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Topeka High sophomore Kiki Smith (23) slips past several Junction City defenders for a basket during Saturday's game. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TopSports.news]
Topeka High's girls basketball team isn't used to playing games in the middle of the afternoon, particularly on a Saturday.
But it was a focused Trojan team that showed up to host Centennial League foe Junction City and the result was 19 straight points to open the game on the way to a 92-34 rout.
"I think they were ready to go, they're tired of practicing,'' said Topeka High coach Hannah Alexander, whose Trojans were making their 2021 debut. "We're trying to make sure that we execute every possession in every game and make sure that we don't take anything for granted.
"That was the thing today. It doesn't matter who we're playing, where we're playing, what day it is, what time we're playing. We just need to go out and execute and I was very proud of how they handled themselves out there. I saw a lot of good things we've been working on in practice, so I was very proud of them.''
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TopSports.news
Junior Jaley Barkley led the way with 20 points and three 3-pointers as Cair Paravel Latin’s girls basketball team improved to 3-2 on the season with a 46-40 road win at Olathe Heritage Christian Friday night.
Barkley, who went 7 of 9 at the free throw line, was joined in double figures by freshman Josie Barkley, who had 11 points.
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By Andrew Gill
TopSports.net
After trailing most of the game, Rick Bloomquist’s Topeka West Chargers eventually rallied for a 78-60 victory over Hayden in a Centennial League boys contest at West.
“It wasn’t a slow start – it was horrid. Worst start I’ve seen in years,” Bloomquist said, adding that his team’s lackadaisical first-quarter play was due to mental mistakes. “We’ve had a lot of prosperity and high school kids have a hard time handling prosperity. We had a lot of days to think highly of ourselves and we got full of ourselves really quick.”
The Wildcats looked to be in control after the first quarter, leading by 13. The Chargers cut its deficit to 4 points by halftime, but really came alive in the second half.
Elijah Brooks
Bloomquist wasn’t eager to share what he said to his players at halftime, but whatever it was, it worked as the Chargers put up 33 points in the third quarter.
An and-1 by senior Trevion Alexander tied the game for the first time since its start. Then a well-executed press resulted in a steal and a 3-pointer, which gave West its first lead of the game.
Closing the third quarter with a 20-5 run, the Chargers never looked back.
Despite the Wildcats’ solid offensive effort, their defense simply had no answer for juniors Elijah Brooks and Zander Putthoff, who combined for 51 of West’s 78 points. Brooks finished the night with a game-high 28, 20 of which came in the second half, while Putthoff shot an impressive 7 for 13 from beyond the arc.
Hayden senior Vacario Triplett’s ability to get to the rim was the main reason for West’s early woes, totaling 24 points.
“We gave Triplett too many drives to the basket uncontested,” Bloomquist said. “He penetrated as well as anybody has against us so far.”
Now 5-0 on the year, the Chargers look to continue their undefeated season at home against Emporia on Tuesday.
TOPEKA WEST BOYS 78, HAYDEN 60
Topeka West 8,18 33 19 – 78
Hayden 21 9 17 13 – 60
Topeka West – Lira 2 0-0 5, Wilkerson 1 0-0 2, Brooks 12 1-2 28, Peterson 1 2-2 4, T. Alexander 4 2-2 11, Putthoff 8 0-0 23, Mehrens 1 0-0 3, Bearman 1 0-0 2. Totals: 30 5-6 78.
Hayden – Williams 5 3-4 14, Muller 2 4-4 9, Triplett 10 2-4 24, Pivarnik 1 0-0 2, Alfonsi 1 0-0 2, Otting 4 0-2 8, Rice 0 1-2 1. Totals: 23 6-16 60.
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TopSports.news
Junior Carly Stuke turned in a game-high 23-point performance, including 14 points in the opening quarter, as Hayden improved to 4-2 with a 65-47 home Centennial League victory over Topeka West.
Stuke hit three 3-pointers on the night, two in the first quarter, and went 6 of 6 from the free throw line, all in the first quarter, while junior Macy Smith added 16 points and senior Rhen Calhoon 12.
Carly Stuke
Hayden led 19-13 at the end of the first quarter and 32-24 at the half before putting the game away with a 33-23 second half.
"We had some sloppy moments, but played really hard and were able to pull away,'' Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said.
Freshman Siani Sanchez paced Topeka West (1-4) with 12 points while freshman Saniya Triplett added 9 points, sophomore Makinsey Jones 8 freshman Zoe Clark 7 points.
HAYDEN GIRLS 65, TOPEKA WEST 47
Topeka West 13 11 11 12 -- 47
Hayden 19 13 18 15 -- 65
Hayden (4-2, 4-2) -- Cruz 1 2-2 4, Calhoon 6 0-4 12, Smith 6 3-9 16, Moore 2 0-0 4, Stuke 7 6-6 23, Sandstrom 0 0-2 0, Huscher 2 0-0 4, Schmidtlein 0 0-0 0, Anguiano 0 0-2 0, Gill 1 0-0 2. Totals 24 11-25 65.
Topeka West (1-4, 0-4) -- S. Triplett 4 0-0 9, Sanchez 5 1-1 12, Benson 1 0-0 2, Clark 2 1-2 7, Jones 4 0-1 8, Ford 2 0-1 4, Mosher 0 0-0 0, N. Triplett 0 5-6 5,. Duncan 0 0-0 0, Henderson 0 0-1 0, Bearman 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 7-11 47.
3-point goals -- Topeka West 4 (Clark 2, Sanchez, S. Triplett), Hayden 4 (Stuke 3, Smith). Total fouls -- Topeka West 23, Hayden 17. Fouled out -- none.
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KAI ALLEN, Silver Lake
Allen, a senior, is top-ranked in Class 3A-1A at 138 pounds in the latest Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association state rankings. Allen started the current season with an 11-1 record after posting a runner-up state finish last season at 132 pounds.
AUSTIN FAGER, Washburn Rural
Fager, a junior, is ranked No. 3 in the Class 6A state rankings at 170 pounds and is fifth in the KWCA All-Class rankings. Fager is 15-3 this season after going 24-7 and making it to state at 152 pounds last season.
BROCK FERGUSON, Shawnee Heights
Ferguson, a junior, placed third in the Class 5A state tournament at 113 pounds as a sophomore, posting a 40-5 record. Ferguson is second-ranked in 5A at 120 pounds and fourth in the all-class rankings this season, posting an 11-0 record.
