6A BOYS FINALS
BLUE VALLEY NORTH 67, CAMPUS 59
BV North (21-3) captured its second state title as Isaac Patterson scored 19 points with 12 rebounds. Nikko Taylor added 17 points and Luke Adams had 14 points.
Stevie Strong scored 26 points with five steals for Campus (21-3). Jaydan Hall added 12 points, Sterling Chapman had 10 points, nine rebounds and four steals.
The Mustangs of Blue Valley North claim the 6A State Championship topping Campus 67-59. It was a true championship game that had both team showing strengths on both sides of the court.
Blue Valley North played in their third state championship game in history and captured just their second trophy, the other coming in 1994.
The first quarter started off slow on the offensive end but both teams were able to spark offense in the closing minutes of the period. North’s Luke Adams found the range from deep and Stevie Strong from Campus was able to answer the call. North got up my as many as seven and closed the period up 16-10.
Campus had a strong second quarter. Strong took advantage of several different one on one situation. Campus would lead 32-22 at one point in the period. The Mustangs would score the final four points of the half to make it 32-26 in favor of the Colts.
Free throws were big in the game. The veteran team from Blue Valley North went 17-19 from the line and Campus when 11-16. The colts missed some key free throws in the third quarter and fourth quarter that saw regain the lead by outscoring Campus 14-6 in the third.
Seven seniors in the Blue Valley North lineup provided stability in the closing minutes.
Isaac Patterson led the Mustangs with 19 points. Blue Valley North had four player put up double figures. Campus was playing in its second championship game in school history after placing runner-up in 1988.
6A GIRLS FINALS
SM NORTHWEST 61, TOPEKA 54
The Shawnee Mission Northwest Cougars finish a perfect 23-0 season beating Topeka High 61-54 for the 6A girls state basketball championship.
It was the game most people tuning into the 6A postseason thought they'd see and it did not disappoint. Topeka High junior NiJaree Canady scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, finishing off an impressive state tournament.
Topeka High threw the first punch going up 7-2 but Northwest responded and by the second quarter the cougars had the lead and took at 26-21 advantage into the locker room.
BLUE VALLEY NORTH BOYS 71, LAWRENCE 63
Blue Valley North started the game exactly as you would want to draw it up by leading by as much as 14 towards the end of the first quarter against the Chesty Lions of Lawrence.
Lawrence battled their way back in the second quarter, but the Mustangs of Blue Valley North shot 64% in the period to get a commanding halftime lead, 40-22.
Lawrence then would go on to outscore Blue Valley North in the second half, 41-31 but the halftime difference proved to much to overcome.
The game was back and forth as Lawrence just could not chip into the lead of the Mustangs. Blue Valley North was led by 23 points from Isaac Patterson and 17 from Andrew Orr.
Isaiah Mayo put on an impressive scoring display with 41 total points on 15 of 27 shooting.
Blue Valley North forced the Chesty Lions into 24 turnovers compared to just 14 for the Mustangs. Points in the paint loomed large as well, with the Mustangs winning the advantage 42-26.
Blue Valley North will advance to the championship game against Campus.
CAMPUS BOYS 42, LAWREENCE FREE STATE 37
Campus got out to a 10-9 lead over Free State to end the first quarter. Stevie Strong from Campus was shooting from deep opening the offense for the Colts. The Firebirds found some edge on the offensive end rebounding their own missed shots for put-backs.
The second quarter brought a back-and-forth up-tempo game but shots were not falling for either team. Sterling Chapman and Stevie Strong For Campus led the scoring six points each. For the Firebirds. Kristopher Daniels and Cooper Jackson each had five. Free State held the advantage heading to the locker room, 21-20.
The third quarter brought more of the same with a steady back and forth battle. The advantage stayed with Free State heading into the fourth 31-30. Free State’s Jackson was a pest on defense getting his hands in the passing lane, disrupting the Colt’s offensive flow.
The Colts took the lead early in the fourth quarter on a Chapman dunk. The Colts then went on to play a little keep away game on the offensive in and locked down defensively.
Chapman hit two free throws to make it 40-37 with 14 seconds left and Free State got a good look at a three to tie on the next possession but it hit the front rim.
Campus will play Blue Valley North in the 6A State Championship, Saturday.
SM NORTHWEST GIRLS 59, OLATHE WEST 45
Shawnee Mission-Northwest came in undefeated and proved they why they had that mark right out of the gate getting up 13-2 in the first four minutes of the semifinal game in Koch Arena.
