STERLING 48, ELLINWOOD 42
SUBLETTE – Sterling's Kaz Comley steamrolled Ellinwood's Alec Brack at halfcourt with the Eagles expecting a charging foul. Like most things all night, the call swung Sterling's way in a hard-fought 48-42 substate basketball championship over the Eagles. Sterling (18-5) qualifies for the 2A state tournament at Manhattan.
Sterling smartly attacked the basket in a near-perfect first half. The Black Bears led 29-12 at halftime by holding the Eagles to 3 of 16 shooting. Sterling's Cody Oden scored 12 of 15 first-half points.
Ellinwood's Britton Dutton led a hustling comeback with 21 points, 15 after halftime. Parker Scheck chipped in 10 points. The Eagles worked within 37-32 (4:30) and 45-40 (0:27) with vastly-improved defense after halftime. Sterling iced the victory with nine fourth-quarter free throws.
Sterling (18-5) beat the Eagles 49-30 in last year's 2A semifinals. The Black Bears edged the Eagles 43-37 in the 2020 substate championship at Inman.
Sterling 17 12 8 11 – 48
Ellinwood 8 4 12 18 – 42
STERLING (18-5)–Oden 5-12 5-10 15, Comley 2-8 8-9 12, Surface 3-10 4-6 11, Riffel 2-5 1-2 5, Beagley 1-2 0-0 3, Hopewell 1-3 0-0 2, Totals 14-40 18-27 48.
ELLINWOOD (20-3)–Dutton 8-23 4-4 21, Scheck 4-8 2-2 10, Heinz 1-3 0-0 3, Zink 1-5 0-0 2, Behnke 1-5 4-4 6, Brack 0-1 0-0 0, Totals 15-45 10-10 42.
3-pointers–S 2-14 (Beagley 1-2, Surface 1-5, Comley 0-3, Oden 0-4); E 2-11 (Heinz 1-2, Dutton 1-5Brack 0-1, Behnke 0-3).
SUBLETTE – The Sublette Larks featured Ace Martinez.
The Ellinwood Eagles knew who featured the real "ace," – Britton Dutton.
Dutton was spectacular with 26 points, 22 after halftime, while dishing out his usual compliment of assists in a 63-44 victory over Sublette in the 2A basketball substate. Time-after-time, Dutton broke down the Larks 1-on-1 and converted a trio of 3-point plays. He scored 12 third-quarter points.
Ellinwood's sharpshooter Drew Heinz (14 points) knocked down four 3-pointers and Alek Brack converted a pair of 3-pointers. The Eagles outscored the Larks 37-18 after halftime with efficient offense directed by Dutton.
Sublette's Martinez and Miguel Hernandez each scored and 11 points. The Larks converted 1 of 15 3-pointers after halftime.
The Eagles (20-2) will play Sterling (17-5) in a rematch of the 2020 substate championship game at Inman. Sterling beat Medicine Lodge 66-54.
Ellinwood 11 15 19 18 – 63
Sublette 11 15 12 6 – 44
ELLINWOOD (20-2)–Dutton 9-15 8-10 26, Heinz 5-8 0-0 14, Zink 4-6 0-0 8, Behnke 2-6 3-6 7, Brack 2-3 0-0 6, Hosman 0-0 0-2 0, Coleman 0-0 0-2 0, Totals 23-43 11-18 63
SUBLETTE (12-10)–Martinez 4-14 3-4 11, Hernandez 3-6 4-6 11, Friesen 2-11 2-2 7, Guenter 1-7 2-2 5, Unruh 2-3 0-0 5, Dyck 1-3 1-4 3, Garetson 1-5 0-0 2, Totals 14-49 12-18 44
3-pointers–E 6-14 (Heinz 3-7, Brack 2-2, Behnke 0-2, Dutton 0-3), S 4-24 (Unruh 1-2, Hernandez 1-2, Friesen 1-6, Guenter 1-7, Martinez 0-7).
BURRTON – St. John's Kaylynn Claussen scored 17 points to spark the Tigers past Burrton 64-27 in Friday's 1A Burrton basketball substate. Jade Portillo (11) and Heidi Fisher (10) also scored in double figures. The Tigers led 38-15 at halftime. St. John (15-7) plays Little River (20-1) for a 1A Division 1 state berth.
St. John 23 15 20 6 – 64
Burrton 7 8 4 8 – 27
ST. JOHN (15-7)–Claussen 6 5-6 17, Portillo 4 0-0 11, Fisher 4 0-1 10, Smith 3 2-4 9, Meyer 2 0-0 4, Hudson 2 1-2 6, Reed 2 0-0 4, Cantrell 1 0-2 3, Totals 24 8-15 64.
BURRTON (13-9)–Dold 3 0-0 7, Matlack 3 0-0 6, Dunlavy 1 1-2 3, Cassie Dunlavy 3 1-2 9, Hanss 1 0-0 2, Totals 11 2-4 27.
3-pointers–SJ 8 (Portillo 3, Fisher 2, Cantrell 1, Smith 1, Hudson 1); B 3 (Dold 1, C. Dunlavy 2).
LITTLE RIVER GIRLS 51, MACKSVILLE 35
BURRTON – Little River employed balanced scoring and hustling defense to down Macksville’s girls 51-35 in the 1A Burrton basketball substate.
