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Piper comes from behind, beats Louisburg 57-44

by Brian Turrel

The Piper Pirates came back from a halftime deficit to beat the Louisburg Wildcats 57-44 on Friday night in Piper.

Piper got down early, giving the Wildcats early 5-0 and 7-2 leads. Piper couldn’t get its inside shots to fall, and didn’t stop the inside penetration by the Louisburg offense. Piper trailed 13-10 at the end of the first quarter and 25-23 at halftime.

Piper came out of the break with a renewed intensity on the defensive end. Four consecutive stops let them score the first 9 points, including breakaway dunks by Braijon Barnes and Brandon Jackson.

Louisburg made a run to pull with one early in the fourth quarter, but the Pirate defense clamped down again, and pulled away late for the 13-point winning margin.

Jackson led the team with 16 points, and Gabe Eskina contributed 12 points, seeing extensive minutes off the bench. Kohl Vogel of Louisburg scored 17 for the visitors, showing some great moves around the basket.

Piper advanced to 2-0 in the Frontier League (5-1 overall). They’ll play next on Monday, Dec. 17, at Hayden Catholic High School in Topeka.

Junior Gabe Eskina (24) took a short jump shot in the lane. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

Sophomore Tamar Bates (2) set up the perimeter defense. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

Brandon Jackson broke away for a dunk in the third quarter. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

Participants in the Piper Winter Dance Clinic performed with the dance team at halftime. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

Jackson went up over the Louisburg defense for a second half shot. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

Tamar Bates drove the lane to put up a shot. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

Senior Braijon Barnes (4) blocked a shot in the first quarter. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

The Piper cheerleaders fired up the noisy home crowd. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

Lady Pirates swarm Louisburg 66-17

by Brian Turrel

The Piper girls basketball team continued their unbeaten start to the 2018-19 season with a dominant 66-17 win over the Louisburg Lady Wildcats.

Piper controlled the game from the opening tip, using strong backcourt pressure to limit Louisburg’s shot opportunities, and getting reliable inside scoring from Ryan Cobbins and LaKya Leslie.

Piper held a 35-6 halftime advantage, and coach Shane Stout used the second half to get plenty of playing time for his reserves.

Play was briefly stopped in the first quarter to recognize senior Ryan Cobbins, as she passed the 1,000 career point mark, only the 3rd Lady Pirate to reach that goal.

Cobbins led the team with 19 points. Junior transfer Ayreona Carter contributed 13 points off the bench.

Piper advanced to 3-0 in the Frontier League (6-0 overall). They’ll play next on Monday, Dec. 17, at Hayden Catholic High School in Topeka.

Senior LaKya Leslie (24) won the tip-off against Louisburg. (Copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

Banes looked for an open teammate on the right wing. (Copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

Junior Ali Vigil (25) drove the ball against the Louisburg defense. (Copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

Sophomore guard Evelyn Vazquez (3) led the Pirates on a fast break. (Copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

Junior Ayreona Carter (32) lined up a free throw late in the second half. (Copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

Freshman guard Saniya Simmons (1) passed the ball to a teammate running the lane. (Copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

Sophomore Jessica Thomas (21) took a shot in the second half. (Copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

Cobbins took a jump shot near the free throw line. (Copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

Washington defeats Highland Park 68-49

by Brian Turrel

The Washington Wildcats boys basketball team posted a strong start to the 2018-2019 season, defeating Topeka’s Highland Park Scots 68-49 Friday evening at home.

The Wildcats sprang to an early lead, taking a 10-point advantage midway through the first quarter. The Wildcats found plenty of success driving the lane for layups.

Another big key to their success was strong perimeter defense that limited the Scots’ inside opportunities and provided fast-break chances.

The Wildcats held a 33-22 lead at halftime. The Scots pulled within 8 on a 3-pointer just after the break, but never seriously threatened the Washington advantage. A 28-point offensive showing in the third quarter by the Wildcats put the game out of reach.

Alton Easley led the scoring for Washington with 26 points. Nathan Johnson Jr. added 22. Both were strong inside scorers, and only one of Washington’s 23 made field goals was from 3-point range. Jahi Peppers led the Scots with 18 points.

Washington holds a 1-0 record in the young season, and will play the next game at Leavenworth on Dec. 6.