After pounding rival Olathe East 63-28 in the finals of its own high school girls basketball tournament last weekend, Olathe South remains atop the Class 6A girls basketball polls.
Just when Steve Ingram’s Olathe South girls basketball team was getting ready to make its typical deep run into the postseason, he lost 5-foot-11 center Kelsey Balcom to a season-ending injury a year ago. 
Navia Palu (4), Olathe South
Photo by Dean Backes
In stepped senior Shelby Johnston, all 5-foot-7 of her, and the Falcons hardly skipped a beat on their way to a 57-47 Class 6A state championship loss to Topeka Washburn Rural.
Ingram, however, had to admit that the basketball gods may have been with his basketball team on each bounce of the ball from early February and into March.
"Last season was really a ‘Cinderella’ run for us," Ingram said of making it to the title game. "We went from 5-11 in the post, to 5-7. We were outmanned. We were beating teams we really had no business beating."
This season Ingram returns all five starters from that 21-4 squad, including Balcom, who broke her collarbone diving for a loose ball at the Wichita Kapaun Mount Carmel tournament in late January. Still, Ingram isn’t taking anything for granted despite earning the top ranking in virtually every basketball poll in the state.
"We don’t really talk about the rankings," Ingram said. "They don’t mean anything. What counts is what you do in March. It doesn’t matter how you stack up on paper, but what you do once you get out on the floor. A blown whistle here, or the wrong bounce of the ball there, and it can all be over."
Natalie Knight, who has already committed to Kansas, returns to lead the Falcons after averaging 16.3 points, four rebounds, three assists and four steals per game a year ago. Ingram described his junior guard as a dangerous shooter as well as a tremendous all-around player.
Three-year starter Ebonee Bell always draws the opposition’s top offensive player as Olathe South’s No. 1 defensive stopper, but two-year starter Brooke Rinehart plays a pretty intense ‘D’ herself. Ingram also likes Rinehart’s production on the boards. Balcom, who has signed with Northwest Missouri State, is the team’s second-leading scorer, while Navia Palu is known to be a gritty, do-it-all kind of player. Balcom’s sister Megan is Ingram’s first player off the bench, and is a threat from beyond the arc.
Ingram’s squad is off to a perfect 5-0 start this season after winning the Olathe South Girls Basketball Invitational championship for the fifth year in a row, with victories over De Soto (70-24), Blue Valley (42-40) and Olathe East (63-28). The win over Olathe East was particularly pleasing to Ingram and the Falcons since their rival Hawks knocked off Olathe South 41-37 in the regular-season finale a year ago.
"Beating them (Hawks) is always high on our agenda," Ingram said of battling his territorial rival. "It’s a lot like KU-KState or KU-MU. It’s always competitive."
Ingram’s philosophy is to create as much havoc as possible with tenacious pressure defense and then turn steals into points. Still, he is aware of the need for an effective half court game, especially come playoff time. Thursday’s narrow win over Blue Valley opened Ingram’s eyes as to what areas the Falcons must work on if they want to make that deep run into March.
"We certainly need to work on our half-court offense," Ingram said. "Blue Valley played great defense against us and we didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, partly because we didn’t get good looks. We have to get better in our half-court execution.
"We have a good team and I hope we get the opportunity to play to our potential in March. If we do that then I think we’ll be happy with how things turn out this season."
