Kansas high school state basketball scores: Derby girls advance to 6A semifinals
The Derby girls basketball team’s path back to the Class 6A semifinals looked a lot like its arc this season.
A sluggish start. A deficit to erase. A tense finish to survive.
And in the end, just like it has so many times before, Derby found a way.
The Panthers rallied from a second-half deficit to beat Topeka 61-58 in the 6A quarterfinals, sending Derby to the state semifinals for the fifth straight season and securing the program’s ninth top-four finish in the last 10 years. Derby (23-3) will face Shawnee Mission South (22-3) at 4 p.m. Thursday at Koch Arena.
“That was kind of like how our season has gone,” Derby coach Bryan Chadwick said with a chuckle. “We start off bad, then we claw back and hold on at the end. We knew our girls would be resilient and find a way to win. There was no bickering or pointing fingers. It was all about staying together and finding a way.”
Derby leaned on its balance with four players scoring in double figures.
Macayla Askew led the way with 17 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, six steals and two blocks. Siaunna Carter added 13 points, Aysia Fox scored 12 and Maya Harris came off the bench to knock down two 3s and finish with 10 points.
Senior Karlie Demel made her imprint in other ways, piling up 14 rebounds — including six on the offensive glass — to go with three steals.
After trailing 46-41 late in the third quarter, Derby closed the gap to tie the game entering the fourth. Askew then changed the game by stepping outside and burying a pair of 3-pointers to put Derby in front 54-51.
“Macayla just rises to the occasion,” Chadwick said. “She is going to be one of those players that everybody is going to talk about when it’s all said and done.”
Harris followed with another 3, then Fox turned a steal into a basket as Derby built a 59-54 lead. Topeka answered one final time, trimming the margin to 59-58 with 43 seconds left, but Derby survived the late chaos.
After a turnover against the press, Sarai Graham came up with a steal and Alex Dinsmore calmly hit two free throws with 9.7 seconds left. Topeka did not get off a potential tying shot on its final possession.
Derby also improved on its earlier defensive effort against Topeka star Ashieyrhuahj Rayton. After Rayton scored 37 in the teams’ first meeting this season, the Panthers held her to 17 points on 7-of-22 shooting in the rematch.
“We have a lot of experience that has played at the state tournament,” Chadwick said. “That was a big thing for us. Our girls just believe in each other and we have a bunch of young ladies who love each other. The DNA at Derby is incredible. A lot of resilience. A lot of hard work.”
Defending 4A champion Wellington rallies to avoid upset
The Wellington girls basketball team looked headed for a stunning first-round exit at the Garvey Center in Wichita.
The defending Class 4A champions trailed No. 8 seed Concordia by 13 points at halftime, but flipped the game and rallied for a 51-43 victory to advance to the state semifinals. Wellington (23-1) will play No. 4 seed Topeka Hayden (20-6) at 2 p.m. Thursday at Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Wellington’s defense changed everything. After Concordia scored to make it 28-13 in the opening minute of the third quarter, the Crusaders clamped down and held Concordia scoreless for the next nine minutes.
After scoring only 25 points in the first three quarters, Wellington erupted for 26 in the final eight minutes to complete the turnaround.
Dru Zeka led the way with a game-high 20 points, while Lyndi Barton added 14 and Kirstyn Gregory scored eight. Wellington forced 30 turnovers and piled up 20 steals in a defensive effort to spark the comeback.
The Crusaders took their first lead early in the fourth quarter when Zeka scored and Gregory followed with a steal and layup for a 29-28 edge. Concordia briefly answered, but Wellington grabbed the lead for good on a Barton layup with 3:18 remaining.
Zeka and Barton followed to key a 7-0 burst from there, as late baskets from Zeka and Gregory sealed it.
Andale girls basketball sees season come to an end at 4A state
In another area Class 4A quarterfinal, Andale saw its season come to an end in a 54-37 loss to Topeka Hayden on Wednesday in Emporia.
Andale was still within striking distance at halftime, trailing just 27-22, but turnovers proved too much to overcome. Andale committed 29 total turnovers, allowing Hayden to seize control in the second half and pull away.
Abbi Winter scored a team-high 12 points with five rebounds, while Brooke Grimes added 11 points and Mayla Spexarth grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds.
The loss closed out Andale’s season with a 17-7 record.
Moundridge, Eureka girls both punch tickets to 2A semifinals
Area teams went 2-for-2 in the Class 2A quarterfinals Wednesday in Salina, as both Moundridge and Eureka punched their tickets to the state semifinals.
Defending state champion Moundridge rolled past Valley Heights for a 63-48 victory behind 23 points from star Cammi Unruh, while Mackenzie Conkling added 15. The Wildcats (24-2) will now face Sacred Heart in a 4 p.m. semifinal Thursday at White Auditorium in Emporia.
