By John Mesh
The Hutchinson High School Salthawk girls advanced to the semifinals of the 30th annual Mid-America Classic basketball tournament after beating Dodge City 45-27 in the first round Thursday afternoon at the McPherson Roundhouse.
The Salthawk girls, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, improved to 6-3. The Dodge City Red Demon girls dropped to 1-10.
Dodge City led 12-11 after one quarter and Hutchinson led 21-19 at halftime.
Hutchinson’s senior point guard Lily Rodriguez hit a pair of 3-pointers to give Salthawks a 32-23 lead at the end of the third quarter. The Salthawks outscored the Red Demons 13-4 in the fourth quarter for the 45-27 final score.
Senior Grace Posch led the Salthawks with 17 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists and 7 steals. Junior Kohlbie Craft contributed 11 points. Rodriguez and junior Clara Ontjes each scored 6 points. Rodriguez had 5 rebounds.
Senior Kaia Smith, who did not play in Monday night’s loss at Maize South because she had her wisdom teeth extracted, scored 3 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in limited playing time. She averages 17 points and 12 rebounds a game.
Junior Ava Krone chipped in with 2 points and grabbed 3 rebounds.
Addison Taylor led the Red Demons with 13 points (10 in the first half). Emily Gutierrez and Piper Mellinger each scored 5 points. Tatum Steiner scored 3 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Alea Smith scored 1 point.
Hutchinson forced 30 turnovers and attempted 58 field goals to Dodge City’s 21 floor attempts.
In the Olathe South-Shawnee Mission East first round game, the Olathe South Falcons jumped out to a 15-8 lead in the first quarter and led at halftime 22-14. Olathe South increased its lead to 33-17 at the end of the third quarter and outscored the Lancers 13-8 in the fourth quarter.
Olathe South’s Eve Long led all scorers with 20 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Macy Price scored 8 points and Kiera Ho 6. Price had 3 assists and 3 steals.
Fina Kessler led the Lancers with 8 points. Paige Stanfield grabbed 7 rebounds and Coco Reiser 6.
In the Manhattan-Wichita Southeast first round game, Manhattan defeated Wichita Southeast 56-40.
Manhattan led 18-10 after the first quarter, 27-25 at halftime, 43-31 at the end of the third quarter and outscored the Golden Buffaloes 13-9 in the fourth quarter for the 16-point victory.
Kat Ball led Manhattan with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Four players scored 8 points — Delaney Larson, Bailey Busch, Isabelle Peabody and Jordan Hall. Ansley Beckett added 7 points. Larson had 4 steals.
Alana Webb led the Buffaloes with 20 points and Kiasia Allen scored 13. Queen Chalmers had 6 of Wichita Southeast’s 17 steals.
In the final first-round matchup of Thursday night, the McPherson Bullpup girls edged the Andover Central Jaguars 50-47.
The Jaguars led 10-8 after the first quarter, but the Bullpups went on a 19-4 run in the second quarter to lead at halftime 27-14. The Jaguars outscored McPherson 14-9 in the the third quarter and 19-14 in the fourth quarter.
Brooke Doile paced the Bullpups with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Kylie Whitfield scored 10 points and Mary Sandbo 8.
Reece Wilborn led the Jaguars with 14 points. Taylin Tabor scored 11, Payton Converse 10 and Kelsey Barscewski 7.
Hutchinson will play Olathe South at 6:10 p.m. Friday in the semifinals.
The 7:45 p.m. semifinal features the host McPherson Bullpups against Manhattan.
The 3 p.m. consolation game features Dodge City vs. Shawnee Mission East, followed by Andover Central vs. Wichita Southeast at 4:45 p.m.
Haven Wildcat Girls Classic first round winners: Halstead, Valley Center, Andale, Haven
The Halstead Dragon girls basketball team, ranked No. 2 in Class 3A, improved to 10-0 with a 44-26 victory over Class 6A Maize Thursday night at the 51st annual Haven Wildcat Girls Classic.
Halstead led 18-5 after the first quarter, 23-9 at halftime and 32-17 at the end of the third quarter.
The Dragons will pay in the 6 p.m. semifinal game Friday against Valley Center (7-4). The Hornets defeated Towanda-Circle 50-33 in a first-round game.
Maize dropped to 3-8. The Eagles will play the Circle Thunderbirds (6-4) in the 3 p.m. consolation round game Friday.
