By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After leading by as many as 12 points late in the first half, Topeka West had to withstand threat after threat from USD 501 rival Topeka High the rest of the way Monday night.
Topeka West junior Prince Lassiter had a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds in Monday's 78-73 win at Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But the Chargers had an answer for everything the Trojans threw at them, holding on for a 78-73 win in the The Dungeon.
"I felt we were getting high percentage shots and we were doing everything we could to stop those streaks, but they were lights out,'' Topeka West coach Christian Ulsaker said of the Trojans. "And it was a playoff atmosphere, and that's what you want. I love to see it.''
Topeka High got a career 30-point game, including six 3-pointers, from Trojan senior Jalen Aldridge and canned 14 3-pointers as a team, but the Chargers exhibited plenty of firepower themselves, with 6-foot-6 junior Prince Lassiter recording a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead four West players in double figures.
"We always have to deal with adversity, so it's really nothing new for us and we always battle through it,'' Lassister said. "There's definitely going to be a lot of teams that are able to shoot that three-ball really good and T-High, they're a good team that can shoot the 3 so that's a good look for what we're going to come up against in sub-state and state.''
Lassiter got West off to a fast start with 11 points in the first quarter and also came up big late, scoring six points in the fourth quarter, including a hoop inside the final minute that put the Chargers up by eight points.
"I appreciate that my teammates are always feeding me the ball so I can go to work,'' Lassiter said.
Topeka West also got 20 points from senior Malakyah Duncan, 17 from senior Keimani Paul and 10 from senior Jay'Veon Traylor en route to improving to 18-3 on the season.
Monday's win was the Chargers' second of the season over the rival Trojans, with Topeka West also topping High in the championship game of the Topeka Invitational Tournament in mid-January.
Topeka High senior Jalen Aldridge (1), battling Topeka West senior Malakyah Duncan for a loose ball, scored a game-high 30 points with six 3-pointers, while Duncan had 20 points. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
In addition to Aldridge's big night, Topeka High, now 11-11, got 21 points and four 3-pointers from senior Bryson McComas and 10 points and a pair of 3s from senior Octavian McFadden.
Both the Trojans and Chargers will be back in action Tuesday night, with Topeka High playing a Centennial League game at Washburn Rural and West hosting Turner in a United Kansas Conference contest.
TOPEKA WEST BOYS 78, TOPEKA HIGH 73
Topeka West 24 16 18 20 -- 78
Topeka High 17 16 21 19 -- 73
Topeka West (18-3) – Munganga 3-10 1-2 8, Traylor 4-5 2-2 10, Duncan 8-11 2-4 20, Paul 8-8 0-0 17, Lassiter 10-12 2-7 23, Phillips 0-1 0-2 0, Ware 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 33-47 7-17 78.
Topeka High (11-11) – Aldridge 9-13 6-10 30, Guest 3-11 0-0 8, McComas 8-18 1-1 21, Wilkerson 1-2 0-0 2, Arnold 1-1 0-0 2, McFadden 4-7 0-1 10, Carter 0-0 0-0 0, Redmond 0-1 0-0 0, Luarks 0-1 0-0 0, Campbell 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-54 7-12 73.
3-point goals – Topeka West 5 (Duncan 2, Paul, Lassiter), Topeka High 14 (Aldridge 6, McComas 4, Guest 2, McFadden 2). Total fouls – Topeka West 13, Topeka High 16. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls -- none.
