By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
EMPORIA -- Anna Becker and Maddie Gragg have been undefeated Seaman's most consistent scorers over the course of the season, but the Vikings have been quick to share the wealth with fellow starters Jaida Stallbaumer, Ava Esser and Kinley Wilhelm.
Seaman senior Kinley Wilhelm had a career night with 18 points and 14 rebounds in Friday's 55-49 state semifinal win over Andover. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
And two days after Stallbaumer came up big in the Vikings' first-round win over Piper, Friday was Wilhelm's turn, with the Seaman senior turning in a career night as the defending champions advanced to a second straight title game with a 55-49 semifinal win over Andover in White Auditorium.
Wilhelm registered a double-double with career-highs of 18 points and 14 rebounds as Seaman improved to 24-0 on the season with their 30th straight victory overall.
"Jaida stepped up (Wednesday) night big for us and Kinley stepped up tonight,'' Seaman coach Matt Tinsley said. "It's always been someone else with this team, next person up, and that's a together group that we have in that locker room right there.''
Seaman senior Anna Becker had 12 points and four assists in Friday's 55-49 state semifinal win over Andover. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman junior Maddie Gragg had 11 points and six rebounds in Friday's 55-49 state semifinal win over Andover. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Wilhelm paced three double-figure scorers for the Vikings, who also got 12 points from Becker and 11 from Gragg while advancing to Saturday's 4 p.m. title game to meet St. Thomas Aquinas, a 68-54 semifinal winner over Spring Hill.
Wilhelm said she had a feeling early that Friday was going to be her night.
"I think all of us definitely have a role on this team,'' Wilhelm said. "(Wednesday) night Jaida pulled it through for us and today I thought I had an advantage with a small girl in the post so, 'Give me the ball, I'll score it for our team, I'll get that rebound,' and that just what my mentality was today.
"It was just an all-around team effort. I think our chemistry and our bond on this team is so wonderful that we know how we work. We stay together, we know what we need to do and we just execute it.''
Seaman took control early against the 22-2 Trojans and held on down the stretch for the win.
The Vikings jumped out to an 18-11 first-quarter advantage and led 30-22 at the half.
Seaman went up by 17 at the 5:40 mark of the third stanza and led by 12 (47-35) at the start of the fourth before Andover rallied to within three (49-46) with 1:37 left.
Seaman regained control with five straight free throws, two each from Stallbaumer and Becker and one from Wilhelm to give the Vikings a game-clinching 54-46 lead with 30.6 seconds left.
"They were 22-1 for a reason,'' Tinsley said of Andover's late run. "It's the state tournament, final four, and that's a good team so we knew it was going to be like that, but we had just enough in the tank.''
Andover's Aliyah Green scored 20 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, but was the lone double-figure scorer for the Trojans.
SEAMAN GIRLS 55, ANDOVER 49
Andover 11 11 13 14 -- 49
Seaman 18 12 17 8 -- 55
Andover (22-2) -- Bouddhara 3-9 1-2 8, Sullivan 4-11 1-2 9, Evans 1-2 2-2 5, Green 7-19 5-16 20, Hand 1-6 0-0 2, Siegrist 0-4 0-0 0, Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Christensen 2-2 0-0 5. Totals 18-53 9-22 49.
Seaman (24-0) -- J. Stallbaumer 1-4 3-6 5, Becker 3-10 6-8 12, Wilhelm 6-9 6-7 18, Gragg 4-11 2-2 11, Esser 1-2 0-0 2, Miller 2-3 1-1 5, Beaton 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 18-40 18-24 55.
3-point shots -- Andover 4-17 (Bouddhara 1-5, Evans 1-2, Green 1-1, Christensen 1-1, Siegrist 0-4, Sullivan 0-2, Hand 0-2), Seaman 1-8 (Gragg 1-2, Becker 0-3, Stallbaumer 0-1, Wilhelm 0-1, Miller 0-1). Total fouls -- Andover 20, Seaman 14. Fouled out -- Sullivan, Esser. Technical fouls -- none.
CLASS 5A GIRLS STATE BASKETBALL
Friday's semifinals
St. Thomas Aquinas 68, Spring Hill 54
Seaman 55, Andover 49
Saturday's games
12 p.m. -- Spring Hill (20-4) vs. Andover (22-2)
4 -- St. Thomas Aquinas (17-7) vs. Seaman (24-0)
