By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's girls began their 2025-2026 basketball season Monday in the De Soto Hardwood Classic, taking a 46-36 win over Shawnee Mission East.
The start of a new season always brings new faces and new challenges. For the Junior Blues, this season is definitely the case with five freshmen seeing the court on opening night. Along with the five freshmen, there are two juniors and three seniors who provide experience to the young roster. One noticeable absence on opening night was All-State junior Maddie Vickery, who suffered a knee injury over the summer and hopes to return later this season.
Washburn Rural started the game with an 8-0 run, led by junior Brooklyn Rutherford’s five points and senior Ella Hirschi’s 3-pointer. SM East was overwhelmed by Rural’s pressure defense, leading to seven turnovers in the first quarter alone.
SM East was finally able to get on the board with a free throw by junior Lauren Mercer almost five minutes into the game. Rural continued to pressure the Lancers and led 13-5 at the end of the first quarter.
As the second quarter began, SM East was able to adjust to the defensive pressure and outscored the Junior Blues 6-2 over the first five minutes of the second stanza. Both teams traded baskets and Washburn Rural went to the locker room with a 17-13 lead.
The start of the second half mimicked the start of the game, where Rural doubled their lead over the first four minutes of the third quarter, leading 23-15 on buckets by Rutherford, senior Josie Carlgren and freshman Brynn Anderson. The Junior Blues maintained the eight point lead going into the final quarter, leading the Lancers 28-20.
Another 8-0 run to begin the fourth quarter gave Rural their largest lead of the game, 36-20. Carlgren and Hirschi both knocked down 3-pointers and Anderson scored on a pretty spin move in the lane. Both teams had their highest point totals in the fourth quarter with the Junior Blues outscoring the Lancers, 18-16, accounting for the final score of 46-36.
Washburn Rural was led Anderson’s 13 points and five rebounds. Carlgren had eight points and four steals, Rutherford scored seven and senior Hallie Walker scored two points, grabbed six rebounds and had three assists.
SM East was led by senior Talia Augustine’s seven points and five rebounds. Senior Fina Kessler dropped in six points and fellow senior Paige Stanfield also scored six along with eight rebounds.
Washburn Rural advances to the semifinal round on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. where it will face the host school, De Soto, a 55-35 first-round winner over Olathe Northwest.
WASHBURN RURAL 46, SM EAST 36
SM East 5 8 7 16 -- 36
Washburn Rural 13 4 11 18 -- 46
SM East 36 (0-2) -- Kessler 2-5 0-0 6, Eck 1-3 0-0 2, Stanfield 3-13 0-0 6, Kroening 2-4 0-0 5, Reiser 1-4 0-4 2, Beltrame 1-1 0-0 3, Mercer 0-1 3-4 3, Tilgner 0-0 2-4 2, Augustine 1-1 5-8 7, Zahner 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 11-33 10-20 36.
Washburn Rural 46 (1-0) -- Rutherford 3-5 0-0 7, Hirschi 4-6 0-0 11, Walker 0-1 2-2 2, Anderson 5-18 2-2 13, Carlgren 3-11 0-0 8, Smith 1-2 0-0 2, Frost 0-0 0-2 0, Hinck 0-4, 0-2 0, Munson 0-2 1-2 1, Petersen 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 17-51 5-10 46.
3-point goals -- SM East 4 (Kessler 2, Beltrame, Kroening), Washburn Rural 7 (Hirschi 3, Carlgren 2, Rutherford, Anderson). Total Fouls -- SM East 11, Washburn Rural 21. Fouled out -- none. Technical fouls -- none.
Trojans fall to Northwest in OT, 64-60
Topeka High opened the De Soto Hardwood Classic with a Monday contest against Shawnee Mission Northwest, dropping a 64-60 decision in overtime.
The Cougars jumped out to a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Trojans were able to claw back and took a three point lead into the fourth quarter.
With the game tied in the final seconds, Topeka High had an opportunity to win, but missed the last shot, sending the game to overtime. SM Northwest outscored Topeka High 10-6 in the overtime period to take the four-point win.
Junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton led Topeka High with 23 points while senior Keimara Marshall added 18.
Topeka High will play in a consolation game at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon against Blue Valley Northwest, which lost in a hard fought game to Liberty, Mo., 50-48.
SM NORTHWEST 64, TOPEKA HIGH 60 (OT)
Topeka High 12 14 17 11 6 -- 60
SM Northwest 22 7 11 14 10 -- 64
Topeka High 60 (0-2) -- Short 3-8 0-0 8, Triplett 0-4 0-0 0, Marshall 9-18 0-0 18, Rayton 7-23 7-8 23, Gotru 2-3 0-0 4, Conley 0-0 0-0 0, Whayne 3-7 0-0 7, Brown 0-1 0-0 0, Martin 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-65 7-8 60.
SM Northwest 64 (1-0) -- O’Connor 5-9 3-3 15, Jackson 2-15 6-6 12, Cook 4-8 2-2 14, Gipson 4-9 2-2 10, Zans 2-3 0-1 4, Smigalovic 0-0 0-0 0, Blout 1-4 1-2 3, Sepulveda 3-7 0-0 6. Totals 21-55 14-16 64.
3-point goals -- Topeka High 5 (Short 2, Rayton 2, Whayne), SM Northwest 8 (Cook 4, O’Connor 2, Jackson 2). Total Fouls -- Topeka High 14, SM Northwest 11. Fouled out -- none. Technical fouls -- none.
Cair Paravel boys rally past Lyndon, 61-60
Down five points at the start of the fourth quarter, Cair Paravel's boys rallied to take a 61-60 Flint Hills League road win Monday night at Lyndon.
Cair Paravel led 15-10 at the end of the first quarter and 35-28 at halftime before Lyndon used an 18-6 third quarter to take a 46-41 advantage.
The Lions outscored the Tigers 20-14 over the final eight minutes to pull out the one-point win as Blaine Durbin scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Cair Paravel.
Lucas Marichal added 12 points and Drew Fay 11 for the Lions while Chase Hastert had eight points as CPLS improved to 3-1 on the season.
Lady Tigers top Lions, 64-19
Lyndon star Kniesler scored 37 points Monday as the Tigers rolled to a 64-19 Flint Hills League home win over Cair Paravel.
Cair Paravel was within eight points at the end of the first quarter, but Lyndon took control with a 36-9 scoring advantage over the next two quarters.
London Backman led Cair Paravel, now 2-2 on the season, with nine points while Eriana Donaldson added six points.
