break, traveling to Wichita to take on the Heights Falcons on Saturday.
WASHBURN RURAL GIRLS 54, SHAWNEE MISSION NORTHWEST 45
Washburn Rural: 13 6 19 16 - - 54
Shawnee Northwest: 14 14 9 9 -- 45
Washburn Rural (2-2) – Schroeder 0-0 0-0 0, Lutz 1-3 0-2 2, Hinck 2-7 1-3 5, Carlgren 1-4 3-4 5, Canfield 8-15 5-6 26, Bunk 0-0 0-0 0, DeLeye 8-16 0-1 16. Total 20-45 9-14 54
Shawnee Northwest (1-2) – Mauch 2-7 2-2 7, O’Conner 0-0 0-0 0, Moody 2-7 0-2 4, Jackson 3-10 0-0 7, Tiebout 0-0 0-0 0, Peck 6-12 2-3 17, Parker 3-7 3-6 10, Cheffey 0-3 0-0 0. Total 16-39 7-13 45.
3-point goals – Washburn Rural 5 (Canfield 5), Shawnee Northwest 6 (Peck 3, Jackson 1, Parker 1, Mauch 1). Total fouls – Washburn Rural 13, Shawnee Northwest 19. Fouled out – Wichita Northwest (Jackson and Cheffey). Technical fouls – None.
