HANOVER (21-4) vs. LEBO (22-2) (1ST) –

WALLACE COUNTY 62, NORTHERN VALLEY 46 (3RD) – Wallace County (21-4) won the third-place game keyed by Jersi Benisch's 19 points and nine by Jyma Stafford.

Northern Valley's Delaney Sides scored 14 points and Audrey Bina added 13 points.

BY BRENT MAYCOCK

KSHSAA COVERED

Lebo girls basketball coach Patrick Gardner wasn’t about to hide it. 

“34-59,” the Lebo girls coach said. “It’s been on our scoreboard since Day One. Plain and simple.”

The score Gardner was referring to came in last year’s Class 1A Division 2 state championship game. Lebo went into the game undefeated on the season and promptly got spanked by fellow unbeaten Hanover, which won its third state title in six seasons.

Rather than write it off and erase it from his team’s memory, Gardner wrote it down as a daily reminder of where the Wolves wanted to be this season. And thanks to a strong second-half effort against Wallace County in Friday’s late semifinal, that’s exactly where Lebo finds itself.

With a 47-36 win over Wallace County, Lebo (22-2) kept its end of the deal, advancing to Saturday’s 6:15 p.m. championship game for the second straight year. Earlier in the day, Hanover (21-4) did its part as well, cruising past under-manned Northern Valley 56-28.
 
Lebo wanted a second shot at Hanover and the Wolves have it.
 
“We did not bring our best (last year) and they’re the team to beat,” Gardner said. “We felt they were the No. 1 team all year long. We have to beat them to be that. We wanted to be back here to see what we could do.”
 
Lebo guard Aubrey Peek said the Wolves are ready to prove that last year’s showing wasn’t who the Wolves really are.
 
“We knew we did not give them our best game last year,” Peek said. “We’re ready to come back and give them our best game. We’re a lot more prepared."

The Wildcats’ 6-foot-2 post Aubree Richardson took away just about anything Lebo standout Saige Hadley tried to get in the paint. And the Wildcat guard hounded Lebo on the perimeter, forcing 13 turnovers in the first half.
 
Lebo led 9-3 after one quarter before settling for a 16-13 halftime lead on Emma Marsh's 3-pointer.

 “She was big tonight,” Gardner said of Marsh, who wound up scoring 9 points off the bench. “That shot was huge for her confidence."

 The Wolves jumped on Wallace County in the second half. Siara Crouch scored on consecutive possessions and hit two free throws to start a 9-0 run.  Peek capped the run with a 3-pointer.
 
“We hit Siara a few times and that softened their defense,” Gardner said. “It opened up the middle for Audrey to hit a few for us and Saige to get going. Siara did a really good job of getting to the bucket.”
 
Wallace County never got closer than nine. Hadley made 4 of 7 in the second half to finish with a game-high 13 points. Peek added 12 points, 5 assists and 7 steals.
 
Wallace County's Jersi Benisch contributed 13 points and 6 steals.

HANOVER 56, WALLACE COUNTY 28 – Northern Valley’s 7-player roster was unable to handle Hanover’s pressure defense.

And while a stingy press has been a trademark of Hanover teams, Wildcat coach Chris Beikmann said they haven’t busted it out as much as they traditionally like this season.
 
“We’ve been able to put it on lately,” he said. “When you get out here and see new teams, you can bring some of your presses out that they haven’t seen. With the athletes we have, I’m not going to hold them back.”
 
Northern Valley hung tough for five minutes, trailing 10-8 at the 3:19 mark of the period.
 
But the Huskies committed 11 turnovers in the next few minutes. Hanover completed a 16-0 scoring run for a 26-8 lead. Hanover scored 22 first-half points off 18 first-half turnovers for a 34-14 lead.

 
“Keep the pressure on them,” Beikmann said. “We got turnovers, and our early pressure fueled our offense. And if you give Anna run-outs, she’s going to finish.
 
“We wanted to come out with that fighter’s instinct and not let them jab at us and get us to the third quarter where it’s a 10-point game. You give a team – kudos to Northern Valley, seven girls and to get out here and compete how they are, heck of a job and heck of a coaching job.”
 
Jueneman keyed the press and had eight first-half steals that led in part to her 18 first-half points. She finished with 24 points and 10 steals as Hanover put it on cruise control a bit in the second half, getting out to a 24-point lead less than four minutes into the third quarter and never letting it get below 20 the rest of the way.
 
Katelyn Klipp added 11 points and 6 rebounds and Tessa Lohse and Drew Bruna combined for 17 points.
 
Audrey Bina’s 8 points leading the way. Northern Valley finished with 28 turnovers and made 9 of 33 shots (27%).
 
