McPHERSON, Kan. – Thursday, Jan. 29 marks two significant days: The 165th anniversary of Kansas being named the 34th State, and the beginning of the 31st Annual Mid America Classic (MAC) Girls Basketball tournament, held at the McPherson Roundhouse.
Below are the game-by-game recaps for the first round matchups. All stats are provided by the McPherson Optimist Club.
GAME 1
(4) Olathe South – 53
(5) Hutchinson – 39
Olathe South had a strong start to the contest, leading by 21 points early in the second quarter, but Hutchinson ended the second quarter strong to only trail 32-29 at halftime. However, Olathe South’s defense was the difference-maker in the second half, outscoring the Salthawks 21-10 in the second half to win 53-39.
Eve Long, the No. 8 recruit in the class of 2027 by 247Sports, had 28 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Falcons. Danai Morgan led the Salthawks with 15 points.
GAME 2
(1) Shawnee Mission South – 77
(8) Wichita-Northwest – 33
The bracket’s No. 1 seed played like their seeding, defeating Wichita-Northwest 77-33. After leading 40-21 at halftime, South outscored Northwest 26-0 in the third quarter, helping them win by 44 points to begin the tournament.
Three Shawnee Mission South players scored in double-figures, led by Riley Kramer’s 18 points off of the bench. Micah Kirkwood had 9 points and a team-high 8 steals. Wichita-Northwest’s leading scorer was Aubrey Loman, who had 10 points and 7 rebounds.
Shawnee Mission South’s win will pair them against Olathe South in a much-anticipated semifinal matchup between two Sunflower League foes.
GAME 3
(2) Manhattan – 54
(7) Shawnee Mission East – 30
A 15-0 start for Manhattan jump-started their win over Shawnee Mission East, opening the Mid America Classic with a win, 54-30. Manhattan’s defense forced 26 turnovers and limited Shawnee Mission East to shooting just 12/46 (26%) on the floor. Manhattan themselves shot 32%, but attempted 12 more shots.
Evie Banks led the Manhattan Lady Indians with 14 points. Kat Ball added 12 for Manhattan. Shawnee Mission East’s leading scorer was Fina Kessler with nine points, while Paige Stanfield had 8 points and 13 rebounds.
GAME 4
(3) Andover Central vs. (6) McPherson – 7:45 p.m.
DAY 2 SCHEDULE:
- 3:00 p.m.: Wichita-Northwest vs. Hutchinson (Consolation Semifinal #1)
- 4:35 p.m.: Shawnee Mission East vs. Loser of Game 4 (Consolation Semifinal #2)
- 6:10 p.m.: Shawnee Mission South vs. Olathe South (Semifinal #1)
- 7:45 p.m.: Manhattan vs. Winner of Game 4 (Semifinal #2)
