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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
EMPORIA -- The 2023-2024 season didn't end the way Highland Park wanted it to, but after a tough three-point overtime semifinal loss, it ended the best way it could.
Highland Park junior Ja'Corey Robinson had 19 points and 10 rebounds as the Scots capped a 23-2 season with a 66-55 win over Maize South in the Class 5A third-place game. [Photo by Mac Moore/KSHSAA Covered]
Highland Park junior Ja'Corey Robinson is congratulated by his teammates after a big play late in Saturday's 66-55 win over Maize South. [Photo by Mac Moore/KSHSAA Covered]
Highland Park trailed Maize South for much of Saturday's third-place game, including an eight-point deficit late in the third quarter and a seven-point deficit with about six and a half minutes left, but the Scots stepped up their game a few notches when it counted the most, ending the game with a 20-4 run to take a 66-55 win over the top-seeded Mavericks at White Auditorium.
"We finished great,'' Highland Park coach Mike Williams said. "Maize South has eight seniors and a winning pedigree, so we knew those kids weren't going to come in here and not take the game seriously and we knew that we also had to match that level.
"We kind of fell short of that a little bit early on but the heart, grit, toughness and determination of our guys showed through over the course of the game.''
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- The Washburn Rural girls will be playing in the Class 6A state championship at Wichita State University for the third year in a row on Saturday. They earned their spot in the title game by defeating Derby 69-62 in overtime Friday night.
Seeded seventh in the tournament, Washburn Rural had to defeat second seed Wichita Heights and third seed Derby to reach the 6A final.
Washburn Rural celebrates Friday's 69-62 overtime win over Derby in Friday's Class 6A state semifinal. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Rural came back from an early deficit to take a second-half lead. But they couldn’t stop Derby’s Macayla Askew, who almost singlehandedly kept the Panthers in the game. She tied the game at 58-58 with 18 seconds left in regulation.
Washburn Rural drew up a play for senior Zoe Canfield, but her attempt on the right baseline was blocked right before the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.
“When they had all the momentum and tied it up at the end of the game, we didn’t get a good possession,” Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick said. “I looked at our faces and I thought, ‘I don’t know where we are at mentally.’ But man, we took off.”
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
HUTCHINSON -- A much-anticipated meeting between Silver Lake and Hayden finally happened Friday in a Class 3A state semifinal in Hutchinson.
A tight battle gradually shifted in favor of Silver Lake, with the Eagles winning 64-49 to advance Saturday's state title game.
Silver Lake senior Makenzie McDaniel scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Eagles advanced to the Class 3A title game with a 64-49 win over Hayden. [Photo by Kyle Grunert/Special to TSN]
Silver Lake preserved their undefeated record at 25-0 and will face Hesston on Saturday at 6:15 p.m. The Eagle seniors will be taking their fourth crack at a title. They finished third two years ago and fourth last year.
Hayden and Silver Lake traded leads back and forth throughout the first half, the biggest lead coming when Hayden pulled out to a five-point advantage late in the second period. But Silver Lake responded with a 10-3 run to close out the period with a 29-27 lead.
Amelia Ramsey was Hayden’s top weapon in the first two periods, battling to 11 first-half points. Silver Lake was led in the first half by Kaibryn Kruger with nine.
“Hayden played extremely well,” said Silver Lake coach Kyle Porter. “They have some extremely skilled bigs who can not only kill you inside but also stretch you outside. You saw that with Ramsey tonight. I thought she was phenomenal.
“First half, I thought we gave up some easy second-chance points. From then on, we did limit their second-chance opportunities. That was big.”
Silver Lake stretched its lead to 46-38 in the third period and the Eagles owned the early part of the fourth period, starting with a 12-0 run and finishing with a 64-49 win.
Silver Lake recorded 19 assists on their 23 baskets.
“The second half belonged to (us playing) team basketball,” Porter said. “With our team, you can’t just stop one player. When teams over-compensate and put two on one, we’ve got to be able to find the open man and finish. And they’ve been able to do that for four years.”
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
EMPORIA -- An outstanding third quarter, coupled with late-game poise and clutch free throw shooting added up to a Class 5A title shot for Seaman girls.
Seaman's bench celebrates the Vikings' 49-45 Class 5A state semifinal win over Andover Friday in Emporia. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Seaman's players exchange hugs after Friday's 49-45 Class 5A semifinal win over Andover. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Seaman, which improved to 22-2 on the season, used a 23-7 third quarter to take a double-digit lead and survived a furious rally from top seed and previously-unbeaten Andover to take a 49-45 semifinal victory Friday at White Auditorium.
"We're a veteran group, we're a composed group,'' Seaman coach Matt Tinsley said. "It's kind of like the game got tighter and, 'Hey, we'll step up and hit our free throws,' and that's what we did.''
The Vikings will face Maize South at 6:15 p.m. Saturday, with Seaman looking for its first girls state championship since 1991. Maize South (23-1) advanced with a 55-47 win over Emporia.
"My quote in the locker room before the game was, 'We didn't come this far just to come this far.' '' Tinsley said. "We know we're going to have a tough team to play tomorrow, but hey, this is great. This is the ultimate high school experience and we're just enjoying every minute of it.''
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
EMPORIA -- A year ago, Highland Park felt like it made some uncharacterisic mistakes down the stretch that opened the door for Andover to take a last-second, one-point semifinal win on the way to the the Class 5A state championship.
Highland Park junior Ja'Corey Robinson had 20 points and 12 rebounds in Friday's 67-64 overtme loss to Kapaun Mt. Carmel. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
HIghland Park junior Mikey Williams scored 20 points, including an 8 of 9 performance at the free throw line, in the Scots' 67-64 overtime loss to Kapaun Mt. Carmel. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Conversely, Mike Williams' Scots played well enough to win Friday's semifinal but Kapaun Mt. Carmel came through with just enough big plays down the stretch to advance to its second straight 5A title game with a 67-74 overtime win at White Auditorium.
"When you get to this time of the year that's what you ask for,'' Williams said of Friday's nailbiter. "You ask for the kids to compete hard, the moment is going to be big and there's going to be a lot at stake and all you can ask is that your kids leave it out there and give it their all and we did that.
"A couple of bounces didn't go our way, a couple of bounces went their way and that's the beautiful thing about the game and that's what you put in the time for. That's a good team in that other locker room. They're coached really, really well. They don't give up and they did all that was necessary to win this game.''
