Piper High School has never played for a basketball state championship in school history. Now the Pirates have a chance for two.
Both Piper basketball teams will be playing for state championships on Saturday after winning Friday’s semifinal matches in the 4A KSHSAA state tournament in Salina.
The Piper boys defeated Wichita’s top-seeded Trinity Academy 57-54 in a nailbiter. After Trinity tied the game at 54 with less than a minute remaining, Piper’s Ty Shelley hit a 3-pointer for the game winner with less than 5 seconds left.
The Pirates will face the winner of the late game between Augusta and Baldwin for the championship at 6:15 p.m.
The Piper Lady Pirates outperformed the Nickerson Panthers to win the 4A KSHSAA semifinal game 72-40. The win sets up a long-expected match between the state’s two best girls basketball teams, Piper and Bishop Miege, in the finals at 4 p.m.
Grace Banes led Piper in scoring with 15 points on 3-of-6 shots from 3-point range. Ali Vigil scored 13, including three baskets beyond the arc. The Lady Pirates as a team hit 55 percent from the floor and 41 percent from 3-point range.
Update: The Piper boys team will face Augusta in the finals at 6:15 PM.