Wichita East girls basketball matches best state finish in school history
The Wichita East girls basketball capped a breakthrough season with a history-matching finish, leading wire to wire in a 59-51 win over Derby at Koch Arena to claim third place in the Class 6A state tournament.
The Blue Aces tied the best finish in program history, matching third-place efforts from 1982 and 1979. It also marked East’s first trip to the state semifinals since 1984, ending a drought of more than four decades. East finished the season 22-6.
East was paced by 14 points from Sylvia Selmon, while A’Myiah Kates added 12 points and three steals. Jada Davis stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals, and Ty’Leeah Lucas added eight points.
Derby, which closed at 23-5, still secured a top-four finish at 6A state for the ninth time in the last 10 years. Macayla Askew led Derby with 16 points, eight rebounds and three steals, while Aysia Fox added 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. Siaunna Carter chipped in 11 points.
Heart of America clash set for 2A boys basketball championship
The Class 2A boys basketball state title will feature a Heart of America rematch, as Sterling and Berean each rolled to semifinal wins Friday to set up a 6:30 p.m. championship showdown Saturday at White Auditorium in Emporia.
Defending champion Sterling kept its perfect season intact with a 73-52 win over St. Marys, improving to 27-0. The Black Bears trailed 17-14 after the first quarter before taking control with a dominant 31-7 second quarter to build a 45-24 halftime lead. Boston Ekart starred with 33 points on 13-of-19 shooting to go with seven rebounds and three assists, while Jacob Lewis added 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting with seven rebounds and four assists.
Meanwhile, Berean looked every bit the part of a championship contender in its 61-35 semifinal win over St. Mary’s Colgan. The Warriors were crisp from the opening tip, shooting 48.1% from the field and piling up 16 assists on 25 made baskets. Nolan Sweazy paced Berean with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Jace Unruh added 14 points and four assists.
That sets up an intriguing rematch from Feb. 6, when Sterling defended its home floor for a 59-50 win. Berean remains the only team to keep Sterling within single digits during the Black Bears’ dominant unbeaten run, giving Saturday’s title game an added layer of intrigue.
Sterling will be chasing the third state title in program history. Berean will be pursuing title No. 3 as well after winning back-to-back championships in 2010 and 2011, and the Warriors have now reached their first state final since that 2011 title run.
Halstead girls basketball suffer overtime heartbreaker in 3A semifinals
Halstead’s bid to repeat as Class 3A state champion came to a heartbreaking end, as Osage City rallied late to hand the Dragons their first loss of the season in a 44-39 overtime semifinal at Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Halstead appeared in control after building a 28-20 lead early in the fourth quarter, but Osage City stormed back to tie the game at 30 with 2:10 remaining. The Dragons had chances to put the game away, but an 8-for-18 night at the foul line kept Osage City within reach.
After Addisen Wills split a pair of free throws to give Halstead a 32-30 lead with 11.3 seconds left, Osage City answered in dramatic fashion when Jewelia Kitselman scored the tying layup while being fouled with 1.3 seconds to go. Her free throw to win it missed, sending the game to overtime, where Osage City grabbed the early edge and never gave it back.
Wills led Halstead with 12 points, while Jordy Schroeder and Bailey Bernal each added 11 points. Bernal also grabbed seven rebounds, while Piper Schroeder finished with five points and nine rebounds.
Halstead, now 26-1, will play Holcomb (25-3) in the third-place game at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
Andover girls basketball to play for 5A third-place game again
Top-seeded Andover saw its title hopes stall in the 5A semifinals on Friday, as the Trojans couldn’t overcome a frigid shooting night in a 61-44 loss to St. James at Koch Arena.
Andover shot just 28.8% from the field and found itself in an early hole, trailing 19-7 after the first quarter before St. James stretched the margin to 38-15 by halftime. The Trojans made a push in the second half, but the deficit proved too much to erase.
Despite the loss, Andover (24-2) has still reached the state semifinals for the fourth straight season. The Trojans will now play in the third-place game for the fourth consecutive year, facing No. 3 seed Shawnee Heights (22-5) at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
Grier Hand led Andover with 18 points, seven rebounds and two steals, while Bella Bouddhara added 15 points, four rebounds and two steals.
