Seaman junior Ty Henry (23) blocks a shot attempt by Topeka High's Nazim Phillips Friday night. [Photograph by Rex Wolf]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's boys basketball team struggled at times in both halves of Friday's home Centennial League contest against Topeka High.
But the Vikings found a way to win a game they probably would have lost a year ago, surviving a late Trojan rally to hold on for a 50-48 victory.
With the win Seaman evened its record at 3-3 and eclipsed its win total from the 2019-20 season, while High fell to 0-4.
"We're not going to complain about winning, but we are going to want to learn from it and learn how to finish games when you put youself in that perfect position to put somebody away,'' Seaman coach Craig Cox said.
Seaman never led in the first half while shooting just 26 percent while Topeka High hit 11 of 14 shots (78.6 percent) en route to taking a 23-20 halftime advantage.
The Vikings finally heated up in the second half, getting 16 second-half points from junior Mateo Hyman, and used an 11-0 run at the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth quarter to take a 44-33 advantage with less than six minutes remaining.
Seaman struggled the rest of the way, but held on for the win, getting a huge block and rebound from junior Ty Henry, who clinched the victory with two free throws with 8.3 seconds left.
Hyman came off the bench to lead Seaman with 18 points while Henry added 11 points and sophomore Aron Davis 9. Seaman hit 12 of 21 second-half field goal attempts to finish at 40.9 percent for the game and went 10 of 11 from the free throw line.
"(Topeka High's) junk defenses were effective, the triangle and two in the first half and box and one in the second half, and I was happy and proud of our guys that in that third quarter we found a way to attack and get some good shots and build a lead,'' Cox said.
"Unfortunately, the last three minutes we didn't make good decisions and we didn't play good defense and almost let them get the game tied.''
Topeka High, which played without senior standout Jalen Smith, was led by senior Isiah Esquibel, who scored a game-high 23 points and also grabbed eight rebounds. Senior Jayden Leesman added 13 points for the Trojans.
Topeka High shot 71 percent from the field (22 of 31), but the Trojans went just 2 of 8 from the free throw line and committed 25 turnovers.
Coming off an extended holiday break Seaman now faces another long layoff before beginning competition in the Valley Center tournament on Jan. 21. The Vikings were scheduled to play Manhattan on Friday, Jan. 15, but that game has been postponed to COVID-19 protocols at Manhattan.
SEAMAN BOYS 50, TOPEKA HIGH 48
Topeka High 12 11 10 15 -- 48
Seaman 8 12 15 15 -- 50
Topeka High (0-4, 0-4) -- Esquibel 10-13 1-1 23, Wilson 1-3 0-2 2, Walker 2-3 0-0 4, Canady 2-4 0-1 4, Leesman 6-7 1-4 13, Phillips 0-0 0-0 0, McMillon 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 22-31 2-8 48.
Seaman (3-3, 3-3 -- Henry 4-7 2-2 11, Bonner 2-6 0-0 5, Stallbaumer 1-5 0-0 2, Kobuszewski 1-6 0-0 2, Davis 2-4 4-4 9, Hyman 7-14 3-3 18, Brewer 0-1 1-2 1, Gormley 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 18-44 10-11 50.
3-point goals -- Topeka High 2 (Esquibel 2), Seaman 4 (Hyman, Henry, Bonner, Davis). Total fouls -- Topeka High 14, Seaman 11. Fouled out -- none.
