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By KYLE MANTHE
The Washburn Review
Although the two teams' seasons as a whole are much different, going into Tuesday night's contest both Topeka West and Washburn Rural’s girls basketball teams were on one game-winning streaks.
The Junior Blues kept their streak alive as they streaked to a 66-24 win over the Chargers to kick off a busy week with three games.
“We got a big one tomorrow at Shawnee Mission Northwest, who is the defending champs and then Emporia who is really, really good on Friday,'' Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick said. "So we are trying to keep fresh legs, it’s kind of like a state tournament atmosphere almost.''
Senior Chloe Carlgren (13) led a balanced Washburn Rural attack with 11 points in the Junior Blues' 66-24 win over Topeka West Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]
The 66 points were the most this season for Washburn Rural, which moved to 7-1 with the win, while Topeka West fell to 1-9 with the loss.
The first quarter was dictated by the defense of the Junior Blues forcing turnovers and the all-around play of standout junior Brooklyn DeLeye, who had seven of the team's 19 points in the period, matching the Chargers' total.
Washburn Rural played its bench for much of the second quarter and the offense did not miss a beat.
Senior Campbell Bagshaw and junior Chloe Carlgren led the charge with a combined nine points on 4-4 shooting in the frame.
“I thought they brought just as much energy (as the starters), and we don’t drop off a whole lot (going to the bench), but the kids that came in did a really nice job,” Bordewick said.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High's No. 4-ranked girls didn't necessarily play their best basketball in the first half of Tuesday's home Centennial League game against Manhattan, although the undefeated Trojans still held a 10-point advantage.
But the Trojans had plenty to celebrate in the second half, including a milestone from junior star Kiki Smith, as Topeka High improved to 8-0 on the season with a 78-53 win.
Manhattan was still hanging around at the half, trailing 39-29, but Topeka High put the game away with a 25-15 third quarter and the fourth quarter belonged to Smith, who capped a 19-point night with six straight points, eclipsing the 1,000-point mark for her career with 3:33 left to play.
"It's like now the pressure's off and now she can just continue to keep playing,'' Topeka High coach Hannah Alexander said of Smith. "She knew it was coming up and she wanted to hit it.''
Topeka High junior Kiki Smith scored 19 points and went over the 1,000-point mark for her career in Tuesday night's 78-53 home Centennial League win over Manhattan. [File photo]
Alexander felt like it took awhile for the Trojans to get started against the Indians (3-6, 3-5), but was pleased with her team's play in the second half.
Tuesday's win was Topeka High's second over Manhattan this season, with the Trojans opening their season with a 63-41 win over MHS.
"They're much-improved from the last time we played them,'' Alexander said of Manhattan. "I thought that they looked a lot better, more sound offensively and defensively. They were scrappy.
"We were doing little things that were a little uncharacteristic of us and I told them we've got to tighten up things. We've got to do all the little things and we can never look past or overlook any opponent and each day we've got to get better. No matter who we're going against, it's us that we're looking at.''
Senior Tae Thomas led Topeka High with a game-high 21 points, including three 3-pointers, while junior Adisyn Caryl was the third Trojan in double figures with 12 points and senior DayShauna Wiley added nine points and junior Faith Shields eight.
Junior Destiny Yates led Manhattan with 20 points, including three 3-pointers, while senior Grace Dixon added 12 points and sophomore Maxine Doering 11.
Topeka High will host Hayden in a Centennial League game on Thursday.
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Junior Jack Bachelor scored 25 points and hit five 3-pointers to lead the way as Washburn Rural advanced to the semifinals of the Basehor-Linwood Invitational with a 55-47 win over Piper on Tuesday.
Jack Bachelor
Washburn Rural, which improved to 5-3, opened the tournament in Tuesday's 3 p.m. game and the Junior Blues got off to a fast start, outscoring the Pirates 21-9 in the first quarter.
The Junior Blues went on to take a commanding 32-15 advantage into the locker room at the half.
Piper outscored Washburn Rural 32-23 after the break, but the Junior Blues were able to hold on for the victory.
Bachelor hit a pair of 3-pointers in the opening quarter and had 13 points in the first half.
Senior Quincey Kidd joined Bachelor in double figures for Washburn Rural with 12 points, including six in the decisive first quarter.
Jacob Hirschi added eight points for Rural.
With Tuesday's win Washburn Rural advanced to a 4:30 p.m. semifinal on Friday against the winner of Tuesday's first-round game between Centennial League rival Junction City and St. Joseph Central, Mo.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS BOYS 51, WYANDOTTE 45 -- Shawnee Heights rallied in the fourth quarter to pull out a 51-45 win over Wyandotte in Tuesday's opening roud of the Viking Classic at Shawnee Mission West.
The T-Birds, now 8-1, trailed 11-9 at the end of the first quarter, 25-21 at halftime and 40-35 at the start of the fourth quarter before Heights outscored the Bulldogs by a 16-5 margin over the final eight minutes.
Carter Olson
Senior Carter Olson led Shawnee Heights with 13 points and 12 rebounds while sophomore Jayden Moore added 10 points with a pair of 3-pointers and senior Nate Pewe had nine points.
Shawnee Heights advanced to a 6:15 p.m. semifinal on Thursday to face the first-round winner between Lansing and host Shawnee Mission West in a semifinal contest.
