By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EMPORIA -- The Hayden girls continued their busy start to the 2025-2026 basketball season with a fourth straight win Tuesday in the opening round of the Paul Terry Classic, with the Wildcats rolling past Basehor-Linwood, 61-37.
Sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein (2) scored a game-high 22 points with three 3-pointers in Tuesday's 61-37 Hayden win over Basehor-Linwood in the opening round of the Paul Terry Classic. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden sophomore Blakely Walter (1) scored 16 points Tuesday as the Wildcats improved to 4-0 with a 61-37 win over Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And while playing six games in the opening two weeks of the season doesn't leave much time for practice, Wildcat coach Carvel Reynoldson is happy with the progress his team has made in the early going.
"After our first game (at Pittsburg Colgan last week) I know I wished that we had more practices, but we had to play two more,'' Reynoldson said. "We kind of worked things out during those games and I think I like (the busy stretch). You learn a lot about your team.''
Reynoldson thought his Wildcat took another step forward in Tuesday's win.
"What we always talk about is that energy and effort are the things you can control all the time and I thought our energy and effort were great, so I'm satisfied,'' Reynoldson said.
"I think we've taken some steps with moving the ball on offense and getting ourselves some pretty good looks.''
Hayden, ranked No. 3 in Class 4A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, went wire to wire Tuesday against the Bobcats, scoring the opening five points of the game and opening up a commanding 22-9 advantage by the end of the first quarter.
The Wildcats went on to take a 33-16 cushion to the locker room at halftime and put the game out of reach with a 16-9 third quarter before both teams scored 12 points in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore standouts Hailey Schmidtlein and Blakely Walter combined for 38 points to power Hayden, with Schmidtlein scoring a game-high 22 points with three 3-pointers while Walter added 16 points with a pair of 3s.
All 10 players in uniform got significant playing time Tuesday, with seven Wildcats cracking the scoring column.
Basehor-Linwood (0-2) did not have a player in double figures.
Hayden will play its final two rounds in the Paul Terry Classic on Friday and Saturday, with the Wildcats facing Spring Hill at 3 p.m. Friday before taking on host Emporia at 1 p.m. Saturday.
HAYDEN GIRLS 61, BASEHOR-LINWOOD 37
Basehor-Linwood 9 7 9 12 -- 37
Hayden 22 11 16 12 -- 61
Basehor-Linwood (0-2) – Fitzgerald 1 1-2 3, Schwisow 4 0-0 9, McKnight 2 1-2 5, Witthop 3 2-2 9, VanDonge 2 0-0 4, Jackson 0 0-0 0, Super 1 3-4 5, Deters 0 0-0 0, Unruh 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 7-10 37.
Hayden (4-0) – Walter 7 0-1 16, Schmidtlein 9 1-2 22, Foster 0 0-0 0, Wichman 1 3-6 5, Mitchell 2 2-2 6, Huscher 2 0-0 5, Wrench 0 0-0 0, Borjon 1 0-0 3, Watts 0 0-0 0, Connell 2 0-0 4. Totals 24 6-11 61.
3-point goals – Basehor-Linwood 2 (Schwisow, Witthop), Hayden 7 (Schmidtlein 3, Walter 2, Huscher, Borjon). Total fouls -- Basehor-Linwood 9, Hayden 9. Fouled out -- none.