Kansas leading scorers
Boys
Bryce Douvier of Sedgwick scored 38 points in a 64-36 win over Fairfield…Doniphan West’s Marc Ellis poured in 33 points in a 67-59 overtime loss to Pleasant Ridge…Clint McCullough of St. James Academy ripped the cords for 32 points in a 55-54 win over Barstow (MO)…Moundridge’s Trey Unrau scored 31 points in a 57-45 win over Hesston…Tate Jackson of the Wichita Defenders poured in 31 points in an 81-76 win over Wichita Independent…Jefferson West’s Alex Baker ripped the cords for 31 points in a 66-51 win over Maur Hill-Mount Academy…Alex Santiago of Burrton scored 30 points in a 57-44 win over Goessel…Kansas City-Wyandotte’s Trinity Hall poured in 30 points in an 82-78 win over Kansas City-Washington…Trey Unrau of Moundridge ripped the cords for 29 points in a 55-52 win over Lyons…Wichita Heights’ Perry Ellis scored 29 points in a 65-57 win over Wichita Kapaun Mount Carmel…Kyle Hammond of Colony-Crest poured in 29 points in a 64-24 win over West Elk…Peabody-Burns’ Jacob Simmonds ripped the cords for 29 points in a 59-28 win over Remington…Tra’vaughn White of Kansas City-Washington scored 29 points in an 82-78 loss to Kansas City-Wyandotte…Waverly’s Josh Teal poured in 28 points in a 64-61 overtime win over Hartford…Kyle Haverkamp of Baileyville B&B ripped the cords for 28 points in a 72-49 win over Linn.
Girls
Jenna Farris of Lincoln scored 34 points in a 45-24 win over Russell…Andover Central’s Tiffany Bias poured in 34 points in a 65-41 win over Wichita Collegiate…Kara Gfeller of Triplains ripped the cords for 28 points in a 52-49 win over Cheylin…Frankfort’s Chelsea Keating scored 26 points in a 69-30 win over Wetmore…Emily Wells of Blue Valley Northwest poured in 26 points in a 65-56 win over Topeka Highland Park…Olpe’s Kathryn Flott ripped the cords for 26 points in a 63-47 win over Lebo…Sarah Munds of the Wichita Defenders scored 25 points in a 50-47 overtime loss to Lakin…Centre’s Shelby Deines poured in 25 points in a 46-33 win over Herington…Kelsey Webber of Rose Hill ripped the cords for 25 points in a 79-51 win over Clearwater…Wichita Height’s Jhasmin Bowen scored 25 points in a 78-65 win over Fort Smith Northside (Ark.)…Shelby Modin of Bennington poured in 25 points in a 62-51 loss to Solomon…Liberal’s Justice Norah ripped the cords for 24 points in a 60-50 win over Hereford (Tex.)…Courtney Adams of Udall scored 24 points in a 52-22 win over Attica…Ell-Saline’s Mariah Jones poured in 24 points in a 48-32 win over Claflin…Laura Patrick of Hutchinson Central Christian ripped the cords for 24 points in a 56-23 win over Canton-Galva…Bern’s McKenzie McClellan scored 24 points in a 51-35 win over Hanover.
Kansas boys basketball rankings
Top 10
1. Wichita Heights (3-0)
2. Bishop Miege (2-0)
3. Leavenworth (4-0)
4. Wichita East (1-1)
5. McPherson (2-0)
6. Topeka Highland Park (3-1)
7. Dodge City (3-0)
8. Blue Valley North (4-0)
9. Olathe South (4-0)
10. Olathe East (3-1)
Class 6A
1. Wichita Heights (3-0)
2. Leavenworth (4-0)
