Bishop Carroll girls basketball stays undefeated, advances to Newton tournament title
The perfect record of the Bishop Carroll girls basketball team has survived its most nervy moments of the season this week.
On Tuesday, Carroll came through in the clutch on the road to triumph in a back-and-forth battle with Southeast for a 45-42 win to take full control of the City League championship race.
On Thursday, playing in their third game in as many days, the Golden Eagles survived a late rally by Shawnee Mission Northwest to hold on for a 50-47 victory in the semifinals of the Newton Invitational Tournament.
In its two closest games of the season, Carroll showed why it is ranked No. 2 in Class 5A and improved its season record to 12-0 under coach Taylor Dugan. The team will have one day of rest before gearing up for what should be another stiff challenge in Saturday’s 5 p.m. championship game against either Andover Central (No. 9 in 5A) or Olathe Northwest (No. 9 in 6A).
While the Southeast game was a true back-and-forth affair, Carroll’s semifinal game against SM Northwest on Thursday was more one-sided.
All five starters scored for the Golden Eagles when they opened the game on a 12-0 run, which included layups from Brynn Steven and Lilly Martin, a jumper by Landon Forbes and three-pointers by Ellie McKellips and Leah Henke.
But Carroll went ice cold after its blazing start, as it clinged to a 17-15 lead at halftime. The hot shooting returned in the third quarter, as Henke scored two straight layups and McKellips added another triple for a 7-0 spurt out of halftime.
It appeared as if Carroll would cruise to another double-digit victory when it opened up a 41-26 lead early in the fourth quarter. SM Northwest had other plans.
The Cougars connected on three straight threes to trim the deficit to 49-43 in the final minute. Carroll led 50-43 with 12.2 seconds left, but SM Northwest scored, intercepted the inbounds pass and then scored again to come within three points in the final second.
Henke, a 5-foot-7 sophomore guard, has been superb for Carroll during this critical week, scoring a team-high 17 points in the Southeast win and adding a game-high 20 points against SM Northwest.
Carroll has also had contributions from Liza Dugan, Laynie Winfrey and Avery McCorry during its undefeated season.
Thursday’s Kansas high school girls basketball midseason tournament game scores
Glaciers Edge (Emporia)
Derby 61, SM East 43
Emporia 56, Maize 27
Topeka Seaman 60, SM West 52
Wichita Heights 61, BV Southwest 31
Free State Winter Classic (Lawrence)
Blue Valley 61, Great Bend 41
Goddard Eisenhower 53, Lawrence Free State 14
Lawrence 41, Topeka West 33
Topeka 61, Wichita Northwest 34
Thunderbird Classic (Shawnee Heights)
Hutchinson 48, SM North 23
Washburn Rural 44, Life Prep 41 (OT)
Wichita South 31, Shawnee Heights 28
Mid America Classic (McPherson)
Clearwater 49, Dodge City 38
McPherson 47, Valley Center 27
St. James Academy 64, Manhattan 31
Wichita Southeast 62, Olathe South 57
Newton Invitational
Semi: Bishop Carroll 50, SM Northwest 47
Andover Central 55, Trinity Academy 15
Olathe Northwest 48, Newton 22
Lady Cat Classic (El Dorado)
Gardner Edgerton 46, El Dorado 16
Goddard 43, Kapaun Mt. Carmel 31
Maize South 52, Mill Valley 20
Wichita East 47, Augusta 32
Wildcat Classic (Mulvane)
Mulvane 36, Conway Springs 31
Wellington 62, Arkansas City 53
Wichita North 48, Collegiate 37
Winfield 43, Campus
Wildcat Classic (Haven)
Andale 53, Halstead 34
Cheney 48, Nickerson 9
Garden Plain 50, Circle 41
Haven 52, Rose Hill 23
Sedgwick Invitational
Chaparral 44, Sedgwick 28
Moundridge 50, Belle Plaine 36
Eli J. Walter Tournament (Berean Academy)
Little River 63, Hutchinson Central Christian 35
Sunrise Christian 51, Berean Academy 49
Friday’s Kansas high school girls basketball mid-season tournament schedule
Note: All game times listed are p.m.
Glaciers Edge (Emporia)
SM West vs. SM East, 3:15
Maize vs. BV Southwest, 4:45
Semi: Topeka Seaman vs. Derby, 6:15
Semi: Emporia vs. Wichita Heights, 7:45
Free State Winter Classic (Lawrence)
Great Bend vs. Topeka West, 3
Lawrence Free State vs. Wichita Northwest, 4:30
Semi: Blue Valley vs. Lawrence, 6
Semi: Goddard Eisenhower vs. Topeka, 7:30
Thunderbird Classic (Shawnee Heights)
Shawnee Heights vs. SM North, 4
Semi: Wichita South vs. Hutchinson, 5:30
Semi: SM South vs. Washburn Rural, 7
Mid America Classic (McPherson)
Olathe South vs. Dodge City, 3
Valley Center vs. Manhattan, 4:45
Semi: Wichita Southeast vs. Clearwater, 6:30
Semi: McPherson vs. St. James Academy, 8:15
Newton Invitational
Trinity Academy vs. Newton, 4
SM Northwest vs. Garden City, 6
Semi: Andover Central vs. Olathe Northwest, 8
Lady Cat Classic (El Dorado)
Mill Valley vs. Augusta, 2:30
El Dorado vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel, 4:15
Semi: Gardner Edgerton vs. Goddard, 6
Semi: Maize South vs. Wichita East, 7:45
Wildcat Classic (Haven)
Rose Hill vs. Circle, 3
Nickerson vs. Halstead, 4:30
Semi: Cheney vs. Andale, 6
Semi: Haven vs. Garden Plain, 7:30
