By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For three quarters Tuesday night at Topeka High, Hayden's boys basketball team played as well as it has in Dwayne Anthony's two seasons at the school.
Senior Connor Hanika scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in Hayden's 64-59 Centennial League win at Topeka High Tuesday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And over the final seven minutes or so, the Wildcats gave their coach plenty of things to address when they return to practice.
But after letting a 21-point advantage early in the fourth quarter get down to a one-possession game in the closing seconds, Hayden escaped with a 64-59 Centennial League sweep over Topeka High, with the Wildcats completing a season sweep over the Trojans.
"It got crazy, thank God for timeouts,'' Anthony said. "My guys are just learning how to play basketball, and I mean at a level that we want to play. And it doesn't always look pretty.
"We did good for the first three quarters and then that fourth quarter we get a little shaky, then the intensity comes up, and we've got to go back and talk about it tomorrow and just to continue to level up.''
Hayden, which had taken a 16-point win over the High earlier in the season, took it to the Trojans again in the rematch, with the Wildcats never trailing en route to improving to 9-9 overall and 2-4 in the league.
But after using a 20-9 second quarter to open up a 29-17 halftime behind a big 14-point, eight-rebound first half from senior Connor Hanika, Hayden boosted its lead to 21 points late in the third quarter and led 48-29 at the start of the final period.
"The guys came out and executed what we planned,'' Anthony said. "I tell the guys that it's a simple game, and when they embrace that and give their energy, it's a lot of fun for us.
"But sometimes the energy wanes or the though process wanes and that's where we have to get better.''
Junior Everett Tourtillott scored the first bucket of the fourth stanza to put Hayden up 50-29, but the Wildcats would spend the rest of the quarter trying to fight off the Trojans, who fell to 10-7 overall and 3-3 in the league.
Topeka High senior Bryson McComas (4), playing defense, scored a game-high 24 points in Tuesday's 64-59 loss to Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Bryson McComas, who scored 14 of his game-high 24 points in the fourth quarter, scored five straight points -- a 3-pointer and two free throws -- as Topeka High clawed within 62-59 with 13.4 seconds remaining.
But Hayden, which did not get into the bonus until there was just 10.9 seconds remaining, got two clutch free throws from senior Kade Mitchell to close out the win.
Hanika finished his night with a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds while Mitchell and senior Makhi Kidd added 11 points apiece as the Wildcats had six players with at least six points.
Topeka High sophomore Mar'saun Redmond backed McComas with 14 points while no other Trojan had more than seven.
Hayden will travel to Emporia on Friday for a Centennial League game while Topeka High will be back in action Thursday, going on the road to face city rival Seaman.
HAYDEN BOYS 64, TOPEKA HIGH 59
Hayden 9 20 19 16 -- 64
Topeka High 8 9 12 30 -- 59
Hayden (9-9, 2-4) – Mitchell 4-10 3-4 11, Hanika 9-12 1-4 20, Becker 3-10 0-0 6, Kidd 4-7 3-3 11, Compton 3-5 0-0 8, Tourtillott 4-6 0-0 8, Wolff 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-55 7-11 65.
Topeka High (10-7, 3-3) -- Aldridge 2-9 3-3 7, Guest 0-8 0-0 0, McComas 7-16 6-10 24, Ross 0-1 0-0 0, McFadden 2-5 0-0 4, Carter 1-2 0-0 2, Wilkerson 0-0 0-0 0, Redmond 4-8 5-6 14, Campbell 3-8 0-0 6, Villegas 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 20-58 14-19 59.
3-point goals – Hayden 3 (Compton 2, Hanika), Topeka High 5 (McComas 4, Redmond). Total fouls-- Hayden 18, Topeka High 17. Fouled out – AldridgeHay. Technical fouls -- none.
