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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Learning how to win the right way and developing team chemistry for the Shawnee Heights Lady Thunderbirds has become noticeable throughout the United Kansas Conference.
Shawnee Heights is now rolling with its third straight win after a 48-40 home win over Basehor-Linwood.
Breezy Canady
Taylor Rottinghaus
Emari Doby
According to Shawnee Heights coach Bob Wells, Tuesday night's victory over Basehor-Linwood was the program's first-ever win over the Bobcats since Basehor-Linwood and Shawnee Heights have been a part of the same conference.
"I don't think we've beaten Basehor since the league's started," Wells said. "This is truly a big win for us. Our team really stepped in, did their part and helped out. I thought the girls played really well tonight."
The potential for Shawnee Heights' 2022-2023 campaign is high.
Three of its stars contributed in a big way to Tuesday night's conference victory as Breezy Canady, Taylor Rottinghaus and Emari Doby combined for 39 of the Lady Thunderbirds' 48 total points scored.
The trio has been off to a hot start to kick off the season, and they've had quite the impact on Heights' three-game win streak.
"The girls are so competitive in practice, and I think it's translating," Wells said. "The girls that aren't getting a lot of minutes are pushing the girls that are getting a lot of minutes. I think that competition is making everybody better."
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By KYLE MANTHE
Special to TopSports.news
Washburn Rural girls basketball showed why you never underestimate the heart of a champion Tuesday night as the defending Classs 6A champions came back from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter to knock off No. 6-ranked Shawnee Mission Northwest, 54-45.
“How we rebounded from two losses in a row, basically I was very proud … however it gets harder and they have to know that they have to do hard things, and I think this group is going to embrace that,” said Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick.
Washburn Rural junior Zoe Canfield scored 26 points with five 3-pointers as the Junior Blues rallied for a 54-45 win over Shawnee Mission Northwest. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Brooklyn DeLeye (middle) scored 16 points to help Washburn Rural rally for a 54-45 win over Shawnee Mission Northwest Tuesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
All 54 points for the Lady Blues were scored by the starting five an 42 of those came from junior Zoe Canfield, who had 26, and senior Brooklyn DeLeye, who finished with 16 points.
“I’d pick those two if I had a draft. Zoe, she is unbelievable when she gets hot from three, there are no limits to how far she wants to shoot them, too,” Bordewick said. “I thought Brooklyn was a lot more fierce in the post than what she has been, we have been harping on her about that, and I think she elevated that quite a bit.”
The Lady Blues did not lead the entire first half, and needed seven first-quarter points from Kansas commit Canfield in the first quarter to trail by just one point, 14-13.
Rural was held to just six points in the second quarter. The cold spell and stout defense by the Cougars allowed them to go on an 8-0 run through the middle of the quarter and go into half leading, 27-19.
Out of halftime the Lady Blues got four straight points but were answered right back with seven in a row by Northwest, which took an 11-point lead.
The next 13 points in the game for either team came from Canfield or Brooklyn DeLeye, giving Rural a 38-36 lead after three.
“I thought our defensive intensity picked up and when that happens I feel like it makes us more in rhythm on offense,” Bordewick said.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's girls and Highland Park's boys climbed to No. 2 in the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association's Class 5A state rankings while Topeka HIgh's girls returned to the top 10 in 6A and Rossville's girls cracked the rankings in 3A.
Seaman and Highland Park both moved from No. 3 to the second spot in 5A while Silver Lake held on to the No. 2 spot in the latest 3A girls rankings, released Tuesday.
Topeka High returned to the 6A girls rankings at No. 10 after winning the Hardwood Classic in De Soto while Rossville made its debut at No. 10 in the 3A girls rankings after winning the Irish Classic in Chapman.
Matt Tinsley's Seaman girls basketball team jumped a spot to No. 2 in the latest KBCA Class 5A rankings, released Tuesday. [File photo/TSN]
Senior Bo Aldridge (1) and Highland Park's boys moved up to the No. 2 spot in the KBCA Class 5A boys state rankings. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden's boys remained No. 3 in 4A while Topeka West's boys dropped a spot to No. 8 in 5A despite two double-digit wins.
KANSAS BASKETBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION STATE RANKINGS
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Sure, Highland Park coach Michael Williams was happy to get a convincing 85-57 non-league win in Tuesday's home contest against Kansas City-Southeast, Mo.
But what made Williams the happiest was that after spending a lot more time practicing than playing, his No. 2-ranked (Class 5A) Scots finally got only their second chance to test themselves in a game.
Highland Park senior Tre Richardson skies high to block a KC-Southeast shot in Tuesday's 85-57 Scots win. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Highland Park coach Michael Williams gives his team intructions in the Scots' 85-57 win over KC-Southeast Tuesday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I'm glad to be playing games,'' Williams said. "It's only our second game pre-Christmas and we only have one more on Friday night. Obviously, there's things that we're doing right now that's far from where we'll be at later, but it's good to have games.
"It's good to have another 80-point night, drop (the opponents') score down a little bit more. We were able to open up the bench and get our guys in there involved and the older guys are kind of setting the tone for us.''
Highland Park (2-0) was never seriously threatened after opening up a commanding 24-11 first-quarter advantage over the Knights behind senior Bo Aldridge's 18-point quarter.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The only real highlight for Kansas City-Southeast Mo. in Tuesday night's non-league basketball game at Highland Park came when the Knights hit a free throw to trail by just a 2-1 margin two minutes into the game.
But things got progressively worse for the Scots from that point on, with Highland Park taking control with a 38-0 run on the way to a 68-9 win.
Highland Park sophomore Amelia Ramsey scored 27 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in the Scots' 68-9 non-league win over KC-Southeast Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]
And although the game was a runaway after Highland Park opened up commanding leads of 19-1 at the end of the first quarter and 43-2 at the half, coach Robert Brown said his team took a lot of positives away from the game, including the 1-1 Scots' first win of the season.
"We'll take a win,'' Brown said. "We'll always take wins all day.''
Highland Park standout Amelia Ramsey, a 6-foot sophomore, had a monster night with 27 points and 24 rebounds while three other Scots reached double figures and 11 players saw action.
"We're trying to learn how to win the right way, focus on what we need to work on and stay disciplined,'' Brown said. "And even when we got a big lead we wanted to just keep working on what we need to work on.
"We wanted to give Amelia some touches, touches that she needs, and we're a young team so we're still learning how to play with each other.''
