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5 Topeka-area basketball teams won their midseason tournaments. Here's how all 10 finished

seth kinker, topeka capital-journal
·13 min read

After two weeks of midseason tournaments, the home stretch begins before the postseason hits.

The 10 Topeka-area teams were in action the past two weeks at tournaments including the McLouth Invitational, the Topeka Invitational Tournament, the Top Gun Invitational, the Salina Invitational Tournament, the Jefferson County North Invitational, the Valley Center Invitational Tournament, the Glacier's Edge Tournament, the Burlington Invitational Tournament, the 2023 Viking Classic Tournament, the Thunderbird Classic, the Firebirds Winter Classic and the Bill Hanson Memorial Tournament.

The Highland Park boys, the Hayden girls, the Silver Lake girls, the Seaman girls and the Topeka High girls all brought home first-place finishes.

Here's where all 10 Topeka-area schools competed and and here's how they did.

More:Highland Park wins 62nd Topeka Invitational Tournament

Cair Paravel

Boys

The boys competed at the McLouth Invitational from Jan. 16-21, going 2-1 to place fifth. Cair Paravel's record stands at 4-7 at the midway point.

  • No. 5 seed Cair Paravel fell to No. 4 Pleasant Ridge on Jan. 17, 44-43.

  • Cair Paravel defeated No. 8 McLouth on Jan. 20, 53-22.

  • Cair Paravel defeated No. 3 Horton on Jan. 21, 45-42, to place fifth.

Girls

The girls competed at the McLouth Invitational from Jan. 16-21 as the No. 5 seed and placed eighth at the tournament. Cair Paravel's currently stands at 4-9.

  • No. 5 seed Cair Paravel fell to No. 4 Pleasant Ridge, 53-14.

  • Cair Paravel fell to No. 8 McLouth, 38-36.

  • Cair Paravel fell to No. 7 Maranatha, 34-26, to finish eighth.

Hayden

Boys

The boys competed at the Topeka Invitational Tournament at Topeka West on Jan. 19, 20 and 21, placing fifth out of eight teams and going 2-1 on the weekend. Hayden left the tournament with a 6-5 record at the midseason mark.

  • 4A No. 10 Hayden fell to Wichita Southeast on Jan. 19, 76-75 OT.

  • Hayden defeated Shawnee Mission North on Jan. 20, 53-45.

  • Hayden defeated Topeka High on Jan. 21, 64-47, to place fifth.

"I think that every single game that we're gonna play from this point on is going to be close," said coach Dwayne Paul on day two of the Topeka Invitational Tournament. "I told my coaches, whether we went 3-0 or 0-3, I don't care if we win and lose, it's how we win and how we lose, I've always preached that.

"I think that we're getting better. We're still growing. We're maturing and getting better as a team. I think that we're understanding, (we need to) kind of play inside out, let Joe (Otting) kick out because he's one of the more unselfish guys in the state and if he's doubled, he'll pass it. If he's open he'll shoot."

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Girls

The girls competed at the Top Gun Invitational on Jan. 23, Jan. 26 and Jan. 28. They won the Top Gun Invitational with a 3-0 record, defeating Spring Hill, 48-39, and leaving the tournament with an 8-4 record.

  • 4A No. 10 Hayden defeated Lansing on Jan. 23, 46-21.

  • Hayden defeated 3A No. 3 Nemaha Central on Jan. 26, 47-40.

  • Hayden defeated Spring Hill on Jan. 28, 48-39, to win the 33rd Top Gun Invitational.

"It showed me that were really maturing," said coach Carvel Reynoldson on the tournament win. "Really, I could see it happening in practice. Leading up to the game against Shawnee Heights we had a week where we didn't play well. I was telling them and anybody who had asked, 'I still love this team just not how we were playing at that time.'

"It was great to see us mature and take care of the ball and run good offense and not get sped up. Defensively, we're connected, and offensively, we're not settling for the first shot."

Highland Park

Boys

The boys competed at the Topeka Invitational Tournament at Topeka West on Jan. 19, 20 and 21, going 3-0 to win the 62nd annual tournament. Highland Park's record stands at 9-0 after the Topeka Invitational Tournament.

  • 5A No. 1 Highland Park defeated Shawnee Mission North on Jan. 19, 67-36.

  • Highland Park defeated Wichita Southeast on Jan. 21, 86-48.

  • Highland Park defeated 6A No. 8 Lawrence, 58-47, to win the Topeka Invitational Tournament.

"The sky's the limit. It's an extremely talented group, a resilient group, that ain't afraid to fight," said coach Mike Williams after the tournament. "That's all the guys and they've bought in. We practice a lot. We spend a lot of time in the gym and we call out mistakes when we see them, but they just keep coming. They just keep coming and keep battling, and you can't ask for anything more. Those are my guys."