St. James shot a blistering 59.5% from the field and placed four scorers in double figures, led by Elle Robinson’s 16 points.
Wichita Heights boys basketball loses in 6A semifinals
A slow start proved too much for Wichita Heights to overcome on Friday, as the Falcons fell 79-54 to top-seeded Shawnee Mission South in the 6A semifinals at Koch Arena.
Heights trailed 19-7 after the first quarter and never recovered against a balanced Raiders attack that placed all five starters in double figures. Conor Kerrigan led Shawnee Mission South with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
Jordan Timmons paced Heights with 22 points, seven rebounds and three steals, while Jalihn Timmons added 13 points and three assists.
Despite the loss, Heights still reached the state semifinals for the fifth straight season. The Falcons, now 20-6, will play second-seeded Mill Valley at 11 a.m. Saturday for third place in the Class 6A state tournament.
Wellington girls basketball notches another top-four state finish
Wellington’s strong season came to an end in a 66-48 loss to Rock Creek in the third-place game of the Class 4A state tournament at Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The Crusaders stayed within striking distance for much of the game and trailed just 44-37 entering the fourth quarter, but Rock Creek pulled away late to secure the win.
Wellington finished the season 23-3 and recorded a top-four state finish for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
Rock Creek was led by 23 points from Kylee Frazee. Wellington placed three scorers in double figures, led by Lyndi Barton’s 12 points. Dru Zeka added 12 points and four rebounds, while Kirstyn Gregory chipped in 11 points and four steals.
Hesston boys basketball settles for fourth place at 2A state
Cold shooting after halftime kept Hesston from ending its season with a win, as the Swathers fell 61-45 to Silver Lake in the third-place game of the 3A state tournament at Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Hesston trailed just 25-24 at halftime, but managed only 30.7% shooting in the second half as Silver Lake pulled away behind a 29-point performance from Dayne Johnson.
The Swathers still wrapped up another strong season at 25-4. Hesston entered the tournament seeking its fifth state championship in the last six seasons, but will settle for a top-four finish.
Ty Unruh led Hesston with 22 points, while Drew Bartell added 13 points and six rebounds.
Eureka girls basketball tops Moundridge for 2A third place
Eureka closed a historic season with one more strong finishing kick, using a big fourth quarter to pull away for a 61-49 win over Moundridge in the third-place game of the 2A state tournament in Emporia.
In a game full of swings, Eureka led 27-19 at halftime before Moundridge surged back in the third quarter to take a 38-37 lead into the fourth. But Eureka answered with the game’s final run, outscoring Moundridge 24-11 in the final period to seal the win.
The victory capped a 24-3 season for Eureka, which secured the best state finish in school history in its first trip to the state semifinals. Moundridge finished 24-4.
Brenna Rucker starred for Eureka with 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting to go with six rebounds, three assists and five steals. Ellianna Coulter added 14 points and five rebounds.
Moundridge was led by Cammi Unruh’s 13 points, while Macy Kaminkow had 11 points and nine rebounds and Mackenzie Conklin added 11 points, five rebounds and three steals off the bench.
Hutchinson Central Christian girls basketball loses in state semifinals
Top-seeded Hutchinson Central Christian couldn’t overcome a cold shooting night, as the Cougars fell 51-31 to Hanover in the Class 1A Division II semifinals in Emporia.
Central Christian shot just 28.2% from the field and stayed within striking distance early, trailing only 16-11 at halftime. But Hanover found its offense in the second half and gradually pulled away.
The Cougars dropped to 25-3 on the season, but still reached the state semifinals for the second time in the last five years. Central Christian will face Bucklin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in the third-place game of the 1A Division II state tournament.
Jessa Losew led Central Christian with nine points, six rebounds and four steals, while Reese Swanson added eight points and Avery Duft chipped in six.