Eureka joined Moundridge in the semifinals with a 51-45 win over Oakley, delivering a breakthrough moment for the program. It marked the first state tournament victory in school history for Eureka, which had previously made four trips to state but lost in the opening round each time. Brenna Rucker powered Eureka with 21 points, while Ellianna Coulter chipped in 11 as the Tornadoes improved to 23-2. Eureka will now face top-seeded Ellinwood in a 2 p.m. semifinal Thursday at White Auditorium.
Kansas high school state basketball Tuesday scores
Class 6A girls
No. 2 Derby 61, No. 7 Topeka 58
No. 3 Shawnee Mission South 52, No. 6 Blue Valley North 27
No. 4 Wichita East 55, No. 5 Olathe South 45
No. 8 Blue Valley Northwest 49, No. 1 Wichita Heights 48
Class 5A boys
No. 1 Kapaun Mt. Carmel 53, No. 8 Shawnee Heights 38
No. 2 Bonner Springs 68, No. 7 Kansas City Washington 49
No. 3 Topeka West 86, No. 6 Kansas City Piper (2 OT)
No. 5 Topeka Seaman 57, No. 4 Maize South 46
Class 4A girls
No. 1 Wellington 51, No. 8 Concordia 43
No. 2 Rock Creek 62, No. 7 Chapman 53
No. 4 Topeka Hayden 54, No. 5 Andale 37
No. 6 Bishop Miege 61, No. 3 Eudora 48
Class 3A boys
No. 1 Wichita Collegiate 106, No. 8 Wellsville 60
No. 2 Hesston 60, No. 7 Scott City 25
No. 3 Burlington 59, No. 6 Olathe Heritage 44
No. 5 Silver Lake 47, No. 4 Holcomb 37
Class 2A girls
No. 1 Ellinwood 55, No. 8 Rossville 48
No. 2 Moundridge 63, No. 7 Valley Heights 48
No. 4 Eureka 51, No. 5 Oakley 45
No. 6 Sacred Heart 52, No. 3 St. Mary’s Colgan 42
Class 1A Division I boys
No. 1 Central Plains 57, No. 8 Canton-Galva 34
No. 2 Beloit St. John’s-Tipton 62, No. 7 Flinthills 41
No. 3 Norwich 49, No. 6 Rural Vista 35
No. 4 South Central 38, No. 5 Kiowa County 23
Class 1A Division II boys
No. 1 Axtell 68, No. 8 Hutchinson Central Christian 44
No. 2 Hanover 100, No. 7 Deerfield 52
No. 3 Lebo 46, No. 6 Victoria 40
No. 4 Cunningham 58, No. 5 Weskan 29
KSHSAA state basketball Thursday’s semifinal schedule
Class 6A girls (at Wichita State’s Koch Arena)
No. 4 Wichita East (21-5) vs. No. 8 Blue Valley Northwest (12-13), 2 p.m.
No. 2 Derby (23-3) vs. No. 3 Shawnee Mission South (22-3), 4
Class 5A boys (at Wichita State’s Koch Arena)
No. 1 Kapaun Mt. Carmel (26-0) vs. No. 5 Topeka Seaman (22-4), 6 p.m.
No. 2 Bonner Springs (25-1) vs. No. 3 Topeka West (23-3), 8
Class 4A girls (at Hutchinson Sports Arena)
No. 1 Wellington (23-1) vs. No. 4 Topeka Hayden (20-6), 2 p.m.
No. 2 Rock Creek (23-3) vs. No. 6 Bishop Miege (18-8), 4
Class 3A boys (at Hutchinson Sports Arena)
No. 1 Wichita Collegiate (25-1) vs. No. 5 Silver Lake (21-6), 6 p.m.
No. 2 Hesston (25-2) vs. No. 3 Burlington (23-4), 8
Class 2A girls (at Emporia’s White Auditorium)
No. 1 Ellinwood (26-1) vs. No. 4 Eureka (23-2), 2 p.m.
No. 2 Moundridge (24-2) vs. No. 6 Sacred Heart (23-4), 4
Class 1A Division I boys (at Dodge City’s United Wireless Arena)
No. 1 Central Plains (25-2) vs. No. 4 South Central (21-4), 6 p.m.
No. 2 Beloit St. John’s-Tipton (22-2) vs. No. 3 Norwich (23-4), 8
Class 1A Division II boys (at Emporia’s White Auditorium)
No. 1 Axtell (26-1) vs. No. 4 Cunningham (17-8), 6 p.m.
No. 2 Hanover (26-1) vs. No. 3 Lebo (20-7), 8
This story was originally published March 10, 2026 at 8:19 PM.
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