By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Prince Lassister, the lone underclassman in Topeka West's starting lineup, has been good all season for the No. 2-ranked Chargers.
Junior Prince Lassiter scored a career-high 25 points in Topeka West's 74-50 home UKC win over Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But the 6-foot-6 junior frontliner stepped up his game another couple of steps on Tuesday night, scoring a career-high 25 points as the Chargers improved to 9-2 overall and 8-1 in the United Kansas Conference with a 74-50 home win over Basehor-Linwood.
Lassiter hit 10 of 14 shots from the field and five of seven free throws on the night as the Chargers tuned up for the Topeka Invitational Tournament Thursday through Friday at Highland Park with the 24-point victory.
"We always like to attack the rim,'' Lassiter said. "I know a lot of teams like to shoot a lot, but we like to get the easy buckets all the time, especially when we're taller than a lot of teams, we like to use that to our advantage.''
"We've been talking for about a week and a half about transition, pitching ahead, and if we don't have anything we're trying to get it inside to the big fella,'' Topeka West coach Christian Ulsaker said. "He's a great basketball player and he understands that if teams are doubling him he's going to kick it and find somebody.
"I'm so happy for Prince. I love seeing that from him.''
Topeka West went wire to wire for Tuesday's win, opening the game with an 8-0 run, capped by a Lassiter hoop, and he added back-to-back traditional three-point plays later in the quarter as the Chargers went up 14-5.
Basehor-Linwood (6-6, 3-5) was able to stay within striking distance of West in the first half, trailing 31-25 at the break, but the Chargers boosted their lead to double-digits (44-34) by the end of the third quarter and used a 30-point fourth quarter to pull away for the 24-point victory, West's biggest lead of the night.
Topeka West senior Keimani Paul scored 16 points in the Chargers' 74-50 UKC home win over Basehor-Linwood Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]
Lassiter was one of four double-figure scorers for Topeka West, with senior Keimani Paul adding 16 points and Jay'Veon Traylor and Malakyah Duncan 13 each.
After opening the season with five straight wins, the Chargers had gone a so-so 3-2 over their previous five games before turning in a very solid performance against the Bobcats.
"We got back to the standard,'' Ulsaker said. "I told them tonight was the best energy, effort and toughness I've seen all year and this was a pretty dang good Basehor team. They're very physical, they do what they need to go offensively and defensively and I'm very proud of my players.
"Regardless if the shots are falling or not, they're doing what you need to do to win championships.''
Senior Chase Young paced Basehor-Linwood with 15 points, the lone Bobcat in double figures.
Topeka West will begin its bid for the Topeka Invitational Tournament championship at 6:30 p.m. Thursday against St. Thomas Aquinas after finishing second in 2025.
"I'm thrilled, especially this year,'' Lassiter said. "We're going for the championship. We want to win it all this year.''
TOPEKA WEST BOYS 74, BASEHOR-LINWOOD 50
Basehor-Linwood 9 16 9 16 -- 50
Topeka West 16 15 13 30 -- 74
Basehor-Linwood (6-6, 3-5) – Brown 2-7 2-2 6, Morrison 2-5 0-0 4, Hofer 1-4 0-0 3, Young 4-9 4-4 15, Calvert 4-10 0-0 8, Hutchinson 2-2 3-4 9, Peek 0-0 0-0 0, Nixon 1-4 0-0 2, Elliott 1-1 0-0 3, Hannah 0-1 0-0 0, Ashley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-43 9-10 50.
Topeka West (9-2, 8-1) – Munganga 1-3 0-0 3, Traylor 5-8 2-2 13, Duncan 5-10 2-4 13, Paul 4-9 7-8 16, Lassiter 10-14 5-7 25, Phillips 0-2 0-0 0, Fox 1-3 0-0 2, Ware 0-1 0-0 0, Doby 0-1 2-2 2, Lloyd 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-51 18-23 74.
3-point goals – Basehor-Linwood 7 (Young 3, Hutchinson 2, Hofer, Elliott), Topeka West 4 (Munganga, Traylor, Duncan, Paul). Total fouls – Basehor-Linwood 20, Topeka West 14. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls -- Lassiter.
Bobcats ride dominating start to 77-31 UKC win over Chargers
Visiting Basehor-Linwood scored the first 10 points of the game Tuesday night and hit Topeka West with a 29-5 first quarter on the way to a 77-31 United Kansas Conference rout over the Chargers.
Topeka West junior Sydney VanDyke (5) scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Tuesday's 77-31 UKC loss to Basehor-Linwood. [File photo/TSN]
The Chargers, now 2-9 and 1-8 in the UKC, had trouble handling the Bobcats' pressure defense, with West finishing the night with 28 turnovers, including 11 in the opening quarter.
Basehor-Linwood, 9-4, 6-2, had four players crack double figures, led by sophomore Delaney Wittkop with a game-high 23 points, including three 3-pointers.
Senior Kinley Christopher added 15 points for the Bobcats while senior Sarah McKnight and junior Claire Fitzgerald chipped in with 11 points apiece.
Junior Sydney VanDyke led Topeka West with 14 points, going 6 of 7 from the field, while also grabbing eight rebounds.
BASEHOR-LINWOOD GIRLS 77, TOPEKA WEST 31
Basehor-Linwood 29 25 13 10 -- 77
Topeka West 5 20 4 2 -- 31
Basehor-Linwood (9-4, 6-2) – Schwisow 2-11 0-0 5, McKnight 5-6 1-2 11, Wittkop 10-14 0-0 23, Christopher 7-12 1-2 15, VanDonge 1-5 0-0 3, Fitzgerald 5-7 0-0 11, Deters 1-1 0-0 3, Jackson 2-3 0-0 4, Super 0-1 1-2 1, Unruh 0-1 1-2 1, Streit 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 33-64 4-8 77.
Topeka West (2-9, 1-8) – Allen 1-5 0-0 3, Gonzales 1-8 0-0 3, VanDyke 6-7 2-4 14, Austin 1-7 0-0 3, McGlory 0-6 0-0 0, Ogles 3-5 0-0 6, Kutina 1-1 0-0 2, Traylor 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 13-41 2-4 31.
3-point goals – Basehor-Linwood 7 (Wittkop 3, Schwisow, VonDonge, Fitzgerald, Deters), Topeka West 3 (Allen, Gonzales, Austin). Total fouls – Basehor-Linwood 5, Topeka West 6. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls -- none.
