By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
Hayden's boys basketball had plenty to celebrate on Winter Royalty night at the Bueltel Activity Center.
Wildcat senior Cooper Zweisler was named King of the Court before Hayden went out and claimed a 51-37 Centennial League win over Emporia, Hayden's first win over the Spartans in three meetings on the year.
Senior Jacob Deister led Hayden with a game-high 18 points in Friday's 51-37 Centennial League win over Emporia. [File photo/TSN]
This one would be all Wildcats as they would get hot early and shoot lights out from the field in the first quarter and take a 25-7 lead into the second quarter.
Wildcat senior Jacob Deister scored 11 of his game-high 18 points before halftime as the Wildcats would go into halftime up 32-17 and would cruise from there.
The Wildcats would get double-figure scoring nights from their two guards -- Deister 18 points and Mason Becker, who had 13 points -- as well as strong post play from Connor Hanika and James Kuta.
“I’m blessed these guys give their all, and it spreads to their teammates, you know Kuta looked like a madman on the boards, and I am starting to find Connor is very versatile,'' Hayden coach Dwayne Anthony said. "And we still just have to keep it one game at a time to keep getting better.
“I believe in Jacob, I think he is a very talented basketball player and sometimes it just takes getting into a rhythm, not trying to force so many things. He did a good job of running plays and then he gets this type of result.”
Deister on his play: “I played with a lot more poise, hit shots this game unlike the last game, but its a team effort, they got me the ball when I was open and I was able to hit shots I got.”
The Spartans where led in scoring by Harrison Trelc with 11 points.
The Wildcats are back in action Tuesday at Manhattan and Friday at Washburn Rural.
“One game at a time and just competing to get some of the better teams in the state, when we speak of Washburn Rural and Manhattan,'' Anthony said. "So you know everything is just an opportunity for us to just get better and prepare for this postseason that is coming very quickly and hopefully cause some chaos in Centennial League play.”
HAYDEN 51, EMPORIA 37
Emporia 7 10 13 7 -- 37
Hayden 25 7 10 9 -- 51
Emporia (9-7 3-4) -- Trelc 4-6 0-1 11, Jacob 3-6 2-4 9, Crowell 4-6 0-2 8, Franklin 1-4 0-0 2, Rios 0-4 1-2 1, Herrington 2-3 0-0 4, Seidl 0-3 2-2 2, Shively 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 14-33 5-11 37.
Hayden (9-7 3-4) -- Deister 6-10 3-4 18, Becker 4-8 2-2 13, Hanika 2-4 1-1 5, Kuta 2-3 0-1 4, Mitchell 1-4 1-4 2, Heinen 1-3 0-0 3, Banks 1-1 0-0 2, Wolff 1-1 0-0 2, Totals 18-34 7-12 51.
3-point goals -- Emporia 4 (Trelc 3, Jacob), Hayden 7 (Becker 3, Deister 3, Heinen). Total fouls -- Emporia 12, Hayden 14.
