The Atchison Phoenix will challenge the Highland Park Scots at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The timing isn't great for Atchison: they have been struggling with three straight losses at home, while Highland Park has snatched up eight consecutive wins on the road dating back to last season.
Last Monday, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Atchison beat Shawnee Mission North 46-42.
Atchison's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Kaiya Downing led the charge by going 6 for 8 en route to 12 points and six boards. Ashlyn Housh was another key player, putting up 12 points.
Meanwhile, Highland Park's undefeated season came to an end after six games on Tuesday. They took a 53-45 hit to the loss column at the hands of Topeka. The loss put an end to the Scots' undefeated start to the season.
Despite the loss, Highland Park saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Pearmella Carter dropped a double-double on 17 points and 16 rebounds. That was a full 37.8% of Highland Park's points, marking the sixth time in a row she's posted more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Tahtionna Broils, who scored nine points along with five boards and five steals.
Even though they lost, Highland Park smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in six consecutive matchups.
Atchison's win bumped their record up to 3-4. As for Highland Park, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 6-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Atchison has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 33.7 boards per game. However, it's not like Highland Park struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.6 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Atchison was taken down by Highland Park 60-30 in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Carter, who went 7 of 13 on her way to 15 points in addition to eight boards and six steals. Now that Atchison knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
