State basketball recap: Stories behind the Wichita-area teams reaching the semifinals

The 2020 state basketball tournaments have been canceled without make-up because of the spread of COVID-19 or coronavirus, the Kansas State High School Activities Association announced Thursday night during the quarterfinal round of the tournaments.

Here is a recap of the Wichita-area teams that clinched a spot in the 2020 state semifinals across all classifications.

Campus boys pick up first state tournament win since 1989

The Campus boys basketball team hadn’t played in the state tournament since 1996 and the Haysville community came out in droves to witness what became the program’s first win in the state tournament in more than 30 years, a 66-50 victory over Manhattan in the Class 6A quarterfinals at Koch Arena in Wichita.

Campus improved its undefeated season to 23-0, but all anybody wanted to talk about immediately following the victory was the SportsCenter Top 10 plays-worthy dunk from junior Keither Florence in the first quarter.

Campus forced a turnover and Florence scooped up the loose ball at halfcourt and pulled off a 360-degree dunk on the fast break to send the Campus crowd into hysterics.

“I ain’t never seen nobody that has had the confidence to do that... in a state game,” Campus junior Sterling Chapman said. “That’s a big game. That kid is just amazing. He’s our X Factor.”

“He knows we’re not here to win the highlight reel, but that one was a pretty good highlight,” Campus coach Chris David said with a grin.

So where did the inspiration come from?

“My teammates were making fun of me against Derby (in a sub-state championship win) that I only did a one hand (dunk) when I was wide open,” Florence said. “I decided to do a little something, a little trick. I was surprised I made it because I spun a little bit too fast, but hey, I might as well do a little something, something.”

From there, the rout was on as Campus jumped out to an 18-7 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. The Colts built their lead to as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter and led for all but the first minute of the game.

Chapman finished with a game-high 26 points on 10 of 16 shooting to go along with six rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Shawn Warrior added 14 points, three blocks and three steals and Thomas King chipped in with 10 points and nine rebounds.

“This is big for our community,” Davis said. “I’m proud of the kids and I’m proud of our school and our community. We’ve been waiting 24 years for this, let’s not wait another 24 years is what I told them.”

Manhattan: Braxmeyer 1-8 0-4 3, Riddick 5-11 3-4 14, Munsen 3-6 1-1 7, Hoover 3-7 0-0 6, Marks 3-11 1-2 9, Barron 0-2 0-0 0, Weixelman 2-4 3-4 9, Sullivan 0-0 0-0 0, Willcoxson 0-1 0-0 0, Higgins 1-1 0-0 2, Reid 0-0 0-0 0, Wilson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-51 8-15 50.

Campus: Warrior 6-13 2-4 14, Ster. Chapman 10-16 4-7 26, Stee. Chapman 1-4 6-6 8, King 4-8 2-3 10, Florence 4-7 0-0 8, Johnson 0-3 0-0 0, Hall 0-2 0-0 0, Selenke 0-0 0-0 0, Sosa 0-0 0-0 0, Dixon 0-0 0-0 0, Martin 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-53 14-20 66.

Three-point shooting: Manhattan 6-19 (Weixelman 2-2, Marks 2-5, Riddick 1-2, Braxmeyer 1-4, Barron 0-1, Wilcoxson 0-1, Munsen 0-2, Hoover 0-2); Campus 2-14 (Ster. Chapman 2-5, Stee. Chapman 0-1, Johnson 0-1, King 0-2, Hall 0-2, Warrior 0-3). Rebounds: Manhattan 35 (Riddick 6); Campus 33 (King 9). Assists: Manhattan 10 (Munsen 3); Campus 9 (Ster. Chapman 4). Turnovers: Manhattan 20, Campus 12. Fouls: Manhattan 20, Campus 16.

Rose Hill tops No. 1, wins first quarterfinal in 14 years

Of all the Wichita-area teams to reach the state tournaments, Rose Hill might have been the least likely to earn a win.

The Rockets did just that in their first state tournament appearance since 2016 with their fourth final four berth in school history and first in 14 seasons.

No. 8 Rose Hill beat No. 1 Parsons 61-57 in the Class 4A quarterfinals behind 32 points from senior Koby Campbell and a 21-point fourth quarter in which the Rockets outscored Parsons by seven.

Rose Hill was outscored 21-12 in the second quarter to go down 34-22 at halftime. The Rockets played the second half as if they were the top-seeded team in the tournament, not Parsons (21-2).

The Rockets (13-10), after finishing the regular season with a .500 winning percentage, end their season with a state tournament victory for the first time in school history.

Rose Hill - Campbell, 32; Simoneau, 11; Hopkins, 7; Vrbas, 4; Nolan, 3; Witt, 2; Lane, 2

Parsons - Lyons, 26; Johnson, 9; Houk, 7; Thomas, 7; Smith-Reece, 4; Swanson, 2; Jones, 2

Halstead wins in double overtime in first state appearance

Halstead was supposed to just be happy to get there.

