By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights' girls basketball team ended its regular season with a disappointing five-point loss to United Kansas Conference rival Piper last Friday, but the T-Birds got a second shot at the Pirates in Wednesday's Class 5A sub-state semifinal.
Shawnee Heights celebrates its 67-59 double-overtime Class 5A sub-state victory over Piper Wednesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
And although the T-Birds stared a second straight loss in the face on multiple occasions, Shawnee Heights found a way to extend the game at the end of regulation and the first overtime before dominating the second OT to advance to Saturday's sub-state championship game with a 67-59 win.
"Tonight really I think it was just pretty much like do or die,'' Heights guard Breezy Canady said. "Especially us seniors we wanted obviously to make it to the second round, but we just gave everything we've got because there's nothing after this if we didn't.''
Canady said that last Friday's loss gave the T-Birds motivation in the rematch.
"I think we were maybe too big-headed,'' Canady said. "I don't know what was going on. Piper's a good team but we just lacked energy the other night and honestly we lacked energy at times in this game, too, but we figured it out.''
Shawnee Heights, which improved to 15-6, will go on the road to De Soto for Saturday's sub-state final while Piper finished its season 10-11.
Heights jumped out to an early 10-2 advantage over Piper and led 19-13 at the end of the opening quarter but the Pirates held the T-Birds to four points in the second quarter while taking a 25-23 halftime advantage.
The Pirates never trailed in the second half but there were three ties in the fourth quarter, including a 50-50 deadlock at the end of regulation after a Canady hoop with 11 seconds remaining.
Senior Breezy Canady hit big shots at the end of regulation and the first overtime to help lead Shawnee Heights to a 67-59 double-overtime sub-state win over Piper. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Piper took a 55-52 lead on an Avary Vallejo 3-pointer with 15 seconds left in the first overtime but Canady came up with another huge play to force the second extra session, hitting a 3-point basket with nine seconds remaining.
The T-Birds then proceeded to take control in the second OT, scoring the first five points and outscoring the Pirates 12-4 to take the win.
"I feel like this is really just a testament to who they are and the kids that their parents have raised,'' Shawnee Heights coach Bob Wells said. "They've been like this even last year whether they were playing varsity minutes or they were playing JV, they would just never give up, never give up and my hat's off to them.''
Sophomore Reianna Vega, who scored six points in overtime, led Shawnee Heights with a game-high 21 points and registered a double-double with 10 rebounds.
Freshman KK Emmot was right behind Vega with 20 points before fouling out while Canady finished with 12 points before fouling out.
Junior Lauren Marron led Piper with 19 points, including five 3-pointers, while junior Sage Grann added 12 points.
The T-Birds will be playing De Soto for the third time this Saturday, with the Wildcats taking 8 and 29-point decisions in the first two meetings.
The Shawnee Heights-De Soto winner will move on to next week's 5A state tournament at Emporia's White Auditorium.
"It's survive and advance and just take the next challenge,'' Wells said. "Our girls believe and that's what it takes. I think we just go play and see what happens.''
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS GIRLS 67, PIPER 59 (2 OT)
Piper 13 12 14 11 5 4 -- 59
Shawnee Heights 19 4 12 14 5 12 -- 67
Piper (10-11) -- Vallejo 2-11 2-2 8, Roth 2-4 2-4 6, Marron 6-14 2-4 19, Lockwood 0-3 5-8 5, Ochs 3-5 0-2 7, Grann 2-8 7-10 12, Gerber 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 16-46 18-30 59.
Shawnee Heights (15-6) -- Emmot 7-13 4-7 20, Schulte 2-4 0-0 6, Canady 4-13 3-6 12, Vega 7-17 7-13 21, Swift 1-2 0-0 2, Brees 0-5 0-0 0, Torrez 2-8 0-0 4, Bowers 0-1 2-4 2. Totals 23-63 16-30 67.
3-point goals -- Piper 9 (Marron 5, Vallejo 2, Ochs, Grann), Shawnee Heights 5 (Emmot 2, Schulte 2, Canady). Total fouls -- Piper 24, Shawnee Heights 24. Fouled out -- Emmot, Canady, Gerber, Ochs, Grann. Technical foul -- none.
Rural boys roll to 6A sub-state final, 59-42
Washburn Rural's boys, the No. 9 Class 6A West seed, advanced to a sub-state final with a 59-42 semifinal road win at No. 8 Wichita Southeast Wednesday night.
With the win the 11-10 Junior Blues advanced to Saturday's 5 p.m. championship game to face off with No. 1 West seed Wichita Heights, 20-1 on the season.
Wichita Southeast ended its season at 11-10.
Emporia tops West girls, 65-35
Emporia's girls, the No. 3 5A West seed, ended Topeka West's season Wednesday night, with the 20-1 Spartans taking a 65-35 home win over the Chargers.
Emporia will host Great Bend, a 46-42 semifinal winner of Salina Central, at 5 p.m. Saturday in a sub-state final.
Topeka West ended its season 8-13.
Pittsburg upsets Highland Park girls
No. 14 East seed Pittsburg upset No. 3 seed Highland Park, 44-42, in Wednesday's 5A sub-state girls semifinal at Topeka West.
Pittsburg, which improved to 6-15, advanced to Saturday's 5 p.m. sub-state final to face Blue Valley Southwest, a 60-52 semifinal winner over Spring Hill. Blue Valley Southwest will host the sub-state.
The Scots finished its season 14-6.