Heights and Lansing are United Kansas Conference rivals, with the T-Birds taking a 52-37 win over the Lions on Jan. 7.
CAIR PARAVEL LATIN BOYS 71, McLOUTH 32 -- Cair Paravel's boys opened play in the McLouth Invitational with a 71-32 romp past the host team Tuesday night.
Senior Zach Clark led the way with 23 points while 10 Lions cracked the scoring column.
Cair Paravel jumped out to a 21-12 first-quarter advantage and then put the game away with a 23-5 second-quarter onslaught, taking a 44-17 halftime advantage.
The Lions outscored McLouth 27-15 in the second half en route to improving to 6-2 on the season.
LABETTE COUNTY BOYS 43, SILVER LAKE 40 -- A comeback effort by Silver Lake in its first-round game of the Burlington Invitational came up just short Tuesday night, with the Eagles dropping a 43-40 decision despite a 25-point performance from junior Kamryn Kaniper.
The Eagles spotted Labette County a 20-6 lead before battling back to tie the game at 38-38 in the fourth quarter.
Silver Lake was unable to get over the hump, however, with Labette County holding on to advance to the tournament semifinals.
Kaniper had another big night for the Eagles, including seven 3-pointers.
Silver Lake will face Rock Creek on Friday.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Five Shawnee County basketball teams remain state-ranked in the latest rankings released Tuesday by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.
Highland Park remained No. 2 in the Class 5A boys rankings while Topeka West moved up to No. 4 after handing the Scots their first loss of the season last Friday.
Highland Park is 8-1 on the season and Topeka West 7-1, with both teams competing in this week's Topeka Invitational Tournament at Highland Park.
Mike Williams' Highland Park boys basketball team is No. 2-ranked in Class 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Rick Bloomquist's Topeka West boys are ranked No. 4 in Class 5A by the KBCA. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka High's girls are ranked No. 4 in 6A while Washburn Rural holds down the No. 7 spot in 6A.
Topeka High took a 7-0 record into Tuesday's Centennial League game against Manhattan while Rural took a 6-1 record into Tuesday's league game with Topeka West.
Silver Lake, 7-0 on the season, is ranked third in the 3A girls state rankings.
KANSAS BASKETBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION STATE RANKINGS
GIRLS
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Carter Olson's junior season in both football and basketball was a lost year.
Olson suffered an ACL injury in Shawnee Heights' 2020 season-opening football game, an injury that sidelined him for the remainder of football season and the entire 2020-2021 basketball season.
That's the bad news.
The good news is that the 6-foot-6 senior continues to make up for lost time and is enjoying every minute of it.
Shawnee Heights senior Carter Olson (22) battles for a rebound against Leavenworth in last Tuesday's 66-44 UKC win over the Pioneers. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Olson earned second-team All-United Kansas Conference recognition and All-Shawnee County honorable mention in football for 5-5 Shawnee Heights and has played a major role on the basketball court for the T-Birds, who will take a 7-1 record into Tuesday night's Viking Classic tournament opener against Wyandotte at Shawnee Mission West.
Olson was solid in the early going for the T-Birds, but stepped up his game last week with back-to-back double-doubles in lopsided United Kansas Conference victories over Leavenworth and Turner.
Olson's big breakthrough was a 14-point, 11-rebound performance in last Tuesday's 66-44 win over Leavenworth.
"To be honest, it really did take me to this game to get back,'' Olson said. "It took me awhile through the summer and until now just to get prepared and now the game of basketball again. I'm glad to be back.''
Olson followed that game with 14 points and 13 rebounds in Friday's 82-58 win at Turner, with the T-Birds winning their fourth straight game.
Senior Carter Olson has registered back-to-back double-doubles for Shawnee Heights, which is 7-1 on the season. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"I feel more confident, more smooth with the ball and am just getting better and better every week and I'll just keep practicing,'' Olson said.
Olson said that making it through the entire football season healthy helped prep him for basketball.
"Being out for six months really got me out of shape and playing football and getting back in that sports mentality, it was fun,'' Olson said. "That was just that confidence boost I'm gaining every week from practice and getting to know that my knee's going to be OK. I'm just getting the confidence I need to be out there.''
Olson wore a knee brace during football season but discarded the brace for basketball.
"I talked to the doctor and he said it was fine to not wear it for basketball,'' Olson said. "I wore it for football because I know it's more of a contact sport, but I trust my knee and it's holding up so far.''
Hall of Fame Shawnee Heights coach Ken Darting said Olson has provided a big boost for the T-Birds after missing a ton of playing time early in his career.
"He probably missed four or five games the year before -- ankles twice, knees -- so he's played very little,'' Darting said. "He's been great. Carter is a hard-nosed competitor and hard-headed as he is hard-nosed and he's absolutely interested in one thing and that's winning.
"He goes after rebounds like crazy. He goes from right wing to left block rebounding.''
Olson has helped lead the way as Shawnee Heights has already surpassed its win total from the entire 2020-2021 season.
"We're having a lot of fun,'' Olson said. "We're having fun at practice, getting along real well. The freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors are all getting along and we're just a big family.
"No one gets down on each other. We pick each other up and we're doing good.''
