By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights boys basketball coach Ken Darting felt like the T-Birds played their worst game of the season in an early-season 13-point loss at Topeka West.
But Darting and the T-Birds got the sour taste out of their mouths in a big way in Tuesday's rematch, with Shawnee Heights rolling to a 67-48 home United Kansas Conference victory over the No. 8-ranked (Class 5A) Chargers.
Shawnee Heights' Jaret Sanchez (23) puts up a shot over Topeka West's Malachi Berg in Tuesday's 67-48 T-Bird win at Heights. Sanchez scored a game-high 20 points while Berg led West with 14 points. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Brennon Dodge (11) scored 18 points in Shawnee Heights' 67-48 UKC win over Topeka West Tuesday night at Heights. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"We didn't do anything,'' Darting said of the earlier loss to West. "I watch that tape and I can't hardly watch it to get through it. We missed shots, layups, free throws, everything and they kicked our butts with the press the first time.''
But Darting, whose T-Birds have now won 11 of their last 13 games, had a feeling that his team was ready for a much better performance the second time around against West.
"I definitely had an inkling,'' Darting said. "We're getting good, and when we start making back cuts and shooting layups and we can score a little bit, we're going to be good because (West) is a great offensive team and they got 48 points. This team is not mentally tough consistently yet, so you always have a little reservation, but you know this kind of game is in them.''
There were two ties and five lead changes in the first quarter, but junior Brennon Dodge ended the first-quarter scoring with a bucket to put the T-Birds up 17-16 and Heights never trailed again.
Shawnee Heights, which improved to 12-4 overall and 9-3 in the UKC, used a 12-0 run to open up a commanding 36-21 advantage before West sophomore Ja'Vian Chambers canned a 3-pointer to cut the Chargers' halftime deficit to 12 points.
West scored the first bucket of the second half to get within 10 points, but Heights went on to go in front by 23 points (55-32) with 2:46 left in the third quarter on a hoop from senior Q Stovall and the T-Birds took a 57-35 advantage into the fourth quarter.
The Birds led by 25 midway through the final period before the Chargers scored the final six points to account for the final margin.
Sophomore Jaret Sanchez scored a game-high 20 points, including four 3-pointers, to pace the T-Birds while Dodge added 18 points and Stovall 11.
Heights also got a big lift off the bench from junior Jayden Moore, who helped the T-Birds break open the game with eight points in the second quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Topeka West coach Rick Bloomquist said there was no doubt that Shawnee Heights was the better team Tuesday night.
"Personally, I knew what (the T-Birds) were going to give us,'' Bloomquist said. "I knew they were going to give us energy, intensity, tenaciousness. I knew it.
"The thing for me was convincing my kids that's what they were going to do. I think that's the first time in a long time we've had a butt-whipping as bad as it was tonight. Credit what coach is doing here because they're a completely different team than the first time we met them in December. They played like a state-caliber team tonight.''
Senior Malachi Berg led Topeka West (12-4, 9-3) with 14 points while senior Sincere Austin added 11 points, with three 3-pointers.
Shawnee Heights will be off Friday night while Topeka West will be at home to host Seaman in a UKC tilt.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS BOYS 67, TOPEKA WEST 48
Topeka West 16 8 11 13 -- 48
Shawnee Heights 17 19 21 10 -- 67
Topeka West (12-4, 9-3) -- Berg 5-11 4-4 14, Austin 4-13 0-0 11, Paul 2-5 1-2 5, Alexander 2-8 2-4 7, Noonoo 0-1 2-2 2, Thompson 0-1 0-0 0, Duncan 1-1 0-0 2, Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Chambers 2-4 1-2 7, Reimer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-44 10-14 48.
Shawnee Heights (12-4, 9-3) -- Dodge 8-16 0-0 18, Kendrick 4-5 0-0 8, J. Sanchez 8-15 0-0 20, Pomeroy 1-1 0-0 2, Stovall 5-10 1-1 11, Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Holly 0-0 0-0 0, Moore 3-3 0-0 8, D. Sanchez 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-50 1-1 67.
3-point goals -- Topeka West 6 (Austin 3, Chambers 2, Alexander), Shawnee Heights 8 (J. Sanchez 4, Dodge 2, Moore 2). Total fouls -- Topeka West 7, Shawnee Heights 14. Fouled out -- none. Technical foul -- Holly.
