By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Friday night's game against Highland Park may not have been a must-win situation for Topeka West's boys basketball team, but if the Chargers want to remain in the hunt for a second straight Centennial League title, it was pretty darn close
And Rick Bloomquist's No. 5-ranked Chargers certainly played with the sense of urgency that the situation called for in front of a packed house at Topeka West, with all five West starters cracking double figures on the way to a 79-67 league victory over the No. 2-ranked and previously-unbeaten Scots.
Topeka West only trailed once on the night, at 2-0, and answered every Highland Park run with a run of its own, lead by as many as 13 points in the first half, 12 in the third quarter and by as many as 19 down the stretch while improving to 7-1 overall and 6-1 in the league. With Friday's win the Chargers pulled even in the league race in the loss column with both Highland Park and Junction City.
"The key is the Centennial League championship,'' Bloomquist said. "We want it. We want the last one (before West joins the United Kansas Conference) and (the players) know there's a little pride in that.
"They know they can do it and to get that we have to win these games, without a doubt.''
Topeka West senior Elijah Brooks scored 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in Friday's 79-67 win over Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Elijah Brooks led Topeka West with 26 points and 14 rebounds, but the Charger senior star had plenty of help from his teammates, with senior Zander Putthoff adding 17 points with three 3-pointers while juniors Sincere Austin and Xavier Alexander had 13 points apiece and junior Malachi Berg 10.
"If we're going to be the team that we want to be, that's the way we've got to play,'' Bloomquist said. "I've got kids that can play. I've got kids that can pass, catch and make baskets.''
Highland Park senior Juan'Tario Roberts (right) drives to the hoop Friday night as Topeka West senior Zander Putthoff defends. Roberts scored a game-high 35 points and Putthoff scored 17 in West's 79-67 victory. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka West also withstood a career night from Highland Park senior standout Juan'Tario Roberts, who kept the Scots (8-1, 7-1) in the game with 19 first-half points and finished with a career-high 35 points and seven 3-pointers.
West led 15-11 after a tight first quarter and there were ties at 15 and 17 before the Chargers went on a 16-3 run to open up a 33-20 advantage on a Berg hoop.
West also led at 35-22 before Roberts keyed a late-half rally to cut Highland Park's deficit to 39-32 at the half.
Highland Park scored the first seven points of the second half to tie the game at 39 and there was also a tie at 41 before West outscored the Scots 17-5 the remainder of the quarter to take a commanding 58-46 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Topeka West went in front 75-56 with 1:52 remaining on a Putthoff basket and Highland Park got no closer than the final margin the rest of the way.
"They play very, very well in this building and the crowd gets them juiced up and gets them going,'' said Highland Park coach Mike Williams, a Topeka West graduate. "What they did early on in the game wasn't something that we didn't expect from them, but it was something that we didn't necessarily handle that well.''
Junior Ketraleus Aldridge backed Roberts with 17 points for Highland Park, but West did a good job defensively on Aldridge most of the night before the Scot standout got hot late.
Both West and Highland Park will take part in next week's Topeka Invitational Tournament at Highland Park.
Highland Park will face Shawnee Mission North in Thursday's opening round while Topeka West will take on Lawrence.
TOPEKA WEST BOYS 79, HIGHLAND PARK 67
Highland Park 11 21 14 21 -- 67
Topeka West 15 24 19 21 -- 79
Highland Park (8-1, 7-1) -- Adams 1-3 0-0 2, Aldridge 7-17 0-0 17, Richardson 3-8 0-0 6, Kingcannon 2-11 2-2 6, Roberts 13-29 2-2 35, Clemons 0-0 0-0 0, Young 0-3 1-2 1. Totals 26-71 5-6 67.
Topeka West (7-1, 6-1) -- Austin 6-10 0-0 13, Brooks 10-18 6-11 26, Alexander 6-9 0-2 13, Berg 5-9 0-0 10, Putthoff 7-10 0-0 17, Robinson 0-0 0-0 0, Foy 0-1 0-0 0, Bearman 0-1 0-0 0, Sowell 0-0 0-0 0, Wilkerson 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 34-58 6-15 79.
3-point goals -- Highland Park 10 (Roberts 7, Aldridge 3), Topeka West 5 (Putthoff 3, Austin, Alexander). Total fouls -- Highland Park 9, Topeka West 6. Fouled out -- none.
