By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
The three-point overtime loss that Highland Park's girls basketball team suffered against Salina South in last week's Salina Invitational Tournament was a tough pill for the Scots to swallow.
But Highland Park put the lessons learned from that loss to good use Tuesday night, holding off Eudora for a 56-50 non-league victory on the Scots' home court.
Highland Park sophomore Amelia Ramsey looks for operating room against Eudora in the Scots' 56-50 home non-league victory. Ramsey led Highland Park with a game-high 21 points. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sophomore De'Asia Sanders scored 14 points in Highland Park's 56-50 non-league win over Eudora Tuesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Scots struggled at the free throw line against South in a 50-47 loss but was 13 of 19 against the Cardinals, including a six of six performance from sophomore standout Amelia Ramsey who scored a game-high 21 points.
"Like I just told them, it's important to get these hard-fought wins like tonight,'' Highland Park coach Robert Brown said. "We just have to dig in and lock in in huddles and execute down the stretch, especially on the defensive end and making free throws.
"We learned the hard way at South, going 13 of 33. You can't win games like that and still only lost by three. That says a lot about us and you've got to finish a game with free throws and Amelia Ramsey did that.''
In a game that included five ties and six lead changes and was still a one-point game with less than five and a half minutes remaining, the Scots took control down the stretch en route to improving to 7-3 on the season.
Eudora (6-7) led 11-9 at the end of the first quarter and Highland Park took a 20-19 lead at the half on a Karlin White free throw with 3.2 seconds remaining.
Highland Park never trailed in the second half but Eudora was down by just a 35-34 margin after two Parker Long free throws with 6:22 left.
Ramsey scored five straight points, including a 3-pointer, to put the Scots in front 40-34 with 4:52 remaining and Highland Park went on to lead by as many as nine three times the rest of the way.
Sophomore De'Asia Sanders backed Ramsey with 14 points, hitting four of five free throw attempts.
Senior Sawyer Schreiner led Eudora with 15 points and 14 rebounds while junior Lainey Orr added 13 points with three 3-pointers.
Highland Park will return to Meadowlark Conference action on Friday, hosting Kansas City-East, Mo..
HIGHLAND PARK GIRLS 56, EUDORA 50
Eudora 11 8 13 18 -- 50
Highland Park 9 11 13 23 -- 56
Eudora (6-7) -- Erpelding 4-7 0-0 8, Yoder 1-5 4-6 6, Schreiner 5-10 5-7 15, Orr 4-9 2-2 13, Long 2-8 2-2 8, Keltner 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-39 13-17 50.
Highland Park (7-3 ) -- A. Gowan-Britt 3-9 2-5 8, Sanders 5-10 4-5 14, Broils 2-5 0-0 4, White 1-4 1-3 3, Ramsey 7-11 6-6 21, Parker-Brown 0-1 0-0 0, S. Gowan-Britt 2-6 0-0 6 . Totals 20-46 13-19 56.
3-point goals -- Eudora 5 (Orr 3, Long 2), Highland Park 3 (S. Gowan-Britt, Ramsey). Total fouls -- Eudora 15, Highland Park 14. Fouled out -- none.