Little River (20-1) was paced by Aubrey Olander (14), Lily Boughfman (12) and Aliana Eck (10). The Redskins sprinted to a 14-2 lead and was never threatened.
Macksville (12-10) kept hustling despite a double-digit deficit all night. Joselin Garcia played brilliantly with 10 points and Mayce Russell added eight points.
Macksville 2 10 9 14 – 35
Little River 14 12 10 15 – 51
MACKSVILLE (12-10)—Garcia 4-8 2-4 10, Russell 2-13 4-4 8, Ibarra 2-4 2-2 7, Adams 1-9 4-12 6, Carrillo 1-4 0-0 2, Sanders 1-1 0-0 2, Butler 0-2 0-0 0, Ortiz 0-2 0-2 0, Galan 0-3 0-0 0, Totals 11-46 12-24 35.
LITTLE RIVER (20-1)—Olander 6-15 2-6 14, Lily Boughfman 5-13 2-2 12, Eck 4-9 2-2 10, Elsie Boughfman 2-5 2-5 6, Sneath 0-2 0-0 0, Stephenson 0-4 0-0 0, Ellwood 0-2 0-0 3, Welsh 2-2 2-6 6, Renken 1-5 0-0 3, Totals 20-57 10-21 51.
3-pointers—M 1-7 (Ibarra 1-2, Ortiz 0-1, Russell 0-4); LR 1-10 (Ellwood 1-2, E. Boughfman 0-1, Stephenson 0-1, Eck 0-2, Renken 1-5).
OILER GIRLS 81, WILSON 18
CLAFLIN – The Central Plains girls coasted past Wilson 81-18 Friday at the 1A Claflin basketball substate semifinal. The Oilers (20-1) earned their 50th consecutive postseason victory, a KSHSAA record. The Oilers have swept seven consecutive state basketball titles.
Brynna Hammeke scored 22 points with Kassidy Nixon (17), Marilyn Soeken (14), Madison McGuire (12) and Reese McGuire (12) scoring in double figures. The Oilers converted 10 3-pointers and led 51-7 at halftime.
Wilson 3 4 9 2 – 18
C. Plains 29 22 23 7 – 81
WILSON (7-14)–A. Thielen 2 5-8 10, Dlabal 1 0-0 3, Steinike 2 0-0 4, Koch 0 0-1 0, H. Thielen 0 1-2 1, Totals 5 6-11 18.
CENTRAL PLAINS (20-1)–Hammeke 9 1-1 22, Nixon 7 2-2 17, Soeken 5 3-7 14, Madison McGuire 3 6-10 12, Reese McGuire 4 0-0 12, Lamatsch 1 0-0 3, Donecker 0- 1-2 1, Steiner 0 0 0-2 0, Totals 19 13-24 81.
3-pointers–W 2 (Dlabel 1, Thielen 1), CP 10 (R. McGuire 4, Hammeke 3, Nixon 1, Lamatsch 1, Soeken 1).
RURAL VISTA 49, TESCOTT 35
CLAFLIN – Hope Rural Vista's Shaylee Sanford scored 23 points in a 49-35 victory over Tescott in the 1A Claflin basketball substate semifinals.
Tescott 8 4 11 12 – 35
Rural Vista 13 13 12 11 – 49
TESCOTT ()–Mallorie Church 8 5-6 23, Petersen 2 2-4 6, Pasley 2 0-0 4, Adams 1 0-0 2, Totals 13 7-10 35.
RURAL VISTA (11-10)–Sanford 6 0-0 17, Angie Linder 2 7-8 11, Callie Linder 1 0-0 3, Reidy 1 0-0 3, Rapp1 0-1 4, Acres 4 3-3 11, Totals 49.
3-pointers–T 3 (Church 3); RV 7 (Sanford 4, Linder 1, Reidy 1),
GOODLAND 49, HOISINGTON 37
GOODLAND – A foul-plagued night went sour for Hoisington as all-league Macy Hanzlick fouled out after being saddled with constant foul trouble in a hard-fought 49-37 loss to Goodland in the 3A Goodland basketball substate. There were 21 first-half fouls.
The Cardinals (14-8) hung tough after winning seven consecutive tournament games this season. Addy Mason and Livvy Brewer each scored nine points. Hanzlick netted three points.
Goodland (20-2) outscored the Cardinals 22-12 after halftime. Talexa Weeter scored 19 points and Emma Lehman converted a trio of 3-pointers.
Hoisington 11 14 5 7 – 37
Goodland 13 14 9 13 – 49
HOISINGTON (14-8)–Addy Mason 2 4-4 9, Brewer 4 1-2 9, Hahn 1 4-6 6, Lamatsch 2 0-0 4, Boxberger 1 1-2 3, Mooney 1 0-0 3, Hanzlick 1 1-2 3, Totals 12 11-16 37.
GOODLAND (20-2)–Weeter 6 6-7 19, Emma Lehman 3 0-0 9, Cure 2 5-8 9, Olivia Lehman 4 0-2 8, Mitchek 1 0-2 2, Haley Blochinger 1 0-0 2, Totals 17 11-19 49.
3-pointers–H 4 (A. Mason 3, Mooney 1); G (E. lehman 3, Weeter 1)
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