By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Seaman boys basketball, ranked No. 6 in Class 5A, has won seven of its last eight games after taking down city rival Topeka High on Thursday night at Seaman, 62-55.
Senior KaeVon Bonner scored a game-high 24 points in Thursday's 62-55 Seaman win over Topeka High. [File photo/TSN]
“I thought our defense was outstanding in the first half to hold them to 19 points,'' Seaman coach Craig Cox said. "They’re a team that’s capable of getting hot and getting on a run. Unfortunately, we didn’t do enough offensively to take advantage of that and build a bigger margin other than the six points … knowing they would respond, and they did. I knew it was going to be a battle and this was a good win for our guys.''
“One thing about this team this year is we have pretty good chemistry,” Viking senior Matthew McConnaughey said after finishing with 10 points.
The Trojans began the game with a 4-2 lead but then Seaman went on an 8-0 run to regain the lead and force a timeout for Topeka with 2:47 left in the first quarter, as the Vikings led 12-5.
It took a while for Topeka High to score its first field goal in the second quarter, scoring just three points on free throws as the Trojans trailed by eight, 16-8. They slowly crept their way back off a couple of 3-pointers from senior Bryson McComas and Elisha Guest, making it a 23-19 game.
But then Seaman senior Kae’Von Bonner converted a floater off the window as time expired for halftime, as the Vikings took a six-point lead, 25-19.
Bonner had a game-high 24 points, with 11 of them coming in the fourth quarter.
In the third quarter, Topeka High would re-take the lead for the first time since 4-2 thanks to a 9-2 run to begin the half, led by McComas, Guest (who had a team-high 19 points) and senior Jalen Aldridge as the Trojans went in front, 28-27.
Both teams would trade buckets but then Seaman built a little cushion off a Griffin Zuniga triple, making it 34-30, and the Vikings led 40-35 heading into the fourth.
The Vikings led by eight at one point, but the Trojans trimmed the deficit to two after Octavian McFadden drilled a three making it 47-45.
Seaman built a six point lead again off a Bonner bucket, but then McComas brought High within three (54-51).
But then Seaman got in the bonus early and made crucial free throws when needed.
Zuniga iced the game off a Trojans turnover with under 20 seconds remaining, putting home a layup as Seaman nabbed its 16th win on the year. Zuniga had 14 points for the Vikings.
Cox said he was pleased with multiple guys being able to score in the game and he’s been pleased with Zuniga, Cameron Brian and McConnaughey on their cuts, which is leading to buckets and balancing the scoring attack.
And in the last stretch of the season, Cox said everyone is going to be needed.
“We got four league games left and they’re teams we’ve all beaten, which is going to give them motivation, so that’s going to make our job tougher and we just have to be that much better… and I hope we play well enough to get the job done,” Cox said.
“They’re going to be hard games for us, but we’ve beaten them already and we know we can beat them again. We know we have a target on our back. We have to go in with a chip on our shoulder, know that we can get it done, play as a team and I know we can make it happen,” McConnaughey said.
SEAMAN 62, TOPEKA HIGH 55
Topeka High 5 14 16 20 – 55
Seaman 12 13 15 22 – 62
Topeka High (10-8) – Aldridge 3 4-6 10, Guest 4 7-9 19, McComas 3 2-2 10, Ross 2 0-0 4, McFadden 3 0-0 7, Redmond 2 1-2 5.
Seaman (16-3) – Wiltz 5 1-2 11, McConnaughey 4 2-2 10, Zuniga 6 0-2 13, Brian 1 2-4 4, Bonner 8 8-9 24.
3-point goals – Topeka High 7 (Guest 4, McComas 2, McFadden), Seaman 1 (Zuniga). Total fouls – Topeka High 15, Seaman 14. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.
