Washington defeats Stallions, 57-49

Washington junior Damon Alexander attacked the basket. (Photo copyright 2023 by Brian Turrel)

by Brian Turrel

The Washington Wildcats defeated the Schlagle Stallions 57-40 Friday evening at the Washington field house.

The Wildcats used quick side-to-side reverses and skip passes to open their path to the basket, and ran out to a 20-7 lead. The distributed attack saw 7 scorers in the first quarter, none with more than 4 points.

The Wildcats were less choosy with shot selection in the second quarter, and strong rebounding by the Stallions, led by lanky senior Merle-Makel Peterson, limited the home team to one-and-done possessions.

Peterson got opportunities at the offensive end as well, fouled multiple times by the Stallions on drives to the basket. Washington held a 28-17 halftime advantage.

The Stallions closed within 6 points midway through the third quarter but Washington ran back out to a double-digit lead and didn’t look back, closing the game with several trips to the free throw line.

Calil White led the Wildcats in scoring with 14 points. Freshman Elliott Berry Jr. ran the point for much of the game and hit 3 three-point shots on his way to 13.

Jamell Wilson paced the Stallions with 12 points. Peterson hit 9 of 14 free throw chances in the game to total 11 points with only one score from the field.

The Wildcats improve their season record to 3-3 and are undefeated against Meadowlark Conference opponents, with successive wins over Sumner, Harmon, and now Schlagle. Washington will play Wyandotte on the road on Tuesday.

Schlagle drops to 0-7 for the season and will look to pick up its first win of the season when the Harmon Hawks come to visit on Tuesday. Both games will start at 7 p.m.

Washington freshman Elliott Berry Jr. looked for a lane to drive to the basket. (Photo copyright 2023 by Brian Turrel)
The Washington cheerleaders performed stunts during a break in the game. (Photo copyright 2023 by Brian Turrel)
The Washington Air Force Junior ROTC color guard presented the colors before the game. (Photo copyright 2023 by Brian Turrel)
Schlagle senior Jamell Wilson tried to get past Washington junior Damon Alexander. (Photo copyright 2023 by Brian Turrel)

Washington freshman Jamari Williams took a shot in the paint. (Photo copyright 2023 by Brian Turrel)
Washington senior Calil White scored on a layup. (Photo copyright 2023 by Brian Turrel)
Schlagle senior Dominion Moore took an outside jump shot. (Photo copyright 2023 by Brian Turrel)
Washington junior Damon Alexander took control of a rebound under the basket. (Photo copyright 2023 by Brian Turrel)
Schlagle senior Jamell Wilson took a contested jump shot. (Photo copyright 2023 by Brian Turrel)
Schlagle senior Merle-Makel Peterson put back an offensive rebound. (Photo copyright 2023 by Brian Turrel)

Voting taking place for Player of the Week

Voting for a Player of the Week is going on until midnight Thursday.

On the list of national players this week is Aidan Wing of Bishop Miege High School.

Aidan had 34 points on 13 of 16 shooting in a victory of Missouri’s defending Class 5 champion Webster Groves High School.

The winner of the Player of the Week will be announced at 11 a.m. Friday.

To vote, visit https://prephoops.com/player-of-the-week-voting/?fbclid=IwAR1KvHru4P9ZTPIOfK8PICi9VyH_pnIJgkipDTrLtv3pPlcFofFv7umJRG4

Lady Pirates win hoops match with Sumner

Piper junior Sage Grann went up for a layup. Grann scored 17 points in the Lady Pirates 57-27 win over Sumner Academy. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

by Brian Turrel

The Piper Lady Pirates won a cross-town match against the Sumner Academy Lady Sabres 57-27 Friday evening at Sumner.

Piper’s active defense made it difficult for the Lady Sabres to get the ball inside and helped the visitors take an early 6-0 lead, but Sumner took advantage of free throws and a timely three-point shot from Ariana Rivera to pull ahead 10-9 by the end of the first quarter.

Sumner kept the game knotted midway through the second quarter, using full court pressure to slow the Piper offense. As Piper broke the press, a burst of fast-break scoring wore down the home team as halftime approached.

Rivera hit two three-pointers in the second quarter to keep things close, but the Lady Pirates went to the break with a 25-18 advantage.

The third quarter showed much more of the same as Piper controlled the tempo and extended the lead. The Lady Pirates distributed the scoring, racking up 19 points in the quarter with no player scoring more than four.

Sage Grann led Piper with 17 points, and Lauren Marron and Anneliese Lockwood added nine points each. Grann was especially effective on the offensive glass, getting several points on putbacks.

Rivera ended the game with 18 of Sumner’s 27 points, along with five steals. Kylie McCleary pulled down 11 rebounds in the contest.

The win gives Piper a 2-1 record heading into United Kansas Conference play next week. The Lady Pirates will take on Topeka’s Seaman Lady Vikings at home on Tuesday starting at 5:45 p.m.

The Lady Sabres, just off a 59-9 drubbing of Kansas City’s Northeast High School, dropped to 2-1. The team will open Meadowlark Conference play against Washington at home on Tuesday. The game will tip off at 5:30 p.m.

Sumner junior Ariana Rivera drove around a Piper defender. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

 

Sumner senior Kylie McCleary put back an offensive rebound. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

 

The Piper cheerleaders practiced a stunt during halftime. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

 

Piper freshman Anneliese Lockwood put up a shot from the block. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

 

Sumner junior Ariana Rivera took a short jumper from the baseline. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

 

Piper junior Lauren Marron launched a three-point shot. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

 

In between quarters, the Sumner cheerleaders showed off a stunt called “The Bird.” (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

 

Piper sophomore Abbie Roth flipped up a shot as she sailed out of bounds. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

 

Piper sophomore Avary Vallejo took a three-point shot. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)