By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
EMPORIA -- The Washburn Rural Junior Blues faced the Wichita Southeast Buffaloes in the championship game of the Glaciers Edge Tournament on Saturday at Emporia High School, with the Junior Blues winning the title with a hard fought 48-42 victory.
Washburn Rural poses for a picture Saturday after winning the championship in the Glaciers Edge Tournament at Emporia. [Washburn Rural girls basketball]
Washburn Rural jumped out to an 8-2 lead behind seniors Josie Carlgren and Ella Hirschi, who scored five and three points, respectively. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the first quarter with the Buffs trimming two points off the lead and trailing 15-11.
Carlgren led the Junior Blues with seven points, followed by Hirschi’s six points. Senior Ka’Mya Gant led Wichita Southeast with 7 points in the opening eight minutes.
Washburn Rural extended their lead to seven points, 18-11, on the first play of the second quarter on a 3-pointer from freshman Brynn Anderson. Wichita Southeast was able to cut the lead back down to five points at 22-17 halfway through the quarter.
Both teams were only able to score two points apiece for the remainder of the half, giving the Junior Blues a 24-19 lead heading to the locker room.
The Lady Buffaloes had a great start to the third quarter, scoring the first five points, to tie the contest at 24. Rural's Anderson answered the Southeast run with a traditional three-point play that impacted both teams.
Her excellent scoop shot gave the Blues the lead at 27-24 and drew the fourth foul on Buffaloes senior post player, Deena Holmes, who had to sit out the majority of the remaining six minutes of the third quarter.
The Junior Blues extended the lead to 35-28 with a little over one minute left in the third quarter. However, Southeast senior Vivianna Wall hit a corner 3-pointer, cutting the lead to four, 35-31. Rural responded with a buzzer beater by Carlgren, giving Washburn Rural a 37-31 lead going into the final quarter.
Foul trouble became an issue late in the third quarter and into the fourth quarter for the Junior Blues and coach Kevin Bordewick discussed the play of his team while battling the fouls.
“We battled foul trouble that we hadn’t seen before, but we had girls come in off the bench (freshmen Kamryn Smith and Aly Hinck) and do a fantastic job,” Bordewick said.
Wichita Southeast came out and scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to take their first lead of the game, 38-37, with five minutes remaining.
The Junior Blues regained the lead, 40-38, with four minutes left on a huge 3-pointer by Hirschi. On its next possession, Rural junior Brooklyn Rutherford was fouled on a 3-pointer and she made two of three from the line, extending the lead to 42-38.
With 1:45 left in the game and clinging to a 42-40 lead, Rutherford made a reverse layup on a beautiful backdoor pass from Anderson, giving the Junior Blues a 44-40 lead.
“It was something out of our offense and it’s great to be able to have teammates where I can give the ball up and they will do something great with it,” Anderson said.
After the teams traded empty possessions, another big play for the Junior Blues occurred on a missed 3-point attempt from Hirschi with 24 seconds remaining in the game. Carlgren was able to force a tie-up, giving the ball back to Rural.
“That’s what Jo does so well. She is a hustle maniac, goes after everything and is our anchor on defense,” Bordewick said.
Southeast had to foul and Anderson made two free throws, giving Rural a 46-40 lead. After a Lady Buffaloes basket, Anderson scored the final two points of the contest from the line, giving the Blues the championship victory by a six-point margin.
Washburn Rural was led by Anderson’s 20 points, with Anderson named the most valuable player for the tournament. Carlgren had 11 points and senior Hirschi tallied 9, all on 3-pointers. Fellow senior Hallie Walker had a team-leading nine rebounds.
Wichita Southeast was led by two in double figures as junior Kiasia Allen scored 14 points and Gant had 11.
Washburn Rural returns to action Wednesday as it will host a girls/boys doubleheader against Blue Valley, starting at 6 p.m.
WASHBURN RURAL 48, WICHITA SOUTHEAST 42
Wichita Southeast 11 8 12 11 — 42
Washburn Rural 15 9 13 11 — 48
Wichita Southeast (5-8) -- Chalmers 3-9 0-2 6, Gantt 4-8 2-2 11, Wall 1-3 0-0 3, Allen 4-9 5-8 14, Holmes 2-4 0-2 4, Love 1-3 0-2 2, Mason 1-1 0-1 2, Hardwell 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 16-38 7-17 42.
Washburn Rural (10-4) -- Rutherford 2-3 2-3 6, Hirschi 3-11 0-0 9, Walker 1-6 0-2 2, Anderson 5-10 9-10 20, Carlgren 5-6 0-0 11, Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Hinck 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 16-37 11-15 48.
3-point goals -- Wichita Southeast 3 (Gantt, Wall, Allen), Washburn Rural 5 (Hirschi 3, Anderson, Carlgren). Total Fouls -- Wichita Southeast 19, Washburn Rural 15. Fouled out -- Chalmers, Walker. Technical fouls -- none.
Tournament results
Championship: Washburn Rural 48, Wichita Southeast 42
Third place: Wichita South 48, Emporia 46 (overtime)
Fifth place: Blue Valley 49, Free State 33
Seventh place: Topeka West 57, Shawnee Mission West 54
