The top 5 Wichita-area high school girls basketball winners from Friday’s tournament games
With semifinals of the major Kansas high school girls basketball midseason tournaments being played on Friday, here are the five winners to know who will be playing for championships on Saturday.
1. Wichita South finds marquee win to reach Shawnee Heights championship
In its hunt for respect, Wichita South has been looking for a marquee victory to move up in the Class 6A rankings.
The Titans did just that on Friday when they topped Hutchinson, the sixth-ranked team in 5A, in a 38-37 victory in the semifinals of the Thunderbird Classic at Shawnee Heights. It was just the second loss of the season for Hutchinson (9-2), while South improved to 10-2.
South will play undefeated and 6A’s No. 1 team in Shawnee Mission South in Saturday’s championship game at 1 p.m.
In Friday’s game, South led 27-20 at halftime, but Hutchinson closed to within 31-30 entering the fourth quarter and took a 34-33 lead on an Aliyah Green basket inside.
But Hutchinson’s lead didn’t last for long, as Mahogany Butler (11 points) drilled a step-back three-pointer well beyond the arc to put the Titans back in front for good, 36-34.
In the final minute, Hutchinson tried to run a quick-hitting out of bounds play to get Green a lob over the top of South’s defense. But South’s Danasia Smith (7 points) recognized what was happening and sprinted to be in help position to force Green to fumble the catch, as South’s A’nya Kennedy came away with the steal and Zion Butler (14 points) made a pair of free throws to ice the game for a 38-34 lead.
Smith once again came up with a stellar defensive play on Hutchinson’s ensuing possession, blocking a three-point attempt. After South missed the front-end bonus free throw, Hutchinson’s Grace Posch made a deep three to trim the deficit to one as the buzzer sounded.
Green scored a game-high 15 points for Hutchinson, while Posch finished with 11.
2. Wichita Southeast goes inside, comes out on top to reach McPherson finals
When Southeast was able to find center Ma’khiya Jones inside, success usually followed.
Jones finished with a double-double performance of 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead Southeast to a 43-34 win over Clearwater in the semifinals of the Mid America Classic in McPherson.
Southeast (9-3) will play St. James Academy (8-4), which won 56-48 over host McPherson in the other semifinal, in Saturday’s 7 p.m. championship game.
After holding Southeast to a single basket in the second quarter, Clearwater held a 17-16 advantage coming out of halftime. But that’s when the Golden Buffaloes started working the ball inside. Jones scored seven points during a 15-5 run to start the third quarter to give Southeast a 31-22 lead. Aniyah Harris (14 points) also chipped in during the rally.
Clearwater clawed back to within 35-30 in the fourth quarter and had multiple chances to further cut into the lead but could never find the basket it needed. Elizabeth Tjaden scored a game-high 19 points with four assists for Clearwater, which will play McPherson in the third-place game on Saturday.
3. Snodgrass comes through in clutch to send Andover Central to Newton title
Hayden Snodgrass made a pair of clutch free throws for the game-winning point in the final seconds of Andover Central’s 34-33 victory over Olathe Northwest in the semifinals of the Newton Invitational Tournament.
The Jaguars erased a seven-point halftime deficit by holding Olathe Northwest scoreless for the entire third quarter, then Snodgrass put them ahead for good with two free throws with 18 seconds left.
The final 10 seconds were nerve-wracking for Andover Central, as a foul put Olathe Northwest on the foul line for a one-and-one attempt. The free throw missed, but Olathe Northwest grabbed the offensive rebound and had a shot in the paint bounce off the backboard and off the rim. Taylin Tabor secured the rebound to seal the win for Andover Central (No. 9 in Class 5A) over Olathe Northwest (No. 9 in Class 6A) in a battle of ranked teams.
After a 1-3 start to the season, Andover Central (8-3) has won seven games in a row and will play defeated Bishop Carroll (12-0), the No. 2-ranked team in 5A, in Saturday’s 5 p.m. championship game in Newton.
After trailing the entire first half in Friday’s game, Andover Central made its comeback in the third quarter. Snodgrass drilled a three, Haven Deckinger scored a layup in transition and Maddi Amekporfor hit a jumper to put the Jaguars up 27-26 and set up a back-and-forth affair in the fourth quarter.
