‘Defense still decides’: Wichita Collegiate basketball back in a state final
Defense still decides at Wichita Collegiate.
That was the standard under legendary coach Mitch Fiegel, whose six state titles made the Spartans one of Kansas’ premier boys basketball programs. And it remains the standard under first-year head coach Nate Schmitt, who has guided Collegiate back to a state title game for the first time since 2016 by embracing the program’s championship roots instead of trying to reinvent them.
Collegiate punched its ticket to Saturday’s Class 3A state final with a 57-43 victory over Silver Lake on Thursday night at Hutchinson Sports Arena. The Spartans improved to 26-1 and advanced to Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. championship game against Burlington (24-4) — the program’s first finals appearance sinc winning the Class 4A Division II title a decade ago.
“Defense still decides,” Schmitt said. “That’s how we were able to pull away in the second half. We were able to get some steals and deflections and some run-outs there in the fourth. We didn’t make as many shots as we normally do, but our defense was great and it still decided.”
For Schmitt, the accomplishment is even more impressive considering how late his start was. He was hired in the summer, which meant Collegiate never really had a true offseason together. The Spartans didn’t begin building chemistry with their new coach on the floor until November, yet they are now one win away from a state championship.
Schmitt inherited a program that already knew what winning basketball looked like and one of the biggest pieces of that identity has remained intact, despite the triple-digit scoring efforts that might suggest otherwise. Fiegel’s favorite phrase “defense decides” is still the principle driving Collegiate and it showed up again in Thursday’s semifinal.
The Spartans needed their defense on a night when their offense wasn’t at its usual level early. This is a team that has scored more than 100 points multiple times this season, but Collegiate led only 25-21 at halftime after a sluggish opening half.
Then Collegiate found its rhythm the way it so often does: through its defense.
The Spartans forced 18 turnovers and turned them directly into transition offense, finishing with a commanding 29-5 edge in points off turnovers. Collegiate also held Silver Lake to 37% shooting, gradually taking control in the secnod half before putting the game for good. When Silver Lake crept within seven points in the final three minutes, the Spartans answered with a 7-0 closing run to handle business.
Sebastian Hines-Turner once again led Collegiate with a complete all-around performance, finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds, five assists and six steals. Kamari Jennings added 14 points and four assists, while A.J. Batiste chipped in 10 points and five rebounds.
“They compliment each other so well,” Schmitt said of his big three. “It’s impossible to stop all three. I’m just really glad they’re all on our team.”
But Collegiate’s success has not been built on its stars alone. Schmitt has consistently praised the way the Spartans have functioned as a complete team, and Thursday offered another example. The supporting cast of Mason Bond, Shaad Issa, Landon Langston, Maddox Drumright and Jai Johnson all helped fill key roles.
Drumright, in particular, showed how much impact a player can have without scoring. He didn’t record a point, but he still delivered six rebounds, including four offensive boards, and three steals.
That kind of effort has come to define Collegiate’s season. The Spartans have plenty of firepower, but what has pushed them back to championship level is their willingness to defend, rebound and make winning plays across the roster.
“It’s been surreal,” Schmitt said. “We’re just trying to take it all in and enjoy it and be grateful that we’re getting this opportunity. I’m just so proud of these boys and everything they’ve done this year.”
Now the Spartans are one win away from adding another chapter to a proud championship tradition. And Schmitt said the approach won’t change, even with a state title on the line.
“We’re going to enjoy this one tonight, but we’ll get ready to go (Friday),” Schmitt said. “Whoever is waiting for us in the championship game, we’re going to rely on what got us here. I know it’s a bigger game than what we’ve played in so far, but we’re going to continue to focus on what we do.”
Hesston boys see 3A title defense end in triple-overtime heartbreaker
Hesston’s bid for a repeat ended in the cruelest fashion, as Burlington delivered a walk-off basket as time expired in the third overtime to stun the defending Class 3A champions, 77-76, in the state semifinals at Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The Swathers, who were chasing a fourth state title in five years, came out firing and built a 13-point lead in the first quarter, but Burlington chipped away and eventually forced overtime after Hesston’s last shot in regulation missed with the score tied at 52.
The drama only escalated from there. Hesston trailed 63-58 with 29 seconds left in the first overtime before rallying behind a 3-pointer from Gavin Larson, then two clutch free throws from Ty Unruh with 6.2 seconds left to force a second extra session. In the second overtime, Hesston took a 70-67 lead with 21.4 seconds remaining, only for Burlington’s Alex Mautz to bury a game-tying 3 at the horn after the ball bounced on the rim three times.
