Miege sweeps, Saints win, 5 overtimes in 24 hours: Kansas hoops tourney highlights
This year’s state-tournament week for Kansas high school basketball had it all.
A boys-girls sweep in Class 4A ... a classic 1-vs.-2 showdown in which the No. 2-seeded team prevailed ... a third-place finish in which the victor went to triple-overtime — after going to double-OT just to reach the title game.
But one thing at a time. We’ll start with the sweep.
The Bishop Miege athletic program added to a loaded trophy case on Saturday in Salina, where the boys and girls squads each earned state championships.
The girls team accomplished the feat by beating Eudora 71-45 for the 4A title at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center. The girls from Miege (23-2) entered the tournament with the fourth seed and left with a state-record 23rd trophy.
Grace McCallop scored 18 points and Gabi Henderson-Artis added 16 for Miege. No. 2 seed Eudora (23-2), which saw its 23-game win streak snapped, got 23 points and eight rebounds from Harper Schreiner.
A couple of hours later, the fifth-seeded boys team from Miege also won a Class 4A title, outlasting No. 3 seed Andale 64-57 to repeat as state champs and hoist the trophy for the seventh time.
Meanwhile, at White Auditorium in Emporia, St. Thomas Aquinas won the 5A girls championship with a 52-38 victory against previously undefeated Salina Central.
The Saints were the tournament’s second seed and finished their championship season 23-2. Salina Central (24-1) was the No. 1 seed.
Beatrice Culliton was unstoppable for Aquinas. She scored 18 points and pulled down 17 rebounds. Teammate Kelsey Schenck added 10 points and six rebounds and Charlotte O’Keefe grabbed 10 rebounds and chipped in two points.
In boys Class 5A action at White Auditorium in Emporia, fifth-seeded Topeka Seaman (18-7) outlasted No. 3 seed De Soto (20-5) 66-47 in the final. Aron Davis led Seaman with 17 points as the program claimed its first state championship.
Seventh-seeded St. James Academy (17-8) rebounded from a Friday semifinal loss to De Soto to beat fourth-seeded Maize (19-6) 81-62 for third place place on Saturday.
The Class 6A boys and girls tournaments were played at Koch Arena in Wichita. And before the championship games took place later in the day, the Blue Valley and Olathe North girls left it all on the court in an epic battle for third.
The two KC-area squads put on a show for the ages, battling through three overtimes before Eastern Kansas League entrant Blue Valley outlasted its Sunflower League counterpart 48-46.
For Blue Valley (21-4), the outcome was no doubt satisfying after playing five overtime periods in less than 24 hours. The Tigers landed in the third-place game following a 51-49 loss to Derby in double-OT.
Sophomore Jadyn Wooten scored 23 points for Blue Valley (21-4), which entered the state tournament as the No. 6 seed.
Missouri State-bound Sania Copeland had 18 for top-seeded Olathe North (23-2), which came to Wichita undefeated. North lost 44-43 to Washburn Rural in the semifinals on Friday.
Fourth-seeded Washburn Rural (23-2) won the girls 6A state title with a 40-23 victory over No. 2 seed Derby (23-2).
In the boys 6A state final, second-seeded Wichita Heights (23-2) beat Blue Valley Northwest 61-54 for the championship. The Huskies, who were the tourney’s fourth seed, finished 21-4.
Grant Stubblefield had a team-high 16 points for Blue Valley Northwest, while Chase Harris of Wichita Heights led all scorers with 21.
KANSAS BOYS
Class 6A
At Koch Arena in Wichita
Thursday quarterfinals
Lawrence Free State 50, Manhattan 28
Blue Valley Northwest 58, SM Northwest 50
Wichita Heights 61, Olathe North 30
Olathe West 67, Dodge City 53
Friday semifinals
No. 4 BV Northwest 51, No. 1 Lawrence Free State 42
No. 2 Wichita Heights 61, No. 6 Olathe West 46
Saturday
Third-place game: Lawrence Free State 58, Olathe West 51
Championship: Wichita Heights 61, BV Northwest 54
Class 5A
At White Auditorium in Emporia
Wednesday quarterfinals
Topeka Seaman 54, Kapaun Mt. Carmel 43
Maize 53, Highland Park 47
St. James Academy 59, Topeka West 51
De Soto 50, Blue Valley Southwest 45
Friday semifinals
No. 8 Topeka Seaman 66, No. 4 Maize 54
No. 3 De Soto 58, No. 7 St. James Academy 56
Saturday
Third-place game: St. James 81, Maize 62
Championship: Topeka Seaman 66, De Soto 47
Class 4A boys
At Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina
Thursday quarterfinals
McPherson 61, Buhler 47
Andale 62, Paola 52
Topeka Hayden 64, Eudora 53
Bishop Miege 70, Abilene 40
Friday semifinals
No. 3 Andale 49, No. 7 McPherson 42
No. 5 Bishop Miege 62, No. 8 Topeka Hayden 50
Saturday