The run did not stop there as the Cougars of Northwest ran their lead up to 17-2 before the first quarter ended with the Owls of Olathe West trailing 17-4.
The second quarter was brought more of the same as the Cougars saw their lead grow to 17 points before the Owls went on a little run of four points but a layup by Northwest’s Kennedy Taylor started the run again for the Cougars. Taylor would end up leading all scores with 19 when it was all said and done. The Owls were able to shoot 4-4 from the free throw line where half of the second quarter points came.
Halftime found the Cougars leading 33-12. Northwest was shooting 56% at that half compared to the Owls' 17%.
Northwest continued to show dominance in the paint in the second half where in total for the game would outscore Olathe West 36-20.
A scoring run of 14 points for the Owls would provide them with the advantage in the fourth quarter but the deficient from the first three periods were too much to overcome.
SM NORTHWEST 59, OLATHE WEST 45
Olathe West 4 8 9 24 — 45
SM Northwest 17 16 18 9 — 59
Olathe West (15-6) — Hart 2-5 2-2 6, Anderson 0-6 0-0 0, Wilson 5-10 2-2 12, Stracevich 2-7 4-4 9, Collar 2-6 0-0 5, Loveless 0-1 0-0 0, Moore 1-2 0-0 2, Glover 1-3 0-0 2, Newman 0-5 2-4 2, Barnard 1-2 0-0 3, Harter 0-1 0-0 0, Duncan 1-6 2-2 4. Totals 15-54 12-14 45.
SM Northwest (22-0) — Grampsas 3-5 2-2 9, Dunn 2-7 5-6 9, Harris Webster 1-6 0-2 2, Taylor 11-12 0-3 23, Machiewicz 6-9 0-0 12, Ojeda 1-5 0-0 3, Chapin 0-1 1-2 1, Meister 0-0 0-1 0, Solir 0-1 0-0 0, Totals 24-46 8-16 59.
3-point goals — West 3-11 (Starcevich 1-2, Collard 1-2, Barnard 1-1, Hart 0-1, Anderson 0-1, Loveless 0-1, Glover 0-1) Northwest 3-10 (Grampsas 1-2, Taylor 1-1, Ojeda 1-3, Dunn 0-2, Harris Webster 0-2). Rebounds — West 34 (Duncan 9) Northwest 33 (Taylor 19)
TOPEKA HIGH GIRLS 54, DODGE CITY 37
Topeka High (29-1) returned to the Class 6A state championship game for the second time in three years, denied last year when the state tournament was canceled for COVID-19 precautions. The Trojans play Shawnee Mission Northwest (22-0), which handled Olathe West 59-45.
Canady hit seven straight shots keying a 12-0 run that produced a 25-8 lead just two minutes in.
Dodge City closed within 28-22 at halftime. The Red Demons closed within two points.
But Canady knocked down a huge 3-pointer to restore a five-point Topeka High lead after three quarters. Canady scored three baskets to push the lead to 11 points.
Dodge City got nine points apiece from Becca Unruh and Camree Johnson. The Red Demons went just 1 of 14 from 3-point range and 13 of 42 overall.
The loss ended the best season in school history as the Red Demons went 21-2 against a loaded schedule that saw them play 11 ranked teams. Dodge City went undefeated in Western Athletic Conference play and its only other loss came to McPherson, which will play for the Class 4A state title on Saturday.
Dodge City 8 14 11 4 – 37
Topeka High 13 15 10 16 – 54
Dodge City (21-2) — B. Unruh 3-6 2-2 9, Johnson 3-8 3-4 9, K. Unruh 2-12 3-4 7, Perez 1-7 0-0 2, Gleason 2-5 2-5 6, Gonzalez 0-1 0-0 0, Solis 2-3 0-0 4, Totals 13-42 10-15 37.
Topeka High (23-1) — L. Smith 0-5 1-2 1, Thomas 1-6 7-8 9, K. Smith 3-9 0-0 7, Hendricks 1-5 1-2 4, Canady 12-18 4-6 29, Lyons 1-8 2-4 4, A. Caryl 0-1 0-0 0, Shields 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 18-53 15-22 54.
3-point goals — DC 1-14 (B. Unruh 1-14, Johnson 0-4, K. Unruh 0-3, Perez 0-3,. Gleason 0-1); T 3-14 (K. Smith 1-2, Hendricks 1-2, Canady 1-2, L. Smith 0-4, Thomas 0-2, A. Caryl 0-1, Shields 0-1). Rebounds — DC 28 (Gleason 8); T 39 (Canady 14).