Hesston looked like it had found the winner in the third overtime when a perfectly drawn-up out-of-bounds play ended with Jerick Humphreys lofting a pass over the top to Kason Landes for a go-ahead layup and a 76-75 lead with 3.7 seconds left. But Burlington answered one last time, as Troy Over took the inbounds pass near halfcourt, raced up the floor and knocked down a fadeaway jumper from the left corner at the buzzer for the winning basket.
Unruh led Hesston with 22 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals. Drew Bartell added 15 points and six rebounds, Landes had 11 points and seven rebounds, Larson scored nine points and Eli Haug chipped in eight.
Hesston dropped to 25-3 and will play Silver Lake (21-7) in the Class 3A third-place game at noon Friday.
Wichita East, Derby girls both fall in the Class 6A semifinals
Wichita East’s bid for the first state title game in program history ended in controversy, while Derby’s comeback hopes never fully materialized in two Class 6A semifinals at Koch Arena.
East appeared poised for a dramatic finish when Miya Respress converted a potential 3-point play with 12 seconds left that would have cut the deficit to one, but the free throw was erased on a lane violation after officials ruled she crossed too early before the shot hit the backboard. The sequence swung even further against the Aces when East coach Willie Davis was assessed a technical foul, allowing eight-seeded Blue Valley Northwest to seal a 54-49 win at the free-throw line and continue its Cinderella run to the championship game.
Respress led East with 15 points, nine rebounds and three steals, while freshman Jada Davis added 15 points and four steals. Ty’Leeah Lucas chipped in eight points. Blue Valley Northwest was powered by Regan Becker, who finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds.
In the other semifinal, Derby dug itself too deep of an early hole and could never fully recover in a 69-57 loss to Shawnee Mission South. The Panthers trimmed the deficit to seven in the fourth quarter, but the Raiders maintained control the rest of the way in a wire-to-wire victory. Derby was undone in part by 27 turnovers against Shawnee Mission South’s pressure defense.
Maya Harris scored 11 points off the bench to lead Derby, while Siaunna Carter added 10 points and four steals. Macayla Askew contributed nine points, 11 rebounds and six assists, while Aysia Fox and Alex Dinsmore scored eight points apiece.
Derby (23-4) and Wichita East (21-6) will meet in the Class 6A third-place game at 10:30 a.m. Friday.
Wellington girls’ title defense ends in Class 4A semifinals
Defending Class 4A state champion Wellington saw its title defense end Thursday, as Topeka Hayden closed the game on an 8-0 run to hand the Crusaders a 50-45 loss in the state semifinals at Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Wellington appeared to seize control late when it turned a five-point deficit into a 45-42 lead with 2:25 remaining, sparked by four straight free throws from Kirstyn Gregory and back-to-back paint baskets from Dru Zeka. But Hayden answered with a go-ahead 3-pointer from Sophia Wichman in the final minute, then finished the game at the foul line while Wellington was held scoreless the rest of the way.
The Crusaders had their 11-game winning streak snapped and couldn’t overcome a tough offensive night, finishing at 35% shooting with 21 turnovers.
Zeka led Wellington with 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks, while Gregory added 14 points and seven rebounds. Lyndi Barton chipped in seven points and nine rebounds.
Wellington dropped to 23-2 and will face No. 2 seed Rock Creek (23-4) in the Class 4A third-place game at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Moundridge girls see their 2A repeat dreams end in semifinals
Defending Class 2A champion Moundridge saw its title defense come to an end Thursday in Emporia, while Eureka’s best season in school history was one shot away from reaching the state final before falling just short in the semifinals.
Moundridge was beaten 71-58 by sixth-seeded Sacred Heart after a decisive second quarter swung the game. Sacred Heart outscored the Wildcats 26-13 in the period to build a 39-24 halftime lead, and Moundridge was never able to fully recover from the deficit. Hattie Hecox led the Wildcats with 19 points, while Cammi Unruh added 10 points and six rebounds. Mackenzie Conkling scored eight points off the bench, Macy Kaminkow had seven points and seven rebounds, and Halle Hecox contributed six points, six rebounds and four assists.
