McPHERSON, Kan. – No upsets occurred in the opening round of the Mid America Classic, sending the top four seeds to the semifinals.
Read below for the recap of each game. Stats are provided by the McPherson Optimist Club.
CONSOLATION SEMIFINAL #1
Hutchinson – 70
Wichita Northwest – 30
Hutchinson’s Tenley Keeton set a new tournament record, making eight three-point shots to help Hutchinson defeat Wichita Northwest 70-30, sending the Salthawks to the 5th Place Game. She also tied a tournament record with 10 steals. The Salthawks made 12 three-pointers as a team, tying for the third-most in a game in the 31 years of the Mid America Classic.
Hutchinson had a narrow 8-4 advantage after the first quarter, but turned it up in the second and third quarters, outscoring Wichita Northwest a combined 51-9 in those two quarters.
Keeton finished with a team-high 29 points, while Danai Morgan added 18 points and 10 rebounds. Wichita Northwest was led by Ta’lyiah Lewis’ 10 points.
CONSOLATION SEMIFINAL #2
Shawnee Mission East – 50
McPherson – 47
A comeback effort by McPherson fell just short, as Shawnee Mission East pulled it off in the end to defeat the host school 50-47. McPherson trailed by nine points with 6:18 remaining, but a 10-0 run gave them the lead. However, the Lancers stromed back with timely free-throw shooting and offensive rebounds. McPherson had a chance to tie the game, but Rylie Whitfield’s three was blocked by Paige Stanfield to end the game.
Shawnee Mission East’s Fina Kessler had a team-high 19 points, hitting five three-pointers. Stanfield finished with 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks.
McPherson was led by Rylie Whitfield’s 19 points. Brooke Doile finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
SEMIFINAL #1
Olathe South – 61
Shawnee Mission South – 59
The first semifinal matchup saw the #1 and #4 teams in 6A, and it was well worth the price of admission. Olathe South came back after trailing by as many as 15 points to advance to the championship 61-59.
Olathe South’s Eve Long set a new Mid America Classic record, recording 43 points to lead the Falcons. The mark breaks a 26-year record held by Laurie Koehn of Moundridge, when she dropped 42 points vs. Nickerson in 2000. She made 16 baskets in total, the second-most in the tournament’s history.
Shawnee Mission South was led by Riley Kramer’s 16 points. Ella Jack added 12 for the Raiders.
SEMIFINAL #2
Manhattan – 73
Andover Central – 40
Manhattan led from wire to wire to advance to the Mid America Classic Championship, defeating Andover Central 73-40.
The Lady Indians shot 57% on the floor as four players scored in double-figures. Defensively, they limited Andover Central to just 33% shooting, forcing 23 turnovers.
Manhattan was led by Delaney Larson’s 17 points, while Jelena Depusoir had 10 points and 12 rebounds. Avery Unruh led Andover Central with 9 points.
FINAL DAY SCHEDULE
- 10:00 a.m.: 7th Place Game – Wichita Northwest vs. McPherson
- 11:30 a.m.: 5th Place Game – Hutchinson vs. Shawnee Mission East
- 2:30 p.m.: 3rd Place Game – Shawnee Mission South vs. Andover Central
- 5:30 p.m.: Championship – Olathe South vs. Manhattan
The McPherson Invitational Tournament will run in conjunction with the final two games, as the third-place game will begin at 1:00 p.m. and the championship game will be at 4:00 p.m.
