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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Shawnee Heights girls broke in an inexperienced basketball team Friday night and battled visiting De Soto to the end, falling 60-52.
The T-Birds stalled midway through the second period and fell behind by as much as 20 in the third quarter before rallying down the stretch.
Sophomore Reianna Vega led Shawnee Heights with 12 points in Friday's 60-52 UKC loss to De Soto. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights coach Bob Wells was not surprised by the slow start.
“A lot of it was the girls learning to play together at the varsity level,” Well said. “And having to do it against De Soto, which is a heck of a team. They’re well coached. They have got a lot of experience. I think that showed early on.
“But then our girls started having some success. We started feeling a little better about ourselves, and the basket got a little bit bigger.”
Shawnee Heights got up off the mat to put together a 16-3 run. With 3:42 left in the game, the T-Birds clawed back to within four points, 53-49.
The Wildcats regrouped to hold off the late rally, but the home team left with plenty to feel good about.
“Some of it was just believing in themselves. And without a doubt, during timeouts we were like, ‘We’re not looking at the scoreboard. I could care less what the point totals are. Let’s just compete every possession, period. If you’re in the game, go compete that possession. If we can get a score, stop, score, we can work our way back into this.’ And we got back into it that way.”
The T-Birds’ trio in the paint of Reianna Vega, Rachel Swift and Kaydence Torrez led the turnaround. Those three combined for 21 points in the second half, crashing the boards, hitting tough shots and drawing fouls on the Wildcats.
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By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
Friday was the season-opener for the Class 3A No. 2-ranked Hayden girls basketball team and the Wildcats rolled to a 74-12 home non-league victory over Kansas City-Washington.
Hayden's girls basketball team sings the school song after Friday's season-opening 74-12 win over KC-Washington. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
The Lady Wildcats took off from the tip with a 15-0 run before Washington scored their first basket of the game.
Hayden then went on a 36-1 run to go into halftime with a commanding 51-3 lead to but put the game away.
The hosts were led by 5-foot-6 junior Norma Greco, who finished with 17 points in three quarters.
“Thanks to my teammates for forcing turnovers and dishing assists for easy layups” Greco said. “I’m really excited to play with this team, we have a great group of girls and we have hopes for big things this season.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West's boys basketball team combined outstanding defense with timely offense to open its 2023-2024 season with a home 52-37 United Kansas Conference decision over Basehor-Linwood.
West (1-0 overall, 1-0 UKC) held Basehor-Linwood (0-1, 0-1) to single-digit point totals in each of the final three quarters and just 13 points in the second half while juniors Jalen Foy and Ja'Vian Chambers combined for 38 points to lead the Chargers on the offensive end.
Junior Jalen Foy (22) scored a game-high 23 points as Topeka West opened its season with a 52-37 UKC win over Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Junior Ja'Vian Chambers (21) scored 15 points in Topeka West's 52-37 UKC win over Basehor-Linwood Friday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"This time of year, in December, the defense better be ahead of your offense,'' veteran Topeka West coach Rick Bloomquist said. "I'm not saying it is, but it better be, and that was my big concern because I knew coming in we were going to play against a very well-disciplined team that's going to go inside-out and give us a lot of problems because they are big.
"I was very pleased with how when we changed defenses I thought we played it very well because I don't think we could have matched up with them too well man to man with the big guy (6-foot-6 junior Peyton Brown) inside. I'm very pleased with how we played defense against a good team.''
Basehor-Linwood, a Class 5A state qualifier last season, led 15-13 at the end of the first quarter but Foy canned a 3-pointer to open the second quarter and Chambers scored five straight points to put West in front 21-15 and the Chargers never trailed again.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Obviously, there were multiple factors that contributed to Topeka West's 61-31 season-opening girls basketball loss to United Kansas Conference rival Basehor-Linwood Friday night at West.
Sophomore Imani McGlory (5) led Topeka West with 15 points in Friday's 61-31 UKC loss to Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But the Chargers' early foul trouble and the Bobcats' success from 3-point range were at the top of the list.
Angie Ketterman's Topeka West team (0-1 overall, 0-1 UKC) got into foul trouble shortly after tipoff while Basehor-Linwood singed the nets for 12 3-pointers en route to forcing a running clock in the fourth quarter due to the 30-point spread rule.
"The foul trouble got us and Basehor was draining the 3s,'' Ketterman said. "We got in four trouble and our shots weren't falling early, but they hustled the entire time.''
Topeka West led 6-3 early in the opening quarter but Basehor-Linwood (1-0, 1-0) used six straight free throws followed by a 3-pointer to take a 14-6 lead and the Bobcats never looked back.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Twelve city players earned first-team spots on the 2023 All-Centennial League football team, led by Washburn Rural senior quarterback Branton DeWeese, who was named the offense player of the year.
Washburn Rural senior quarterback Branton DeWeese has been named the Centennial League offensive player of the year after helping lead the Junior Blues to the league title and an 11-1 record overall. [File photo/TSN]
Steve Buhler has been named the Centennial League coach of the year after leading Washburn Rural to the league title and an 11-1 record on the year. [File photo/TSN]
DeWeese, who was also a first-team pick on offense, is one of 11 players to receive first-team recognition from Washburn Rural, which won the Centennial League championship on the way to an 11-1 record and advanced to the semifinals of the Class 6A playoffs.
Washburn Rural coach Steve Buhler was selected as the Centennial League coach of the year.
Senior wide receiver Titan Osburn, junior offensive linemen Caden Estrada and Jacob Hawks and sophomore running back TJ Minikwu also earned first-team honors for Washburn Rural on offense along with DeWeese while senior linemen Packson Bettis and Jamond Lane, senior linebackers Jaren Heim and JC Heim and junior defensive back Kingston Leonard first-team picks on defense and Rural sophomore Trevon Creager was named the first-team punter.
Topeka High junior Jayden Norman earned a first-team berth on the all-league offense at wide receiver.
Junction City senior Michael Boganowski was named the Centennial defensive player of the year.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE FOOTBALL
