For all the points Perry Ellis has amassed in three-plus years at Heights, he managed to find a new way to score Friday night.
West was assessed a technical foul for dunking during warm-ups, and Ellis hit the free throws, giving the Falcons a 2-0 lead before the game even began — a first for him, he said.
Ellis finished with 29 points, helping the Falcons to a 71-53 City League victory at home.
"Perry was terrific tonight," Heights coach Joe Auer said. "He was terrific at both ends of the court."
Heights (3-0, 3-0) never trailed in the game. After Ellis sank the technical free throws, guard Terrence Moore — the only other Falcon to score in double figures with 10 — hit a short shot in the lane, and the Falcons weren't headed after that.
After taking a 32-24 halftime lead, Heights pulled away in the third quarter, when it outscored West 21-11. Ellis scored 12 of his total in that period — and he didn't even play the entire quarter.
"We've been working real hard in practice, just cutting, slashing and posting real hard," Ellis said. "We came out of the locker room (at the half) and tried to focus on defense, because they had really good ball screens."
Auer praised the improved Pioneers.
"That was a hard-fought victory for us," he said. "They're very much improved. That game was up for grabs and we got off to a great start, and that was the key to the game for us."
West contributed to its demise with 11 first-half turnovers and 20 for the game.
"When you get behind, you try to put on a little more pressure, and Perry is hanging out there in the back, and he had the luxury of being there and being open," West coach Phil Daignault said.
Heights saluted its 2010-11 Class 6A state champion boys and girls basketball teams before the game, and Ellis was presented his award as Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Kansas.
West13 11 11 18 — 53 Heights18 14 21 18 — 71
WEST: Jones 2 (2) 0-0 6, Brown 3 0-0 6, Thomas 6 0-0 12, Wilson 2 6-6 10, Kelly 2 (2) 5-6 11, Clark 2 0-0 4, Hardy 0 1-2 1, Nguyen 0 0-0 0, Assimanye 0 0-0 0, Njai 0 1-2 1, O. Loudermilk 0 2-4 2, Olberding 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 (4) 15-20 53.
HEIGHTS: Moore 4 (1) 1-3 10, Lynch 2 3-5 7, Bell 2 0-0 4, Thurman 2 (1) 3-6 8, P. Ellis 11 (1) 6-7 29, Lowe 0 0-0 0, Lattimore 0 0-0 0, Moreland 0 1-2 1, Reed 0 1-3 1, Williams 0 0-1 0, Wilback 1 0-0 2, Kolbeck 1 (1) 0-0 3, Smith 2 0-1 4, B. Ellis 1 0-0 2. Totals 26 (4) 15-28 71.
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