Resurgent West girls rout Kapaun

Check off another milestone for the West girls basketball program.

The plan to turn around a once-struggling program took another step forward Tuesday night with West’s 52-36 win over visiting Kapaun. It was the second win this season over Kapaun and West’s fifth in a row after last week’s midseason tournament victory in Mulvane.

Brianna Johnson, who scored 22 points at Kapaun in December, posted 24 points Tuesday night. Coach Brian Johnson said his daughter was able to attack on the offensive end because the team has cultivated a few more ballhandlers. Junior Dy’mond McElrath and senior Semaj Muldrow proved capable of protecting the ball, leaving Brianna Johnson free to shoot. She made 11 of 14 shots.

“We have guards who can dribble the ball now, and that makes a big difference and takes a lot of pressure off us,” Brian Johnson said. “It frees her up to have the other ballhandlers because now I can do more with her. We can put her at the wing or we can post her up. She’s probably one of our better post players, too.”

The win lifted West to 8-6 and in the top half of the City League standings at 5-5 in league play. The mark is a long way from previous seasons, where beating Kapaun even once wasn’t likely nor expected. Johnson said he’s pleased with how his plan to turn the program into a winning one has progressed.

“I went to West High School, and I take pride in this,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to take the job at first. I asked a lot of questions.”

Johnson said he called up Antwain Scales at South, who successfully rejuvenated the South girls basketball program and has won four consecutive state titles. Johnson said he has similar plans for West.

“I asked him how he changed South High around and if he thought I could do it at West,” Johnson said. “I got some good advice from him, and so far I’m just proud of the girls and how hard they’ve worked.”

After another notable City League win Tuesday night, the West girls celebrated but only once they were tucked away in their locker room. On the court, the girls barely smiled. The win was just another one the team has come to expect.

“We celebrate, but not too big and not out there,” senior Tatyana Cashaw said. “It’s different now. This is what we expect to do.”

And Brian Johnson said he expects the winning to continue all the way through the postseason.

“That’s how we’re treating it,” he said. “Even after we won the tournament, we didn’t rush the floor. I told them we can celebrate that night but it’s back to work the next day. Our goal is not just to get to state; it’s to win state. I think I have the team that can get to state and win.”

This story was originally published January 31, 2017 at 8:26 PM with the headline "Resurgent West girls rout Kapaun."