By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
In the 2021-2022 season, Seaman's boys got off to a slow start before catching fire in the second half of the campaign.
It seems as if Craig Cox's Vikings may be following the same script this winter, with the Vikings playing their best basketball of the season.
The defending Class 5A state champions, who suffered heavy graduation losses, got off to a 1-3 start this season but the Vikings have won three straight games after Tuesday's 81-45 home non-league romp past Kansas City-Washington, climbing above the .500 mark for the first time since their season-opener at 6-5.
The Bonner brothers, senior Kaeden and freshman KaeVon, sparked the Vikings against Washington, with Kaeden Bonner hitting a game-high 23 points with five 3-pointers and KaeVon Bonner addding 15 points and three 3-pointers as Seaman canned 12 treys as a team.
Senior Aron Davis joined the Bonners in double figures with 12 points.
"I think we're hitting a stride offensively,'' Cox said. "Kaeden's really stepped up the last couple of games and Aron's so solid and then those other guys are kind of the beneficiaries of those two players and what they create.
"I still feel like we've got some room to improve defensively, but that's something that you can do.''
Seaman was never threatened against the Wildcats after roaring out to a 25-11 first-quarter advantage.
The Vikings went on to hold a commanding 43-26 lead at the half and stretched their advantage to 68-37 at the end of the third quarter, forcing a running clock over the final eight minutes.
Cox pulled his starters after the third quarter, with 13 Vikings seeing action and 10 cracking the scoring column.
Junior Damon Alexander led Washington (5-7) with 16 points.
Seaman will return to United Kansas Conference play on Friday, traveling to Lansing.
SEAMAN BOYS 81, KC-WASHINGTON 45
KC-Washington 11 15 11 8 -- 45
Seaman 25 18 25 13 -- 81
KC-Washington (5-7) -- Jv. Williams 5 0-0 13, Ja. Williams0 3-4 3, White 0 0-0 0, Alexander 8 0-1 16, Berry 0 0-0 0, Womack 3 3-6 9, Richardson 0 0-0 0, Boggess 0 0-0 0, Cannaday 1 0-0 2, Stone 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 6-11 45.
Seaman (6-5) -- KaeVon Bonner 6 0-0 15, Kaeden Bonner 8 2-4 23, Chapman 2 2-2 7, Unruh 1 0-0 2, Davis 6 0-0 12, Parsel 1 0-0 3, Thompson 2 1-1 6, Williams 0 0-0 0, Phillips 0 0-0 0, B. Finley 1 0-0 2, H. Finley 3 2-2 9, Frickey 0 0-0 0, Bethea 1 0-0 2. Totals 30 7-9 81.
3-point goals -- KC-Washington 3 (Jv. Williams 3), Seaman 12 (Kaeden Bonner 5, KaeVon Bonner 3, Parsel, Thompson, Chapman, H. Finley). Total fouls -- KC-Washington 11, Seaman 12. Fouled out -- none.