By KYLE MANTHE
Special to TopSports.news
Topeka High boys basketball hasn’t had the regular season it wanted to have, and after dropping a 62-53 Senior Night decision to Junction City on Tuesday the regular season came to an end the same way many other games had.
“I loved how we played in the first half, and how we played in the second half, it was just we shot the same shots, they just didn’t go,” said Topeka High coach Geo Lyons. “Rebounding has been our achilles heel, as you know we’re not the biggest team, we just got to out-tough some people and we got out-toughed today.”
Senior Mason Gomez led Topeka High with 17 points in Tuesday's 62-53 Senior Night loss to Junction City. [File photo/TSN]
Lyons is appreciative of the group of five graduating seniors who have helped him navigate through his first season as coach of the Trojans and has led to improvements down the stretch of the season.
“The crazy thing is I know this group of seniors. I’m a Topeka guy and my boys have been a part of this program so I knew these guys outside of basketball which made it even more special with this group,” Lyons said. “My seniors have played a very big role … I love my seniors.”
T-High closes the regular season out 3-17 and 0-10 in the Centennial League and will have a full week before sub-state action will begin on February 28.
“I actually love that our season ends today and sub-state is a week away so we get a full week of practice. The beauty about Kansas high school basketball is you only gotta win two games,” Lyons said. “I told our boys we got a one-game tournament on Tuesday.”
After trailing 5-2 early Topeka High went on a 7-0 run and jumped out to a fast first-quarter lead thanks to good offense. Junior Isaiah Lyons led the charge with eight first-quarter points, putting the Trojans up 21-15 after one.
The offense of Topeka High slowed down in the second quarter, but the home team’s first-shot defense stayed strong. Rebounding was the issue for the Trojans as the extra opportunities kept the Blue Jays in the game in the first half.
“The offensive rebounding for them always came at the right time, we dig it out and it’ll be a long possession we think we have a stop and then, bam, offensive rebound with a bucket. Those things just change the momentum,” Lyons said.
A last-second shot from junior Michael Boganowski tied the game at 32 heading into halftime.
Out of the break, Junction City didn’t miss a beat offensively, scoring quickly to begin the third quarter. Senior Mason Gomez had the first six points for Topeka High, keeping it within six. Both team's offenses sputtered the rest of the quarter, with the Trojans trailing 49-42 at the end of the period.
Four quick points from sophomore Da’Mykel Hales cut the Blue Jay lead down to three early in the fourth. It got down to three one more time before Junction City senior Deontae Baker hit two back-breaking 3-pointers back-to-back, giving the Blue Jays their biggest lead of the game.
Topeka High scored five in a row to cut it back to four but ran out of time and shot-making down the stretch as it fell by nine.
Gomez led the Trojans with 17 points on 6-11 shooting. Lyons added 13 points and junior Bryson Thrasher had nine. Senior Ty Votow added six in his final game in The Dungeon.
Junction City took more than 10 shot attempts more than Topeka High in the game. The Blue Jays were led in scoring by Michael Bognowski with 15 points. Deontae Baker and sophomore Larkin Turner each had 11.
JUNCTION CITY BOYS 62, TOPEKA HIGH 53
Junction City 15 17 17 13 – 63
Topeka High 21 11 10 11 – 53
Junction City (11-9, 4-6) – D. Baker 4-9 0-0 11, Jones 1-1 0-0 2, Autry 0-1 0-0 0, Austin 3-13 0-0 9, Jackson 1-1 0-0 2, Butler-Lawson 3-9 1-2 7, A. Baker 2-3 1-2 5, Boganowski 7-13 1-1 15, Turner 5-10 1-2 11. Totals: 26-60 4-7 63.
Topeka High (3-17, 0-10) – Lyons 4-11 2-2 13, Thrasher 4-6 1-4 9, Hales 3-7 0-0 6, J. Villegas 0-0 0-0 0, Norman 0-4 0-0 0, Gomez 6-11 2-2 17, M. Villegas 0-0 0-0 0, Votow 3-7 0-0 6, Mosqueda 0-1 0-0 0, Storrer 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 21-48 5-8 53.
3-point goals – Topeka High 6 (Lyons 3, Gomez 3), Junction City 6 (D. Baker 3, Austin 3). Total fouls – Topeka High 11, Junction City 12. Technical fouls – Junction City (D. Baker 1). Fouled out – None.
