By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Coming off back-to-back double-digit Centennial League road losses, Washburn Rural girls basketball got back on track in a big way Friday night, going wire to wire for a 56-14 home league rout over Junction City.
Senior Ella Hirschi scored a game-high 12 points on four 3-pointers in Friday's 56-14 Centennial League win over Junction City. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Now 12-6 overall and 3-3 in the league, Rural completed a regular-season sweep over the Blue Jays, who fell to 2-15 overall and 0-6 in the league. The Junior Blues took a 36-point win (68-32) win at Junction City in their Centennial opener.
"I thought we were a lot better defensively this time,'' Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick said. "I thought everybody that played did a really good job on defense.
"We're trying to work on some things like stopping drives a little bit better. I still think we can box out better (on rebounds). We're not as strong as we need to be and getting a low base and keeping them away and getting on them a little bit faster.''
Washburn Rural led 15-7 at the end of the opening quarter and then put the Blue Jays away with a 16-2 second quarter.
The Junior Blues continued to roll in the third quarter, outscoring Junction City 15-5 to open up a 46-14 lead and force a running clock over the final eight minutes.
Washburn Rural pitched a 10-0 shutout in the fourth quarter to close out the 42-point win.
Washburn Rural freshman Brynn Anderson (15) and senior Josie Carlgren (23) celebrate a big play in Friday's 56-14 Centennial League win over Junction City. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Hallie Walker (10) scored nine points and grabbed a game-high seven rebounds in Friday's 56-14 Centennial League win over Junction City. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Senior Ella Hirschi connected on four 3-pointers to score a game-high 12 points for Washburn Rural while freshman Brynn Anderson also cracked double figures with 10 points, senior Hallie Walker finished with nine points and seven rebounds and senior Josie Carlgren and freshman Kamryn Smith chipped in with eight points apiece.
"It was pretty even across the board,'' Bordewick said.
Sophomore Isabel Pruitt led Junction City with five points, including the Blue Jays' only 3-pointer.
Trying to wrap up a home berth for at least the semifinals of the upcoming Class 6A sub-state playoffs over the final two weeks of the regular season, Washburn Rural will host Emporia next Tuesday.
"Our schedule's tough,'' Bordewick said. "We've got three tough teams in Emporia, Hayden and Seaman next week and then (Topeka) High and Manhattan the last week, so it's going to be tough.
"All we can do is just go one day at a time. I told (the girls) we're not even looking at our game Tuesday. We've got to get some things fixed Monday in practice.''
WASHBURN RURAL GIRLS 56, JUNCTION CITY 14
Junction City 7 2 5 0 -- 14
Washburn Rural 15 16 15 10 -- 56
Junction City (2-15, 0-6) – Pruitt 2-9 0-0 5, Riley 0-4 1-2 1, Jenry-Rivers 0-2 0-2 0, Warmack 2-9 0-0 4, Nabus 0-1 1-2 1, Uhlman 0-1 0-0 0, Rushing 0-0 0-0 0, Campbell 1-2 0-0 2, Allen 0-1 1-2 1, Hatcher 0-2 0-0 0, Covington 0-3 0-0 0, Briley 0-1 0-0 0, Washington 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 5-35 3-8 14.
Washburn Rural (12-6, 3-3) – Rutherford 1-5 0-0 3, Hirschi 4-7 0-0 12, Walker 4-5 1-2 9, Anderson 3-4 3-5 10, Carlgren 3-6 1-2 8, Smith 2-8 2-2 8, Hinck 1-5 0-2 4, Munson 0-0 0-2 0, Petersen 1-2 1-2 3, Frost 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 19- 8-17 56.
3-point goals – Junction City 1 (Pruitt), Washburn Rural 10 (Hirschi 4, Smith 2, Rutherford, Hinck, Anderson, Carlgren). Total fouls – Junction City 12, Washburn Rural 7. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls -- none.
