By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
The Highland Park girls basketball team, ranked No. 7 in Class 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, started off slow Thursday night with an 18-11 lead over Kansas City-Sumner Academy at the end of the first quarter but woke up to take a 35-17 halftime lead on the way to a dominating 64-23 Meadowlark Conference victory at Hi Park.
Junior Amelia Ramsey scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in Highland Park's 64-23 win over Sumner on Thursdday. [File photo/TSN]
The Lady Scots improved to 4-0 in their first action since Dec. 15th and fourth game of the season.
“We haven't played since Dec. 15th and having games cancelled and moved to weather, it was sloppy to start out but we calmed down and picked up are defensive intensity and played smart basketball,” Highland Park coach Rob Brown said.
The Lady Scots were led in scoring by 5-foot-10 freshman Pearmella Carter with 22 points and seven rebounds.
“It was a good game and we were rusty but we loosened up in the second half and took off,” Carter said.
The Lady Scots also got another monster night from 6-0 junior Amelia Ramsey, who finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds and earned her fourth straight double-double.
“It feels good to be back out there after a long break,'' Ramsey said. "It was a great team win for us and hopefully we can get another win Friday night.”
The Lady Scots welcomed 5-5 senior guard Angelique Gown-Britt back for her first game of the season and she came back in style with 12 points and 11 assists on the night.
“She is a good leader, great point guard and asset on the floor and I'm excited to have her back,” Ramsey said.
“Having her back is a big deal for us,'' Brown said. "She was the defensive player of the year in the Meadowlark Conference as a junior and we are excited to have her back.”
Gown-Britt on her return: “I feel like I could of done better, but I saw my teammates when they where open and I got them the ball.”
The Lady Scots have a big January ahead of them with top-10 matchups with 4A No. 6 Eudora and 5A No. 2 St.Thomas Aquinas and a midseason tourney in Emporia which features five teams ranked in the top 10 in 6A and 5A.
“It's gonna be a challenge,'' Brown said. "You have to keep practices intense and keep the right reps in practice and games, and watching plenty of film on our opponents.”
The Lady Scots are back in action on Friday at KC-Harmon in another Meadowlark Conference contest.
HIGHLAND PARK GIRLS 64, KC-SUMNER 23
KC-Sumner 11 6 4 2 -- 23
Highland Park 18 17 21 8 – 64
KC-Sumner (4-5 1-4) – George 3-6 2-2 11, Haywood 3-10 0-0 6, Rivera 3-9 0-2 4, M.Patrick 1-5 0-0 2, Brown 0-2 0-0 0, Mccord 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 10-32 2-6 23.
Highland Park (4-0 2-0) – Carter 10-14 2-4 22, Ramsey 9-13 3-3 21, Angelique 5-8 2-2 12, Sanders 4-13 0-2 9, Broils 0-11 2-2 2, Austin 0-3 0-0 0, Atkins 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 28-63 9-13 64.
3 point goals– Highland Park 1 (Sanders). Total fouls – KC-Sumner 17, Highland Park 14.