3. Wichita East (1-1)
4. Dodge City (3-0)
5. Blue Valley North (4-0)
6. Olathe South (4-0)
7. Olathe East (3-1)
8. Shawnee Mission Northwest (2-1)
9. Maize (3-0)
10. Shawnee Mission West (2-0)
Class 5A
1. Bishop Miege (2-0)
2. McPherson (2-0)
3. Topeka Highland Park (3-1)
4. Kansas City-Harmon (4-0)
5. Hays (4-0)
6. Wichita Kapaun Mount Carmel (2-1)
7. Topeka West (2-1)
8. Andover Central (1-1)
9. Topeka Seaman (3-1)
10. Great Bend (3-1)
Class 4A
1. Basehor-Linwood (2-1)
2. Sumner Academy (4-0)
3. Topeka Hayden (2-0)
4. Ottawa (4-0)
5. Abilene (3-0)
6. Wamego (2-0)
7. Nickerson (4-0)
8. Hesston (2-1)
9. Clay Center (3-0)
10. St. James Academy (1-2)
Class 3A
1. Wichita Collegiate (2-0)
2. St. Marys (2-0)
3. Galena (2-0)
4. Rossville (2-1)
5. Southwestern Heights (4-0)
6. Marysville (2-1)
7. Medicine Lodge (2-0)
8. Council Grove (3-0)
9. Sabetha (2-1)
10. Ellsworth (4-0)
Class 2A
1. Pittsburg-Colgan (2-0)
2. Olpe (1-0)
3. Syracuse (4-0)
4. Hutchinson Trinity (3-0)
5. Salina Sacred Heart (3-0)
6. Berean Academy (4-0)
7. Spearville (4-0)
8. Moundridge (4-0)
9. Oswego (4-0)
10. Washington County (3-1)
Class 1A
1. Hanover (4-0)
2. Quinter (4-0)
3. Centralia (2-1)
4. South Gray (4-0)
5. Macksville (3-1)
6. Tribune-Greeley County (3-1)
7. Baileyville B&B (4-0)
8. Frankfort (3-0)
9. Pretty Prairie (3-1)
10. Quivira Heights (3-0)
Kansas girls basketball rankings
Top 10
1. Olathe South (5-0)
2. Bishop Miege (5-0)
3. Wichita Heights (4-1)
4. Shawnee Mission East (1-0)
5. Topeka Washburn Rural (2-0)
6. Shawnee Mission West (3-0)
7. Andover Central (2-0)
8. St. Thomas Aquinas (2-1)
9. Lawrence Free State (2-1)
10. Blue Valley (3-1)
Class 6A
1. Olathe South (5-0)
2. Wichita Heights (4-1)
3. Shawnee Mission East (1-0)
4. Topeka Washburn Rural (2-0)
5. Shawnee Mission West (3-0)
6. Lawrence Free State (2-1)
7. Blue Valley (3-1)
8. Dodge City (2-1)
9. Manhattan (2-1)
10. Blue Valley North (3-1)
Class 5A
1. Bishop Miege (5-0)
2. Andover Central (2-0)
3. St. Thomas Aquinas (2-1)
4. Great Bend (3-1)
5. Wichita Bishop Carroll (3-0)
6. Andover (1-0)
7. Emporia (3-0)
8. Salina South (2-0)
9. Topeka Seaman (3-1)
10. Newton (3-1)
Class 4A
1. Concordia (2-0)
2. Cheney (3-0)
3. Holton (3-0)
4. Girard (3-0)
5. Ottawa (4-0)
6. Topeka Hayden (1-0)
7. Rose Hill (3-1)
8. Hesston (3-0)
9. Circle (3-0)
10. Abilene (3-0)
Class 3A
1. Southwestern Heights (4-0)
2. Wichita Collegiate (1-1)
3. Thomas More Prep-Marian (2-1)
4. Rock Creek (3-0)
5. Jefferson County North (3-0)
6. Marion (3-0)
7. Holcomb (3-0)
8. St. Marys (2-0)
9. Marysville (3-0)
10. Burlington (4-0)
Class 2A
1. Olpe (1-0)
2. Moundridge (3-1)
3. Oakley (4-0)
4. Berean Academy (3-1)
5. Hill City (1-0)
6. Inman (3-0)
7. Washington County (3-0)
8. Osborne (4-0)
9. Ell-Saline (4-0)
10. Atwood-Rawlin s County (4-1)
Class 1A
1. South Gray (4-0)
2. Argonia (4-0)
3. Centralia (3-0)
4. Southern Coffey County (2-0)
5. Pratt-Skyline (4-0)
6. South Barber (5-0)
7. St. John (2-1)
8. Little River (2-1)
9. Hutchinson Central Christian (3-0)
10. Frankfort (1-1)
