Find out which teams are going back to Kansas high school state basketball tournament
Make it 44 in a row for the Andover Central girls basketball team, which will head back to the Kansas Class 5A semifinals in search of its first state championship since 2010.
The No. 1-ranked Jaguars had to beat perhaps their biggest competition from this part of the state, as they held off Maize in a 56-52 thriller in a quarterfinals matchup on Monday. Andover Central improved to 23-0, while Maize finished with an 18-3 record.
Only one other team has been able to push Andover Central this season like Maize, which led 41-40 early in the fourth quarter. Sydney Holmes and Kyla Frenchers were both excellent for Maize, scoring 19 points, and Holmes’ triple tied the game at 49.
But Andover Central has so many weapons in its arsenal and this time it was Ellie Stearns’ turn to step up. The junior guard scored a game-high 21 points, including the go-ahead basket with 2:17 remaining that gave the Jaguars the lead for good.
Bailey Wilborn scored 11 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter for Andover Central, including crucial back-to-back threes and a pair of free throws to help secure the win. Senior Jayden Newfarmer also came up with a critical steal in the final 30 seconds to help the Jaguars seal the victory.
Andover Central (23-0) will play Salina Central (19-4) in Thursday’s 3 p.m. Class 5A semifinals at White Auditorium in Emporia. The other side of the bracket features St. Thomas Aquinas (18-2) against Lansing (19-3).
Cheney prevails in double-overtime thriller against Halstead
In a showdown between two of the most talented Class 3A teams in the state, Cheney kept its undefeated season alive in dramatic fashion in a 51-50 double-overtime victory at home over Halstead in a quarterfinals games on Monday.
Cheney rallied from a four-point deficit in the final minute of regulation, then once again rallied from a final-minute deficit in the first overtime thanks to some clutch free throws from senior scoring sensation Kylee Scheer, who finished with a game-high 29 points.
It was sophomore Campbell Hague’s three-point, go-ahead play with 27 seconds left that proved to be the difference. Halstead had two chances to potentially win it, but both shots rolled off the rim in dramatic fashion in the closing seconds. Halstead was led by 22 points from sophomore Kaleigh O’Brien.
Cheney (23-0) will play Frontenac (19-3) in Thursday’s 3 p.m. semifinals at Hutchinson Sports Arena.
In Class 1A action, the Norwich girls advance to the state semifinals thanks to a 35-33 win over South Central. Norwich (19-3) will play Doniphan West (20-3) in the Class 1A Div. I semifinals at Dodge City’s United Wireless Arena. In the Class 1A Div. II field, Cunningham (22-2) will face St. John’s-Tipton (19-1) in Thursday’s 7 p.m. semifinals at Barton Community College after beating Ashland 56-28 in the quarterfinals.
Campus boys return to state semifinals
After the pandemic cut short their undefeated run to a potential state championship last spring, the Campus boys basketball team returned to the state semifinals courtesy of a 70-61 win over Hutchinson on Monday.
In a surprising twist, the seven-win Hutchinson team had the game tied at 53 with Campus (20-2) entering the fourth quarter. That required a fourth-quarter surge from the Colts that they produced on cue.
After Campus desperately wanted an undefeated showdown with Blue Valley Northwest in the state finals last season, no such rivalry is possible this year after Lawrence topped Northwest, 52-47, in the quarterfinals. Campus will play Lawrence Free State (20-3) in Thursday’s 7 p.m. Class 6A semifinals at Koch Arena.
The Firebirds needed extra time to survive an upset bid from Wichita Heights, as a defensive stalemate went to overtime tied at 36 only for Heights to run out of steam on offense and lost 41-36 to end its season with a 15-8 record. The Falcons were led by 14 points from senior Aviel Palmer.
Augusta boys advance to their third straight semifinal
Augusta avenged a regular-season loss to Rose Hill in a 58-54 victory at home to advance to the third straight Class 4A semifinal. The Orioles (17-5) will play a rematch against Louisburg (17-6) in Thursday’s 7 p.m. semifinal at Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina.
Ending Rose Hill’s nine-game winning streak wasn’t easy, but it was a task that Augusta seniors Brendan Parker, Ryan Andrews, Ely Wilcox, Jett Hand and Xander Roberts were prepared for. The program has played in so many postseason games the last two seasons that coach Ryan Petty knew that experience could come in handy in March.
