GOODLAND GIRLS 74, LARNED 15 – Defending 3A state champion Goodland sped past the Larned Lady Indians 74-15. Goodland (21-0) plays Holcomb (13-8) in Thrurday's semifinals.  

Before a large crowd of enthusiastic Goodland fans, Goodland ran out to a 26-0 lead. The Goodland fans were rocking the Max Jones Fieldhouse in appreciation. The first quarter ended 28-1 and for all practical purposes the game was over.

Jaxi Mitchek led the Cowgirls with 19 points. Talexa Weeter scored 15 points and Haley Blochlinger and Olivia Lehman added 10 each. Goodland made 29 of 55 field goals for 53%. 

Larned (3-18) converted  5 of 29 field goal attempts for 17% and 4 of 6 free throws. Larned's season-long leading scorer Akilah Collins led Larned with 7 points while Jadyn Pinkston scored 4. Kaylee Hagerman and Cammy Upson each scored 2.

Larned battled back in the second quarter and outscored Goodland 10-6, only to trailo 34-11 at halftime to the tall and talented Cowgirls.Keyed by the all-around play of 6' senior Talexa Weeter, Goodland put together another 28-point quarter in the third stanza and expanded their lead to 62-15 as Larned scored only four points in the quarter.

Turnovers were a big problem for Larned against the pressing, half-court, trapping, 1-3-1 defense of the state's top-ranked 3A girls team. Larned committed 34 turnovers, many leading to easy layups for Goodland. Goodland's defense allowed Larned to make only one field goal in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Goodland got many second-chance baskets due to aggressive rebounding from their tall front line.

LAKIN GIRLS—Goodland 74, Larned 15; Holcomb 65, Lakin 48; Cimarron 47, SW Heights 15; Colby 50, Scott City 38; 3-2—Goodland 21-0 vs. Holcomb 13-8; Cimarron 18-3 vs. Colby 14-7

ELLINWOOD 36, SEDGWICK 29 – Ellinwood’s all-state guard Britton Dutton scored 22 points as the Eagles survived a low-scoring affair with No. 8 seed Sedgwick in the 2A Sterling substate. Koy Behnke added eight points. The Eagles led 21-5 at halftime and got outscored and outplayed 24-15 in the second half.

Sedgwick’s Jackson Scarlett scored 12 points.

The Eagles (20-1) plays at Sterling (16-5) in Friday’s semifinal after losing the last three years 48-42, 49-30 and 43-37 in substate to the Black Bears.

"It'll depend on who makes plays and which team makes shots," said Ellinwood coach Derek Joiner. "They'll build a wall and keep Dutton on one side of the floor. Sterling made 13 of 25 shots from 3 Tuesday. They're a good basketball team, All four teams left are top 10 teams."

Sedgwick 5 0 13 11 – 29

Ellinwood 9 12 5 10 – 36

SEDGWICK (5-16)—Scarlett 4 5-6 16, Brown 1 7-8 9, Nold 1 0-0 2, Werner 1 0-2 2, Crumrine 0 0-3 0, Totals 7 12-19 29

ELLINWOOD (20-1)—Dutton 5 11-13 22, Behnke 4 0-1 8, Scheck 1 0-2 2, Heinz 1 0-0 2, Cooper Hosman 0 2-2 2, Totals 11 13-18 36

STERLING BOYS—Ellinwood 36, Sedgwick 29; Sterling 75, Remington 54; Moundridge 63, Hutchinson Trinity 51; Inman 31, Berean Academy 22; 3-3—Ellinwood 20-1 vs. Sterling 16-5, 7:30; Moundridge 18-3 vs. Inman 18-3, 6 p.m. 

3-pointers—S 3 (Scarlett 3); E 1 (Dutton 1)