Olathe Northwest pulled ahead 31-30, only for Andover Central’s Avery Mason to come up with a steal and assist to Amekporfor for a layup and 32-31 lead.
Andover Central’s delay offense was effectively running out the clock until Olathe Northwest poked the ball loose and scored in transition to take a 33-32 lead with 38 seconds left.
With the game on the line, Andover Central funneled the ball to Snodgrass. Olathe Northwest sent a double-team her way, but the junior kept her poise and dribbled around the defender to draw a foul. Faced with the pressure of a one-and-one free throw, Snodgrass calmly swished the game-tying and go-ahead shots.
4. Maize South back again in El Dorado championship
For the fourth time in the last five seasons, Maize South will play for the Lady Cat Classic title in El Dorado.
Behind 49 free throws attempted, the Mavericks pulled away from a close game at halftime to defeat Wichita East 68-45 in Friday’s semifinals.
Maize South (8-3) has won five straight games and will play Gardner Edgerton in Saturday’s championship game at 4:15 p.m. at El Dorado.
East trailed 35-29 when Maize South’s Kaylee Burton made her second free throw, but an official whistled East for an intentional foul for what appeared to be a box-out on the free-throw shooter. Burton made two more free throws, then Avery Lowe scored inside to cap a 6-point possession to extend Maize South’s lead to 12.
East’s players grew visibly frustrated as the foul calls against them racked up in the third quarter, culminating in a technical foul for bouncing the ball away from an official following another contentious foul call. Within two minutes, East went from within striking range to a 47-30 deficit.
Lowe, a Nebraska-Kearney recruit, finished with a game-high 20 points, while Ava Howie (15) and Sophie Hurley (14) both finished in double-figure scoring for the Mavericks. East was led by Nyah Chandler’s 17 points.
In the other semifinal, Goddard couldn’t sustain a hot shooting start and ultimately fell 54-40 to Gardner Edgerton.
Lauryn Gordon drilled three three-pointers in the first quarter, as the Lions took an early 10-point lead and led 26-15 at halftime. But Goddard struggled to handle the pressure when Gardner Edgerton slapped on its full-court press after halftime, as Gardner Edgerton dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Lions 24-2, to take control of the game.
Gordon finished with 14 points, while Marayah Coleman added 11 points for Goddard, which will play Wichita East in Saturday’s third-place game.
5. Cheney-Garden Plain rivalry set for Haven championship game
The west-side Central Plains League rivalry will serve as the finals of the Wildcat Classic, which will be played at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Haven.
In Friday’s first semifinal, Cheney held Andale scoreless for an 8-minute stretch in the second half to pull away from a close game for a 43-31 win.
Andale led 25-22 early in the third quarter when Camryn Winter drilled a three with 5:37 remaining. But that would be the last make for Andale for the next eight minutes.
Cheney reeled off a 13-0 run, as its two post players — Leah Durr and Campbell Hague — went to work to build a 10-point lead. Durr finished with a game-high 14 points, while Hague finished with eight and Peyton McCormick chipped in eight points for Cheney as well.
Andale made one last push, as Jenna Kuepker scored six of her team-high 10 points early in the fourth quarter to trim Cheney’s lead to 35-29 with 4:49 remaining, but that was as close as Andale would come.
The other semifinal was even more of a defensive battle, as Garden Plain and Haven combined to shoot just 25% from the floor but Garden Plain made 10 more free throws and prevailed with a 36-26 victory.
Garden Plain held Haven scoreless for more than 10 minutes, spanning from late in the second quarter until the final 90 seconds of the third quarter. That allowed the Owls to turn a one-point lead into a 22-13 advantage. Celia Puetz and Sydney Puetz did most of their damage as the duo combined for 19 points. Madelyn Rolfs chipped in eight points as well for Garden Plain.
Brie Brawner finally ended the scoreless stretch for Haven with a three-pointer to trim Garden Plain’s lead to 22-16, but the Owls immediately responded with a basket inside by Celia Puetz. Garden Plain stretched its lead to 12 points early in the fourth quarter, as its lead was never in question down the stretch.
