It wasn’t long into the Hilltop Hoops Classic championship game that it looked like the Central Plains High School girls’ basketball team was going to run away with it.
With three girls in double figures by halftime, the Lady Oilers toppled Ell-Saline 70-36 on Friday night at Kirkman Activity Center.
“We came out real aggressive,” Central Plains head coach Pat Stiles said. “Our press got them to turn the ball over a little bit, and kind of gave us the lead. We started to shoot the ball extremely well in the first half.”
Right out of the gate, Central Plains, which is 13-0 this season with the win, went up 12-2 on its way to a 28-11 lead after eight minutes.
Running a full-court defense throughout the first half, the Lady Oilers, who are ranked No. 3 in Class 2A on the latest Kansas Basketball Coaches Association poll, forced 13 turnovers on the first half and kept the Lady Cardinals to only 16 points before intermission.
A 21-5 second quarter saw the Lady Oilers hold a 49-16 advantage heading into the locker rooms.
Lady Oilers sophomore Reagan Phelan led the charge with 23 points, going 10-for-20 from the field.
“She just handles the ball so well, it kind of gives the rest of our kids confidence,” Stiles said. “She sees the floor so well.”
Sophomore Taylor Rolfs added 16 points, hitting 7 of 12 field goals, and freshman Janae Ryan added 11 points.
Ryan hit a trio of 3-pointers in a three-minute span, with Phelan sinking a long ball in the middle, as part of the run that put the game out of reach for the Lady Cardinals in the second quarter.
“We have a really good sophomore bunch, and a freshman bunch coming up,” Stiles said. “The junior high program has been very good the last couple years. We’re extremely young, and hopefully, we just keep improving.”
Phelan won the 3-point contest, and Rolfs won the free-throw contest.
GIRLS
Hesston 51, Hoisington 25
HOISINGTON — Hesston led 26-13 at intermission on the road against Hoisington on Saturday evening.
The Lady Swathers defense kept everyone but two Lady Cardinals players from scoring as it cruised to a victory.
Hoisington’s Rylie Koester scored 15 points, and Jordin Greer scored 10.
BOYS
Macksville 58, Pratt 43
PRATT — Macksville trailed 13-12 after one quarter, but jumped to a 28-22 lead at halftime and added to it in the third quarter to leave Pratt behind.
Tanner Tranbarger scored 27 points to lead the Mustangs, going 12-for-24 from the field.
Simon Miller added 18 points and grabbed a monstrous 19 rebounds for a double-double.
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Hilltop Hoops Classic
GIRLS
Friday
At Great Bend
Barton Community College
Central Plains 70, Ell-Saline 36
CENTRAL PLAINS (13-0)
Reagan Phelan 10-20 2-3 23, Taylor Rolfs 7-12 2-2 16, Janae Ryan 4-7 0-0 11, Breanna Holmes 4-10 0-0 8, Cassidy Crites 2-2 1-2 5, Kendi Maxwell 2-5 0-0 4, Karli Beck 1-1 0-1 3, Kylee Kasselman 0-0 0-1 0, Casey Kaiser 0-2 0-0 0, Julee McAtee 0-2 0-0 0, Breanna Schartz 0-2 0-0 0, Abby Stueder 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-63 5-9 70.
ELL-SALINE (9-4)
Paige Johnson 5-15 2-2 17, Sesely Omli 2-14 1-3 5, Darby Wikoff 1-4 2-2 4, Baily Goddard 1-3 2-2 4, Emma Drees 1-5 1-2 4, Morgan Parker 1-2 0-0 2, Morgan Kindlesparger 0-2 0-0 0, Jordam Weems 0-1 0-0 0, Stalee Diehl 0-6 0-0 0, Katelynn Adam 0-2 0-0 0, Morgan Scheibler 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 11-55 8-11 36.
CPHS 28 21 12 9 — 70
ESHS 11 5 14 6 — 36
Three-point goals—Central Plains 5-12 (Ryan 3-4, Beck 1-1, Phelan 1-3, Maxwell 0-2, Rolfs 0-2); Ell-Saline 6-26 (Johnson 5-11, Drees 1-2, Parker 0-1, Kindlesparger 0-2, Diehl 0-1, Adam 0-2, Omli 0-7). Fouled out—Central Plains (None); Ell-Saline (Diehl). Rebounds—Central Plains 46 (Rolfs 10); Ell-Saline 35 (Omli 7). Assists—Central Plains 18 (Phelan 8); Ell-Saline 6 (Drees 4). Total fouls—Central Plains 13; Ell-Saline 16.
