By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Obviously, there were multiple factors that contributed to Topeka West's 61-31 season-opening girls basketball loss to United Kansas Conference rival Basehor-Linwood Friday night at West.
Sophomore Imani McGlory (5) led Topeka West with 15 points in Friday's 61-31 UKC loss to Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But the Chargers' early foul trouble and the Bobcats' success from 3-point range were at the top of the list.
Angie Ketterman's Topeka West team (0-1 overall, 0-1 UKC) got into foul trouble shortly after tipoff while Basehor-Linwood singed the nets for 12 3-pointers en route to forcing a running clock in the fourth quarter due to the 30-point spread rule.
"The foul trouble got us and Basehor was draining the 3s,'' Ketterman said. "We got in four trouble and our shots weren't falling early, but they hustled the entire time.''
Topeka West led 6-3 early in the opening quarter but Basehor-Linwood (1-0, 1-0) used six straight free throws followed by a 3-pointer to take a 14-6 lead and the Bobcats never looked back.
Basehor-Linwood led 18-9 at the end of the first quarter and took a 29-14 advantage to the locker room at the half.
The Bobcats then put the game out of reach with a 26-8 third quarter, opening up a commanding 55-22 advantage.
Basehor-Linwood had three players crack double figures on the night while six Bobcats hit at least one 3-pointer.
Topeka West girls basketball coach Angie Ketterman talks to her team during Friday's 61-31 UKC loss to Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"When you play a team that's draining that many 3s, they weren't like that last year,'' Ketterman said of the Bobcats. "I think they were two for 17 last year. And sometimes we had a hand in their face and they were still hitting them so there's not much you can do on that.''
Sophomore Kinley Christopher led Basehor-Linwood with a game-high 17 points while senior Harley Baker added 14 points and senior Kodi Greer 11.
Sophomore Imani McGlory paced Topeka West with 15 points while sophomore Addaline Hall added eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and senior Zoe Clark scored six points.
Topeka West will face another tough test on Tuesday, with Class 5A power Seaman visiting West for a UKC contest. The Vikings opened their season with an 82-11 UKC win over Lansing on Thursday.
BASEHOR-LINWOOD GIRLS 61, TOPEKA WEST 31
Basehor-Linwood 18 11 26 6 -- 61
Topeka West 9 5 8 9 -- 31
Basehor-Linwood (1-0, 1-0) -- Fisher 3-10 0-0 9, Baker 5-14 2-2 14, Unruh 0-0 0-0 0, Greer 4-16 0-2 11, Schwisow 2-4 1-1 6, Clegg 0-0 0-0 0, Christopher 5-8 5-8 17, McKnight 1-3 1-4 4, Jackson 0-0 0-0 0, Spellman 0-0 0-0 0, Rogers 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 20-55 9-19 61.
Topeka West (0-1, 0-1) -- I. McGlory 7-19 0-0 15, Hall 3-8 0-4 8, Gonzales 0-4 0-0 0, Clark 3-4 0-2 6, Bearman 1-7 0-1 2, K. Keeling 0-0 0-0 0, B. Keeling 0-1 0-0 0, Scott 0-0 0-0 0, A. McGlory 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 14-44 0-7 31.
3-point goals -- Basehor-Linwood 12 (Fisher 3, Greer 3, Baker 2, Christopher 2, McKnight, Schwisow), Topeka West 3 (Hall 2, I. McGlory). Total fouls -- Basehor-Linwood 15, Topeka West 16. Fouled out – none.
