Vote for the Varsity Kansas Top Player award for girls and boys basketball (Dec. 18)
After compiling the game scores and the top player statistics from the area’s Kansas high school basketball games on Thursday and Friday, here are the five candidates for the Varsity Kansas Top Player of the week for boys and girls.
Top boys players
Northwest’s Demarcus Hoover
The 6-foot-3 junior scored a team-high 18 points in Thursday’s 68-51 win over South, which was coming off an upset of Kapaun Mt. Carmel. Following a one-point loss to Heights to open the season, Northwest heads to winter break with a 3-1 record with Hoover leading the way with a 13.8 scoring average.
Rose Hill’s Adriel Smith
The East transfer is excelling in his junior season at Rose Hill, as the 5-foot-11 junior guard continued his scoring onslaught this season with another 30 points in Friday’s 70-66 road win at Wellington.
Medicine Lodge’s Theron Wedel
Wedel poured in a season-high 33 points to lead Medicine Lodge to a 70-55 road win at Kingman on Friday. The 6-foot-2 junior has been one of the state’s top scorers through December.
Trinity Academy’s Christian Williams
Trinity Academy is off to a 4-1 start to the season thanks to the 6-foot-2 senior guard. Williams scored a team-high 20 points in Friday’s 68-40 win over Inman and has been the team’s leading scorer during its strong start to the season.
Belle Plaine’s Eli Wiseman
Belle Plaine (5-1) dropped its first game of the season on Friday in a 61-58 setback to undefeated Berean Academy, but it wasn’t without a furious rally by Wiseman. The 5-foot-9 senior guard nearly helped erase an 11-point deficit in the final 90 seconds, as he scored eight straight points and helped Belle Plaine get two potential game-tying shots off in the final seconds. Wiseman finished with a team-high 23 points.
Top girls players
Kapaun Mt. Carmel’s Ella Anciaux
Kapaun (4-1) won its fourth straight game behind 20 points from the 6-foot-4 senior center and Wichita State signee in a 50-48 win over Southeast. Anciaux made the two deciding free throws in the final minute, while teammate Jennifer Jacobs also had 20 points.
Andale’s Katelyn Fairchild
Andale (2-0) handed Clearwater (2-1) its first loss of the season behind a game-high 19 points from the 5-foot-9 senior in a 45-30 win. Not only did Fairchild shoot 50% from the field, but she also helped play stifling defense that held Clearwater to 15 points in the first three quarters.
Halstead’s Karenna Gerber
The Pittsburg State signee scored a game-high 25 points without playing the fourth quarter in Halstead’s 63-27 win over Kingman on Thursday. The 6-foot senior has been the team’s leading scorer during a 6-0 start to the season.
Maize’s Sydney Holmes
After missing the first two weeks of the season in quarantine, Maize won its debut game 51-31 over rival Maize South on Thursday behind 28 points from the 5-foot-8 senior guard. With Maize only leading by four points heading into the fourth quarter, the Pittsburg State signee scored 14 points in the final frame as Maize outscored Maize South 17-1.
Nickerson’s Ava Jones
The 6-foot-2 sophomore scored a game-high 25 points for Nickerson in a 57-34 victory over Pratt. Jones, a highly-coveted Division I prospect, has been the team’s leading scorer during a 4-1 start to the season.
Friday’s games
Boys
Derby 65, Eisenhower 57
Andover 59, Arkansas City 48
Valley Center 61, Goddard 42
Augusta 51, Circle 40
Winfield 61, El Dorado 57
McPherson 56, Dodge City 39
Andale 66, Clearwater 57
Rose Hill 70, Wellington 66
Berean Academy 61, Belle Plaine 58
Moundridge 60, Chaparral 57
Conway Springs 63, Marion 24
Bennington 56, Douglass 40
Garden Plain 50, Hutchinson Trinity 35
Medicine Lodge 70, Kingman 55
Trinity Academy 68, Inman 40
Smoky Valley 75, Halstead 11
Haven 76, Central Plains 27
Hesston 57, St. John 29
Pratt 61, Nickerson 44
Goessel 33, Udall 31
Girls
Derby 47, Eisenhower 34
Andover 60, Arkansas City 13
Valley Center 34, Goddard 33
Circle 54, Augusta 34
Dodge City 58, McPherson 41
Winfield 32, El Dorado 22
Andale 45, Clearwater 30
Collegiate 47, Mulvane 37
Kingman 55, Medicine Lodge 50
Halstead 54, Smoky Valley 35
Central Plains 56, Haven 22
Hesston 29, St. John 23
Nickerson 57, Pratt 34
Bluestem 52, Central-Burden 37
Cunningham 51, Classical 16
Goessel 46, Udall 37
Thursday’s games
Boys
Northwest 68, South 51
Maize 65, Maize South 50
Salina Central 47, Andover Central 41
Hillsboro 71, Southeast of Saline 68
Girls
East 72, West 27
Kapaun Mt. Carmel 50, Southeast 48
South 50, Northwest 36
Hutchinson 43, Salina South 30
Maize 51, Maize South 31
Andover Central 60, Salina Central 52
Belle Plaine 48, Inman 42
Hutchinson Trinity 52, Conway Springs 40
Garden Plain 58, Berean Academy 43
Moundridge 42, Independent 25
Sterling 74, Trinity Academy 60
Halstead 63, Kingman 27
Hillsboro 52, Southeast of Saline 42
This story was originally published December 19, 2020 at 8:50 AM.
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