Wichita high school basketball scores: Maize South sweeps rival Maize
Maize South won back rivalry bragging rights on Friday night, sweeping Maize in a varsity basketball doubleheader with a 70-45 victory in the girls game and a 53-37 defensive showcase by the boys.
On the surface, it seemed like a statement night against a cross-town rival that vaulted both Maize South teams to the top of the AV-CTL Div. I standings. But inside each program, the foundation for the success of this season actually came two months ago — not in Kansas, but in a December tournament trip to Fayetteville, Ark., where both teams took early losses against elite competition that reshaped their trajectory.
What showed up in the rivalry sweep can be traced back directly to that three-day stretch in early December that tested both Maize South teams far earlier, and far more harshly, than a typical start to the season.
“I know our record didn’t show it, but I really think that trip gave our guys a ton of confidence,” Maize South boys coach Joe Jackson said. “We knew we could play with anybody after that. We played against some unbelievable teams down there. It wasn’t a wake-up call for us. It was more of a confidence builder.”
Jackson’s coaching connections helped land Maize South in the prestigious Arkansas tournament, where the Mavericks took advantage of a new KSHSAA rule allowing teams to schedule three additional games this season.
Instead of being shaken by the experience, the Maize South boys felt hardened by hanging tough against the top-ranked Arkansas team and a Tulsa-area power in losses.
The Mavericks are now 14-3 overall and ranked No. 4 in Class 5A, as their only loss to an in-state opponent came to Maize back on Dec. 12. Since then, Maize South has rattled off 11 straight wins, including Friday’s defensive clinic that flipped the rivalry from the first meeting.
After losing 49-41 in the first meeting, Maize South held Maize, ranked No. 8 in Class 6A, to just 37 points to split the season series and leapfrog the Eagles for sole possession of first place in the league standings with a 7-1 record. Maize (12-4) fell to 6-1 in league play, while Derby also remains within striking distance at 5-2 in league play.
Jackson mixed defensive looks throughout the night, as Maize never looked comfortable and scored just 13 second-half points, including only two field goals in the fourth quarter. That allowed Maize South to essentially lead wire to wire.
“We did a good job of limiting them in transition defensively,” Jackson said. “They have been unbelievable this year pushing the ball down the floor, make or miss. We didn’t do it early, but we got it corrected and didn’t give up very many transition points.”
Senior post Cy Stucky scored a game-high 21 points, while junior point guard Jalen Batiste added 15. That duo, along with guard Paxton Scott, forms a three-headed scoring core for the Mavericks. Stucky, a 6-foot-7 post signed to Washburn, gives Maize South a rare inside threat, while Batiste has taken a notable leap as a scorer and floor leader as a junior. Scott has battled injuries, but remains a key perimeter threat.
Jackson also credited the supporting cast, which features senior stopper Reece Pauly, shooter Stratten Ebers, energy reserve Charlie Clinton, 6-foot-5 sophomore Cole Haynes and junior Mason Marcotte, for strengthening the rotation.
The girls game told a similar big-picture story.
The Maize South girls improved to 16-2 overall and a perfect 8-0 in AV-CTL Division I play with its 25-point rout, staying ahead of Derby (6-1) with a likely league-deciding showdown looming Feb. 20. The Mavericks are ranked No. 3 in Class 5A and, notably, are 15-0 against Kansas opponents and haven’t lost since their Arkansas trip.
Just like the boys, the Maize South girls finished 1-2 on the trip but left feeling optimistic about their chances.
“We definitely took our lumps early, but the experience that we got and the growth that we got from that trip was such a positive springboard for this team,” Maize South girls coach Ben Hamilton said. “It could have been looked at as disappointing, but our kids saw it as a growth opportunity and it was going to make us better in the long run. We haven’t lost a game since and I think a lot can be attributed to that trip.”
In Friday’s game, junior Jaela Thompson led the way with 18 points, senior post Kaylee Brunton added 17 points and nine rebounds and senior Aliyah Singhateh contributed 10 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Freshman point guard Blakely Lowe continued her standout debut season with five points, six rebounds and four assists, while Maize was paced by 25 points from freshman sensation Heidi Williams.
Hamilton believes the tough schedule early sharpened his team’s habits and identity. During the current 14-game winning streak, the Mavericks have beaten ranked teams in Derby, Kapaun Mt. Carmel and Topeka Hayden, with another measuring-stick game coming Tuesday against Andover, ranked No. 2 in Class 5A.
“This is probably the most high-IQ team that I’ve coached,” Hamilton said. “We’re moving the basketball really well and defensively, I feel like we can guard everybody one through five. We can turn defense into offense.”
There are plenty of big games left for both Maize South teams on the schedule.
But the Mavericks feel prepared for anything after being battle tested immediately to start the season.
Wichita high school basketball scores (Friday, Feb. 6)
City League
Boys
Bishop Carroll 76, West 29
Heights 65, South 51
Kapaun Mt. Carmel 56, East 38
Southeast 78, Northwest 67
Girls
Bishop Carroll 63, West 15
Heights 80, South 29
Kapaun Mt. Carmel 56, East 46
Southeast 65, Northwest 36
Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail League
Boys
Andover Central 68, Newton 62
Arkansas City 50, Goddard 34
Augusta 71, El Dorado 58
Buhler 58, Mulvane 44
Campus 68, Valley Center 62
Collegiate 74, Rose Hill 53
Derby 86, Eisenhower 62
Hutchinson 57, Salina South 39
Maize South 53, Maize 37
McPherson 58, Andale 49 (Thursday)
Salina Central 46, Andover 43
Winfield 63, Clearwater 38
Girls
Andale 47, McPherson 41 (Thursday)
Andover 69, Salina Central 31
Andover Central 51, Newton 30
Arkansas City 53, Goddard 43
Augusta 48, El Dorado 40
Campus 55, Valley Center 47
Clearwater 32, Winfield 25
Derby 76, Eisenhower 52
Hutchinson 42, Salina South 40
Maize South 70, Maize 45
Mulvane 54, Buhler 48
Rose Hill 56, Collegiate 49
Other Wichita-area
Boys
Burden-Central 64, Udall 38
Conway Springs 57, Garden Plain 46
Goessel 46, Wakefield 21
Halstead 62, Hillsboro 38
Hesston 56, Larned 22
Hutchinson Central Christian 62, Pretty Prairie 43
Kiowa County 65, Kingman 38
Medicine Lodge 53, Belle Plaine 26
Moundridge 70, Marion 50
Neodesha 69, Eureka 24
Remington 53, Inman 43
Smoky Valley 44, Haven 39
Wichita Trinity 65, Douglass 55
Girls
Argonia 53, Flinthills 31
Burden-Central 44, Udall 25
Canton-Galva 61, Peabody-Burns 18
Cheney 45, Chaparral 35
Eureka 62, Neodesha 52
Garden Plain 47, Conway Springs 36
Halstead 35, Hillsboro 33
Haven 54, Smoky Valley 16
Hutchinson Central Christian 51, Pretty Prairie 34
Kiowa County 46, Kingman 44
Larned 50, Hesston 47
Medicine Lodge 53, Belle Plaine 20
Moundridge 72, Marion 12
Norwich 51, Cunningham 35
Wichita Trinity 52, Douglass 31
This story was originally published February 7, 2026 at 6:03 AM.
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