By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After falling behind by double digits in the opening quarter against No. 7-ranked De Soto, Shawnee Heights girls put together several runs against the Wildcats in Friday's United Kansas Conference matchup.
Junior Reianna Vega scored 20 points in Friday's 59-49 UKC loss to De Soto. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sophomore KK Emmot scored 14 points, going 8 of 10 at the free throw line, in Friday's 59-49 Shawnee Heights loss to De Soto. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But the T-Birds were unable to ever completely recover from their slow start, dropping a 59-49 decision at Heights.
"We just couldn't get over the hump and it seemed like every time that we would feel like we were grabbing some momentum we would do what we thought we needed to do on defense and the ball would get kicked around or they'd make a good pass out and hit a 3,'' Shawnee Heights coach Bob Wells said.
"That kind of deflated us a little bit and it was just hard to get going. Credit to them, their girls stepped up and hit (those shots) in somebody else's gym.''
Shawnee Heights (11-6 overall, 8-5 UKC) took a 2-0 lead on a hoop by Reianna Vega, but that would be the T-Birds' only lead of the night as the Wildcats (12-4, 8-4) rode three early 3-pointers to a 19-8 first-quarter advantage and five first-half treys to a 33-22 halftime lead.
Shawnee Heights got as close as six points midway through the second quarter and cut a 14-point third-quarter deficit (48-34) to eight points (54-46) late in the game, but the T-Birds were never able to mount a serious threat.
Vega, a 6-foot junior, scored 20 points with a pair of 3-pointers to lead Shawnee Heights.
Sophomore KK Emmot added 14 points (8 of 10 free throws) and senior Haley Bowers 8 points with two 3s while senior Kaydence Torrez grabbed 11 rebounds.
But De Soto countered with three double-figure scorers, led by senior Makenzie Farmer with a game-high 24 points.
The Wildcats also got 13 points (three 3s) from senior Paige Carpenter and 11 (three 3s) from junior Mya O'Brien.
Shawnee Heights will be back at home Tuesday, hosting Basehor-Linwood in a UKC contest.
DE SOTO GIRLS 59, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 49
De Soto 19 14 15 11 -- 59
Shawnee Heights 8 14 12 15 -- 49
De Soto (12-4, 8-4) – Carpenter 5-13 0-0 13, Farmer 7-14 10-16 24, O'Brien 4-8 0-0 11, Cinotto 0-0 0-0 0, Gulley 2-5 0-2 4, Leis 1-4 0-0 2, Chappel 1-3 0-0 2, Bush 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 21-50 10-18 59.
Shawnee Heights (11-6, 8-5) – Emmot 3-13 8-10 14, Brees 0-6 0-0 0, Bowers 3-5 0-0 8, Torrez 2-6 0-2 4, Vega 9-15 0-0 20, Euwer 0-1 0-0 0, Hanshaw 1-2 0-0 3, Hamilton 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-48 8-12 49.
3-point goals – De Soto 7 (Carpenter 3, O'Brien 3, Bush), Shawnee Heights 5 (Bowers 2, Vega 2, Hanshaw). Total fouls – De Soto 14, Shawnee Heights 15. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.
