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Shawnee Heights builds 18-point lead, holds on for 53-48 UKC win over Basehor-Linwood
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
In its previous two games Shawnee Heights girls basketball dug itself a first-half hole en route to United Kansas Conference losses to state-ranked Seaman and De Soto.
Shawnee Heights sophomore KK Emmot (1) led the way with 22 points in Wednesday's 53-48 UKC win over Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The T-Birds flipped the script Wednesday night, dominating the opening half before holding off Basehor-Linwood for a 53-48 home UKC win.
"The biggest part of it was just finding a way to grind it out and win,'' Shawnee Heights coach Bob Wells said. "After having this week of no practice, and then coming out and playing, you never know what you're going to get, but this is what we needed to kind of get over the hump and get through the week with this crazy weather.
"We had a tough week last week playing Seaman and De Soto, which I thought we competed well in those games, but we could never get over the hump, so this is big.''
Shawnee Heights, which improved to 12-6 overall and 9-5 in the UKC, led by as many as 18 points in the first half, but Basehor-Linwood (9-8, 8-5) scored the final eight points of the half and opened the third quarter with a 13-2 run to briefly take a one-point advantage and set the stage for a nail-biter the rest of the way.
The T-Birds led 17-13 at the end of the first quarter and built a 34-16 cushion with 2:18 left in the half on a KK Emmot hoop, but Heights was held scoreless the remainder of the half as the Bobcats cut their deficit to 34-24.
Basehor-Linwood continued to rally in the third quarter, holding the T-Birds to just two points over the first five minutes-plus en route to taking a brief 37-36 lead at the 3:10 mark on a 3-pointer from junior Alaina Schwisow.
Shawnee Heights fought right back, however, with senior Haley Bowers connecting on a 3-pointer with 2:18 left in the third to put Heights back in front before both teams were held scoreless over the remainder of the stanza.
Heights boys survive so-so finish, take 61-54 home UKC win over Bobcats
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Veteran Shawnee Heights boys basketball coach Ken Darting saw a lot to like out of his T-Birds in Wednesday's 61-54 home United Kansas Conference win over Basehor-Linwood.
Senior Jaret Sanchez scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Wednesday's 61-54 Shawnee Heights home UKC win over Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior Deacon Pomeroy (1) scored 18 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds in Wednesday's home 61-54 UKC win over Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But the way the sixth-ranked (Class 5A) T-Birds finished the game wasn't one of those things.
Shawnee Heights, which improved to 15-3 overall and 11-3 in the UKC, trailed just once on the night (8-7 midway through the first quarter) and led by 10 points (36-26) at the half, by nine (51-42) at the end of the third quarter and by as many as 14 points (61-47) with 2:16 remaining before the Bobcats (8-9, 6-7) scored the final seven points of the game.
"We played consistent, built the lead, built the lead and led by 14 and then we're going to shoot quick and we're going to miss free throws and we miss layups and you don't finish the deal,'' Darting said. "And that's how you win states or sub-states is finishing the deal.
"I liked most of it, but we just didn't finish.''
Senior Jaret Sanchez led Shawnee Heights with 19 points and also grabbed eight rebounds while senior Deacon Pomeroy added 18 points with a game-high nine boards and junior Da'Quan Lee had eight points off the bench.
State swimming/diving: Cowdin looking to cap standout prep career with state medal
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Jaxon Cowdin got into diving almost by accident, but the Topeka High senior will end his high school career in this week's Class 6A state meet as the most accomplished one-meter diver in school, something he's very proud of.
Topeka High senior Jaxon Cowdin won his third straight Centennial League diving title last Thursday, the lone city champion. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
Cowdin credits older sister Maisie for helping getting him into the sport.
"She was a lifeguard over at one of the pools and I used to go there like all day and would dive off the diving boards and swim all the time, so she was like, 'Hey, you should probably go try dive,' Cowdin said. "So I came out for it and like the first two or three weeks I ended up breaking the school record and ended qualifying for state. So I'm pretty glad I did it.''
Fast forward to four years later and Cowdin has won four straight city diving titles and won his third straight Centennial League championship last Thursday.
"I think it's a cool thing for Topeka High School history,'' Cowdin said. "I think I've done something that very people can say that they've done, so I have a lot of pride in that.''
Now Cowdin is setting his sights this weekend at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatics Center on the one thing that's eluded him -- a state medal.
Cowdin, along with senior teammates Dominic and Malachi Delgado, will compete in the preliminaries and semifinals on Thursday, with the finals on Saturday.
"Probably the ultimate goal is going and getting a medal,'' Cowdin said. "I feel like I've come pretty close in the past three years but I've always been just short.
"I think I'm definitely more focused this year than I have been in past years and I think it's been especially good with the twins kind of riding up on me recently. I think that's definitely led to better competition.''
The three-day state meet will get under way with Thursday's diving prelims and semis, with the 6A event at 9:30 a.m. and 5A-1A at 4:30 p.m.
The 6A swimming preliminaries will start at 9 a.m. on Friday, with the 5A-1A prelims following at 4 p.m.
Championship 6A finals will get under way at 9 a.m. Friday, followed by the 5A-1A finals at 4 o'clock.
Senior Luke Lemke will compete in four events for Washburn Rural in the Class 6A state swimming meet. [File photo/TSN]
City champion and Centennial League runner up will be well-represented in the 6A state meet, with senior Luke Lemke (200-yard individual medley, 100 backstroke), sophomore Andres Morao-Jaspe (200 IM, 500 free) and freshman Thomas Appuhn (200 IM, 100 backstroke) all qualifying in two individual events while freshman Castle Wallace is qualified in the 100 breaststroke.
The Junior Blues are also qualified in the 200 medley relay, 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
Shawnee Heights senior Truman Brede was the lone city gold medalist in last Tuesday's UKC swimming championships. [File photo/TSN]
In 5A-1A Seaman senior Peyton Holmes (50 free, 100 free) and sophomore Kinser Barbosa (200 free, 100 butterfly) are both qualified in two individual events, as are Shawnee Heights seniors Truman Brede (200 free, 100 backstroke) and Evan Hoobler (100 butterfly, 100 breaststroke).
Hayden senior Palmer Heskett is an individual qualifier in the 200 IM while both Seaman and Hayden are qualified in the 200 medley and 400 free relays.
STATE SWIMMING/DIVING SCHEDULE
