- Details
By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
In the first of three games this week to close out the regular season, the top-ranked team in Class 5A, the Seaman Lady Vikings faced the Leavenworth Pioneers Tuesday night.
Seaman senior Anna Becker (23) led the way with 18 points in Tuesday's 54-29 UKC win over Leavenworth. [File photo/TSN]
The Lady Vikings were dominant on defense and efficient on offense, taking control from the opening tip and winning the United Kansas Conference game going away, 54-29.
"I love watching us play,'' Seaman coach Matt Tinsley said. "We work well together and we were sound on both ends of the floor for a majority of the game. Our defense was solid in the first half.”
Seaman started the game on an 8-0 run over the first five minutes, led by senior Anna Becker’s five points. Leavenworth scored their first and only two baskets in the final 1:25 of the quarter and Seaman led, 16-4.
The second quarter saw the Lady Pioneers almost double their offensive output, but the Lady Vikes were still able to force nine turnovers and extend their lead to 34-11 at the half.
Seaman came out of the locker room after halftime and shot 8-15 from the field to extend their lead to 52-18 and the running clock was in effect for the final stanza. Tinsley complimented his team’s play in the third quarter, “Our offense in the third quarter was efficient. Our emphasis in practice on Monday was on ball movement and shot selection. When we have at least five passes and player movement, we will have great shots.”
- Details
By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
The Class 4A No. 2-ranked Hayden girls hosted Junction City Tuesday night and this game would be all Hayden as the Wildcats would open with a 25-0 first quarter and take a 41-9 halftime lead.
Senior Brylee Meier scored a game-high 26 points as Hayden took a 76-23 Centennial League victory over Junction City. [File photo/TSN]
The Centennial League-champion Lady Wildcats would end up finishing off league play with a 76-23 win over the Blue Jays.
The Wildcats would get a career night from senior Brylee Meier as she would hit six 3-pointers on 10-15 shooting from the field and lead all scorers with 26 points.
"She hit her first couple and when she does that she is pretty deadly, and once I saw those first few go in I knew it was going to be a good night,” Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said.
“I just kept getting open on the 3-point line, and my teammates would give me the ball whenever I was open,'' Meier said.
The Wildcats also got double figures from freshman Hailey Schmidtlein scoring 17 as 12 of the 14 girls to check into the game would crack the scoring column for the Wildcats.
- Details
By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
Tuesday was Round 2 between Hayden and Junction City's boys this season and, just like the first meeting, this game would go down to the wire.
Sophomore Mason Becker scored 21 points with five 3-pointers in Hayden's 75-63 win over Junction City. [File photo/TSN]
The Wildcats got a huge night from their sharp-shooting sophomore Mason Becker, who would score a game high 21 points on 6-12 shooting from the field with five 3-pointers as Hayden took control down the stretch for a 75-63 Centennial League win at the Bueltel Activity Center.
The Wildcats would be in a back and fourth game with 16 lead changes as they would trail the Blue Jays by one at the end of the first quarter and continue to trail by a point at halftime, 26-25.
Hayden would trail 28-25 early in the third quarter before going on a nine-point run to take the lead and never looked back, outscoring the Blue Jays 24-17 in the fourth quarter to take the 12-point win.
"We came into tonight knowing Junction City is a tough team,'' Becker said. "We got them last time at their place and knew they would give us everything they had, we had to just play tougher than them.
"Everybody that touched the ball tonight scored and we all played an amazing game.”
"This is a very big win,'' Hayden coach Dwayne Anthony said. "We played a very tough and scrappy Junction City team, well respected, and a power in Class 6A. So it is unbelievable, our guys have been working hard and they executed the game plan, and I am glad we got the win.”
- Details
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Having wrapped up the Centennial League title last Friday, the Washburn Rural boys are now within one game of an undefeated run through the league. They overcame a slow start to roll over Topeka High 72-42 Tuesday. They now stand 15-4 overall and 9-0 in the league.
Senior Kaden Ballard (2) scored 13 points with three 3-pointers in Tuesday's 72-42 road win at Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Junior Blues trailed for much of the first period. An 18-3 second period helped them gain a 32-15 lead. From that point, they played deep into their bench and saw 11 different players score.
“Defensively we were much more disruptive in the second quarter,” said Junior Blues coach Alex Hutchins. “In the first quarter we just kind of showed up on the defensive end. After that first quarter, we did a little better job of being impactful and disruptive.
“We’re not a very big team, so we have to play a certain way to be successful and it requires a lot of effort and it requires a lot of unselfishness.”
One game remains – Friday at Manhattan – between the Junior Blues and an undefeated record against the Centennial League field.
“We felt like (winning the league) was something we were capable of,” Hutchins said. “We won the league two years ago, and then last year we had a lot of injuries and illnesses, and we felt like we kind of just started behind the eight ball but finished strong.”
Washburn Rural senior guard Kaden Ballard said the team stays focused on the task at hand.
“I think our goals are step by step, so winning the league is first,” Ballard said. “We have a chance to go undefeated in the league, which, I don’t know the last time somebody’s done that. Then obviously winning sub-state is something I haven’t done yet. And making it to state is our big goal.
“But I’m enjoying every step, taking in every moment, like the last time playing in the Dungeon, stuff like that.”
One thing Ballard can enjoy is sharing the court with his brother, freshman Brooks Ballard. The younger Ballard came off the bench to hit 5-8 attempts Tuesday. Each brother hit three 3-pointers apiece, and each finished with 13 points.
- Details
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Having lost twice this season to the Washburn Rural girls – by an average of 18.5 points – the Topeka High Trojans shocked the Dungeon crowd by racing past the Junior Blues 54-45 at Topeka High Tuesday.
Topeka High sophomore Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton (right) scored 21 points in Tuesday's 54-45 Centennial League win over Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Trojans frustrated the visitors by dominating on the glass and throwing different defensive looks at the Junior Blues’ Maddie Vickery. The sophomore finished with 23 points, but hit just eight of 26 attempts.
Vickery shot 1-8 in the first period and Topeka High grabbed a 10-5 advantage. Vickery got hot in the second period, hitting five consecutive shots. But the rest of the Junior Blues struggled to get untracked. Vickery scored 17 of Washburn Rural’s 18 points in the first half. The Trojans clung to a 21-18 advantage.
“We planned to play man defense until just moments before the game,” Topeka High coach Ron Slaymaker said. “When we saw how they came out, we changed right before the tip to a two-three zone. (Vickery) got hot in the second quarter. We played a little different defense in the second half and slowed her down.”
Topeka High senior Jo’Mhara Benning and freshman Hailey Caryl relentlessly pounded the glass and got hands in Vickery’s face while sophomore Ahsieryrhuajh Rayton chased Vickery in the second half.
“We started in the zone, had our bigs keep their hands up where (Vickery) usually likes to shoot,” Rayton said. “Then we went to a box-and-one with me face guarding her. I like playing defense, so that was fun. I love playing against Maddie. She just makes me better.”
