By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
Class 5A No. 2-ranked Topeka West hosted crosstown rival Highland Park on Wednesday night, seeking a regular-season sweep after dropping two games to the Scots last season.
Senior Malakyah Duncan led Topeka West with 19 points Wednesday as all five Charger starters cracked double figures in West's 84-60 win over Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
And the Chargers delivered in convincing fashion, taking an 84-60 win to improve to 14-2 on the season.
After West trailed 5-2 early, senior Keimani Paul would score five straight points to put his team up 7-5 and the Chargers would go on a 12-0 run to stretch the lead to 19-5 before ending the first quarter with a commanding 26-11 lead.
Paul scored 10 of his 14 points in the first quarter while West senior Gad Munganga would score the first basket of the second quarter and the eighth point of his 16 total on the night.
“Gad is never afraid of the big moment,'' Topek West coach Christian Ulsaker said. "I think he's kind of developed that over the past year with just tons of reps and shots in the gym in the summer. And that's what it takes to become a great shooter, just repetition after repetition.”
Highland Park junior JoJo Kingcannon would get to the basket for the Scots, but they would keep chasing the Chargers, who would turn to their size with 6-foot-4 senior Malakyah Duncan and 6-6 junior Prince Lassiter.
West would start to feed Lassiter but the Scots would crash on Lassiter and force him to pass it out to others.
“I told them just keep on attacking in terms of slashing to the rim,'' Ulsaker said. "When Prince gets it, if they do double, he'll be able to find you either when you relocate for 3 or when you slash backside, cut back door to get an easy bucket from Prince.”
The Scots would hold Lassiter to only seven points at halftime, but West would take a commanding 52-29 lead into the locker room.
Paul would drive to the basket at the start of the third and pick up the and-one for an old fashioned three-point play. Kingcannon would try to get the Scots back in it as he would hit back to back 3-pointers and go on a 10-1 run by himself to make it 56-38.
But that would be the Scots' last gasp of air as the Chargers would just start to pound it inside and force contact with the Scots to get fouls and get to the free throw line.
Lassiter would score six in the third quarter, helping Topeka West push the lead to 70-47 going into the fourth quarter.
Ulsaker would pull his starters and let his backups get some minutes in the fourth as they would pull out the 24-point rivalry win.
“It was good to get the monkey off our back,'' Ulsaker said. "I don't think our boys had ever beat Park yet, so it was just another milestone for them. The first one was they beat Shawnee Heights at Shawnee Heights for the first time in their career and the same thing now as beating Highland Park for the first time in their career.
"Whenever you beat a storied program like Highland Park, It's always a monumental thing.”
Duncan led Topeka West with 19 points as all five Charger starters cracked double figures.
Highland Park junior JoJo Kingcannon led all scorers with 23 points in Wednesday's 84-60 loss to Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Scots got another huge night from Kingcannon, who would lead all scorers with 23.
The Scots will be in action Friday at home against Kansas City-Wyandotte. The Chargers will be on the road as they will travel to No. 8 KC-Piper in a huge United Kansas Conference matchup.
“Well, a (Steve) Wallace-led team is always going to come prepared,'' Ulsaker said of the Piper matchup. "I mean, you never know what he's going to throw at you, so we've got to make sure that we're ready for whatever that circumstance might be.
"I'm excited for it. It’s going to be a fun atmosphere. I think our boys will be up for the test. Piper’s been playing really well recently, so we are going to get the best from them.”
TOPEKA WEST 84, HIGHLAND PARK 60
Highland Park 11 18 18 13 -- 60
Topeka West 26 26 18 14 -- 84
Highland Park (3-14) -- Kingcannon 8-15 5-5 23, Anderson 4-8 0-0 11, Drew 2-5 0-0 5, Montgomery 1-3 2-2 4, Mitchell 1-3 0-0 2, Nance 3-6 1-2 7, L. McMillon 1-1 0-0 2, Smith 1-1 0-0 3, Z. McMillon 0-3 0-0 0, Powell 1-3 1-2 3. Totals 22-48 9-11 60.
Topeka West (14-2) -- Duncan 7-17 5-6 19, Munganga 6-12 0-0 16, Lassiter 6-7 3-8 15, Paul 5-6 2-3 14, Traylor 2-6 7-8 11, Ware 1-3 2-2 5, Doby 1-4 0-0 2, Fox 1-3 0-0 2, Phillips 0-3 0-0 0, Lloyd 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 29-62 19-27 84.
3-point goals -- Highland Park 7 (Anderson 3, Kingcannon 2, Drew, Smith) Topeka West 7 (Munganga 4, Paul 2, Ware). Total Fouls -- Highland Park 24, Topeka West 11. Fouled out -- Montgomery.
