By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Tuesday's United Kansas Conference matchup between No. 7-ranked Seaman and No. 8 Shawnee Heights included a little bit of everything -- four players fouling out, four players picking up technical fouls and a spectacular 39-point performance by T-Bird senior Jaret Sanchez.
Junior KaeVon Bonner led the way with 26 points as Seaman outlasted Shawnee Heights 68-66 Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]
But in the end, homestanding Seaman came up with just enough big plays down the stretch to escape with a 68-66 win in a game that included 11 ties and 11 lead changes.
"We have tremendous respect for their team and the season that they've had and knew how tough it would be to compete with them,'' said Seaman coach Craig Cox, whose team improved to 12-4 overall and 9-3 in the UKC. "I give our guys credit for doing enough to get it done.''
Viking junior KaeVon Bonner scored 13 of his team-high 26 points in the fourth quarter to help offset Sanchez's big night for Shawnee Heights (13-3, 9-3).
"He stepped up when we really needed him to and kind of answered what Sanchez had going on for them because we couldn't stop the kid,'' Cox said.
"It was a very competitive game because we knew they're one of the top teams and getting that big one right there was really big to us,'' Bonner said.
Shawnee Heights led 13-11 at the end of the first quarter and took a 25-23 advantage to the locker room at halftime, leading by 5 late in the half before Bonner nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Heights led by 5 again early in the second half and led 40-36 late in the third period before Bonner hit a pair of free throws on a technical foul to cut Seaman's deficit to 40-39 at the start of the fourth.
After falling behind by 5 early in the quarter Shawnee Heights came back to take a 55-52 lead on a Sanchez 3-pointer with 4:04 left, but Seaman sophomore Axton Brewer canned a big 3-pointer from the corner to knot the game.
"That was a huge shot,'' Cox said. "Axton has been really hitting a lot of 3s in JV games and he played four quarters of JV so we only had him for two and he stepped up in a big-time moment for us and knocked one down.''
Bonner broke the tie with 2:46 remaining and the Vikings were able to hold off the T-Birds the rest of the way.
Bonner was money at the free throw line down the stretch after missing three straight charities earlier.
"I had that little fall (after being fouled) and then it got into my head and I missed those three free throws and I was mad at myself, but then I made the next six so I got my redemption,'' Bonner said.
Senior Bryer Finley backed Bonner with 15 points while four other Vikings had 5 or more points.
Shawnee Heights senior Jaret Sanchez scored 39 points in Tuesday's 68-66 UKC loss at Seaman. [File photo/TSN]
Sanchez hit 13 of 22 shots from the floor, including four 3-pointers, for Heights while also connecting on 9 of 13 free throws.
Senior Deacon Pomeroy added 13 points for the T-Birds with a couple of treys, but only three other Heights players scored.
SEAMAN BOYS 68, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 66
Shawnee Heights 13 12 15 26 -- 66
Seaman 11 12 16 29 -- 68
Shawnee Heights (13-3, 9-3) – Cook 1-5 1-2 4, Pomeroy 3-7 5-6 13, Sanchez 13-22 9-13 39, Ross 2-2 2-2 6, Emmot 1-7 1-2 4, Parker 0-0 0-0 0, Alston 0-2 0-2 0, Lee 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-46 18-27 66.
Seaman (12-4, 9-3) – Finley 6-14 0-2 15, Bonner 6-11 12-15 26, Wiltz 1-2 0-0 2, Smith 2-6 2-2 6, McConnaughey 4-7 0-0 8, Zuniga 0-1 0-0 0, Brian 1-4 4-6 6, Brewer 2-3 0-0 5. Totals 22-48 18-25 68.
3-point goals – Shawnee Heights 8 (Sanchez 4, Pomeroy 2, Cook, Emmot), Seaman 6 (Finley 3, Bonner 2, Brewer). Total fouls – Shawnee Heights 23, Seaman 23. Fouled out – Cook, Ross, Smith, McConnaughey. Technical fouls – Lee, Finley, Sanchez, Brian.
