By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Highland Park girls basketball coach Rob Brown hopes his team uses the holiday break to regroup after three tough games in a four-day stretch sent them into the holiday with a 1-3 record.
Junior Zayah Kincaid led Highland Park with 17 points, including five 3-pointers, in the Scots' 68-52 loss to Wyandotte Friday night. [File photo/TSN]
The Scots lost a home 68-52 home Meadowlark Conference contest versus Wyandotte Friday that saw the Scots commit 28 fouls and send the Bulldogs to the foul stripe 48 times. Wyandotte sped the game up with a fullcourt press and attacked the basket with abandon on the offensive end.
Highland Park was in the fight after one period, trailing just 20-17. Senior sharpshooter Zayah Kincaid connected on threet 3-pointers in the period to keep the Scots close. But Wyandotte nudged the margin to nine points at halftime, then outscored the Scots 20-10 in the third period to open up the lead to 56-37.
The Scots went 12 days without playing a game, then found themselves in a tough stretch right before the break. They got their first win in a hard-fought 42-40 victory over Shawnee Mission West on Tuesday. But they fell to Topeka High on Thursday before hosting Wyandotte Friday.
“It’s been a long week,” Highland Park coach Rob Brown said. “So hopefully they can go into our break, clear their heads, get in the gym on their own, and hopefully find some heart and try to get back to it.”
The Scots showed some firepower Friday in Kincaid, who hit five from behind the arc to finish with 17 points, and sophomore Kaia Hooper, who added three 3-pointers and tallied 11 total points. Senior Koralee Jones had nine points, and Miluv Cosey added seven.
“This is a new group, so we’re trying to figure each other out, trying to figure their new roles out,” Brown said. “It’s still early so hopefully we can get things figured out.”
The Bulldogs employed an all-out assault, primarily from three players. Germya Sanford attempted 27 shots and led with 26 points. Jaida Johnson got to the free throw line 18 times in addition to her 16 field goal attempts. She finished with 23 points. And Promise Burton shot 17 shots and attempted 13 free throws.
“I told them, ‘You have two records.’ We have our overall record and our league record, and being 0-1 in league is not good. Especially losing at home,” said Brown.
WYANDOTTE GIRLS 68, HIGHLAND PARK 52
Wyandotte 20 16 20 12 -- 68
Highland Park 17 10 10 15 -- 52
Wyandotte (5-2) – Johnson 5-16 13-18 23, Sanford 11-27 4-10 26, Burton 3-17 5-13 11, Aldana 1-7 4-6 6, DeMoss 1-3 0-2 2, Darjee 0-0 0-0 0, Harris 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-71 26-48 68.
Highland Park (1-3) – Cosey 2-10 1-2 7, Kincaid 6-19 0-1 17, Jones 4-15 1-2 9, Barnett 0-1 0-0 0, Atkins 2-6 0-0 4, Inyard 0-1 0-0 0, Sanders 0-1 0-0 0, Hooper 4-14 0-2 11, Cameron 1-2 0-0 2, Mitchell 1-1 0-0 2, Brown 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 20-69 2-7 52.
3-point goals – Highland Park 10 (Kincaid 5, Hooper 3, Cosey 2). Total fouls – Wyandotte 13, Highland Park 28. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.
