By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's girls basketball team didn't get off to a great start against Highland Park Friday night.
But it wasn't anything a 19-0 second-quarter run and four double-figure scorers couldn't take care of, with Seaman rolling to a 67-35 home Centennial League win over the Scots.
Seaman, which improved to 10-4 overall and 8-3 in the league, led by just an 18-13 margin after two free throws by Highland Park's Victoria Reed with 3:46 left in the first half, but the Vikings would blank the Scots the remainder of the half while running off 19 straight points of its own to take control with a 37-13 halftime lead.
"I just feel like these kids feed off each other and when someone makes a play, then you can see a pickup on our team with our intensity,'' Seaman coach Matt Tinsley said. "We play so well together and that kind of carried us during that spurt.''
Highland Park (2-13, 0-11) did not make a field goal in the decisive second quarter, scoring all seven of its points at the free throw line, while Seaman scored 25.
"We wrote up on the board before the game, 'Play without fouling,' and we did the exact opposite,'' Tinsley said. "It's hard to guard them at the free throw line.''
But while Seaman might have sent the Scots to the line more than Tinsley would have liked, the Vikings also forced 20 Highland Park turnovers in the half.
Seaman, ranked No. 9 in Class 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, continued to roll in the the third quarter, outscoring Highland Park 22-14 to take a 59-27 lead and force a running clock throughout the fourth quarter.
Freshman Anna Becker, who scored 26 points in Tuesday's 49-46 win over Manhattan, followed that performance with a 22-point night against Highland Park, including a seven of seven showing at the free throw line.
And Becker had plenty of help from her teammates, with sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer adding 14 points with four 3-pointers while sophomore Brooklyn Gormley added 11 points and freshman Ava Esser 10 points off the bench.
Gormley, Esser and freshman Maegan Mills all grabbed seven rebounds for the Vikings.
Freshman Amelia Ramsey had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds for Highland Park while Reed added 10 points.
SEAMAN GIRLS 67, HIGHLAND PARK 35
Highland Park 6 7 14 8 -- 35
Seaman 12 25 22 8 -- 67
Highland Park (2-?, 0-??) – Gonzales 2-5 1-4 7, Reed 2-7 6-7 10, White 0-1 0-0 0, Taylor 2-14 0-1 4, Ramsey 4-8 4-6 12, Parker-Brown 1-3 0-0 2, Nunez 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 11-38 11-18 35.
Seaman (10-4, 8-3) – Schumann 0-4 0-0 0, T. Stallbaumer 5-14 0-0 14, Becker 7-15 7-7 22, Gormley 3-5 5-10 11, Mills 1-4 1-2 3, Anderson 1-5 0-0 3, J. Stallbaumer 1-5 0-0 2, Spurlock 0-2 0-0 0, Smith 0-2 0-0 0, Esser 4-6 2-2 10, Moulden 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 23-53 15-21 67.
3-point goals – Highland Park 2 (Reed 2), Seaman 6 (T. Stallbaumer 4, Becker, Anderson). Total fouls – Highland Park 17, Seaman 17. Fouled out – none.