By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High's No. 4-ranked girls basketball team was a huge favorite in Thursday's first-round game of the Capital City Classic at High and it didn't take long for the undefeated Trojans to show why in a 71-13 romp past Blue Valley Southwest.
Hannah Alexander's 10-0 Trojans bolted out to a 19-3 first-quarter advantage and never looked back, taking a huge 37-8 lead to the locker room at the half and hitting the Timberwolves with a 24-3 third quarter to force a running clock over the final eight minutes.
"We wanted our defense to speak volumes and I thought it did, holding them to eight points through most of the third quarter,'' Alexander said. "I think that says a lot about our defense and that's what we wanted to do.
"We wanted to make sure that we took care of business and did what we needed to do out there. I thought the girls played great team ball.''
Topeka High junior Kiki Smith scored a game-high 20 points with four 3-pointers in the Trojans' 71-13 win over Blue Valley Southwest in the first round of Capital City Classic. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Tae Thomas scored 19 points and hit four 3-pointers in Topeka High's 71-13 first-round win over Blue Valley Southwest in the Capital City Classic. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Trojan standouts Kiki Smith and Tae Thomas combined for 39 points while sophomore Ayana Leesman added 11 points and nine Trojans cracked the scoring column.
Smith, a junior, led Topeka High with 20 points and senior Thomas added 19 points with both players canning four 3-pointers.
With Thursday's win the Trojans advanced to a 6 p.m. semifinal Friday againt Shawnee Mission East, a first-round winner over Maize.
Wichita Heights, which took a 75-31 first-round win over Highland Park, will face Seaman, a 54-19 winner over Shawnee Mission North, in Friday's 7:30 semifinal.
SEAMAN 54, SHAWNEE MISSION NORTH 19 -- Seaman (7-3) took control with a 29-2 first half, including a 12-0 second-quarter shutout.
"Defense is our ticket, our strength,'' Seaman coach Matt Tinsley said. "Execute your alignment and assignment and fly around and create havoc.''
Sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer and freshman Anna Becker combined for 29 points against the Bison, with Stallbaumer leading all scorers with 17 points, including four 3-pointers, while Becker added 12 points, going six of six at the free throw line.
Eleven players cracked the scoring column for the Vikings, who are No. 10-ranked in Class 5A.
"The first half was our best halfcourt execution so far this season,'' Tinsley said. "We did a good job of moving the basketball against their zone.''
WICHITA HEIGHTS 75, HIGHLAND PARK 31 -- The Falcons put the Scots away early on, opening up a 26-8 first-quarter lead and taking a huge 52-17 advantage at the half.
Senior Aisya Taylor led Highland Park with 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Senior Zyanna Walker led Wichita Heights with 17 points while sophomore Mya Mayberry added 15 points, senior Cayanna Stanley 14 points.
Highland Park will face Shawnee Mission North in a 7:30 p.m. consolation contest Friday in Topeka High's auxiliary gym.
TOPEKA HIGH GIRLS 71, BLUE VALLEY SOUTHWEST 13
BV Southwest 3 5 3 2 -- 13
Topeka High 19 18 24 10 -- 71
Blue Valley Southwest (1-10) -- Bechtel 0 0-0 0, Augustine 1 0-0 3, Mann 1 3-4 5, Tinkler 0 0-0 0, El-Demerdash 0 2-2 2, Chaput 0 0-0 0, Baber 0 0-0 0, Unruh 0 0-0 0, Dill 0 0-0 0, Black 1 0-0 3. Totals 3 5-6 13.
Topeka High (10-0) -- Wiley 2 0-0 4, Caryl 1 0-0 2, Thomas 7 1-1 19, Shields 2 0-0 6, Smith 6 4-5 20, Leesman 3 4-7 11, Zimmerman 0 0-0 0, Fulton 0 1-2 1, Sharpe 2 0-0 4, Jones 0 0-0 0, Benning 2 0-0 4. Totals 25 10-15 71.
3-point goals -- Blue Valley Southwest 2 (Augustine, Black), Topeka High 11 (Thomas 4, Smith 4, Shields 2, Leesman). Total fouls -- Blue Valley Southwest 16, Topeka High 14. Fouled out -- Black.
WICHITA HEIGHTS GIRLS 75, HIGHLAND PARK 31
Highland Park 8 9 10 4 -- 31
Wichita Heights 26 26 14 9 -- 75
Highland Park (1-11) -- Gonzales 1 0-0 3, Sanders 1 0-0 3, Reed 1 1-4 3, Taylor 6 0-2 14, Ramsey 1 4-7 6, Parker-Brown 0 0-1 0, White 1 0-0 2, Nunez 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 4-15 31.
Wichita Heights (8-2) -- Stanley 5 0-1 14, Mayberry 5 2-2 15, Jackson 4 1-2 12, Bell 1 1-2 3, Zy. Walker 6 4-4 17, Brown 0 0-0 0, Williams 1 0-0 2, Gilbert 3 0-0 6, Za. Walker 3 0-0 6. Totals 28 8-11 75.
3-point goals -- Highland Park 4 (Taylor 2, Reed, White), Wichita Heights 11 (Stanley 4, Mayberry 3, Jackson 3, Zy. Walker). Total fouls --Highland Park 13, Wichita Heights 17. Fouled out -- none. Techniacal fouls -- Reed, Mayberry.
SEAMAN GIRLS 54, SHAWNEE MISSION NORTH 19
SM North 2 0 11 6 -- 19
Seaman 17 12 14 11 -- 54
Shawnee Mission North (1-9) -- Weineke 5 0-0 12, Frame 1 0-0 3, Mojica 1 0-4 2, Doolin 1 0-0 2, Brown 0 0-0 0, Cramer 0 0-0 0, Bell 0 0-0 0, Mendez 0 0-0 0, Cole 0 0-0 0, Washington 0 0-0 0. Totals 8 0-4 19.
Seaman (7-3) -- Anderson 1 0-0 2, T. Stallbaumer 5 3-3 17, Becker 3 6-6 12, Gormley 0 2-4 2, Mills 1 1-2 3, Schumann 1 0-2 3, J. Stallbaumer 0 2-2 2, Spurlock 1 0-0 3, Smith 1 0-0 2, Esser 2 2-2 6, Stuewe 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 16-23 54.
3-point goals -- Shawnee Mission North 3 (Weineke 2, Frame), Seaman 6 (T. Stallbaumer 4, Schumann, Spurlock). Total fouls -- Shawnee Mission North 19, Seaman 11. Fouled out -- Brown. Techniacal fouls -- none.