Also in the first round, the host Haven Wildcat girls, ranked No. 8 in Class 3A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, defeated Garden Plain 42-32 and the Andale girls defeated No. 7-Cheney 53-50.
Andale will play Haven in the 7:30 p.m. semifinal game Friday while Cheney plays Garden Plain in the 4:30 p.m. consolation round game.
Chaparral girls down Fairfield 55-44
The Chaparral High School girls basketball team defeated the Fairfield Falcons Thursday night at the Chaparral gymnasium.
The host Roadrunners led 12-8 after one quarter and trailed 25-18 at halftime. The Radrunners went on a 19-6 run in the third quarter to take a 37-31 lead. Chaparral outscored Fairfield 18-13 in the fourth quarter.
Kaylee Swartz led Chaparral with 25 points, including 9-of-9 free throws. Kenley Fowler led Fairfield with 15 points. Aaliyah Baker scored 11 points.
Hutchinson High School sports signing day is Wednesday
Hutchinson High School’s 2025 sports signing day will take place from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Salthawk Activity Center. Recognition will begin at 9:20 a.m.
Max Ryan leads Trinity boys win over Smoky Valley with 18 points
Max Ryan scored 18 points, including three 3-pointers, to lead the Hutchinson Trinity Catholic High School boys basketball team to a 52-30 victory over Smoky Valley Tuesday night in Lindsborg.
Beau Towell added 9 points, Malachiey Alvarez 6, Aaron Gust 5, Lincoln Barnes 3, Matt Armour 2 and Alex Guajardo 1.
The Celtics made nine 3-pointers and 11 2-pointers.
Ty Heitschmidt and Dakota Dankenbring the Vikings with 6 points apiece. Kaleb Burgardt scored 5 points, Nick Carlson 4. Marik Anderson 4, Braylon Olson 3, Brock Gentler 2 and Titus Griffith 1.
Smoky Valley led 10-4 after one quarter, but the Celtics outscored the Vikings 18-4 in the second quarter for a 22-14 halftime lead.
Trinity extended the lead to 35-21 with a 13-7 third quarter. Trinity outscored Smoky Valley 17-8 in the fourth quarter.
The Celtic boys and girls teams host Salina Sacred Heart Friday night at the Trinity High School gymnasium.
In other area games Friday, Buhler girls and boys play at Hesston, Hutchinson Central Christian hosts Solomon, Burrton hosts Norwich and Lyons hosts Ellinwood.
Haven boys, girls basketball teams sweep Nickerson
The Haven High School boys and girls basketball teams swept Nickerson Tuesday night at the Nickerson High School gymnasiums.
Haven won the varsity boys game 62-34, the varsity girls game 58-18, the junior varsity boys game 71-32 and the C team boys game 28-7 (two quarters).
Because Nickerson was down to seven girls Tuesday due to illness and injury, the junior varsity girls game was not played.
Avery Brawner led the Haven girls with 17 points and Sienna DeFrain tallied 14.
Nickerson’s Adaylee Morrell scored 5 points.
The Nickerson girls and boys play Friday at Pratt.
Area wrestlers ranked by KWCA
Several area wrestlers are ranked by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association in the latest poll released on Tuesday.
All-Class boys
144 pounds: 5.Cruz Hershberger, sr., Buhler.
165: 4.Kade Smith, sr., Hutchinson.
5A boys
113: Cruz Cannon, so., Hutchinson.
165: 1.Kade Smith, sr., Hutchinson.
4A boys
132: 6.Sammy Hershberger, jr., Buhler.
144: 2.Cruz Hershberger, sr., Buhler.
215: 5.Connor Herman, sr., Halstead.
321A boys
126: 3.Jacob Moore, sr., Haven.
150: 2.Jace Grizzle, so., Lyons.
All-Class girls
145: 9.Macey Parks, jr., Buhler.
155: 6.Trista Rogers, sr., Haven.
Class 5A girls
125: 6.Sophia Zwickl, jr., Hutchinson.
Class 4A girls
125: 6.Maria Swarts, so., Halstead.
130: 3.Kahlyn Davis, sr., Halstead.
135: 4.Lillie Ledford, so., Buhler.
145: 1.Macey Parks, jr., Buhler.
235: 4.Elizabeth Dick, jr., Nickerson.
Class 321A girls
100: 4.Taylor Baxter, fr., Lyons.
105: 1.Jacynn Boeken, fr., Sterling.
110: 2.Kennedy Grizzle, jr., Lyons.
155: 3.Jace Grizzle, so., Lyons.