By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com
If Tonganoxie’s girls basketball team was going to prove it had come a long way since a 24-point season-opening loss to Basehor-Linwood (12-1), the Chieftains were going to have to make something happen in a hurry in the rematch.
So, Randy Kraft’s team cranked up the defensive pressure and rallied from a nine-point deficit with three minutes remaining to force overtime. The Chieftains (12-2) then knocked off the previously undefeated and third-ranked Bobcats 50-44 in overtime behind the volume of a vocal home crowd.
The seventh-ranked Chieftains forced several turnovers and bad shots, down the stretch to rally from a 39-30 deficit in the fourth period. Elizabeth Baska finished off a 9-0 Chieftain run that tied the score at 39-39 with 19.4 seconds left in regulation with a free throw.
Tracie Hileman then gave Tonganoxie a chance to win in regulation when she grabbed Baska’s missed free throw to keep the ball alive. The Chieftains scored with 12 seconds left to take a brief 41-39 lead. But the Bobcats’ Brooke Sanders sent the game into an extra frame when she made a pair of free throws with 4.7 seconds remaining.
Tonganoxie fell behind 44-41 on Elyse Douglas’ 3-pointer early in the extra frame. But the Chieftains rebounded by scoring the final nine points of the game. Foul trouble haunted Basehor-Linwood’s inside game throughout the contest. Bobcat post players senior Cassie Lombardino (6-foot-3) and sophomore Courtney Hooks (5-10) both fouled out in the fourth period.
Christy Weller and Baska scored 13 points a piece to lead the way for Tonganoxie. The Bobcats were led by Sanders’ game-high 21 points.
“Tonight, they really showed a lot of resilience,” Kraft told the Kansas City Star of his team’s heart. “I was proud of them for not buckling and giving up. They kept finding a way.”
Class Leaders (Boys) – Wichita Southeast (6A), Topeka Highland Park (5A), Topeka Hayden (4A), Wichita Collegiate (3A), Frankfort (2A) and Centralia (1A).
Class Leaders (Girls) – Wichita Heights (6A), St. Thomas Aquinas (5A), Andover Central (4A), Riley County (3A), Southwestern Heights (2A) and Olpe (1A).
Kansas Boys Basketball Rankings
Top 10
1. Topeka Highland Park (12-0) 2
2. Bishop Miege (12-1) 1
3. Wichita Southeast (13-0) 3
4. Shawnee Mission East (11-1) 4
5. Blue Valley West (9-3) 8
6. Shawnee Mission South (9-2) 6
7. Wichita East (9-3) 7
8. Topeka Hayden (11-1) 5
9. Leavenworth (9-3) -
10. Lawrence Free State (9-4) 10
Dropped Out: No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas
Class 6A
1. Wichita Southeast (13-0) 1
2. Shawnee Mission East (11-1) 2
3. Blue Valley West (9-3) 5
4. Shawnee Mission South (9-2) 3
5. Wichita East (9-3) 4
6. Leavenworth (9-3) 8
7. Lawrence Free State (9-4) 6
8. Wichita Heights (10-3) 7
9. Wichita South (11-2) 10
10. Blue Valley Northwest (6-5)
Dropped Out: No. 10 Olathe East
Class 5A
1. Topeka Highland Park (12-0) 2
2. Bishop Miege (12-1) 1
3. McPherson (11-2) 6
4. Emporia (9-4) 4
5. St. Thomas Aquinas (6-4) 3
6. Salina Central (11-2) 7
7. Shawnee Heights (8-4) 5
8. Liberal (11-2) 8
9. Hays (9-4) -
10. Sumner Academy (8-3) 9