Third-place game: McPherson 37, Topeka Hayden 33
Championship: Bishop Miege 64, Andale 57
Class 3A
At Hutchinson Sports Arena
Wednesday quarterfinals
Royal Valley 60, Girard 56
Southeast-Saline 62, Osage City 53
Hesston 46, Hugoton 34
Thomas More Prep 68, Galena 67, 2OT
Friday semifinals
No. 1 Royal Valley 60, No. 4 Southeast-Saline 52
No. 2 Hesston 45, No. 6 Thomas More Prep 36
Saturday
Third-place game: SE-Saline 57, Thomas More 44
Championship: Hesston 51, Royal Valley 41
Class 2A boys
At Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan
Thursday quarterfinals
Hillsboro 73, Wichita Independent 46
Lyndon 50, Sterling 38
Valley Falls 64, Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan 61
St. Mary’s 69, WaKeeney-Trego 43
Friday semifinals
No. 2 Hillsboro 37, No. 3 Lyndon 28, 2OT
No. 4 St. Mary’s 80, No. 1 Valley Falls 69
Saturday
Third-place game: Lyndon 66, Valley Falls 50
Championship: Hillsboro 60, St. Mary’s 32
Class 1A Division 1
At Dodge City
Wednesday quarterfinals
Olpe 51, Troy 21
Macksville 45, Osborne 41
Solomon 45, Norwich 43
Montezuma-South Gray 62, Ness City 53
Friday semifinals
Olpe 68, Macksville 38
Montezuma-South Gray 79, Solomon 46
Saturday
Third-place game: Macksville 66, Solomon 54
Championship: Olpe 66, Montezuma-So. Gray 42
Class 1A Division 2
At Barton Community College
Wednesday
Greeley County 63, Pawnee Heights 34
Northern Valley 63, Waverly 57, 2OT
Hanover 84, Central Plains 43
Bucklin 67, Caldwell 45
Friday semifinals
No. 2 Greeley County 59, No. 3 Northern Valley 54
No. 1 Hanover 61, No. 4 Bucklin 54
Saturday
Third-place game: Northern Valley 84, Bucklin 79, OT
Championship: Greeley County 56, Hanover 55
KANSAS GIRLS
Class 6A girls
At Koch Arena in Wichita
Wednesday quarterfinals
Derby 41, Shawnee Mission West 17
Blue Valley 33, Topeka 32
Olathe North 54, Blue Valley North 51
Washburn Rural 66, Dodge City 43
Friday semifinals
No. 2 Derby 51, No. 6 Blue Valley 49, 2OT
No. 4 Washburn Rural 44, No. 1 Olathe North 43
Saturday
Third-place game: Blue Valley 48, Olathe North 46, 3OT
Championship: Washburn Rural 40, Derby 23
Class 5A girls
At White Auditorium in Emporia
Thursday quarterfinals
St. Thomas Aquinas 48, Spring Hill 27
Andover Central 50, Bishop Carroll 34
Salina Central 69, De Soto 34
Lansing 61, Emporia 43
Friday semifinals
No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas 58, No. 6 Andover Central 42
No. 1 Salina Central 68, No. 4 Lansing 37
Saturday
Third-place game: Andover Central 48, Lansing 46
Championship: St. Thomas Aquinas 52, Salina Central 38
Class 4A
At Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina
Wednesday quarterfinals
Wellington 33, McPherson 29
Bishop Miege 74, Andale 35
Eudora 50, Clay Center 46, OT
Wamego 36, Labette County 34
Friday semifinals
No. 4 Bishop Miege 82, No. 1 Wellington 42
No. 2 Eudora 49, No. 3 Wamego, 41
Saturday
Third-place game: Wamego 68, Wellington 61
Championship: Bishop Miege 71, Eudora 45
Class 3A
At Hutchinson Sports Arena
Thursday quarterfinals
Silver Lake 63, Cherryvale 33
Goodland 38, Southeast-Saline 37
Nickerson 47, Frontenac 40
Hugoton 52, Santa Fe Trail 40
Friday semifinals
No 4. Goodland 59, No. 1 Silver Lake 53
No. 3 Hugoton 59, No. 2 Nickerson 52
Saturday
Third-place game: Silver Lake 53, Nickerson 51
Championship: Goodland 48, Hugoton 47
Class 2A
At Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan
Wednesday quarterfinals
Sterling 73, Mission Valley 52
Berean Academy 46, Valley Heights 43
Garden Plain 39, Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan 26
Smith Center 44, Jackson Heights 37
Friday semifinals
No. 1 Sterling 42, No. 4 Berean Academy 35
No. 7 Garden Plain 40, No. 6 Smith Center 38
Saturday
Third-place game: Smith Center 48, Berean Academy 37
Championship: Sterling 47, Garden Plain 38
Class 1A Division 1
At Dodge City
Thursday quarterfinals
Jetmore-Hodgeman Co. 49, Clifton-Clyde 43
Pretty Prairie 52, Osborn 33
Centralia 59, Spearville 42
Burlingame 45, Little River 39
Friday semifinals
No. 5 Pretty Prairie 37, No. 1 Jetmore-Hodgeman 32
No. 2 Centralia 53, No. 6 Burlingame 45
Saturday
Third-place game: Burlingame 55, Jetmore-Hodgeman 45
Championship: Pretty Prairie 37, Centralia 35
Class 1A Division 2
At Barton Community College
Thursday quarterfinals
Golden Plains 49, Bucklin 28
Hutchinson Central Christian 49, South Haven 40
Central Plains 58, Beloit-St. John’s Tipton 28
Hanover 54, Lebo 47
Friday semifinals
No. 1 Golden Plains 33, No. 5 Hutch Central Christian 23
No. 2 Central Plains 49, No. 6 Hanover 44
Saturday
Third-place game: Hanover 47, Hutch Central Christian 27
Championship: Central Plains 50, Golden Plains 38
This story was originally published March 12, 2022 at 3:46 PM.