By KYLE MANTHE
Special to TopSports.news
It took the Shawnee Heights boys (5-2 overall, 5-2 in the United Kansas Conference) less than four minutes to build a double-digit lead and for all five starters to score Tuesday night.
The Thunderbirds scored the first 12 points and would run away with a 67-41 win over Turner (0-7, 0-6).
Sophomore Jaret Sanchez led a balanced Shawnee Heights attack as the T-Birds rolled to a 67-41 UKC win over KC-Turner Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]
“What I loved is that we played extremely hard, and we shared the ball, we didn’t miss very many open people,” said Shawnee Heights coach Ken Darting. “We were getting the ball out and getting the shots we can make, which is what I liked most ... so offensively it was a good night.”
Shawnee Heights lived in the paint, making 30 total field goals with only three 3-pointers as the T-Birds scored 63 points in the first three quarters. Defensively the T-Birds held the Golden Bears to 14 points in the first half.
“I thought our rotation was good except on the weak side, and again, last 10 minutes we got lazy when we were up 35 and they got a bunch on easy backside rotations but when the game was in question I thought our defense was really good,” Darting said.
The win was the fourth straight for the T-Birds. It has been a group effort offensively in that stretch and it was no different Tuesday, with six players scoring at least five points.
“I think we are coming together at the perfect time,” Darting said. “We are a team that has to win with 10 or 12 players, we don’t have a guy that can take the game over, so I like how we are coming together.”
The opening quarter was dictated by the defensive pressure of Shawnee Heights to build a 12-0 lead. Turner was able to knock down a few shots late, playing the rest of the quarter even to trail 19-7.
In the second quarter, offense was consistent for the Thunderbirds as they went off for 24 points in the quarter. Most of the offense came on the inside, led by sophomore Jaret Sanchez who had 10 first-half points.
Junior Dylan Sanchez knocked down two 3-pointers in under a minute to make it a 30-point game. Heights would go into halftime up 29, 43-14.
Out of halftime the offense for Shawnee Heights continued to churn, with two quick baskets from senior Q Stovall to cap off his five of five shooting day. Eight players scored for the home team in the third quarter alone.
As both benches were emptied late in the third and the fourth quarter the Golden Bears’ offense picked up when 3-pointers went down. Still, the Thunderbirds were able to breathe easy down the stretch, winning by 26 points.
Jaret Sanchez scored 12 points to lead Shawnee Heights while Stovall had 10 points and Dylan Sanchez nine while going three for four from the floor.
Joseph Harris and Josiah Harris led Turner in scoring, with 10 and eight pointss, respectively.
The T-Birds will stay at home and welcome Seaman on Friday night.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS BOYS 67, TURNER 41
KC-Turner 7 7 15 12 -- 41
Shawnee Heights 19 24 20 4 -- 67
Shawnee Heights (5-2 5-2) – Jones 0-3 0-0 0, Dodge 2-2 0-0 4, Kendrick 3-5 0-0 6, Holly 4-9 0-1 8, J. Sanchez 6-10 0-0 12, Moore 2-8 0-0 4, Pomeroy 3-7 0-0 6, D. Sanchez 3-4 0-0 9, Malcom 1-5 2-3 4, Stovall 5-5 0-0 10, Alston 1-2 0-0 2, Emmot 1-5 0-0 2. Totals: 30-65 4-6 67.
KC Turner (0-7, 0-6) – Garrett 0-4 0-0 0, Porter 2-5 1-2 7, George 0-4 0-0 0, Seamster 2-7 0-0 5, Marshall 0-0 0-0 0, Scott 0-0 0-0 0, Follick 1-5 1-2 4, Josi. Harris 3-4 1-1 8, Williams 1-8 3-5 5, Josep. Harris 4-7 0-2 10, McGee 1-4 0-2 2. Totals 14-48 6-15 41.
3-point goals – Shawnee Heights 3 (D. Sanchez 3), Turner 7 (Jose. Harris 2, Porter 2, Josi. Harris 1, Follick 1, Seamster 1). Total fouls – Shawnee Heights 17, Turner 12. Fouled out – Turner (McGee). Technical fouls – None.