Girls

The girls competed at the Salina Invitational Tournament on Jan. 19, 20 and 21 and went 1-2 on the weekend to place seventh at the tournament. Highland Park's record stood at 6-3 leaving the tournament.

  • No. 3 seed Highland Park fell to No. 6 Salina South on Jan. 19, 50-47 OT.

  • Highland Park fell to No. 7 Abilene on Jan. 20, 62-35.

  • Highland Park defeated No. 5 Buhler on Jan. 21, 51-36, to place seventh.

Rossville

Boys

The boys competed at the Jefferson County North Tournament on Jan. 19, 20 and 21 and went 2-1 to finish fifth. Rossville's stands at 5-7 leaving the tournament.

  • Rossville fell to Perry Lecompton on Jan. 19, 72-37.

  • Rossville defeated Valley Falls on Jan. 20, 55-48.

  • Rossville defeated Oskaloosa on Jan. 21, 76-43, to place fifth.

Girls

The girls competed at the Jefferson County North Tournament on Jan. 24, 27 and 28. Rossville finished 2-1, placing fifth and leaving the weekend with a 9-4 overall record.

  • Rossville defeated Valley Falls on Jan. 24, 50-11.

  • Rossville fell to 3A No. 6 Atchison County on Jan. 27, 68-62.

  • Rossville defeated Northeast Kansas on Jan. 28, 56-28.

Seaman

Boys

The boys competed at the Valley Center Invitational Tournament on Jan. 19, 20 and 21, finishing with a 2-1 record and a fifth place finish. Seaman's record after the tournament was 5-5.

  • Seaman fell to 6A No. 3 Wichita Heights on Jan. 19, 59-55.

  • Seaman defeated Maize on Jan. 20, 61-53.

  • Seaman defeated Sunrise Christian Academy on Jan. 21, 60-44, to place fifth.

"I thought that competing with Wichita Heights gave us some confidence even though we came up short 59-55," said coach Craig Cox. "We played really well in our other two games and are happy to get two wins. Kaeden Bonner made the All-Tournament first team and Aron Davis was second team.

"Aron’s rebounding and blocked shots have made us a better defensive team, and on offense, it has helped Kaeden not have to try and carry the whole team on his back."

Girls

More:Seaman wins midseason tournament on buzzer-beater. Rural begins life without Zoe Canfield.

The girls competed at the Glacier's Edge Invitational on Jan. 26, 27 and 28. Seaman went 3-0, winning the tournament. Seaman's record after the tournament was 11-1.

  • 5A No. 1 Seaman defeated Shawnee Mission West on Jan. 26, 60-52.

  • Seaman defeated 6A No 4 Derby on Jan. 27, 45-39.

  • Seaman defeated 5A No. 4 Emporia on Jan. 28, 46-43, to win the Glacier's Edge tournament.

"This tournament showed us what we're capable of," said coach Matt Tinsley after the win over Emporia. "We're about to hit that February stretch. I think we know who we are now as a team and what we can accomplish."

Silver Lake

Boys

The boys competed at the Burlington Invitational Tournament on Jan. 17, 20 and 21 as the No. 5 seed and went 0-3 to place eighth. After the tournament, Silver Lake held a 3-8 record.

  • No. 5 seed Silver Lake fell to No. 4 Burlington on Jan. 17, 52-34.

  • Silver Lake fell to No. 8 Paola on Jan. 20, 33-32.

  • Silver Lake fell to No. 2 Rock Creek on Jan. 21, 66-55, to finish eighth.

Girls

The girls competed at the Burlington Invitational Tournament on Jan. 17, 20 and 21, going 3-0 to win the tournament. Silver Lake left the tournament with a 10-1 record.

  • No. 1 seed Silver Lake defeated No. 8 Paola on Jan. 17, 52-25.

  • Silver Lake defeated No. 4 Ottawa on Jan. 20, 59-32.

  • Silver Lake defeated No. 2 Independence on Jan. 21, 52-39.

“It’s exciting to see our players mold together into a cohesive and connected group," said coach Kyle Porter. "I feel we are right where we need to be and look forward to attacking the next phase of our season."

Shawnee Heights

Boys

The boys competed at the 2023 Viking Classic Tournament at Shawnee Mission West on Jan. 19, 20 and 21, going 2-1 and finishing in third place. Shawnee Heights had an 8-3 record after the tournament.

  • No. 5 seed Shawnee Heights defeated No. 4 Grandview (MO) on Jan. 19, 64-43.

  • Shawnee Heights fell to No. 1, and 6A No. 1, Olathe West on Jan. 20, 70-55.

  • Shawnee Heights defeated No. 6 Shawnee Mission West on Jan. 21, 64-36, to place third.

Girls

The girls hosted the Thunderbird Classic on Jan. 26, 27 and 28 and went 2-1 to place fifth at the tournament. They held a 9-4 record after the weekend.

  • No. 6 seed, and 5A No. 9, Shawnee Heights fell to No. 3, and 6A No. 10, Wichita South on Jan. 26, 31-28.