Augusta once again exploited its size advantage, as 6-foot-5 sophomore Kaden McDaniel scored a game-high 19 points. The Orioles made seven of eight free throws in the final minute to preserve the win.
Another AV-CTL Div. III team will be advancing to the state semifinals in McPherson, who rallied for another road postseason win with a 51-30 victory at Abilene behind 20 points from Jayten Alexander. Despite their worst record in nearly four decades, the Bullpups (13-10) will once again have a crack at a state title when it plays top seed Bishop Miege (20-1) in Thursday’s 3 p.m. semifinal.
In the Class 2A boys quarterfinals, Hillsboro topped Belle Plaine, 63-47, behind the efforts from Matthew Potucek (18 points), Grayson Ratzlaff (14 points) and Brekyn Ratzlaff (eight assists, four steals). The Trojans (21-3) will play Lyndon (19-4) in Thursday’s 7 p.m. semifinals at the 2A state tournament at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan.
Monday’s quarterfinals
Class 6A boys
Campus 70, Hutchinson 61
Lawrence Free State 41, Wichita Heights 36 (OT)
Lawrence 52, Blue Valley Northwest 47
Blue Valley North 71, Shawnee Mission Northwest 54
Class 5A girls
Salina Central 66, Topeka Seaman 38
Andover Central 56, Maize 52
St. Thomas Aquinas 61, St. James Academy 31
Lansing 64, Bonner Springs 51
Class 4A boys
McPherson 51, Abilene 30
Augusta 58, Rose Hill 54
Bishop Miege 78, Holton 37
Louisburg 62, Parsons 30
Class 3A girls
Hugoton 52, Phillipsburg 47
Cheney 51, Halstead 50 (2 OT)
Sabetha 47, Silver Lake 28
Frontenac 71, Osawatomie 69
Class 2A boys
Hoxie 47, Sterling 34
Hillsboro 63, Belle Plaine 47
Lyndon 48, Erie 45
Wabaunsee 64, Valley Falls 40
Class 1A-Div. I girls
Hodgeman County 53, Osborne 41
Norwich 35, South Central 33
Doniphan West 57, Little River 44
Olpe 91, Flinthills 27
Class 1A-Div. II girls
Cunningham 56, Ashland 28
Golden Plains 57, Dighton 45
St. John’s-Tipton 52, Wetmore 40
Central Plains 51, St. Paul 32
State tournament schedule
Class 6A boys (at Wichita State’s Koch Arena)
Thursday—Lawrence (20-1) vs. Blue Valley North (19-3), 3; Campus (20-2) vs. Lawrence Free State (20-3), 7. Saturday—Championship at 2.
Class 5A girls (at Emporia’s White Auditorium)
Thursday—Andover Central (23-0) vs. Salina Central (19-4), 3; St. Thomas Aquinas (18-2) vs. Lansing (19-3), 7. Saturday—Championship at 2.
Class 4A boys (at Salina’s Tony’s Pizza Events Center)
Thursday—Bishop Miege (20-1) vs. McPherson (13-10), 3; Augusta (17-5) vs. Louisburg (17-6), 7. Saturday—Championship at 2.
Class 3A girls (at Hutchinson Sports Arena)
Thursday—Cheney (23-0) vs. Frontenac (19-3), 3; Hugoton (23-1) vs. Sabetha (22-2), 7. Saturday—Championship at 2.
Class 2A boys (at Kansas State’s Bramlage Coliseum)
Thursday—Hoxie (24-0) vs. Wabaunsee (18-4), 3; Hillsboro (21-3) vs. Lyndon (19-4), 7. Saturday—Championship at 2.
Class 1A-Div. I girls (at Dodge City’s United Wireless Arena)
Thursday—Olpe (23-0) vs. Hodgeman County (21-4), 3; Doniphan West (20-3) vs. Norwich (19-3), 7. Saturday—Championship at 2.
Class 1A-Div. II girls (at Barton Community College)
Thursday—Golden Plains (24-0) vs. Central Plains (21-3), 3; St. John’s-Tipton (19-1) vs. Cunningham (22-2), 7. Saturday—Championship at 2.
This story was originally published March 9, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
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