By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EMPORIA -- The 2021-2022 season certainly didn't end the way Topeka West's boys basketball coach Rick Bloomquist wanted it to.
But Bloomquist said Wednesday night's 59-51 Class 5A state tournament loss to St. James Academy did nothing to diminish the love and respect that the veteran coach has for this year's team.
After finishing in second in the 2021 state tournament, Topeka West put itself in a position to keep its state title hopes alive Wednesday before the Thunder ended the first-round game with an 8-0 run to take the eight-point victory, ending the Chargers' 20-game winning streak.
"I love this team,'' Bloomquist said. "I've coached a lot of teams and I can't favor one over the other, but they are one of my favorite teams without question because they had a great, great season.
"You can't take that away. You can't take that 21 wins away from us, you can't take away the little goals we had -- the (Centennial) League championship, the (Topeka Invitational) championship. This was the big one we wanted and we didn't get it but we can walk out of here with our heads high. This team, regardless of what happened tonight, put a thumb print on Topeka West High School and the Topeka West community. There's no question about it.''
Topeka West senior Zander Putthoff scored a game-high 17 points with five 3-pointers in the Chargers' 59-51 state tournament loss to St. James Academy Wednesday night in Emporia. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Elijah Brooks scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds in Topeka West's 59-51 state tournament loss to St. James Academy Wednesday night in Emporia. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
No. 2 seed Topeka West led most of the night, including a 20-12 first-quarter lead, but the 21-2 Chargers were unable to put the Thunder away, due in part to a zero of nine performance at the free throw line.
No. 7 St. James Academy, which improved 16-7, cut its deficit to 30-29 at the half and rallied late in the third quarter to take a 42-41 lead into the fourth quarter.
An Xavier Alexander 3-pointer put Topeka West in front 44-42 and the the Chargers later took a 47-44 lead on a Zander Putthoff 3-pointer and went in front 49-47 before St. James Academy scored back to back baskets to take 51-49 advantage.
Alexander scored to tie the game at 51, but that would be Topeka West's final points of the night.
Putthoff, a senior, paced Topeka West with 17 points, including five 3-pointers, while senior Brooks added 13 points and nine rebounds and junior Sincere Auston 10 points.
St. James senior Sam Somherhalder led the Thunder with 16 points and junior Brian Hawthorne added 15 points.
Senior Garrett Lynch pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds for St. James to go with eight points.
With Wednesday's win St. James Academy advanced to Friday's 6 p.m. state semifinal to face De Soto, a 50-45 first-round winner over Blue Valley Southwest.
ST. JAMES ACADEMY 59, TOPEKA WEST 51
St. James Academy 12 17 13 17 -- 59
Topeka West 20 10 11 10 -- 51
St. James Academy (16-7) -- Somherhalder 7-15 2-3 16, Niesen 1-6 2-2 4, Boydston 3-5 0-0 8, Hawthorne 6-12 3-5 15, Lynch 3-8 2-3 11, Burritt 2-2 0-0 6, Sydzyik 1-2 0-1 2. Totals 23-50 9-15 59.
Topeka West (21-2) -- Austin 4-7 0-0 10, Brooks 6-16 0-3 13, Alexander 3-5 0-1 7, Berg 0-4 0-0 0, Putthoff 6-12 0-0 17, Robinson 1-1 0-5 2, Foy 0 0-0 0, Bearman 1-1 0-0 0-0 2. Totals 21-46 0-9 51.
3-point goals -- St. James Academy 4-12 (Boydston 2-2, Burritt 2-2, Niesen 0-2, Sydzyik 0-1, Hawthorne 0-5), Topeka West 9-17 (Putthoff 5-10, Austin 2-2, Brooks 1-2, Alexander 1-3). Total fouls -- St. James Academy 11, Topeka West 14. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls -- none.
