By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Topeka High girls basketball coach Ron Slaymaker told his players said before the season started that defense had to be a big identity of this team, leading to points in transition and the fastbreak.
Junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton scored a game-high 26 points in Thursday's 61-36 Topeka High win at Seaman. [File photo/TSN]
That was the case Thursday night as the Trojans stayed hot, avenging an earlier double-digit loss to Seaman with a 61-36 romp on the Vikings' home floor.
“I’ll tell you what we were hot on and that’s defense,” Slaymaker said. “Our defense created so much of our offense. That’s what we needed to win this game because they (Seaman) are a good team.”
Slaymaker said one big adjustment Topeka High made Thursday was how to break the zone, something they did not do against Seaman the last time these two teams met. And Slaymaker said he faults himself for not having them prepared, but did for Thursday night’s slate.
Topeka High started the game up 8-2 and started the game in a 2-3 zone, giving the Lady Vikings problems finding easy baskets. Seaman junior Jaydin Frickey hit a three to make it an 8-6 game, but that’s the closest Seaman would get the rest of the evening.
After a 7-0 run, Topeka High senior Keimara Marshall finished off a layup in transition, forcing a Seaman timeout at 15-6. Topeka High led 19-6 after one quarter.
In the second quarter, it was no different as junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton used her speed in transition and the fastbreak to get easy baskets off Seaman turnovers, scoring 18 first-half points. She helped the Trojans to a 13-0 run, dating back to the first quarter at 21-6.
“A driving force in this game was Coach Slay said at practice to look up the court and that’s what we did in this game and make that extra pass, looking inside and out and that’s what Slay harps on a lot,” Topeka High sophomore Hailey Caryl said.
Seaman senior Maddie Gragg converted an and-one and knocked down a three to cut the Viking deficit to 24-12 with 6:05 left in the half, but the Trojans just kept scoring after a three from senior Trish Short.
Seaman called another timeout a minute later, down 18, 30-12, and the Lady Trojans took a 20-point lead into halftime, 38-18.
In the second half, the third quarter saw both teams combine for 11 points, but the fourth quarter was nothing but the clinic the Trojans put on in the first two quarters. Topeka High had its biggest lead of 28 in the game thanks to Caryl’s big quarter and continuing to force those turnovers.
Slaymaker said he loved the effort from the whole team Thursday.
“We started with eight games to go, now we’re at five and we’ve been talking about like, ‘Hey this it.’ We’re trying the best we can to win all five of them and the next important one is Manhattan, that’s all that matters,” Slaymaker said.
“We started the season off really slow, but gaining our confidence back, we’re getting the girls together and it’s going good,” Rayton said.
Rayton had a game-high 26 points and Caryl provided 19 points, Marshall had eight and Short six.
Gragg led Seaman with 19 points and junior Cara Beaton added nine points.
TOPEKA HIGH 61, SEAMAN 36
Topeka High 19 19 6 17 – 61
Seaman 6 12 5 13 – 36
Topeka High (10-8) – Short 2 1-4 6, Marshall 4 0-0 8, Rayton 10 5-6 26, Caryl 6 7-7 19, Hartz 1 0-0 2.
Seaman (8-9) – Frickey 1 0-0 3, Beaton 3 2-3 9, Ayres 0 2-4 2, Zurmely 1 0-0 3, Gragg 7 2-4 19.
3-point goals – Topeka High 2 (Short, Rayton), Seaman 5 (Gragg 3, Zurmely, Beaton). Total fouls – Topeka High 17, Seaman 12. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.
