By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights' boys basketball team was solid on offense Tuesday night at Topeka West, but spectacular on defense as the T-Birds rolled to a 58-30 United Kansas Conference victory, their 12th win over their past 13 games.
Shawnee Heights senior Brennon Dodge scored a game-high 17 points in the T-Birds' 58-30 UKC win at Topeka West Tuesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The ninth-ranked (Class 5A) T-Birds limited Topeka West to single-digit scoring in each of the first three quarters and a total of just 19 points over that span and led by as many as 36 points in the final period while forcing a running clock.
"You know what defense means to me and that's big-time defense,'' Shawnee Heights coach Ken Darting said. "There wasn't an open shot all night and sometimes it was the third rotation that had it covered. We covered the gaps and got to the ball and we did what we wanted.
"We wanted to come out and not let them get comfortable. If they come out and hit three 3s in the first quarter it would be turned around. It would be the other way around.''
Shawnee Heights junior Jaret Sanchez scored 15 points with three 3-pointers in Tuesday's 58-30 T-Bird UKC romp past Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights, 12-3 overall and 9-2 in the UKC, trailed just once in the game, at 2-0, before back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers from junior Jaret Sanchez and a trey from sophomore Ontarius Emmot gave the T-Birds a 9-2 lead and Heights never looked back.
West (10-6, 8-4) remained within striking distance through most of the first half, trailing 13-8 at the end of the first quarter and within `19-14 late in the first half before Shawnee Heights ended the half with five straight points from senior Brennon Dodge to take a 24-14 lead at the half.
The T-Birds then used an 18-5 third quarter, including a 14-0 run, to put the game out of reach.
Topeka West didn't reach the 20-point mark for the game until the 7:13 mark of the fourth quarter and trailed 56-20 before the Chargers ended the game with a 10-2 run after both teams emptied their benches.
"We can beat a lot of teams but we can't beat the good teams without our defense,'' Darting said. "If we can hold some team to 30 we've got a chance no matter who they are are.
"For four or five weeks we've been playing really well but I think De Soto and this was a higher level than normal.''
Dodge led all scorers with 17 points while J. Sanchez was right behind with 15 points, including three 3-pointers.
Topeka West did not have a player reach double figures, with sophomore Keimani Paul leading the Chargers with nine points. No onther West players had more than five points.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 58, TOPEKA WEST 30
Shawnee Heights 13 11 18 16 -- 58
Topeka West 8 6 5 11 -- 30
Shawnee Heights (12-3, 9-2)-- Pomeroy 0-5 7-8 7, D. Sanchez 1-2 0-0 2, Dodge 6-14 4-4 17, Holly 0-0 0-0 0, J. Sanchez 5-8 2-2 15, Lee 3-5 0-0 6, Ross 0-1 0-0 0, Emmot 2-2 1-2 7, Moore 0-1 0-0 0, Alston 0-0 0-0 0, Parker 0-1 0-0 0, Cook 2-2 0-0 4, Delgado 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-41 14-16 58.
Topeka West (10-6, 8-4) -- Young 2-5 0-0 5, Paul 3-8 1-2 9, Chambers 0-3 0-0 0, Foy 2-6 0-0 4, Noonoo 0-0 0-0 0, McGee 0-1 0-0 0, Duncan 0-4 0-0 0, Webb 0-0 0-0 0, Ford 1-4 0-0 2, Guest 1-3 0-0 3, Davis 1-2 0-0 2, Munganga 1-2 2-2 5, Traylor 0-1 0-2 0. Totals 11-39 3-6 30.
3-point goals -- Shawnee Heights 6 (J. Sanchez 3, Emmot 2, Dodge), Topeka West 5 (Paul 2, Young, Guest, Munganga). Total fouls -- Shawnee Heights 12, Topeka West 18. Fouled out -- none. Technical foul -- none.
