By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High's girls basketball season came to an end in heartbreaking fashion at Wichita State's Koch Arena Wednesday, with sophomore Jadyn Wooten scoring on a driving layup as time ran out, giving Blue Valley a 33-32 win in a first-round Class 6A state tournament game.
Wooten, who led all scorers with 14 points, went the length of the floor for the game-winning hoop after coming up with a steal after 20-3 Topeka High rebounded a missed free throw with the Trojans nursing a one-point lead.
Topeka High senior Tae Thomas scored a team-high 12 points with three 3-pointers in the Trojans 33-32 Class 6A state tournament loss to Blue Valley Wednesday at Wichita. [File photo/TSN]
Wednesday's game between the No. 3-seeded Trojans and No. 6 Tigers was close throughout the game, including an 8-8 tie at the end of the first quarter.
Topeka High took a slim 17-16 halftime advantage, but the Tigers used a 7-4 third quarter to take a 23-21 lead into the fourth quarter.
Neither team could pull away over the final eight minutes, setting the stage for the dramatic ending.
Both teams struggled offensively, with Blue Valley shooting 32.4 percent (12 of 37) and Topeka High shooting 26.7 percent (12 of 45).
Senior Tae Thomas led Topeka High with 12 points, including three 3-pointers, but was the lone Trojan with more than seven points.
Senior DayShauna Wiley pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds for the Trojans.
Senior Sophie Deveney backed Wooten with 12 points and 10 rebounds, with Wooten and Deveney the only Blue Valley players to score more than three points.
Blue Valley improved to 20-3 with Wednesday's win, advancing to a 2 p.m. semifinal Friday to face No. 2 seed Derby (22-1).
The Panthers advanced to the semifinals with a 41-17 win over Shawnee Mission West.
BLUE VALLEY GIRLS 33, TOPEKA HIGH 32
Blue Valley 8 8 7 10 -- 33
Topeka High 8 9 4 11 -- 32
Blue Valley (20-3) -- Deveney 4-14 1-3 12, C. Bax 1-4 0-0 3, E. Bax 1-2 0-0 2, Wooten 5-12 4-9 14, Daniels 0-0 0-0 0, Simmons 0-3 0-0 0, Lister 1-2 0-0 2, Rinamam 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 12-37 5-12 33.
Topeka High (20-3) -- Wiley 1-8 1-3 3, Caryl 1-3 1-2 3, Thomas 4-14 1-2 12, Shields 3-9 0-0 7, Smith 3-6 0-1 7, Leesman 0-4 0-0 0, Baird 0-1 0-0 0, Benning 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 12-45 3-8 32.
3-point goals -- Blue Valley 4-17 (Deveney 3-12, C. Bax 1-1, E. Bax 0-1, Wooten 0-1, Simmons 0-2), Topeka High 5-19 (Thomas 3-8, Shields 1-5, Smith 1-4, Leesman 0-1, Baird 0-1). Total fouls -- Blue Valley 10, Topeka High 15. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls -- none.
