By KYLE MANTHE
Special to TopSports.news
One week ago, Class 6A No. 7-ranked Topeka High had lost a second straight Centennial League game.
After a 60-25 runaway victory over Junction City on Senior Night Tuesday, coach Brittney Redmond feels a lot better about where the Trojans are.
Topeka High star Kiki Smith scored 18 points on Senior Night as the Trojans rolled to a 60-25 win over Junction City. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
Senior Jachiyah Verser (24) takes the ball inside Tuesday night against Junction City in Topeka High's 60-25 Centennial League win. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
“As a coach, I’m super glad that we took all of our losses early, cause that is going to give us momentum going into the postseason,” Redmond said. “We have already seen all of the talent that we are going to see, we kind of know what we need to do to win and close out those games this time.”
Closing out the regular season with a win also boded well for the spirits of Senior Nght, which saw all five members of the graduating quintet score after starting the game together and combining for 35 points.
“It’s been fun. Coming in as a freshman, going 20-0 the first season and getting canceled because of COVID, and coming back sophomore year and getting all the way to the state championship,” said senior Kiki Smith who led all scorers with 18 points.
“It’s been really fun just growing together from our freshman year to now, just seeing the progress that all of us have made and I love playing with them.”
In her one season at the helm, Redmond is appreciative of the group of seniors she inherited and that have been a big part of the immediate success.
“They are some of the hardest working kids I have ever coached, they are a really tight-knit group, so for me to come into that it’s almost like I’m the outsider,” Redmond said. “They are a lot of fun and we had a lot of fun tonight. I’m glad that we came out on top with the win.”
With the win T-High closes out the regular season 15-5 and 6-4 in league play while winning the final two games. The Trojans will await sub-state assignments which will begin on February 28.
From the start, it was an all-around effort for T-High that started on the defensive end and ended with several assisted layups. The Trojans ended the first quarter on an 8-0 run to lead 12-4.
The first 18 points for Topeka High came from seven different players. The ball movement and steals on defense created a 16-0 run in the middle of the second quarter to create some big separation from the Blue Jays. By halftime, the Trojans held a 28-9 lead.
“Even though it is Senior Night and we did have a starting lineup (change), I did still stress that we need to play defense. I told them it doesn’t matter who lines up against us we got to go out there and compete,” Redmond said.
Topeka High pushed the lead to 26 points before the first 3-pointer of the game fell for them from senior Adisyn Caryl, shortly after senior Jachiyah Verser put in a layup pushing the lead over 30 points.
The Trojans’ lead grew to as many as 36 points in the fourth quarter after a layup by Smith early in the period. Topeka High would close out the regular season with a 35-point margin of victory.
Junior Ladaysha Baird had 15 points for the Trojans while freshmen Keimara Marshall added eight. Caryl, Verser and Amari Sharpe had seve, six, and two points respectively.
Topeka High limited Junction City to just eight made field goals in the game. Senior Addy Hatcher led the Blue Jays with eight points.
TOPEKA HIGH GIRLS 60, JUNCTION CITY 25
Junction City 4 5 13 3 -- 25
Topeka High 12 16 23 9 -- 60
Junction City (3-17, 0-10) – DeGuzman 1-7 0-2 2, Jeter 0-10 2-2 2, Hatcher 3-7 1-2 8, Cebula 2-4 0-0 4, O’Neal 0-6 2-2 2, Holloway 2-3 0-0 4, Rexrode 0-0 3-4 3. Totals: 8-37 8-12 25.
Topeka High (15-5, 6-4) – Leesman 0-2 0-0 0, Baird 7-19 0-0 15, Simpson 0-0 0-0 0, Marshall 3-6 2-2 8, Caryl 2-3 2-2 7, Shields 1-10 0-1 2, Sharpe 1-1 0-0 2, Smith 7-18 3-3 18, Verser 2-5 2-2 6, Gotru 0-1 0-0 0, Benning 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 24-66 9-10 60.
3-point goals – Junction City 1 (Hatcher), Topeka High 3 (Baird, Smith, Caryl). Total fouls – Topeka High 12, Junction City 9. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.
