A lackluster performance by the Thomas More Prep-Marian girls basketball team couldn't keep coach Alan Billinger from becoming the school's first 100-win coach.
By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com
Despite earning his 100th win as the Thomas More Prep-Marian girls basketball coach with a 46-34 triumph over Larned last week, Alan Billinger was unimpressed with the Monarchs' uninspired effort.
“We just looked so much slower than what they were and to be honest with you, we just got out played and out hustled in every aspect of the game tonight," Billinger told the Hays Daily News last week. “We had so many people standing around and I am frustrated because I don’t know what to tell them anymore as far as blocking off the boards and playing better defense.
“There is only so much that I can do. They’re the ones that have to play the game.”
Satisfied, or not, the 12-point triumph not only allowed Billinger to reach the century win mark at the school, it allowed him to extend his school record number of wins. Roger Ruder is a distant second with 79 wins.
Following a couple of sub-par seasons to open his Monarch career, Billinger’s system began to click with his players during the 2003-04 season. Thomas More Prep-Marian finished 16-7 that season and began a string of five straight Mid-State Conference championships.
The Monarchs, who are 6-0 in conference play this season and a game ahead of Class 4A No. 9 Scott City in the league standings, are in position to win a record sixth straight conference title. Thomas More Prep-Marian defeated the Beavers 65-45 earlier in the season.
Larned held the league mark after winning five straight conference titles from 1986-1991.
Over the past five seasons, Billinger’s teams have completed conference play with a 7-1 record or better. The Monarchs are also in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 seed in the Holcomb Class 3A sub-state tournament.
Billinger’s squad improved to 15-0, with the win, pushing his career mark to 100-69. So far this season, the Monarchs have two wins over Scott City (12-3) and a win each over Hesston (13-4) and Colby (9-5).
The second-ranked Monarchs, who have won 20 of their last 21 contests dating back to last season, are led in scoring by juniors Jessa Stramel and Kaylee Hoffman, freshman Rachel Jacobs and senior Maddie Holub, who all average around 8 points or better per game.
Girls Basketball: Simmons earns 100th win
Megan Simmons has surrounded herself with a lot of talent over the course of the past seven years at Pittsburg-Colgan High School and its paid huge dividends for the girls basketball coach.
With a 49-24 win over Galena on senior night Friday, the Panthers handed Simmons her 100th career win.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Simmons told the Pittsburg Morning Sun. “I’ve just been very lucky to have a lot of good players around me. You never think about that when you start, you don’t know how long you’re going to be doing it, but it’s been a lot of fun.”
The win over the Bulldogs was the 13th in 15 games this season for Pittsburg-Colgan and senior leading scorer Lisa Elmer, who just a week earlier netted her own milestone by scoring the 1,000th point of her high school career.
The Panthers are 4-1 in the Crawford-Neosho-Cherokee League standings, just behind Girard’s perfect 4-0 mark. Frontenac is also 4-1 in league play.
Boys Basketball: Santiago gets school scoring record
Leading up to Burrton’s 76-53 win over Pratt-Skyline, Alex Santiago had scored more than 30 points in five of seven games. Turns out he was just warming up for Friday’s record-breaking performance against the Thunderbirds.
After exiting the game, because the contest was well in hand, Santiago returned to the court for a shot at the school’s 27-year old single game scoring record, and he got it.
The 6-foot junior point guard made a lay-up late to secure his place in Charger basketball history when he tallied his 43rd point.
“When you’re coaching, you don’t keep up with stuff like that,” Charger coach Ralph Butler told the Wichita Eagle. “He had gotten knocked down on the floor twice, so I didn’t want to get him hurt.”
Santiago, who already has scored 411 points this season, leads the team with a 27.4 points per game average and has made 26 of 75 3-pointers. He also contributes 9.9 rebounds, 4.3 steals and 2.4 assists on average for the 10-5 Chargers.
