By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
EMPORIA -- The final first-round game in the Glacier’s Edge Tournament was a back-and-forth battle between the Topeka Lady Trojans and the Shawnee Mission South Raiders, with Topeka High dropping a 54-51 decision to the defending Class 6A state champions, currently ranked No. 4 in the state.
Sophomore Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton scored 19 points in Thursday's 54-51 Topeka High loss to SM South Thursday. [File photo/TSN]
The Lady Trojans fell to 6-4 on the season and will take on Wichita Northwest in the consolation semifinals at 3:15 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
The first quarter saw SM South jump out to a 7-point lead, 18-11, thanks to shooting 8-11 from the field -- a whopping 73 percent. Meanwhile, the Lady Trojans shot 36 percent from the field, but only one out of five from the free throw line.
The script was flipped in the second quarter as Topeka High responded by outscoring SM South 18-8 to take a 3-point lead into the half, 29-26. Topeka High shot 8-15 from the field while SM South cooled off, shooting just 3-11 from the field for the quarter.
SM South began the third quarter on a 6-0 run to take a 32-29 lead, causing Topeka High to burn a timeout. The Lady Trojans responded with a 3-pointer by sophomore Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton to tie the score at 32. The remainder of the quarter went back-and-forth and SM South took a 40-38 lead into the final quarter.
In the first four minutes of the fourth quarter, SM South took a 4-point lead, 47-43, its largest lead since the first quarter. With a little over a minute remaining, Topeka High had cut the lead to 49-47, but SM South sophomore Ella Jack hit a huge 3-pointer to extend the Raiders lead to 52-47.
Two free throws by Topeka High senior Jo’Mhara Benning cut the SM South lead to 54-51 with 10 seconds remaining in the game. After timeouts from both teams, SM South inbounded the ball and committed a turnover, but Rayton’s game-tying 3-point attempt bounced off the rim, giving SM South the victory.
The Lady Raiders were led in scoring by sophomore Kylenna Potts with 18 points, followed by junior Elsie Slaven with 14.
The Lady Trojans were led by Rayton with 19 points while Benning scored 12. Benning also pulled down nine rebounds and freshman teammate Hailey Caryl grabbed seven boards.
SM SOUTH GIRLS 54, TOPEKA HIGH 51
Topeka High 11 18 9 13 -- 51
SM South 18 8 14 14 -- 54
Topeka High (6-4) -- Short 1-4 2-2 4, Triplett 0-2 0-0 0, Marshall 4-11 0-2 8, Rayton 6-19 4-9 19, Gotru 0-0 0-0 0, Caryl 3-7 2-2 8, Benning 4-4 4-4 12. Totals 18-47 12-17 51.
SM South (7-3) -- Kirkwood 3-9 0-1 6, Slaven 6-8 0-0 14, Potts 7-16 2-2 18, Jouras 0-0 0-0 0, Jack 1-3 0-0 3, Berndt 2-4 0-0 4, Kramer 3-8 0-0 9. Totals 22-48 2-3 54.
3 point goals -- Topeka High 3 (Rayton 3), SM South 8 (Kramer 3, Slaven 2, Potts 2, Jack). Total Fouls -- Topeka High 10, SM South 19. Fouled out -- Jack.
GLACIER’S EDGE TOURNAMENT
RESULTS THURSDAY
Seaman 56, Wichita Northwest 15
SM South 54, Topeka High 51
Derby 47, Wichita South 42
Wichita Heights 47, Emporia 14
GAMES FRIDAY
3:15 p.m. - Wichita Northwest vs. Topeka High
4:45 p.m. - Emporia vs. Wichita South
6:15 p.m. - Wichita Heights vs. Derby
7:45 p.m. - Seaman vs. Shawnee Mission South
