By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com
In a battle of unbeatens Friday, Manhattan coach Tim Brooks found out just how difficult it is to stop Topeka Highland Park once it gets on a roll at home. Nearly impossible. Thanks to a 17-0 run in the second period, Highland Park went on to roll over the fourth-ranked Indians 69-39.
"We haven't had a good game all year offensively, but we always play pretty good defense," Highland Park guard Rico Richardson told the Topeka Capital-Journal. "I guess this is what happens when we play well on offense and defense. We made shots tonight, but we can always play better."
The Scotts did make shots, and plenty of them. Highland Park connected on 28 of 46 (60.9-percent) shots from the field to just 16 field goals for Manhattan. Highland Park was especially hot from 3-point range, outscoring the Indians 27-6 from long range.
Trailing 16-12 after a period of play, Manhattan pulled within two points by scoring the first basket of the second period. But, that's as close as the Indians would get the rest of the evening. Highland Park scored 17 straight points to open up a 33-14 cushion with less than three minutes remaining in the first half. Manhattan trailed 36-19 at intermission.
Highland Park, the second-ranked team in 5A and overall, made 14 of 25 shots in the first 16 minutes of play and were led by Richardson's 12 points up to that point. The sophomore finished the contest with a game-high 18 points. Highland Park scored the first seven points of the third period to increase its lead to 24 points.
Adrian Herrera and DaVonte Grant joined Richardson in double figures by scoring 14 and 12 points respectively. Sam Kenney and Jackie Carmichael led the way for Manhattan by scoring 11 and 10 points.
Class Leaders - Wichita Southeast (6A), Bishop Miege (5A), Topeka-Hayden (4A), Wichita Collegiate (3A), Humboldt (2A), Centralia (1A).
Girls Basketball: Junction City Knocks Off Emporia
Despite suffering its first loss of the year to 6A seventh-ranked Junction City, Emporia remains at the top of the girls 5A rankings.
The Bluejays posted the 62-53 win on the strength of Arienne Smith's game-high 18 points. Most of her points were scored in transition thanks to the 23 turnovers forced by Junction City.
"We turned it over some, but even bigger than us turning it over was that they took us out of system," Emporia coach Bill Nienstedt told the Emporia Gazette. "They were just tougher than us and took us out of system, and we weren't able to run our stuff."
Sadie Webb and Lindy Arndt led the Spartans with 13 points each. Lexi Hileman added 10 points and nine rebounds. Arndt contributed 10 rebounds. Lanicia Lawrence gave Smith some offensive support by scoring 12 points. Abby McKenzie contributed 11 points for Junction City.
Class Leaders - Wichita Heights (6A), Emporia (5A), Andover Central (4A), Riley County (3A), Berean Academy (2A), Olpe (1A).
Kansas Boys Basketball Rankings
Top 10
1. Bishop Miege (6-0) 1
2. Topeka Highland Park (6-0) 2
3. Wichita Southeast (9-0) 4
4. Topeka Hayden (6-1) 8
5. Shawnee Mission East (6-1) 3
6. St. Thomas Aquinas (3-2) 7
7. Blue Valley West (5-2) 5
8. Manhattan (7-1) 6
9. McPherson (10-0) 10
10. Shawnee Mission South (5-1) 9
Class 6A
1. Wichita Southeast (9-0) 2
2. Shawnee Mission East (6-1) 1
3. Blue Valley West (5-2) 3
4. Manhattan (7-1) 4
5. Shawnee Mission South (5-1) 5
6. Leavenworth (4-2) 7
7. Lawrence Free State (7-2) -
8. Wichita Heights (6-2) 8