Back in the title game for the fifth time since 2017, Beikmann said that though it’s been a different path back – no Twin Valley League titles this season as well as four losses – his team has been tested enough to be ready for its rematch with a Lebo team it whipped by 25 points in last year’s title tilt.
 
“That was one of our best games last year,” Beikmann said. “We had some great seniors last year and Lebo did as well. Early this year, it was a learning curve and our schedule helped us. We played Little River in the non-con, and Centralia, Frankfort and Valley Heights. Every night in the TVL was a battle. You’re going to get tested. That’s why we get out here and perform so well.”

Hanover 20 14 11 11 – 56

No. Valley 8 6 8 6 – 28

HANOVER (21-4)– Lohse 3-7 0-0 9, D. Bruna 2-5 3-3 8, A. Jueneman 10-17 3-4 24, K. Schotte 0-2 0-0 0, Klipp 3-11 5-6 11, Cohorst 0-1 0-0 0, G. Bruna 1-2 0-2 2, Schlabach 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 20-48 11-15 56.

NORTHERN VALLEY (13-12) – Sides 2-11 1-2 7, J. Cox 2-4 3-4 7, Bina 3-6 2-6 8, A. Cox 1-6 1-2 3, B. Cox 1-4 0-0 3, Gebhard 0-1 0-0 0, Schemper 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 9-33 7-14 22.

3-pointers – H 5-16 (Lohse 3-7, D. Bruna 1-2, Jueneman 1-4, K. Schotte 0-1, Klipp 0-1, G. Bruna 0-1); NV 3-16 (Sides 2-11, B. Cox 1-2, A. Cox 0-2). Rebounds–H 34 (D. Bruna 9), NV 22 (J. Cox 9). Assists– H 10 (Lohse 3), NV 7 (A. Cox 3). TO – H 20, NV 28.

Wallace County 3 10 8 15 – 36

Lebo 9 7 18 13 – 47

WALLACE COUNTY (20-4)– Carman 0-1 2-2 2, Jy. Stafford 0-5 1-2 1, Benisch 5-16 2-2 13, A. Richardson 2-7 3-5 7, Ja. Stafford 1-1 0-0 2, Daily 2-7 0-2 4, K. Richardson 1-6 1-4 3, Gibbs 0-5 2-2 2, Ita 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 12-49 11-19 36.

LEBO (22-2)– Peek 4-11 2-2 12, Ott 0-2 3-6 3, Jones 1-4 0-0 2, Crouch 3-8 2-2 8, Hadley 5-10 2-5 13, Marsh 2-3 5-8 9. Totals 15-38 14-23 47.

3-pointers– WC 1-7 (Benisch 1-5, Daily 0-2); L 3-17 (Peek 2-6, Hadley 1-2, Jones 0-3, Crouch 0-5, Marsh 0-1). Rebounds – WC 33 (A. Richardson 9), L 38 (Hadley 9). Assists–WC 4 (Benisch 2), Lebo 11 (Peek 5). Turnovers – Wallace County 19, L 25.

NORTHERN VALLEY GIRLS 49, SOUTH HAVEN 42  – Northern Valley surprised South Haven 49-42 by outscoring the Titans 19-10 in the fourth quarter after a 30-30 tie.

Austyn Cox scored 17 points and Audrey Bina added 12 points. South Haven's Kelly Theurer scored 15 points.

HANOVER GIRLS 57, BUCKLIN 43 – Hanover's Gracie Bruna (18), Anna Jueneman (14) and Katelyn Klipp (12) scored in double figures. The Wildcats converted 11 of 24 3-pointers to outscore the Red Aces 33-15 from long range.

Bucklin's Emmerson Kirk (15) and Karlee Evans (14) scored in double figures. Hanover (20-4) plays Northern Valley in Friday's semifinals. Bucklin ends with a 19-4 record.

LEBO GIRLS 56, MARAIS DES CYGNES 29 – Lebo's Audrey Peek led a balanced offense with 15 points. Ten Lebo Wolves scored points.

WALLACE COUNTY GIRLS 58,  BELOIT ST. JOHN’S 44 – Wallace County's Aubree Richardson (14) led four players in double figures along with Jaelyn Daily (12), Jyma Stafford (12) and Jersi Benisch (11).

Beloit St. John's countered with Jenna Gangler (12), Carlie Brummer (10) and Lynelle Gengler (10).

1A DIV. 2 GREAT BEND

1ST–Hanover 21-4 vs. Lebo 22-2; 3RD–Northern Valley 13-12 vs. Wallace County 20-4

SEMIFINALS–Northern Valley 13-11 vs. Hanover 20-4, 4 p.m.; Lebo 21-2 vs. Wallace County 20-3, 8 p.m.

QUARTERFINALS–Northern Valley 49, South Haven 42; Hanover 57, Bucklin 43; Lebo 56, Marais De Cygnes 29; Wallace County 58, Beloit St. John's 44