In the other Class 2A semifinal, Eureka pushed top-seeded Ellinwood to the brink before suffering a 50-47 loss. Eureka had three players score in double figures, led by Brenna Rucker’s 16 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. Ellianna Coulter added 14 points off the bench with three steals, while Britta Mongeau scored 13 points. After Arabella Shephard buried a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left to trim the deficit to two, Ellinwood split a pair of free throws with 9.6 seconds remaining to leave the door open. Eureka got one final look to tie, but Mongeau’s 3-pointer from the right wing came up just short at the buzzer.
Eureka (23-3), which was making its first state semifinal appearance, will close out the best season in program history against Moundridge (24-3) in the Class 2A third-place game at 10:30 a.m. Friday at White Auditorium in Emporia.
Thursday’s KSHSAA state basketball semifinal scores
Class 6A girls (at Wichita State’s Koch Arena)
No. 3 Shawnee Mission South 69, No. 2 Derby 57
No. 8 Blue Valley Northwest 54, No. 4 Wichita East 49
Class 5A boys (at Wichita State’s Koch Arena)
No. 1 Kapaun Mt. Carmel 54, No. 5 Topeka Seaman 52
No. 2 Bonner Springs 76, No. 3 Topeka West 61
Class 4A girls (at Hutchinson Sports Arena)
No. 4 Topeka Hayden 50, No. 1 Wellington 45
No. 6 Bishop Miege 59, No. 2 Rock Creek 43
Class 3A boys (at Hutchinson Sports Arena)
No. 1 Wichita Collegiate 57, No. 5 Silver Lake 43
No. 3 Burlington 77, No. 2 Hesston 76 (3 OT)
Class 2A girls (at Emporia’s White Auditorium)
No. 1 Ellinwood 50, No. 4 Eureka 47
No. 6 Sacred Heart 69, No. 2 Moundridge 56
Class 1A Division I boys (at Dodge City’s United Wireless Arena)
No. 2 Beloit St. John’s-Tipton 61, No. 3 Norwich 53
No. 4 South Central 49, No. 1 Central Plains 30
Class 1A Division II boys (at Emporia’s White Auditorium)
No. 1 Axtell 84, No. 4 Cunningham 40
No. 2 Hanover 94, No. 3 Lebo 42
Kansas high school state basketball tournament schedule
Class 6A girls (at Wichita State’s Koch Arena)
Third: No. 2 Derby (23-4) vs. No. 4 Wichita East (21-6), 10:30 a.m. Friday
First: No. 3 Shawnee Mission South (22-3) vs. No. 8 Blue Valley Northwest (13-13), 12:30 p.m. Saturday
Class 5A boys (at Wichita State’s Koch Arena)
Third: No. 3 Topeka West (23-4) vs. No. 5 Topeka Seaman (22-5), noon Friday
First: No. 1 Kapaun Mt. Carmel (27-0) vs. No. 2 Bonner Springs (26-1), 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Class 4A girls (at Hutchinson Sports Arena)
Third: No. 1 Wellington (23-2) vs. No. 2 Rock Creek (23-4), 10:30 a.m. Friday
First: No. 4 Topeka Hayden (21-6) vs. No. 6 Bishop Miege (19-8), 12:30 p.m. Saturday
Class 3A boys (at Hutchinson Sports Arena)
Third: No. 2 Hesston (25-3) vs. No. 5 Silver Lake (21-7), noon Friday
First: No. 1 Wichita Collegiate (26-1) vs. No. 3 Burlington (24-4), 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Class 2A girls (at Emporia’s White Auditorium)
Third: No. 2 Moundridge (24-3) vs. No. 4 Eureka (23-3), 10:30 a.m. Friday
First: No. 1 Ellinwood (27-1) vs. No. 6 Sacred Heart (24-4), 12:30 p.m. Saturday
Class 1A Division I boys (at Dodge City’s United Wireless Arena)
Third: No. 1 Central Plains (25-3) vs. No. 3 Norwich (23-5), 3:30 p.m. Friday
First: No. 2 Beloit St. John’s-Tipton (23-2) vs. No. 4 South Central (22-4), 4:30 p.m. Saturday
Class 1A Division II boys (at Emporia’s White Auditorium)
Third: No. 3 Lebo (20-8) vs. No. 4 Cunningham (17-9), noon Friday
First: No. 1 Axtell (27-1) vs. No. 2 Hanover (27-1), 2:30 p.m. Saturday
This story was originally published March 13, 2026 at 6:39 AM.
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