By JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
Oilers Taylor Rolfs and Reagan Phelan carry a sixth sense where they always know when their teammate is open.
Central Plains coach Pat Stiles calls it the “power of teamwork.”
Rolfs and Phelan combined for 36 points and 12 assists to spark the Oilers past Wichita Life Prep 63-51 in the championship of the Barton Hilltop Hoops Classic.
Phelan scored 17 points with seven assists and Rolfs scored 19 points with five assists. The No. 1 ranked Class 2A Oilers (12-0) have captured three consecutive Hilltop Hoops Classic titles. Wichita Life Prep dropped to 10-1.
“We played really well together. Reagan and I have been playing basketball together since third-grade,” Rolfs said. “That was our best game of the season.”
The Oilers dished out 18 assists on 21 baskets to exhibit excellent balance off 21 of 40 shooting. When the Oilers scored 38 points midway through the third period, their starters had scored 7, 7, 7, 8 and 9 points.
Oilers Phelan Rolfs joined Life Prep’s Juliana Diaz and Ryan Tibbitts and Moundridge’s Ashley Holler on the Hilltop Classic All-Tournament team.
“The girls share the basketball so well, that what makes them so effective,” Stiles said. “They played extremely well together. I call it the power of teamwork. We needed to play our best game of the year because we beat a really good basketball team. The girls all contributed.”
The Oilers started on fire with a 20-6 first-quarter lead behind excellent passing and ball movement. Every time an Oiler was open, a teammate found her.
But the Fire closed within 26-20 at halftime behind four consecutive 3-point plays after trailing 23-8. Diaz sparked the Fire with five 3-pointers for 15 points. Veronica Martinez was a powerful force inside with 14 points.
But the combination of Phelan and Rolfs proved too much to overcome in the second half. The Oilers dished out assists on 11 consecutive scores. Phelan, Rolfs, Janae Ryan and Cassidy Crites had assists to spark the Oilers to a 46-32 lead after three quarters. Every time an Oiler broke free, the pass arrived on special delivery.
The Fire played tough and physical, but they failed to handle the Oilers’ quickness and teamwork. The Fire’s defense was always a play behind.
“We played hard and played tough, but the way No. 3 (Phelan) drove the lane hurt us,” said Life coach Terrance Micheaux. “We didn’t stop that dribble penetration and pinch her off. Rolfs? She is smooth and sneaky. We didn’t see her at times.”
The Oilers controlled the boards 31-20 behind nine rebounds by Janae Ryan. The Fire’s perimeter shooting created long rebounds.
“Rebounding was one of the best things we did,” Stiles said. “Our team defense was very good. That was a team that could shoot the 3-pointer and score inside.”
CENTRAL PLAINS 63, WICHITA LIFE PREP 51
Life Prep—R.J. Blackburn 0-4 0-0 0; Tibbits 3-10 2-2 9; Baez 2-6 0-0 5; Diaz 5-8 0-0 15; Manaia Timson 2-5 0-0 4; Martinez 5-12 4-7 14; Rongomi Timson 1-5 0-0 2; Leila Blackburn 1-1 0-0 2; Hinzman 0-1 0-0 0; Totals 19-50 6-9 51.
CP—Rolfs 9-13 1-2 19; Phelan 3-9 10-12 17; Kasselman 2-6 5-6 9; Crites 3-5 1-2 7; Janae Ryan 3-6 0-0 9; Maxwell 1-1 0-0 2; Totals 21-40 17-22 63.
LP 8 12 12 19 — 51
CP 20 12 14 17 — 63
3-point goals—LP 7-26 (Diaz 5-8, Baez 1-4, Tibbitts 1-5, R.J. Blackburn 0-4, R. Timson 0-2, M. Timson 0-2, Hinzman 0-1); CP 4-10 (Ryan 3-5, Phelan 1-4, Rolfs 0-1). Rebounds—LP 20 (Martinez 4), CP 31 (Ryan 9). Assists—LP 15 (Martinez, Tibbitts 4), CP 18 (Phelan 7).
MOUNDRIDGE 69, NESS CITY 41
Moundridge’s Bethany Stucky scored 24 points to spark the Wildcats past Ness City 69-41 for third place in the Barton Hilltop Hoops Classic. Stucky made 11 of 13 field goals. Ashley Holler added 15 points. The Wildcats made 28 of 52 field goals.
Ness City’s MaKenna Fritts scored 11 points.
NC—Epperson 2-9 1-2 5; Clarke 4-6 0-0 8; Fritts 4-8 3-3 11; Richardson 3-6 1-3 7; Holecek 3-8 0-0 7; Slagle 0-1 0-0 0; Schreiber 1-1 0-0 3; Totals17-39 4-5 41.
Moundridge—Stucky 11-13 2-2 24; Holler 6-11 3-4 15; Lange 3-7 2-2 8; Lorimor 4-11 1-2 12; Kassidy Kaufman 1-3 1-2 4; Natalie Kaufman 2-3 0-0 4; Durst 1-3 0-0 2; Helms 0-1 0-0 0; Totals 28-52 9-12 69.