Kansas high school state basketball scores from Friday
Class 6A boys
Semi: No. 1 Shawnee Mission South 79, No. 5 Wichita Heights 54
Semi: No. 3 Olathe North 62, No. 2 Mill Valley 44
Class 6A girls
Third: No. 4 Wichita East 59, No. 2 Derby 51
Class 5A boys
Third: No. 5 Topeka Seaman 66, No. 3 Topeka West 50
Class 5A girls
Semi: No. 5 St. James 61, No. 1 Andover 44
Semi: No. 2 Hays 66, No. 3 Shawnee Heights 41
Class 4A boys
Semi: No. 1 Rock Creek 73, No. 4 Hugoton 53
Semi: No. 6 Baldwin 65, No. 2 Atchison 45
Class 4A girls
Third: No. 2 Rock Creek 66, No. 1 Wellington 48
Class 3A boys
Third: No. 5 Silver Lake 61, No. 2 Hesston 45
Class 3A girls
Semi: No. 4 Osage City 44, No. 1 Halstead 39 (OT)
Semi: No. 2 Silver Lake 50, No. 3 Holcomb 36
Class 2A boys
Semi: No. 1 Sterling 73, No. 5 St. Marys 52
Semi: No. 2 Berean 61, No. 6 St. Mary’s Colgan 35
Class 2A girls
Third: No. 4 Eureka 61, No. 2 Moundridge 49
Class 1A Division I boys
Third: No. 3 Norwich 62, No. 1 Central Plains 52
Class 1A Division I girls
Semi: No. 1 Little River 59, No. 4 Centralia 47
Semi: No. 3 Wabaunsee 49, No. 2 Pretty Prairie 38
Class 1A Division II boys
Third: No. 3 Lebo 65, No. 4 Cunningham 64
Class 1A Division II girls
Semi: No. 4 Hanover 51, No. 1 Hutchinson Central Christian 31
Semi: No. 7 Linn 55, No. 3 Bucklin 49
KSHSAA’s state basketball schedule for Saturday
Wichita State’s Koch Arena
5A girls third: No. 1 Andover (24-2) vs. No. 3 Shawnee Heights (22-5), 9:30 a.m.
6A boys third: No. 2 Mill Valley (23-4) vs. No. 5 Wichita Heights (20-6), 11
6A girls first: No. 3 Shawnee Mission South (23-3) vs. No. 8 Blue Valley Northwest (13-13), 12:30 p.m.
5A boys first: No. 1 Kapaun Mt. Carmel (27-0) vs. No. 2 Bonner Springs (26-1), 2:30
5A girls first: No. 2 Hays (25-1) vs. No. 5 St. James (22-5), 4:30
6A boys first: No. 1 Shawnee Mission South (26-1) vs. No. 3 Olathe North (23-4), 6:30
Hutchinson Sports Arena
3A girls third: No. 1 Halstead (26-1) vs. No. 3 Holcomb (25-3), 9:30 a.m.
4A boys third: No. 2 Atchison (26-1) vs. No. 4 Hugoton (22-5), 11
4A girls first: No. 4 Topeka Hayden (21-6) vs. No. 6 Bishop Miege (19-8), 12:30 p.m.
3A boys first: No. 1 Wichita Collegiate (26-1) vs. No. 3 Burlington (24-4), 2:30
3A girls first: No. 2 Silver Lake (27-1) vs. No. 4 Osage City (25-3), 4:30
4A boys first: No. 1 Rock Creek (27-0) vs. No. 6 Baldwin (21-6), 6:30
Emporia’s White Auditorium
1A-II girls third: No. 1 Hutchinson Central Christian (25-3) vs. No. 3 Bucklin (22-3), 9:30 a.m.
2A boys third: No. 5 St. Marys (20-8) vs. No. 6 St. Mary’s Colgan (19-8), 11
2A girls first: No. 1 Ellinwood (27-1) vs. No. 6 Sacred Heart (24-4), 12:30 p.m.
1A-II boys first: No. 1 Axtell (27-1) vs. No. 2 Hanover (27-1), 2:30
1A-II girls first: No. 4 Hanover (25-3) vs. No. 7 Linn (23-5), 4:30
2A boys first: No. 1 Sterling (27-0) vs. No. 2 Berean (24-2), 6:30
Dodge City’s United Wireless Arena
1A-I girls third: No. 2 Pretty Prairie (23-3) vs. No. 4 Centralia (23-4), 2:30 p.m.
1A-I boys first: No. 2 Beloit St. John’s-Tipton (23-2) vs. No. 4 South Central (22-4), 4:30
1A-I girls first: No. 1 Little River (26-2) vs. No. 3 Wabaunsee (25-3), 6:30
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