By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It may have been low key, but Topeka West had reason to celebrate after Friday night's 41-38 Centennial League girls basketball win over Highland Park at Topeka West.
After a couple of close calls in earlier losses, Jeff Skar's Chargers got the job done Friday night, with Jazmyn Ford leading the way as West picked up its first win of the 2021-2022 season.
Topeka West junior Jazmyn Ford (44) puts up a shot over Highland Park freshman Amelia Ramsey in West's 41-38 Centennial League win Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Ford, a 5-foot-9 junior, scored all 10 of Topeka West's first-quarter points to get the Chargers off to a good start and finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds as West improved to 1-8 overall and 1-7 in the league.
"They practice hard, they're confident and they believe,'' Skar said of his team. "I think they're starting to believe more, but they just hadn't had the results with our brutal schedule we play.''
Skar said there wasn't a lot of hooping and hollering in the West locker room after the win.
"They were pretty subdued,'' Skar said. "They really don't get too high or too low, which is a good quality.''
But Ford guaranteed that her and her teammates were fired up over the win.
"It really is exciting,'' Ford said. "We just really worked well together and kept our energy up.''
Ford outscored short-handed Highland Park by herself en route to a 10-6 first-quarter advantage.
"I just felt the energy,'' Ford said. "I was hyped, I was up and I wanted to do good for my team, not only me.''
Highland Park (1-8, 0-8) rallied for a 21-19 haltime edge, but sophomore Siani Sanchez put the Chargers ahead 22-21 with a 3-pointer to open the second half and West never trailed again.
Topeka West led 29-23 late in the third, took a 29-25 advantage into the fourth and went up 35-25 with 5:02 remaining after back-to-back hoops from Ford.
Highland Park cut its deficit to 38-35 with 1:10 left on a basket from senior Aisya Taylor, but Topeka West got three free throws from sophomore Zoe Clark over the final 12.9 seconds to keep the Chargers in front.
Topeka West sophomore Zoe Clark (35) hit three late free throws as the Chargers held on for their first win of the season Friday night, 41-38 over Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN}
Clark's charities loomed especially big after Highland Park sophomore Victoria Reed drained a long 3-pointer as time ran out.
"We made our free throws tonight and finished it,'' Skar said.
Highland Park freshman Amelia Ramsey (32), driving the ball against Topeka West's Rebecca Bearman, finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds against West Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Freshman Amelia Ramsey had a big night for Highland Park, finishing with game-high totals of 19 points and 14 rebounds.
Highland Park played without multiple players due to illness and the Scots were also without head coach Robert Brown. Scots assistant Chris Giardina guided Highland Park in Brown's absence.
"We were missing a lot, but they played through it,'' Giardina said. "And for what those girls were able to leave out on that court, we're very proud of what they were able to overcome.''
TOPEKA WEST GIRLS 41, HIGHLAND PARK 38
Highland Park 6 15 4 13 -- 38
Topeka West 10 9 10 12 -- 41
Highland Park (1-8, 0-8) -- Reed 2-12 1-4 6, Taylor 3-10 1-2 8, Nunez 0-0 0-0 0, Sanders 2-17 1-1 5, Ramsey 6-12 7-7 19, Shutt 0-0 0-0 0, Thomas 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 13-51 10-16 41.
Topeka West (1-8, 1-7) -- Sanchez 1-10 2-3 5, Duncan 1-6 0-2 2, Clark 0-6 5-10 5, Ford 8-15 1-2 17, Bearman 2-9 2-6 6, Mays 0-0 0-0 0, Benson 2-10 0-0 6. Totals 14-56 10-23 41.
3-point goals -- Highland Park 10 (Roberts 7, Aldridge 3), Topeka West 5 (Putthoff 3, Austin, Alexander). Total fouls -- Highland Park 9, Topeka West 6. Fouled out -- none.