Friday’s Kansas high school girls basketball tournament game scores
Glaciers Edge (Emporia)
Semi: Topeka Seaman 45, Derby 39
Semi: Emporia 53, Wichita Heights 52
BV Southwest 43, Maize 26
SM West 37, SM East 36
Firebird Winter Classic (Lawrence)
Semi: Topeka 69, Goddard Eisenhower 37
Semi: Blue Valley 59, Lawrence 38
Wichita Northwest 52, Lawrence Free State 23
Topeka West 46, Great Bend 40
Thunderbird Classic (Shawnee Heights)
Semi: Wichita South 38, Hutchinson 37
Semi: SM South 47, Washburn Rural 37
Shawnee Heights 50, SM North 34
Mid America Classic (McPherson)
Semi: Wichita Southeast 43, Clearwater 35
Semi: St. James Academy 56, McPherson 48
Manhattan 56, Valley Center 28
Dodge City 49, Olathe South 37
Newton Invitational Tournament
Semi: Andover Central 34, Olathe Northwest 33
SM Northwest 40, Garden City 36
Newton 39, Trinity Academy 38
Lady Cat Classic (El Dorado)
Semi: Maize South 68, Wichita East 45
Semi: Gardner Edgerton 54, Goddard 40
Augusta 32, Mill Valley 31
Kapaun Mt. Carmel 55, El Dorado 23
Wildcat Classic (Haven)
Semi: Cheney 43, Andale 31
Semi: Garden Plain 36, Haven 26
Circle 59, Rose Hill 19
Halstead 51, Nickerson 30
Sedgwick Invitational
Belle Plaine 43, Wichita Home School 21
Moundridge 37, Chaparral 28
Sedgwick 41, Inman 36
Other
Hesston 54, Buhler 43
Hillsboro 48, Minneapolis 34
Kingman 73, Douglass 42
Smoky Valley 44, Clay Center 43
Boys
Circle 54, Rose Hill 37
Collegiate 69, Winfield 42
Goddard Eisenhower 71, Campus 60
Hesston 64, Buhler 43
Hillsboro 61, Minneapolis 28
Kingman 54, Douglass 43
Moundridge 83, Goessel 28
Smoky Valley 50, Clay Center 44
Saturday’s Kansas high school girls basketball tournament game schedules
Glaciers Edge (Emporia)
1st: Topeka Seaman vs. Emporia, 2
3rd: Derby vs. Wichita Heights, 12:30
5th: BV Southwest vs. SM West, 11 a.m.
7th: Maize vs. SM East, 11 a.m.
Firebird Winter Classic (Lawrence)
1st: Topeka vs. Blue Valley, 3
3rd: Goddard Eisenhower vs. Lawrence, 1:30
5th: Wichita Northwest vs. Topeka West, 12
7th: Lawrence Free State vs. Great Bend, 10:30 a.m.
Thunderbird Classic (Shawnee Heights)
1st: Wichita South vs. SM South, 1
3rd: Hutchinson vs. Washburn Rural, 11:30 a.m.
5th: Life Prep vs. Shawnee Heights, 10 a.m.
Mid America Classic (McPherson)
1st: Wichita Southeast vs. St. James Academy, 7
3rd: McPherson vs. Clearwater, 5
5th: Manhattan vs. Dodge City, 3:15
7th: Valley Center vs. Olathe South, 1:30
Newton Invitational Tournament
1st: Bishop Carroll vs. Andover Central, 5
3rd: SM Northwest vs. Olathe Northwest, 3:15
5th: Newton vs. Garden City, 1:45
7th: Trinity Academy vs. Olathe East, 12
Wildcat Classic (Mulvane)
1st: Wellington vs. Mulvane, 6:15
3rd: Arkansas City vs. Conway Springs, 4:25
5th: Winfield vs. Wichita North, 2:40
7th: Campus vs. Collegiate, 1
Lady Cat Classic (El Dorado)
1st: Maize South vs. Gardner Edgerton, 4:15
3rd: Wichita East vs. Goddard, 2:30
5th: Augusta vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel, 12:45
7th: El Dorado vs. Mill Valley, 11 a.m
Wildcat Classic (Haven)
1st: Cheney vs. Garden Plain, 3:30
3rd: Andale vs. Haven, 2
5th: Circle vs. Halstead, 12:30
7th: Rose Hill vs. Nickerson, 11 a.m.
This story was originally published January 28, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
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