Winning is just a little bit easier when you work as a team to rack up 11 more assists than your opponent, a fact the West Chargers proved on Saturday. They put the hurt on Topeka with a sharp 55-30 win. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest victory West has managed all season.
West found their leader in underclassman Keimani Paul, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 13 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Paul has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Jalen Foy, who scored ten points along with eight assists and five rebounds.
Topeka's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Da'mykel Hales, who scored 12 points along with four steals. Antwan Simms was another key contributor, scoring no points along with nine rebounds and five steals.
The victory makes it two in a row for West and bumps their season record up to 6-4. As for Topeka, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-7.
West will be staying on the road on Tuesday to face off against Basehor-Linwood at 7:15 p.m. on January 23rd. As for Topeka, Topeka and Seaman will face off at 7:00 p.m. on January 24th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Kansas (Seaman is ranked 140th, while Topeka is ranked 149th).