By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Tuesday night's non-league game against Eudora had the makings of a possible trap game for the undefeated Highland Park boys basketball team.
After all, the Scots, top-ranked in Class 5A, were coming off an emotional championship run in last week's Topeka Invitational Tournament and had to go right back to work against the No. 3-ranked (4A) Cardinals.
Junior Tamir Anderson scored a career-high 20 points off the bench with six 3-pointers as Highland Park improved to 10-0 with a 76-45 non-league win over Eudora Tuesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Bo Aldridge tied for game-high scoring honors with 20 points in Highland Park's 76-45 non-league win over Eudora Tuesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But an 11-0 start to the game and a monster first half from junior reserve Tamir Anderson eased any uneasiness Highland Park coach Mike Williams might have been feeling, with the 10-0 Scots going on to take a 76-45 victory at Hi Park.
"Just coming out of the tournament with a quick turnaround with not a lot of rest, of course I was concerned,'' Williams said. "We've been thinking about that for a year since we got this game scheduled. We knew we'd probably have our hands full on this Tuesday night but it's good that we were able to answer the call and figure it out.
"That's a pretty good team on that other sideline with a couple of pretty good players.''
Highland Park jumped out to an early 17-4 advantage en route to an 18-8 first-quarter advantage and the Scots rode Anderson's 17-point first half, which including five 3-pointers, to a commanding 37-21 halftime advantage.
Eudora fought back from 17 points down in the third quarter to get within nine (45-36) on a long 3-pointer from senior Cole Parker at the buzzer but Highland Park closed with 31-9 fourth quarter to take the 31-point victory.
Senior standout Bo Aldridge and Anderson scored 20 points apiece for Highland Park while combining for nine of the Scots' 12 3-pointers on the night. Anderson added a sixth 3-pointer in the second half while Aldridge hit all three of his treys in the second half.
Senior Tre Richardson, who received his official invitational to the Kansas Shrine Bowl all-star football game between the girls and boys games, added 10 points for the Scots on five of six shooting from the field.
Anderson led the way as Highland Park's bench accounted for 36 points.
"It's good to be able to get our young guys feeling good,'' Williams said. "They'd probably be getting more time if they weren't behind the guys that they are, so whenever they're able to come out in the game and have a good showing and reap some of the benefits from the hard work that they're putting in, more power to them. I'm excited for them.''
Junior Logan Sullivan led Eudora (9-4) with 14 points.
HIGHLAND PARK 76, EUDORA 45
Eudora 8 13 15 9 -- 45
Highland Park 18 19 8 31 -- 76
Eudora (9-4) -- Hammerschmidt 1-2 0-0 2, Parker 2-7 0-0 6, Dunback 3-6 1-2 7, Barron 2-5 1-2 5, Sullivan 5-22 1-3 14, Votaw 1-2 0-0 2, Sieman 3-4 0-0 6, Deterding 0-1 0-0 0, Giffin 0-1 0-0 0, Stedry 0-0 1-2 1, Younkin 0-0 0-0 0, Watson 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 18-51 4-9 45.
Highland Park (10-0)-- Richardson 5-6 0-0 10, Aldridge 8-14 1-2 20, Kingcannon 0-6 0-0 0, Adams 1-3 0-0 3, Drew-Gregory 3-3 1-2 7, Williams 3-4 0-0 8, Taylor 1-1 0-0 2, Wilson 0-0 0-0 0, McMillon 1-1 0-0 2, Robinson 1-2 2-2 14, Anderson 7-10 0-1 20, Davis 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-50 4-7 76.
3-point goals -- Eudora 5 (Sullivan 3, Parker 2), Highland Park 12 (Anderson 6, Aldridge 3, Williams 2, Adams). Total fouls -- Eudora 5, Highland Park 11. Fouled out -- none.
