By ANDREW GILL
TopSports.news
The De Soto Wildcats, who improved to 15-3 overall and 6-2 in the United Kansas Conference, etched out a 55-45 league boys basketball road win over the Shawnee Heights T-Birds (6-9, 4-4) in a physical Thursday night matchup.
The Wildcats had beaten Ken Darting’s T-Birds at home 60-55 just two days prior and will host the T-Birds for a third time in a Class 5A sub-state game next Wednesday.
De Soto head coach Matt Rice said keeping Shawnee Heights’ star guard Isiah Johnson from scoring was vital to their game plan.
“Defense was the key for us tonight, especially Isiah (Johnson). When he gets going, they all seem to get going,” Rice said.
The Wildcats managed to hold Johnson scoreless in the first half. The senior finished with just 7 points, 5 of which came late in the fourth quarter.
Johnson wasn’t the only T-Bird to struggle offensively.
Heights shot a less-than-stellar 31 percent from the field through the first 16 minutes and found themselves down 27-19 at halftime.
Senior Harvey Davis made 4 of the T-Birds’ 8 first-half field goals before taking an elbow to the face which forced him to sit the rest of the game. Heights also Walker Beier to a possible torn ACL and Jaye'son Jones to a knee contusion in the junior varsity game.
Heights is still also without Brennon Dodge due to COVID protocol.
The shooting woes continued for Darting’s squad in the second half, and without Davis’s inside presence, it was an uphill battle.
The T-Birds never led in the game but managed to keep the deficit within 10 points the whole way through.
De Soto’s Wyatt Noll and Heights’ Nathan Pewe shared game-high scoring honors with 14 points each.
Senior Nate Barnhart was the game’s only other double-digit scorer, adding 10 points for the Wildcats.
MANHATTAN GIRLS 47, HAYDEN 34
Hayden (8-11, 6-9) led Manhattan 24-18 at halftime in Thursday's home Centennial League contest, but woes on the offensive end foiled the Wildcats in a 47-34 loss.
Hayden's biggest struggles game at the free throw line, where the Wildcats missed the front end of three 1-and-1 situations and were just 5 of 15 from the line overall..
The Wildcats scored just 10 points in the second half and made only two field goals.
Senior Rhen Calhoon led the Wildcats with 11 points while Avery Larson scored a game-high 15 points for Manhattan, which improved to 11-9 overall and 10-6 in the league. Taylor Claussen added 12 points for the Indians.
DE SOTO BOYS 55, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 45
De Soto 18 9 11 17 -- 55
Shawnee Heights 11 8 13 13 -- 45
De Soto (15-3) -- Priddy 1 2-3 4, T. Schultze 2 2-3 7, E. Schultze 1 0-0 3, Ogden 2 4-5 8, Barnhart 4 2-2 10, Fitzsimmons 1 0-0 2, Noll 6 2-6 14, Henderson 2 2-3 7. Totals: 19 14-22 55
Shawnee Heights (6-9) -- Pewe 6 0-0 4, Johnson 2 2-2 7, Sanders 2 0-0 4, Showalter 2 0-0 5, Rantz 2 2-2 6, Ginter 0 1-2 1, Davis 4 0-0 8. Totals: 18 5-6 45
3-point goals -- De Soto 3 (T. Schultze, E. Schultze, Henderson), Shawnee Heights 4 (Pewe 2, Johnson, Showalter). Total fouls -- De Soto 12, Shawnee Heights 21. Fouled out -- Johnson.
MANHATTAN GIRLS 47, HAYDEN 34
Manhattan 12 6 12 17 -- 47
Hayden 13 11 3 7 -- 34
Manhattan (11-9, 10-6) -- Yates 2 4-7 9, Claussen 5 1-3 12, Awbrey 0 0-0 0, Larson 5 3-5 15, Dixon 2 2-4 6, Doering 0 1-2 1, Ruliffson 0 0-0 0, Chauncey 0 2-2 2, Griffee 0 2-2 2, Bahr 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 15-25 47.
Hayden (8-11. 6-9) -- Calhoon 3 4-8 11, Sandstrom 2 1-2 7, Lenherr 0 1-2 1, Moore 2 1-2 5, Stuke 2 3-5 8, Cruz 0 0-0 0, Grunert 1 0-0 2, Huscher 0 0-0 0, Schmidtlein 0 0-3 0, Anguiano 0 0-0 0, Gill 0 0-0 0. Totals 10 10-22 34.
3-point goals -- Manhattan 4 (Larson 2, Yates, Claussen); Hayden 4 (Sandstrom 2, Stuke, Calhoon). Total fouls -- Manhattan 22, Hayden 21. Fouled out - Lenherr.
