By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West's boys basketball team may not have that one go-to guy that it can count on when it really needs a bucket.
Junior Kamoni Ford came off the bench to score a game-high 17 points in Topeka West's 69-49 UKC win over Seaman. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The flip side is that after back-to-back impressive performances to open the 2023-2024 season it looks like veteran West coach Rick Bloomquist may have several guys that can fill that role.
Topeka West improved to 2-0 overall and in the United Kansas Conference Tuesday night, taking a 69-49 home win over Seaman as three Chargers scored at least 15 points and a fourth player added nine.
"We've got things we've got to shore up, no question, and we're not perfect by any means,'' Bloomquist said. "We just have to learn to play the game the way it's supposed to be played, but I'm very pleased.
"To come back on a team that shoots as well as Seaman does and is as well-coached as they are, it's a good win for us.''
Topeka West junior Jalen Foy (22), who scored 16 points, puts up a shot as Seaman's Bryer Finley defends. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Kamoni Ford, a 6-foot-5 junior, came off the bench to lead West with a game-high 17 points, including three 3-pointers, while junior Jalen Foy added 16 points and junior Ja'Vian Chambers 15 points.
Sophomore Keimani Paul came off the bench to add nine points, with a pair of 3-pointers, while West had seven players who scored four or more points and the Chargers shot 53 percent from the field and canned eight 3s.
Seaman (1-1, 1-1) led through much of the first half, but the Vikings and Chargers were tied at 17 at the end of the first quarter and Topeka West ended the half with an 11-1 run to take a 37-31 lead at the break.
The second half belonged to Topeka West for the most part, with the Chargers opening up an 18-point advantage at the end of the third quarter and leading by as many as 23 points late in the game.
Senior Holden Finley led Seaman with 13 points, including three 3-pointers, while sophomore KaeVon Bonner added 12 points.
Topeka West will return to action Friday with a UKC contest at Shawnee Heights while Seaman will be off Friday before hosting Piper in a conference game next Tuesday.
TOPEKA WEST BOYS 69, SEAMAN 49
Seaman 17 14 9 9 -- 49
Topeka West 17 20 21 11 -- 69
Seaman (1-1, 1-1) -- B. Finley 3-8 0-2 8, H. Finley 5-9 0-0 13, Phillips 1-4 3-4 5, Bonner 4-12 3-4 12, Unruh 0-6 0-0 0, Chapman 1-2 2-4 4, Zuniga 1-1 0-0 2, Wiltz 2-2 0-0 5. Totals 17-44 8-14 49.
Topeka West (2-0, 2-0) -- Rowley 2-5 0-0 4, Webb 0-0 0-0 0, Chambers 7-9 0-0 15, Foy 6-12 2-2 16, Noonoo 2-4 0-1 4, Young 0-2 0-0 0, McGee 0-0 0-0 0, Duncan 1-3 2-2 4, Paul 3-7 1-3 9, Ford 6-9 2-2 16. Totals 27-51 7-10 69.
3-point goals -- Seaman 7 (H. Finley 3, B. Finley 2, Bonner, Wiltz), Topeka West 8 (Ford 3, Foy 2, Paul 2, Chambers). Total fouls -- Seaman 13, Topeka West 12. Fouled out – none.