Dropped Out: No. 10 Topeka Seaman
Class 4A
1. Topeka Hayden (11-1) 1
2. Andover (12-0) 2
3. Ottawa (11-2) 3
4. Colby (11-4) 5
5. Basehor-Linwood (9-4) 4
6. Cheney (10-2) 6
7. Andover Central (8-4) 8
8. Perry-Lecompton (13-1) 9
9. Fort Scott (4-2) -
10. Holton (9-4) 7
Dropped Out: No. 10 Louisburg
Class 3A
1. Wichita Collegiate (10-1) 2
2. Wichita Trinity Academy (11-1) 4
3. Sabetha (11-2) 1
4. Nemaha Valley (13-0) 3
5. Holcomb (12-3) 8
6. Larned (9-3) 9
7. Republic County (10-1) 6
8. More Prep-Marian (7-4) 7
9. Lakin (10-4) 5
10. Belle Plaine (11-3)
Dropped Out: No. 10 Sedgwick
Class 2A
1. Frankfort (11-2) 3
2. Humboldt (9-1) 1
3. Berean Academy (10-2) 6
4. Marmaton Valley (5-1) 10
5. Meade (12-1) 4
6. Syracuse (9-2) 2
7. Trego (11-1) 9
8. Smith Center (11-1) 5
9. Wathena (11-1) 8
10. St. John (9-2)
Dropped Out: No. 7 St. Mary?s Colgan
Class 1A
1. Centralia (11-0) 1
2. Crest (11-1) 2
3. Wallace County (12-1) 4
4. Hanover (12-2) 5
5. Olpe (11-1) 3
6. South Gray (11-3) 7
7. Quinter (14-1) 6
8. Blue Valley (8-3) 8
9. St. John?s-Beloit (12-1) -
10. Macksville (10-3) 10
Dropped Out: No. 9 Hutchinson Central Christian
Kansas Girls Basketball Rankings
Top 10
1. Wichita Heights (13-0) 1
2. Andover Central (12-0) 4
3. Blue Valley (12-1) 3
4. Lawrence (11-2) 5
5. Abilene (13-0) 2
6. Olathe South (12-2) -
7. Riley County (12-0) 9
8. St. Thomas Aquinas (8-3) 8
9. Wichita Carroll (10-2) -
10. Basehor-Linwood (12-1) 6
Dropped Out: No. 7 Colby, No. 10 Washburn Rural
Class 6A
1. Wichita Heights (13-0) 1
2. Blue Valley (12-1) 2
3. Lawrence (11-2) 3
4. Olathe South (12-2) 5
5. Washburn Rural (9-3) 4
6. Shawnee Mission East (10-2) 6
7. Shawnee Mission West (6-3) 7
8. Goddard (11-1) 9
9. Junction City (10-2) 8
10. Shawnee Mission South (9-4) 10
Class 5A
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (9-3) 1
2. Wichita Carroll (10-2) 2
3. Emporia (11-2) 3
4. Great Bend (11-2) 4
5. Shawnee Heights (9-4) 7
6. McPherson (10-3) 5
7. Wichita Kapaun Mount Carmel (7-5) 8
8. Lansing (9-4) 9
9. Bishop Miege (8-5) 6
10. Hutchinson (7-4) 10
Class 4A
1. Andover Central (12-0) 2
2. Abilene (13-0) 1
3. Basehor-Linwood (12-1) 3
4. Colby (14-0) 4
5. Holton (12-1) 6
6. Topeka Hayden (8-2) 5
7. Tonganoxie (12-2) 8
8. Rose Hill (12-1) -
9. Marysville (11-3) 9
10. Eudora (11-2) ?
Dropped Out: No. 7 Buhler, No. 10 Concordia
Class 3A
1. Riley County (12-0) 1
2. Wichita Collegiate (9-2) 4
3. Cimarron (11-0) 2
4. Rock Creek (9-2) 3
5. Garden Plain (11-2) 5
6. More Prep-Marian (6-4) 6
7. Norton (8-4) 7
8. Medicine Lodge (10-2) -
9. Neodesha (10-1) 9
10. Phillipsburg (10-3) 10
Dropped Out: No. 8 Silver Lake
Class 2A
1. Southwestern Heights (10-1) 2
2. St. Marys (8-2) 3
3. Berean Academy (12-1) 1
4. St. John (9-2) 5
5. Oakley (11-3) 4
6. Osborne (11-2) 6
7. Frankfort (10-4) 8
8. Sublette (11-2) 9
9. Moundridge (10-3) 7
10. Lyndon (10-3)
Dropped Out: No. 10 Syracuse
Class 1A
1. Olpe (13-0) 2
2. Centralia (10-1) 1
3. South Barber (11-1) 4
4. Blue Valley (12-1) 3
5. South Gray (12-1) 5
6. Quivira Heights (13-0) 7
7. Skyline (12-1) 8
8. Southern Coffey County (13-0) -
9. Lakeside (14-0) 6
10. Linn (12-3) 10
Dropped Out: No. 9 Claflin
