Below are the game-by-game recaps of day one of the McPherson Invitational Tournament, held at the McPherson Roundhouse. Be sure to check back in periodically for updates.
Once the day has concluded, see the bottom of this article to see the stat leaders and the schedule for day two on Friday, Jan. 23. Due to a potential winter storm, day two will begin at 10:00 a.m. and the final day has been postponed to Saturday, Jan. 31.
Statistics are available live and post-game, thanks to the McPherson Optimist Club.
GAME ONE
(4) Derby – 70
(5) Lawrence Free State – 58
A back-and-forth first half saw the Derby Panthers up 33-32, but Derby used a second-half surge to push past the Firebirds 70-58.
Derby’s Cale Clingan had a stellar performance, finishing with 18 points to lead the Panthers. Avant Riley added 17 points and a team-high seven assists.. Brendan Barrett led all scorers for Free State with 23 points, hitting 5/8 on three-point shots.
GAME TWO
(8) Hutchinson – 53
(1) Topeka-Seaman – 51
13 ties and seven lead changes highlighted this first-round upset, which saw the Hutchinson Salthawks defeat fellow 5A foe, the Topeka-Seaman Vikings, 53-51.
A few key turnovers for Hutchinson down the stretch opened the door, but KaeVon Bonner’s three-pointer as time expired missed too strong. Both teams finished with 19 turnovers and 23 rebounds, making this game as even as it could get. However, Hutch converted on 20/38 shooting, while Seaman finished 16/42.
Lamar Govain had a stellar game for the Salthawks, finishing with a team-high 21 points, five steals, and shooting 8/12 on the floor. Bonner led Seaman with 16 points, while Landon Wiltz added 14 points, shooting 3/8 behind the three-point line.
GAME THREE
(7) Bishop Carroll – 54
(2) St. James Academy – 48
A fourth-quarter surge by Bishop Carroll pushed them past St. James Academy 54-48.
St. James Academy led 38-35 at the end of the third frame, but clutch shooting by the Golden Eagles move them onto the semifinals. The Bishop Carroll defense forced 23 turnovers.
Nathen Goertz led all scorers with 19 points and 8 rebounds. Grady Ogden led the Thunder with 12 points and five assists, shooting 4/7 on three-pointers.
GAME FOUR
(3) OP-Blue Valley – 81
(6) McPherson – 51
The Blue Valley Tigers fired on all cylinders against the host team, defeating McPherson 81-51 to advance to the semifinals.
Blue Valley shot 66% on the floor, while holding McPherson to shooting just 32%. Blue Valley also forced 14 Bullpup turnovers.
DAY TWO SCHEDULE (Fri., Jan. 23)
- 10:00 a.m.: Cons. Semifinal #1: Topeka-Seaman vs. Lawrence Free State
- 11:30 a.m.: Cons. Semifinal #2: St. James Academy vs. McPherson
- 1:00 p.m.: Semifinal #1: Derby vs. Hutchinson
- 2:30 p.m.: Semifinal #2: Blue Valley vs. Bishop Carroll
