Topeka West and Highland Park win on the first day of the Topeka Invitational Tournament; Hayden falls
A runaway turned into a nail-biter. But either way, it was Elijah Brooks making the plays at the Topeka Invitational Tournament Thursday.
Brooks was the one who set Topeka West up with a 16-point third-quarter lead over Lawrence in the opening game of the tournament. And after the Lions wiped out that lead, it was Brooks who hit the game-winning free throws with 3.5 seconds left to give the Chargers a 59-57 win.
Brooks torched Lawrence for 34 points, 22 of which came in the first half when the Lions had no idea how to keep him from the goal. The Lions slowed Brooks down in the second half, and they actually turned the 16-point deficit into a one-point advantage early in the fourth quarter.
The Lions turned the game around with a 14-0 run — highlighted by two fast-break dunks — that finished the third quarter and entered the fourth. A back-and-forth rally ensued, with Lawrence tying the score at 57-57 with 1:10 left.
More: St. Marys wins opening match of Topeka Invitational Tournament
“Things got too easy for us,” Topeka West coach Rick Bloomquist said. “I told them at halftime, ‘We don’t have a lead.’ In some people’s eyes, that’s a lead, but you can fall into a false sense of security. You don’t do that against Lawrence High.
“They got in rhythm. We did a good job keeping them out of rhythm in the first half, but they found their moxie and they made it a close game.”
The Chargers dug in to stop the Lions’ last chance to take the lead with just seconds left. Brooks grabbed the errant shot and was fouled as he turned up court. That foul — about 80 feet from the goal — sent the senior to the line with 3.5 seconds left.
“Elijah’s a different animal. He’s a different breed of kid,” Bloomquist said. “There’s a lot of kids his size. There’s a lot of kids just as smart as he is. But I’ll be gone before I coach another kid like that.”
Brooks calmly knocked down the free throws, and the Lions’ last shot went begging.
“Early in the season, it’s good to have that pressure and learn that you can close out games,” Brooks said. “Those guys are a really solid team, so this boosts everybody’s confidence to know what we can do when we face adversity.
“We always try to play loose. We came together more and thought about what we weren’t doing and what we needed to do.”
Zander Putthoff capitalized on the Lions’ scramble to contain Brooks by dropping three three-pointers in the first half. Putthoff finished with 12 points. Malachi Berg stepped up when the Lions made their charge, scoring eight points in the second half. He finished with 10.
The Lions were led by Zaxton King with 17 points, 11 of which came after halftime. Pearse Long was also big in the Lawrence comeback, scoring 11 of his 14 after the break.
The Chargers’ victory puts them in a matchup with St. Marys Friday at 6:45 at Highland Park. The Bears, a 2A program, advanced to the second round by knocking off 6A Topeka High Thursday. The semifinal contest pits the second ranked team in 2A against the fifth ranked team in 5A.
“This is huge,” Bloomquist said. “A midseason tournament, with the addition of Lawrence, with the tradition like they have, a win for us is another step for our program. It’s a good win for us because of the atmosphere, in an afternoon game, with so many people here.”
“I always love playing somebody new,” added Brooks, a four-year veteran of the tournament. “It’s a different type of excitement when you play an outside team. Their schemes are different and what they try to do is different.”
The Lions will face Topeka High, both losers in the first round, in the opening game Friday at 3:15 p.m.
Highland Park 65, Shawnee Mission North 57
The Scots got balanced scoring from four starters to hold off a challenge by 1-9 Shawnee Mission North.
Tre Richardson led the Scots with 16 points, while Ketraleus Aldridge and Juan’Tario Roberts each scored 15. Jamir Kingcannon tallied 13.
The Bison used several turnovers and a couple of three pointers to cut a big Highland Park lead down to 61-55 in the closing minute. But free throws by Richardson and Aldridge held off the threat.
The Scots improved to 9-1 on the season, getting back in the win column after dropping a game to Topeka West on Friday that Highland Park coach Mike Williams lamented.
“We’ve been emphasizing some things that’s got us hurt over the last couple of games, and got us beat on Friday,” Williams said. “So it’s a little bit disheartening to see some of those things.
“It’s good to get one up in the (win) column and be able to go talk about it and be back to play in the semis on Friday.
The Scots faced former Topeka High coach Pat Denney, now the head coach at Shawnee Mission North. The contest was tougher than might be expected from a 1-9 opponent.
“They come from a great league. Their record is not indicative of who they are,” Williams said. “They play great competition every night. That’s a 6A school with a head coach that is going to coach them up the right way and have them ready to compete.”
Williams said he appreciates the stiff competition that comes with the Topeka Invitational Tournament.
“I think it’s good for us to have to figure ourselves out,” Williams said. “We’re having some things thrown at us that are getting us thinking and are getting us out of playing the Highland Park way. It’s good to get that win and be right back at it tomorrow night.
Highland Park will take on Wichita Northwest, in the final game Friday night, slated to tip off at 8:30 p.m.
Wichita Northwest 63, Hayden 46
The 10th-ranked team in 6A had its hands full with the Hayden Wildcats. But the Grizzlies came out on top in the first round of the tournament, and were to face host Highland Park at 8:30 p.m. Friday.
Hayden hung with the Grizzlies through the first period, trailing just 20-19. But an ice-cold second period put the Wildcats in a hole.
Hayden was unable to score for the first five minutes of the second quarter. Wichita went cold as well, stretching their lead to just 25-19 over that span. Hayden scored just one basket in the second period, which ended with a halftime score of 29-21.
Rugged plays by Trent Duffey and Joe Otting pulled the Wildcats back to within 31-28 early in the third quarter. But things got away from them after that.
The Grizzlies improved to 8-2 behind 15 points by Kee’on Hutton and 12 from Geremiah Moore and Kevin Brown.
The Wildcats were led by Trent Duffey and Jake Muller, who each tossed in 13. Joe Otting added 11.
The Wildcats will take on Shawnee Mission North at 3:15 Friday.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Topeka Invitational Tournament: Day 1 Recap
