BV North withstands 29-point 4th quarter by Lawrence’s Mayo to reach state-title game
The Kansas City area will have plenty of representation in the Kansas high school basketball state championship games on Saturday.
The Blue Valley North boys (Class 6A), St. Thomas Aquinas girls (Class 5A) and Bishop Miege (Class 4A) boys all advanced to their respective finals with wins in the semifinal on Thursday.
One of the most entertaining games of the day happened down in Wichita at Koch Arena where BV North held on for a 71-63 victory despite one of the best individual performances in state tournament history, as Lawrence senior Zeke Mayo scored all 29 of his team’s fourth-quarter points and finished the game with 41 points and 10 rebounds.
The Mustangs (20-3) were led by Isaac Patterson, who finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds, while Andrew Orr added 17 points. They will try for the their first state title since 1997, the only title in program history, when they take on Campus (20-2) in Saturday’s 2 p.m. final.
After winning three straight state titles from 2016-18, the Miege boys (21-1) have a chance to add to their title collection on Saturday against Louisburg (18-6) at Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina. Miege was led by 24 points from Mark Mitchell in a dominant 78-51 win over McPherson, while Louisburg reached its first state final in program history behind Julian Margrave’s 23 points in a 58-55 win over Augusta.
The Aquinas girls will look to win their fifth straight state title and seventh since 2011 on Saturday when they take on top-ranked and undefeated Andover Central in a highly-anticipated 2 p.m. showdown at White Auditorium in Emporia. The Saints have won the last six title games they have played in and haven’t lost one since 2010.
Aquinas (19-2) easily dispatched Lansing 64-44 on Thursday behind a balanced scoring effort from Beatrice Culliton (14 points, 11 rebounds), Charlotte O’Keefe (12 points, eight rebounds), Jamya McPherson (nine points, four assists) and Tatum Grimes (nine points).
On Friday, the girls 6A semifinals feature Shawnee Mission Northwest vs. Olathe West at 3 p.m. at Koch Arena, followed by Topeka vs. Dodge City at 7. In 5A action at Emporia, the Washington boys team plays Maize at 3, with De Soto vs. Topeka West at 7. In the 4A girls semifinals in Salina Friday, it’s Bishop Miege vs. Andale at 3 p.m. and McPherson vs. Louisburg at 7.
This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 5:56 PM with the headline "BV North withstands 29-point 4th quarter by Lawrence’s Mayo to reach state-title game."
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