By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
By her own admission, Hayden standout Lauren Sandstrom has struggled offensively in the early part of the 2023-2024 basketball season.
But that changed in a hurry Friday night, with Sandstrom scoring a game-high 22 points to lead the way as Hayden bounced back from a 14-point Tuesday night Centennial League loss to Emporia with a 46-38 win over defending league champ Washburn Rural at the Bueltel Activity Center.
Hayden senior Lauren Sandstrom (5) scored a game-high 22 points as Wildcats top Washburn Rural, 46-38. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
Sandstrom, a 6-foot senior, hit 8 of 10 shots from the field and 6 of 8 free throw attempts in Friday's breakout performance as Hayden ended a 12-game, eight-year-plus losing streak against Washburn Rural dating back to 2015.
"I have been struggling to score from the start of the season,'' said Sandstrom, a Rockhurst signee. "I think my season-high has been like 10 or something and I kind of just told myself, 'It's got to be this game, I've got to start now.'
"I was hyped before the game, my teammates hyped me up, and we got it done.''
Hayden, which improved to 6-1 overall and 1-1 in the league, was locked in a 10-10 deadlock at the end of the first quarter and trailed 15-14 before tying the game at 15 on a Sandstrom free throw and taking the lead for good on a basket by junior Brylee Meier, part of an 8-0 run that put the Wildcats in front 22-15 late in the half.
Washburn Rural (5-2, 1-1) cut its deficit to 22-19 at the half but Hayden opened up a nine-point advantage (33-24) on a Sandstrom hoop with 1:05 left in the third and took a 33-25 lead into the fourth quarter.
Rural opened the fourth quarter with a 5-0 run to get within three points but Sandstrom scored six straight points to push Hayden's lead back to 39-30 with 5:06 remaining.
The Junior Blues got no closer than six the rest of the way while Hayden opened up a 10-point cushion with 25 seconds remaining.
"We definitely came out with more fire tonight,'' Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said. "I hate that we didn't on Tuesday (in a 54-40 loss to Emporia) but that was our focus the last two practices is shaking that off and making sure that we understand that if you look at the big picture of where we've come that game Tuesday doesn't define where we're at. It was just a bad game.''
Meier added 13 points for Hayden while Meier and Sandstrom both grabbed six rebounds.
Hayden's Avery Grunert (left) and Washburn Rural's Zoe Canfield battle for a loose ball in Friday's 46-38 Wildcat win. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural freshman Maddie Vickery scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds in Friday's 46-38 loss at Hayden. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
Senior Zoe Canfield led Washburn Rural with 15 points, including three 3-pointers, while freshmn Maddie Vickery added 13 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
Hayden will be back at home next Tuesday to host Junction City while Washburn Rural will be at home against Topeka High.
HAYDEN GIRLS 46, WASHBURN RURAL 38
Washburn Rural 10 9 6 13 -- 38
Hayden 10 12 11 13 -- 46
Washburn Rural (5-2, 1-1) -- Vickery 3-7 6-7 13, Hinck 1-8 0-4 3, Ochs 2-7 1-2 5, Canfield 6-13 0-2 15, Bunck 1-5 0-0 2. Totals 13-43 7-15 38.
Hayden (6-1, 1-1) -- Grunert 1-7 0-0 3, Sandstrom 8-10 6-8 22, Fulton 2-6 1-2 5, Meier 4-10 4-6 13, Greco 1-5 0-0 3, Reid 0-0 0-0 0, Huscher 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-38 11-16 46.
3-point goals -- Washburn Rural 5 (Canfield 3, Vickery Hinck), Hayden 3 (Grunert, Meier, Greco). Total fouls -- Washburn Rural 16, Hayden 16. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls -- none.
