By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Breezy Canady wasn't expecting to get the ball, and wasn't necessarily supposed to get the ball for Shawnee Heights' last-gasp shot at the end of regulation Tuesday night against Topeka West.
But once the ball ended up in the 5-foot-5 sophomore's hands she did the rest, draining a 3-pointer to force overtime.
The T-Birds, who trailed by 11 points with less than three minutes remaining in regulation, then took full advantage of their second chance, outscoring Topeka West 12-3 in the OT to take a 64-55 win at Shawnee Heights.
"It was a risky shot,'' Canady said of her clutch 3-pointer. "I wasn't set or anything. I was definitely expecting our top person to shoot that and I stepped in and I was waiting to go rebound and she passed it to me so I just threw it up a little bit.''
Shawnee Heights sophomore Breezy Canady (24), who forced overtime with a last-second 3-pointer in Tuesday's 64-55 win over Topeka West, celebrates with T-Bird senior Abby Schulte. {Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN}
"(Canady) was option No. 3 on that inbounds set,'' Heights coach Bob Wells said of the last play. "It was going there or it was going there and if they don't got it you step in and it's all yours.''
Once Shawnee Heights, which improved to 2-1, got to overtime it never looked back, scoring seven straight points to take control.
"They started playing to win instead of playing not to lose,'' Wells said. "I think that was the big thing.''
Canady, who finished with 15 points, scored the first five points of the extra session and had six in the OT while junior Emari Doby had four points in overtime and finished with a game-high 20 points.
"The 3 definitely motivated us,'' Canady said. "It was our spark to the game, definitely. It got us going. My adrenalin was pumping, I couldn't stop it.''
Senior Abby Schulte joined Doby and Canady in double figures with 15 points while senior Zoe Oczko grabbed 12 rebounds.
Defense was also a big key for the T-Birds, who forced 33 turnovers.
Topeka West, which fell to 0-4, led 10-6 at the end of the first quarter and the Chargers took an 18-17 lead at the half and were in front 35-30 at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Chargers went in front 47-36 with 2:56 remaining on a pair of free throws from junior Azaryah Duncan, but Shawnee Heights outscored West 16-5 over the remainder of the fourth quarter to extend the game.
Sophomore Siana Sanchez led Topeka West with 12 points while Whitley Benson, Zoe Clark and Jazmyn Ford scored nine points apiece and Rebecca Bearman had eight points and 12 rebounds.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS GIRLS 64, TOPEKA WEST 55
Topeka West 10 8 15 19 3 -- 55
Shawnee Heights 6 11 13 22 12 -- 64
Topeka West (0-4) -- Sanchez 3-6 6-8 13, Benson 3-7 2-4 9, Clark 3-6 1-4 9, Ford 3-8 3-5 9, Bearman 4-7 0-0 8, Duncan 2-3 2-2 7, Mays 0-0 0-0 0, Valenzuela 0-0 0-0 0, Hopper 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-37 14-23 55.
Shawnee Heights (2-1) -- Showalter 2-8 0-2 4, Hill 0-4 0-0 0, Doby 6-13 7-11 20, Schulte 5-9 5-7 15, Oczko 2-11 1-3 5, Rottinghaus 2-7 1-2 5, Canady 6-13 2-4 15, Fleischer 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 23-65 16-29 64.
3-point goals -- Topeka West 5 (Clark 2, Sanchez, Benson, Duncan), Shawnee Heights 2 (Doby, Canady). Total fouls -- Topeka West 26, Shawnee Heights 18. Fouled out -- Sanchez, Clark, Ford, Duncan.