The Dragons’ girls basketball program was playing in its first state tournament in school history, but Halstead had the poise of a champion. The No. 3 Dragons beat No. 6 Scott City 45-42 in double overtime after trailing by nine going into the fourth quarter.

Halstead was down 29-20 with eight minutes to go. The state tournaments had already been canceled, and though the Dragons didn’t know during the game, they played like it.

Freshman Kaleigh O’Brien finished with a double-double in the win with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Karenna Gerber had a double-double as well with a dozen points and boards; she also had eight blocks and four assists.

And Halstead did it all with no seniors.

Halstead - O’Brien, 13; Gerber, 12; Engel, 9; Schroeder, 5; Lewis, 4; Kelley, 2

Scott City - McCormick, 15; Weathers, 10; Shapland, 8; Latta, 5; E. Rumford, 2; L. Rumford, 2

Garden Plain boys make it a sweep at state

For the first time in 40 years, Garden Plain’s boys and girls basketball teams won a game at state.

1980 was the most recent time both Owl programs made it through the quarterfinal round. Although the teams had two games left in the tournament, with KSHSAA calling the event off because of the spread of coronavirus, Garden Plain’s teams went undefeated at state for the first time in school history.

The boys fulfilled that prophecy Thursday night with a 50-47 win over No. 3 Hoxie at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan. The No. 6 Owls showed a steady offensive production and held Hoxie to eight points in the fourth quarter.

Hoxie’s Harlan Obioha was a dominant force despite the loss. He finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds for a state tournament double-double. It wasn’t enough as Garden Plain finished 19-5.

Garden Plain - Pauly, 13; A. Rex, 11; M. Rex, 6; Dreiling, 6; Haukap, 5; Mannebach, 5; Smith, 2; Thomas, 2

Hoxie - Obioha, 21; Jones, 10; Dowell, 8; Jones, 5; Gourley, 3

Augusta rolls in second straight state tournament

The Orioles hadn’t won a state tournament game in back-to-back seasons since 1942-43.

No. 4 Augusta beat No. 5 Ottawa 53-41 in the quarterfinal round of the Class 4A tournament in Salina to push its record in the past four state tournament games to 3-1, including a trip to last year’s state championship game.

Augusta (19-4) got a steady offensive production in the quarterfinal round. Four Orioles reached double-digit point totals, but none went higher than 13 points.

The Orioles were set to face No. 8 Rose Hill (13-10) in the semifinals, but the state tournaments were canceled because of the spread of the coronavirus. Augusta beat Rose Hill 58-55 on the road Feb. 4.

2020 marks the first time Augusta finished its season with a state tournament win since 2002.

Augusta - Andrews, 13; Parker, 11; Jackson, 11; Wilcox, 11; Davidson, 5; McDaniel, 2

Ottawa - Johnson, 12; McCullough, 12; Moore, 8; Gollier, 7; Quillen, 2

Andover Central wins first state game since 2014

The Jaguars had the makeup to win two more.

No. 2 Andover Central beat No. 7 De Soto 61-52 in the Class 5A state quarterfinals in Emporia and looked like a state championship contender in its first state win in six years.

Jaguar sopohomore Brittany Harshaw led the way for Central with 19 points, but four other players scored at least 8 points in the win.

Andover Central would have played No. 3 Topeka Seaman (20-3) in the state semifinals if not for KSHSAA’s cancellation of the state tournaments.

2020 is the third time in school history the Jaguars finished the season without a loss at the state tournament.

Andover Central - Harshaw, 19; Wilborn, 14; Stearns, 12; Newfarmer, 8; Amekporfor-Sadler, 8

De Soto - Ostronic, 24; Shupe, 17; Ricks, 9; Diehl, 1; Fuhr, 1

McPherson seniors go 4 for 4 in quarterfinals

The McPherson girls basketball seniors have never missed a state tournament, and as of Thursday, they’ve never missed a semifinal appearance.

No. 1 McPherson beat No. 8 Basehor-Linwood 59-44 in its Class 5A state quarterfinal in Emporia. The Bullpups shot 37 free throws.

McPherson sophomore Grace Pyle finished with a double-double. She scored 11 points and snagged 15 rebounds. Junior Kassidy Beam and senior Emma Ruddle each hit double-digit point totals with 16 and 11 respectively.

Basehor-Linwood (16-7) had three players finish with double-digit point totals, too. Adell Gore scored 12. Isabel Sibert had 10. And Lucy Lally earned a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

With the fourth straight state semifinal appearance, McPherson (22-1) will face No. 4 St. Thomas Aquinas (19-4), the five-time defending 5A champion. McPherson and Aquinas met in the semifinal round last year, and the Saints topped the Bullpups 44-36, and McPherson went on to finish fourth.

Box Score

McPherson - Beam, 16; Pyle, 11; Ruddle, 11; Cooks, 9; Malm, 6; Schieferecke, 6

Basehor-Linwood - Gore, 12; Lally, 10; Sibert, 10; Fisher, 5; Augustine, 4; Horton, 2; Lawless, 1

Cheney is making state success a new normal

Cheney won’t get its full shot at redemption, but the Cardinals seemed on their way.