Ness City 6 7 14 14 — 41
Moundridge 12 17 24 16 — 69
3-point goals—M 4-21 (Lorimor 3-9, Durst 0-2, Kassidy Kaufman 1-3, Helms 0-1, Lange 0-2, Holler 0-4), NC 3-7 (Schreiber 1-1, Holecek 1-2, Richardson 1-3, Eppeson 0-1). Rebounds—M 24 (Stucky 9), NC 22 (Clarke 6). Assists—M 17 (K. Kaufman 4), NC 13 (Fritts 4, Clarke 4).
ELL-SALINE 41, ST. JOHN 36
Ell-Saline outscored St. John 14-4 in the third quarter to beat the Tigers 41-36 in the fifth-place game at the Barton Hilltop Hoops Classic. St. John’s Bailey Burns scored 25 points and the Tigers led 24-17 at halftime. The Tigers’ Tara Nelson missed a pair of 3-pointers to tie in the final minute.
Ell-Saline responded with Baleigh Griffin (11), Sydney Omli (10) and Morgan Kindlesparger (10) scoring in double figures. Nelson grabbed 18 rebounds and Burns had four steals.
St. John 9 15 4 8 — 36
Ell-Saline 9 8 14 10 — 41
SJ—Burns 10-20 3-4 25; Nelson 2-11 0-0 5; Doran 1-2 2-2 4; Doggett 1-1 0-0 2; Garner 0-3 0-0 0; Martinez-Haskins 0-1 0-1 0; Torre Fisher 0-8 0-0 0; Kerisa Brown 0-1 0-0 0; Totals 14-47 5-7 36.
ES—Baleigh Griffin 5-14 1-3 11; Sydney Omli 4-17 1-3 10; Morgan Kindlesparger 5-16 0-0 10; Relph 2-7 0-0 4; Schuman 2-5 0-0 4; Cameron 0-1 2-2 2; Totals 18-60 4-8 41.
3-point goals—SJ 3-16 (Burns 2-4, Nelson 1-9, Fisher 0-2, Brown 0-1), ES 1-14 (Omli 1-4, Kindlesparger 0-6, Relph 0-1, Griffin 0-3). Rebounds—SJ 40 (Nelson 18),
ES 33 (Griffin 10). Assists—SJ 8 (Fisher 3), ES 5 (Griffin 2).
MACKSVILLE 35, LITTLE RIVER 34
Macksville’s Olivia Vosburgh drilled the game-winning field goal on a baseline jumper for a 35-34 victory over Little River in the seventh-place game at the Barton Hillop Hoops Classic. The Redskins (1-12) committed a turnover on their final possession.
Little River’s Melanie Renken converted a 10-foot jumper for a 34-33 lead with 33 seconds left. Vosburgh led the Mustangs (3-9) with 13 points and four steals. Emma Stimatze added nine points and four steals. Sophie Filbert had five steals.
Little River’s Carley Tomlin scored 11 points. Emily Smyres and Madison Loder each had three assists.
Macksville 8 7 13 7 — 35
Little River 8 7 15 4 — 34
Macksville—Vosburgh 5-9 1-2 13; Filbert 3-15 2-4 9; Stimatze 2-4 1-2 5; Galan 1-6 2-2 4; Perla Ibarra 1-6 0-0 2; Lyset Ibarra 0-1 2-4 2; Itzel Garcia 0-1 0-0 0; Anshutz 0-2 0-0 0; Russell 0-8 0-0 0; Totals 12-52 8-14 35.
LR—Tomlin 4-9 2-3 11; Peters 3-7 3-3 9; Renken 4-13 0-0 8; Ekholm 1-3 4-6 6; McBride 0-1 0-0 0; Loder 0-6 0-0 0; Smyres 0-1 0-0 0; Cunningham 0-1 0-0 0; Totals 12-41 9-12 34.
3-point goals—M 3-11 (Vosburgh 2-6; Filbert 1-5); LR 1-3 (Tomlin 1-2, Loder 0-1). Rebounds—M 30 (Filbert 6), LR 44 (Renken 10). Assists—M 9 (Filbert 3), LR 8 (Smyres 3, Loder 3).
Taylor Rolfs of Central Plains captured the Barton Hilltop Hoops Classic free throw contest with 54 of 60 free throws. Life Prep’s regan Tibbits scored 45 to win the 3-point contest.
Free Throw Contest
1. Central Plains—Taylor Rolfs—18, 20, 16 (54-60); 2. Moundridge—Peri Lange—18, 18, 17 (53); 3. Little River— Melanie Renken—14, 18, 18 (50); 4. Ell-Saline—Callie Cameron—15, 17, 16 (48); 5. Life Prep—Manaia Timson—13, 15, 18 (46); 6. St. John—Bailey Burns—16; 17, 11 (44); 7. Ness City—Makenna Fritts—14, 16, 12 (42); 8. Macksville—Emma Stimatze—10, 12, 11 (33)
3-point Contest
1. Life Prep—Regan Tibbits—15, 18, 12 (45); 2. Macksville—Sophie Filbert—15, 11, 14 (40); 3. Central Plains—Reagan Phelan—9, 16, 12 (37); 4. Ness City—Jaycie Richardson—11, 17, 7 (35); 5. Little River—Allie Peters—6, 16, 12 (34); 6. Moundridge—Ashley Holler—11, 9, 12 (32); 7. Ell-Saline—Morgan Kindlesparger—9, 8, 14 (31); 8. St. John—Tara Nelson—6, 12, 3 (21)