  • Shawnee Heights defeated Shawnee Mission North on Jan. 27, 50-34.

  • Shawnee Heights defeated No. 5 Life Prep on Jan. 28, 45-43, to place fifth.

"We are 9-4 after getting two wins vs. tough opponents in the tournament," said coach Bob Wells on Tuesday. "Tough matchup tonight vs. Basehor, the only team to beat Seaman. The girls are playing well as long as they stay focused and play together."

Topeka High

Boys

The boys competed at the Topeka Invitational Tournament on Jan. 19, 20 and 21. They went 1-2, finishing sixth at the tournament. Topeka High's record was 2-10 coming out of the tournament.

  • Topeka High fell to Lawrence on Jan. 19, 61-52 OT.

  • Topeka High defeated Lansing on Jan. 20, 63-37.

  • Topeka High fell to Hayden on Jan. 21, 64-47, to place sixth.

Girls

The girls competed at the Firebirds Winter Classic at Free State on Jan. 26, 27 and 28. They went 3-0 to win the Firebirds Winter Classic and improve their record to 11-3.

  • No. 3 seed, and 6A No. 7, Topeka High defeated No. 6 Wichita Northwest on Jan. 26, 69-34.

  • Topeka High defeated No. 2 Eisenhower on Jan. 27, 69-37.

  • Topeka High defeated No. 4, and 6A No. 8, Blue Valley on Jan. 28, 56-51, to win the tournament.

"I think we were finally able to get over that hump of falling short against ranked teams," said coach Brittney Redmond. "Before the game, I let them know how important this game was and what it was going to mean if we won. I saw a team that refused to lose. They were knocking down big time shots to seal the deal.

"I think we’re right where we need to be. I feel our morale is great and our confidence is up. Losing those two games to Emporia and Rural, it seemed we were unsure of ourselves, bouncing back with the tournament win over Blue Valley gave us the confidence boost we needed to finish out Centennial League play this month."

Topeka West

Boys

Topeka West hosted the Topeka Invitational Tournament on Jan. 19, 20 and 21, they went 2-1 to finish third at the tournament. Topeka West held a 9-2 record coming out of that tournament.

  • 5A No. 6 Topeka West defeated Lansing on Jan. 19, 55-32.

  • Topeka West fell to 6A No. 8 Lawrence on Jan. 20, 45-43.

  • Topeka West defeated Wichita Southeast on Jan. 21, 63-55, to place third.

Girls

The girls competed at the Firebirds Winter Classic at Free State on Jan. 26, 27 and 28, they went 1-2 to finish sixth at the tournament and left with a 3-10 record at the mid-way point.

  • No. 8 seed Topeka West fell to No. 1, and 6A No. 5, Lawrence on Jan. 26, 41-33.

  • Topeka West defeated No. 5 Great Bend on Jan. 27, 46-40.

  • Topeka West fell to No. 6 Wichita Northwest on Jan. 28, 59-53, to place sixth.

Washburn Rural

Boys

The boys competed at the Bill Hanson Memorial Tournament on Jan. 19, 20 and 21, going 2-1 to finish third. Their record stood at 8-4 after the tournament.

  • Washburn Rural defeated Joplin (MO) on Jan. 19, 68-30.

  • Washburn Rural fell to 6A No. 5 Blue Valley Northwest on Jan. 20, 61-43.

  • Washburn Rural defeated Pittsburg on Jan. 21, 69-63, to place third at the tournament.

"It’s been great to have Wyatt (Conklin) back," said coach Alex Hutchins. "We’ve been battling some minor injuries and sickness elsewhere on the roster, but we’re excited for Wyatt to continue to improve his conditioning and get his legs back under him.

"This group has done a great job of taking a point of emphasis from the previous game and improving on it in the next game. Where we’ll really take a big step forward is when some of those improvements become permanent and not just for a game or two. We just have to continue to strive for more consistency on both ends of the floor."

Girls

The girls competed at the Thunderbird Classic on Jan. 26, 27 and 28, going 2-1 to place third.

  • No. 4 seed, and 6A No. 3, Washburn Rural defeated No. 5 Life Prep on Jan. 26, 44-41 OT.

  • Washburn Rural fell to No. 1, and 6A No. 1, Shawnee Mission South on Jan. 27, 47-37.

  • Washburn Rural defeated 5A No. 6, Hutchinson on Jan. 28, 44-28, to place third.

"We're still trying to find ourselves a little bit. Zoe went out in the first quarter at Manhattan, then we had 13 days off," said coach Kevin Bordewick after the win against Life Prep. "We're the halfway point of the year, and we still got a lot of growing do to. We knew we were going to be tested (at the Thunderbird Classic)."

Tips or story ideas? Email Seth Kinker at skinker@gannett.com or DM him on Twitter @SethKinker.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: 5 Topeka-area basketball teams win midseason tournaments