Cheney lost in the Class 3A state championship game last year to Royal Valley. This year, the No. 5 Cardinals beat No. 4 Phillipsburg 66-53 in the quarterfinal round.

Phillipsburg’s Taryn Sides went for 23 points, but Cheney neutralized the rest of the Panthers to no more than 10 points from any other player. Cheney junior Kylee Scheer led the way with 19 points as Lexi Cline dropped 15, and Anna Martin added 10.

With the win, Cheney has reached the final four in three of the past four seasons. The Cardinals went without a loss at the state tournament for the first time since 2010.

Cheney - Scheer, 19; Cline, 15; Martin, 10; Lies, 9; Wewe, 5; Jones, 4; Albers, 2; Luehrs, 2

Phillipsburg - Sides, 23; Pakkebier, 10; Schneider, 6; Jacobs, 5; Babcock, 5; Schemper, 4

KANSAS BOYS STATE SCORES

CLASS 6A

In Wichita; at Koch Arena

Thursday’s quarterfinals

Olathe South 50, KC Harmon 43

Blue Valley Northwest 55, Lawrence Free State 48

Campus 66, Manhattan 50

Blue Valley North 72, Lawrence 66

Friday’s semifinals

Canceled

CLASS 5A

In Emporia; at White Auditorium

Wednesday’s quarterfinals

Andover 60, Blue Valley Southwest 59

Kapaun Mt. Carmel 49, De Soto 42

Basehor-Linwood 76, Andover Central 72

Hays 46, Topeka Highland Park 43

Friday’s semifinals

Canceled

CLASS 4A

In Salina; at Tony’s Pizza Events Center

Thursday’s quarterfinals

Rose Hill 61, Parsons 57

Augusta 53, Ottawa 41

Piper 71, Buhler 52

Bishop Miege 65, Andale 61

Friday’s semifinals

Canceled

CLASS 3A

In Hutchinson; at Hutchinson Sports Arena

Wednesday’s quarterfinals

Wichita Collegiate 58, Colby 46

Beloit 51, Nemaha Central 43

St. Marys 49, Haven 44

Galena 61, Burlington 54

Friday’s semifinals

Canceled

CLASS 2A

In Manhattan; at Bramlage Coliseum

Thursday’s quarterfinals

Hillsboro 57, Pratt Skyline 51

Sterling 64, Erie 54

Bishop Seabury 72, Valley Heights 45

Garden Plain 50, Hoxie 47

Friday’s semifinals

Canceled

CLASS 1A

In Dodge City; at United Wireless Arena

Wednesday’s quarterfinals

Little River 65, St. Francis 46

St. John-Hudson 59, Frankfort 38

Stockton 38 Berean Academy 33

South Central 41, Lebo 38

Friday’s semifinals

Canceled

KANSAS GIRLS STATE SCORES

CLASS 6A

In Wichita; at Koch Arena

Wednesday’s quarterfinals

Liberal 41, Olathe South 33

Derby 44, Shawnee Mission Northwest 39 (2OT)

Topeka High 79, Olathe North 55

Olathe East 49, Wichita Heights 48

Friday’s semifinals

Quarterfinal winners, 3 p.m., 6:30 p.m.

CLASS 5A

In Emporia; at White Auditorium

Thursday’s quarterfinals

McPherson 59, Basehor-Linwood 44

St. Thomas Aquinas 62, Maize South 35

Andover Central 61, De Soto 52

Topeka Seaman 54, Maize 44

Friday’s semifinals

Canceled

CLASS 4A

In Salina; at Tony’s Pizza Events Center

Wednesday’s quarterfinals

Clay Center 47, Eudora 42

Piper 63, Baldwin 48

Nickerson 61, Buhler 36

Bishop Miege 60, Chapman 45

Friday’s semifinals

Canceled

CLASS 3A

In Hutchinson; at Hutchinson Sports Arena

Thursday’s quarterfinals

Nemaha Central 45, Osage City 35

Cheney 66, Phillipsburg 53

Frontenac 42, Jefferson West 40 (OT)

Halstead 45, Scott City 41 (2OT)

Friday’s semifinals

Canceled

CLASS 2A

In Manhattan; at Bramlage Coliseum

Wednesday’s quarterfinals

Trego Community 45, Bennington 31

Garden Plain 54, Sterling 48

Spearville 55, St. Mary’s Colgan 41

Valley Heights 51, Wabaunsee 45

Friday’s semifinals

Canceled

CLASS 1A

In Dodge City; at United Wireless Arena

Thursday’s quarterfinals

Centralia 48, Cunningham 46 (OT)

Olpe 59, Norwich 43

Central Plains 93, Ingalls 47

Hanover 41, Otis-Bison 36

Friday’s semifinals

Canceled

This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 6:44 PM.

Hayden Barber

The Wichita Eagle

316-269-6760

Wichita Eagle preps reporter Hayden Barber brings the area updates on all high school sports while adding those hard-to-find human-interest stories on Wichita’s student-athletes.