TECUMSEH — Forty-nine fouls were called and 66 free throws were attempted during the rough-and-tumble Lady T-Bird Classic Basketball Tournament third-place throwdown on Saturday afternoon at Shawnee Heights High School.
As it turned out, Topeka High's physicality was too much for the Great Bend Lady Panthers, who fell to the Lady Trojans 50-43.
"Topeka High is a physical team," Great Bend head coach Carrie Minton said. "We just weren't able to match up with them.
"They're a big team, and they did some good things."
While Great Bend (7-5) struggled shooting the basketball for the better part of three quarters, the Lady Trojans were able to hold on in the late going.
Tarynn Stueder's 3-pointer from the top of the circle with three minutes, five seconds remaining pulled Great Bend within 44-39, but the Lady Trojans began making their march to the foul line at that juncture, making 6 of 10 during the final 2:19.
Down by one point at halftime, Great Bend found itself trailing 22-19 in the third quarter when Minton was whistled for a technical foul at the 4:27 mark after disputing a no-call.
It seemed to spark the Lady Panthers. After Brittany Harden made both free throws on the technical to give Topeka High a 24-19 edge, Morgan Harwood answered with a basket and Lauren Welsch made a basket and a free throw during a 5-1 run to tie the game at 25 with 1½ minutes left in the third period.
"I just think we started playing better, playing the type of basketball that we're capable of," Minton said.
But the Lady Trojans went on a 7-2 run during the final 1:17 of the quarter.
Great Bend, which led 9-4 after one quarter, managed only one basket during the second period.
Harwood's basket in the lane gave the Lady Panthers an 11-4 lead during the opening minute of the second quarter, but Whitney Brooks' basket from the left wing started an 8-0 Lady Trojans run for a 12-11 lead.
Topeka High then scored a pair of baskets during the final 45 seconds of the second quarter to seize a 16-15 halftime advantage.
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
2013 Lady T-Bird Classic
Basketball Tournament
GIRLS
Saturday
At Tecumseh
Shawnee Heights High School
Third place
Topeka High 50, Great Bend 43
GREAT BEND (7-5)
Lauren Welsch 1 5-6 7, Kelsie Doll 1 1-6 3, Kylee Spray 0 1-5 1, Regan Unruh 0 0-0 0, Kaylie Doll 0 0-0 0, McKenna Mauler 3 3-4 9, Tarynn Stueder 2 5-8 10, Kalee Maneth 0 0-0 0, Morgan Harwood 5 2-6 12, Madison Unruh 0 1-2 1. Totals 12 18-37 43.
TOPEKA HIGH (8-5)
Rainna Maples 0 0-3 0, Danielle Cross 1 1-2 3, Adrianna Henderson 5 2-2 14, Jasmine Martindale 4 4-6 12, Brittany Harden 0 8-10 8, Tiara Miller 0 0-0 0, Whitney Brooks 2 0-2 4, Mandy Madden 3 3-9 9. Totals 15 18-29 50.
Great Bend 9 6 11 17 — 43
Topeka High 4 12 16 18 — 50
Three-point goals — Shawnee Heights 2 (Henderson 2); Great Bend 1 (Stueder). Total fouls — Topeka High 27, Great Bend 22. Fouled out — Great Bend (Mauler, Harwood); Topeka High (Brooks).
