By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's likely to be a weary, but happy bunch of Topeka West Lady Chargers that head to Kansas City-Turner Friday.
Angie Ketterman's Chargers will be playing their third game in four days on Friday, but West will take a two-game winning streak into the game after a 54-35 home non-league win over Junction City Thursday night.
Topeka West sophomore Imani McGlory (5) led the Chargers with 16 points in Thursday's 54-35 win over Junction City. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka West senior Zoe Clark (35) scored 13 points in Thursday's 54-35 win over Junction City. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"They're going to be tired, but I think they can do it,'' Ketterman said of Friday's United Kansas Conference game. "I think they're pumped about the two-game winning streak right now and hopefully that will pull us through.''
The 2-3 Chargers, who were coming off a 20-point UKC win over Lansing on Tuesday, rallied from an early 11-4 deficit against Junction City to take a 14-12 first-quarter advantage and took the lead for good when sophomore Imani McGlory scored to break a 17-17 tie with about six minutes left in the first half.
West went on to build a 25-20 halftime advantage and steadily pulled away in the second half.
McGlory led Topeka West with 16 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, while senior Zoe Clark added 13 points.
The Chargers also got nine points off the bench from sophomore Addaline Hall while senior Rebecca Bearman scored seven points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
"Our shots were falling,'' Ketterman said.
Junction City senior Amyah Oneal led all scorers with 18 points, including five 3-pointers, and senior Sara Rexrode added 10 points, but Topeka West forced 28 Junction City turnovers on the night and outscored the Blue Jays 29-15 after the break.
"We really talked about defense yesterday,'' Ketterman said. "That was our key to this. Thirteen (Oneal), she's good. She's got a good shot. I thought we were in her face and she was still making them, but our defense was on tonight.''
TOPEKA WEST 54, JUNCTION CITY 35
Junction City 12 8 5 10 -- 35
Topeka West 14 11 11 18 -- 54
Junction City (0-5) -- Miller 0-0 1-2 1, Hatcher 2-4 1-2 6, O'Neal 6-12 1-2 18, Rexrode 4-9 2-2 10, Nabus 0-3 0-0 0, Riley 0-2 0-0 0, Allen 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 12-31 5-8 35.
Topeka West (2-3) -- I. McGlory 7-11 0-0 16, Gonzales 1-9 2-4 4, A. McGlory 0-5 0-0 0, Clark 6-14 1-6 13, Bearman 3-6 1-2 7, Keeling 2-4 1-1 5, Hall 4-10 1-4 9, O'Neal 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-60 6-17 54.
3-point goals -- Junction City 6 (O'Neal 5, Hatcher, Topeka West 2 (I. McGlory 2). Total fouls -- Junction City 14, Topeka West 13. Fouled out – Clark.
