By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
Hayden's girls faced visiting Topeka High Friday night and during the first quarter the game would go back and forth, with the Wildcats taking a 16-13 lead after the opening eight minutes.
Senior Lauren Sandstrom scored 30 points in Hayden's 69-36 Centennial League win over Topeka High Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
That would be all the fight the Lady Trojans had in them as the Wildcats would pull away and outscore the Lady Trojans 25-8 in the second quarter and go on to cruise to a 69-36 Centennial League win on Senior Night at Hayden.
Hayden was led in scoring by Rockhurst signee Lauren Sandstrom, who had a monstrous 30-point night on 12-19 shooting.
“It’s really special,'' Sandstrom said. "It‘s a great way to leave my home court and finish strong.”
The Wildcats got a breakout game from midseason transfer Amelia Ramsey, a junior who would post her Hayden high in points and rebounds with her first double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds.
“I have been getting used to the change of everything and tonight everything came together and I can’t wait for our next game,” Ramsey said.
Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said Friday was a special Senior Night for four Wildcat upperclassmen who have played together since the fifth grade.
“We had a script that we wanted to do but we had to play well enough to earn that script and to get all the seniors off individually,'' Reynoldson said. "First we started with Jill linherr who hasn't played this year because of a torn ACL, but she would have been a huge part of our team and then going on down the line it was exactly what we hoped it would be and and I know that the girls enjoyed their moment.''
“It was very bittersweet!'' Lenherr said. "Of course I was so happy because it was Senior Night, but this whole season has been very hard for me, watching my team and not being able to play with them. But this team makes it very easy to show up every day and cheer them on. They are all amazing girls and are more like sisters to me. Hearing my name for the starting line up and being out on the Hayden court one last time really hit me and I will cherish all the memories I made with this team these last four years.''
The Wildcats have a big week coming up with games at Manhattan and at Eudora.
“Next week is really big for us because we play two really good teams and it can really catapult us with some momentum, so we just got to make sure that we don't look past it to the postseason because we got a big week next week,” Reynoldson said.
Sandstrom has big plans for the rest of the year.
"I see a state championship to be totally honest,'' she said. "We have a great team this year, the best that at least we've been since I've been here and it's super exciting. I think we're so prepared we can really get it done.”
Topeka High was led in scoring by Freshman Ahsieryrhuajh Rayton with 19 points.
HAYDEN 69, TOPEKA HIGH 36
Topeka High 13 8 8 7 – 36
Hayden 16 25 13 15–69
Topeka High (4-14 1-8) – Rayton 7-22 4-5 19, Marshall 3-6 2-2 8, Gotru 2-5 2-2 6, Conley 0-1 2-2 2, Triplett 0-4 1-2 1, Z.Kincaid 0-2 0-0 0, Mayfield 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-41 11-13 36.
Hayden (15-3 6-3) – Sandstrom 12-19 4-5 30, Meier 3-11 0-0 7, Grunert 1-6 4-5 6, Lenherr 0-1 0-0 0, Huescher 0-0 0-0 0, Ramsey 8-10 0-1 17, Greco 1-2 3-4 5, Fulton 1-4 0-0 3, Reid 0-0 1-2 1, Borjon 0-1 0-0 0, Foster 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 26-54 12-19 69.
3-point goals – Hayden 5 (Sandstrom 2, Meier, Ramsey, Fulton), Topeka High 1 (Rayton). Total Fouls – Topeka High 9, Hayden 12.