9. Wichita East (6-3) 9
10. Wichita South (7-2)
Dropped Out: No. 6 Junction City, No. 10 Shawnee Mission Northwest
Class 5A
1. Bishop Miege (6-0) 1
2. Topeka Highland Park (6-0) 2
3. St. Thomas Aquinas (3-2) 3
4. McPherson (10-0) 4
5. Emporia (5-2) 5
6. Shawnee Heights (5-2) 8
7. Topeka Seaman (4-3) 7
8. Liberal (6-1) 9
9. Salina Central (7-2) 6
10. Sumner Academy (6-1) 10
Class 4A
1. Topeka Hayden (6-1) 1
2. Cheney (8-0) 3
3. Hesston (6-0) 5
4. Louisburg (6-1) 2
5. Field Kindley (5-1) 6
6. Andover (9-0) 4
7. Atchison (4-1) -
8. Ottawa (7-1) 10
9. Fort Scott (3-2) -
10. Colby (7-3) 7
Dropped Out: No. 8 Perry-Lecompton, No. 9 Holton
Class 3A
1. Wichita Collegiate (5-0) 2
2. Sabetha (8-0) 1
3. Holcomb (5-1) 7
4. Scott City (3-1) 6
5. Nemaha Valley (9-0) 4
6. Kansas City Christian (6-0) -
7. More Prep-Marian (5-3) 8
8. Republic County (5-1) 10
9. Sedgwick (5-1) 5
10. Lakin (6-4)
Dropped Out: No. 3 Galena, No. 9 Salina Sacred Heart
Class 2A
1. Humboldt (6-0) 1
2. Syracuse (6-0) 2
3. Meade (7-0) 4
4. Frankfort (9-0) 3
5. St. John (3-1) 5
6. Wathena (5-0) 7
7. St. Mary's Colgan (5-1) 6
8. Smith Center (5-0) 8
9. Berean Academy (8-2) 9
10. Trego (6-0)
Dropped Out: No. 10 Rawlins County
Class 1A
1. Centralia (6-0) 1
2. Olpe (9-0) 2
3. South Gray (6-1) 4
4. Wallace County (7-3) -
5. Hutchinson Central Christian (3-0) 5
6. Hanover (8-1) 8
7. Crest (3-0) 7
8. St. John's-Beloit (8-1) -
9. Macksville (8-2) 10
10. Quinter (7-1) 3
Dropped Out: No. 6 Blue Valley-Randolph, No. 9 Immaculata
Kansas Girls Basketball Rankings
Overall Top 10
1. Wichita Heights (9-0) 3
2. Lawrence (7-0) 2
3. Andover Central (8-0) 1
4. Abilene (7-0) 4
5. Riley County (8-0) 10
6. Emporia (7-1) 5
7. Colby (11-0) 7
8. Blue Valley (5-1) -
9. St. Thomas Aquinas (6-1) 6
10. Wichita Carroll (7-1) 9
Dropped Out: No. 8 Basehor-Linwood
Class 6A
1. Wichita Heights (9-0) 2
2. Lawrence (7-0) 1
3. Blue Valley (5-1) 5
4. Olathe South (6-1) 3
5. Shawnee Mission East (3-0) 6
6. Washburn Rural (5-2) 8
7. Junction City (6-1) 4
8. Goddard (6-1) 9
9. Shawnee Mission West (4-1) -
10. Shawnee Mission South (6-1) ?
Dropped Out: No. 7 Derby, No. 10 Wichita South
Class 5A
1. Emporia (7-1) 1
2. St. Thomas Aquinas (6-1) 2
3. Wichita Carroll (7-1) 3
4. Great Bend (7-1) 4
5. McPherson (7-2) 5
6. Bishop Miege (4-3) 6
7. Lansing (5-2) 7
8. Kapaun Mount Carmel (5-3) 9
9. Shawnee Heights (5-2) 8
10. Gardner-Edgerton (3-2) 10
Class 4A
1. Andover Central (8-0) 1
2. Abilene (7-0) 2
3. Colby (11-0) 3
4. Basehor-Linwood (8-0) 4
5. Holton (9-0) 5
6. Topeka Hayden (5-1) 7
7. Marysville (10-1) 10
8. Tonganoxie (8-2) 9
9. Buhler (6-2) -
10. Concordia (5-2) 6
Dropped Out: No. 8 Labette County
Class 3A
1. Riley County (8-0) 1
2. Rock Creek (5-2) 3
3. Cimarron (6-0) 4
4. Wichita Collegiate (5-2) 2
5. Garden Plain (9-1) 5
6. Neodesha (7-0) 10
7. Salina Sacred Heart (7-2) 7
8. Norton (5-3) -
9. Cherryvale (8-0) 9
10. Southeast of Saline (4-1) 6
Dropped Out: No. 8 Phillipsburg
Class 2A
1. Berean Academy (7-0) 2
2. Southwestern Heights (7-0) 1
3. St. Marys (5-2) 8
4. Osborne (5-1) 4
5. St. John (4-1) 6
6. Oakley (7-3) 3
7. Moundridge (9-1) 7
8. Sublette (6-1) 5
9. Frankfort (7-2) 9
10. Elkhart (5-2)
Dropped Out: No. 10 Rawlins County
Class 1A
1. Olpe (9-0) 1
2. Blue Valley-Randolph (8-0) 3
3. Centralia (6-1) 6
4. South Barber (6-0) -
5. Lakeside (8-0) 5
6. Hoxie (8-2) 2
7. Linn (8-1) 7
8. Quivira Heights (8-0) 9
9. Southern Coffey County (5-0) -
10. Weskan (7-2) 8
Dropped Out: No. 4 Claflin, No. 10 Hope