By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
HOYT -- The Hayden Wildcats were hoping to make easy work of Jefferson West in Saturday's Class 3A girls sub-state championship game, but the Tigers had other plans as they would battle with the top-seeded Wildcats and trail just 17-12 after the first quarter.
Hayden's girls basketball team poses for a picture after winning the Class 3A sub-state title on Saturday at Royal Valley. [Photo by Kyle Grunert/Special to TSN]
Hayden's girls celebrate their Class 3A sub-state championship after Saturday's 69-31 win over Jefferson West. [Photo by Kyle Grunert/Special to TSN]
But that would be all the Tigers would have for the Wildcats, as Hayden would outscore the Tigers 19-8 in the second quarter to take a 36-20 halftime lead and cruite the rest of the way in a 69-31 rout.
Senior Lauren Sandstrom scored 15 of her game-high 27 points before halftime and the Wildcats would come out of halftime on fire and play stifling defense as they would outscore the Tigers 26-9 in the third and take a 62-29 lead into the fourth stanza, forcing a running clock.
“It means a lot,'' Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said. "We have seniors that have bought in for four years and a great junior class that have bought in and tonight you saw we have a great sophomore class as well.
"It means a lot that we made state last year (in 4A) and we got our feet wet at state and the girls know what to expect now.”
The Wildcats got big scoring nights from their three 6-foot standouts.
In addition to Sandstrom's 27 points and 10 rebounds, junior Amelia Ramsey added 11 points and 10 rebounds and junior Brylee Meier had 11 points and five rebounds.
“You need your great players to play great down the stretch and that's what they did tonight and that is what we are going to need from them every night at state,'' Reynoldson said.
“It's very important dropping to 3A,'' Sandstrom said. "We were excited, but didnt know what we were getting ourselves into and we persevered throughout this sub-state and we played together and punched our ticket to state.”
“I've been through so much this year and I'm very emotional because I am grateful to be at Hayden with everyone and I love how welcoming and supportive everyone has been to me and it's made us winning even more special to me,'' Ramsey said on what it means to her to go back to state, this time as a Hayden Wildcat.
Every player that suited up for Hayden saw action, with nine of them scoring at least a point.
After losing in the first round of the 4A state tournament a year ago, the 19-4 Wildcats will be looking to challenge for the 3A title this time around.
“It’s important because from the jump we've had this goal and we can't wait to see what we can do next week at state,” senior Avery Grunert said.
“It means a lot, especially with these seniors and hopefully we can send them off as state champions,” Meier said.
Hayden, the No. 5 seed, will open its state championship bid at 4 p.m. Thursday in the Hutchinson Sports Arena against the No. 4 seed Olathe Heritage Christian Academy.
HAYDEN GIRLS 69, JEFF WEST 31
Jefferson West 12 8 9 2 – 31
Hayden 17 19 26 7– 69
Jefferson West (9-14) -- Stones 3-8 4-5 10, Dickey 2-5 4-5 8, Sanders 3-6 0-0 6, Tuck 1-3 0-0 2, Noel 0-1 1-2 1, Moser 0-0 2-4 2, Schwinn 1-1 0-0 2, Dean 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 10-25 11-16 31.
Hayden (19-4) – Sandstrom 10-18 5-7 27, Ramsey 3-5 5-6 11, Meier 4-8 2-2 11, Greco 2-6 3-3 8, Grunert 1-6 2-2 4, Foster 1-1 0-0 3, Reid 1-1 0-0 2, Watts 0-2 2-3 2, Reagan Huescher 0-2 1-4 1. Totals 22-49 20-27 69.
3-point goals – Hayden 4 (Sandstrom, Meier, Greco, Foster). Total fouls – Hayden 15, Jeff West 20. Fouled out – Sanders.
