By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Sophomore Zoe Canfield hit six 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 20 points Friday night as No. 7-ranked Washburn Rural rolled to a decisive 58-32 Centennial League win at Emporia.
The Junior Blues, who improved to 9-1 overall and 8-1 in the league, capped a 3-0 week in impressive fashion, putting the No. 6-ranked (Class 5A) Spartans away by halftime on the way to their fourth straight victory.
Washburn Rural sophomore Zoe Canfield hit six 3-pointers and led all scorers with 20 points as Rural improved to 9-1 with a 58-32 win at Emporia Friday night. [FIle photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural bolted out to a 17-7 first-quarter advantage behind Canfield's four 3-pointers and the Junior Blues took a 32-15 lead to the locker room at halftime.
Rural's lead grew to 42-19 by the end of the third quarter and the Junior Blues outscored the Spartans 16-13 down the stretch.
Canfield was one of three Junior Blues in double figures, with junior Brooklyn DeLeye adding 14 points with a pair of 3-pointers and senior Emma Krueger finishing with 10 points.
Gracie Gilpin led Emporia (7-3, 6-3) with 13 points and three 3s while Rebecca Snyder added 10 points as the Spartans had their five-game winning streak snapped.
Friday's Rural win followed a win over 2021 Class 6A state champion Shawnee Mission Northwest on Wednesday and a win over Topeka West on Tuesday.
JUNCTION CITY BOYS 61, WASHBURN RURAL 57 (OT) -- The battle between the two Centennial League rivals went down to the wire, with Junction City outscoring Washburn Rural 9-5 in overtime to take the victory in Friday's semifinals of the Basehor-Linwood Invitational.
Junction City, ranked ninth in 6A, led 16-13 at the end of the opening quarter but Rural responded with a 20-12 second quarter to take a 33-28 halftime lead.
The Blue Jays outscored the Junior Blues 17-8 in the third quarter to take a 45-41 lead into the fourth but Rural came back to force overtime with an 11-7 fourth quarter.
Brock Howard led Washburn Rural (5-4) with 15 points while Griffin Durst added 11 points and Quincey Kidd nine. Rural had a three-game win streak snapped.
Howard Johnson paced Junction City (8-1) with 21 points, including three 3-pointers.
SHAWNEE MISSION NORTHWEST BOYS 71, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 34 -- Shawnee Mission Northwest spoiled Shawnee Heights shot at the Viking Classic championship with a 30-4 first-quarter onslaught and never looked back, rolling to a 71-34 win in Friday's tournament championship game and improving to 9-2 on the season.
Senior Carter Olson led Shawnee Heights (9-2) with 10 points and 10 rebounds while senior Jarin Sanders also scored 10 points.
Northwest, ranked 10th in 6A, led 46-14 at halftime and 63-30 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Friday's loss was Shawnee Heights' first of 2022 and snapped the T-Birds' six-game winning streak.
ST. JAMES ACADEMY BOYS 70, SEAMAN 63 -- St. James Academy took control early in Friday's McPherson Invitational semifinal and held off the Vikings the rest of the way.
The Thunder, who improved to 7-3, outscored the Vikings 22-10 in the first quarter and led 43-27 at the half, but Seaman used an 18-8 third quarter to get back in the game before St. James held off the Vikes down the stretch.
Senior Ty Henry led Seaman (6-3) with 16 points and three 3-pointers while junior Aron Davis scored 15 points and Kaeden Bonner 12.
ROCK CREEK BOYS 54, SILVER LAKE 43 -- Troy Heiman and Kamryn Kaniper combined for 29 points for Silver Lake, but it wasn't enough for the Eagles to keep pace with the Mustangs in a consolation game of the Burlington Invitational on Friday.
Heiman scored 15 points and Kaniper added 14 but Rock Creek (3-8) jumped out to a 10-7 first-quarter lead and then outscored the Eagles 27-18 over the second and third quarters to take control.
Silver Lake, which fell to 4-5, played for seventh place on Saturday afternoon.
CAIR PARAVEL LATIN GIRLS 46, MARANATHA ACADEMY 32 -- Senior Jaley Barkley led Cair Paravel with 15 points, including three 3-pointers, as the Lions posted a 46-32 victory in the McLouth Invitational.
Cair Paravel put itself in command with a 9-0 opening quarter and led 20-12 at the half before outscoring Maranatha 12-2 in the third quarter to take a 32-14 lead into the fourth stanza.
Freshman Gracie Babbitt backed Barkley with 10 points and sophomore Allison Schwarz added nine for the Lions, who improved to 4-5 with their second straight win.
