BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
LEAVENWORTH — Leavenworth Pioneer Aleshia Jones proved that one player can beat an opposing basketball team for a half.
Jones scored 22 first-half points and 13 consecutive second-quarter points for a 32-19 halftime lead. The Panthers made no effort to deny Jones the basketball or provide extra defensive attention. Jones scored all six Pioneer field goals and 18 points in a dazzling second period.
But the Panthers' Sadie Spray shadowed Jones aggressively after halftime, holding her to two field goals to spark a Great Bend rally. Jones scored a career high 32 points, including the game-clinching free throws in a hard-fought 53-46 victory at Friday's Topeka Round Robin Tournament .
Key reserve Jariah Wright rescued the Pioneers with 11 points. Other than Jones, the Pioneers converted three of 24 field goals attempts.
Sydney Unruh scored 20 points and Spray chipped in 12 points to lead a hustling Panther rally. Unruh scored eight fourth-quarter points and Spray's basket sliced the lead to 49-44. But the Panthers fouled the Pioneers' best player Jones, who converted two free throws for a 51-44 lead with 80 seconds left.
At one point, Jones scored 13 consecutive Pioneer points and four first-half 3-pointers for a 29-16 lead.
"We dug ourselves a hole and we put ourselves in that position," said Great Bend coach Cindy Beck. "When she's shooting the 3-pointer and driving to the ball to the basket, that's hard to guard."
But Beck's defensive adjustment helped slice a 13-point lead to 49-44. The Panthers' defense forced 20 Leavenworth turnovers.
"Sadie stepped up and said 'I got her.' Sadie did a good job," Beck said. "Jones didn't make a 3-pointer that second half."
Beck never lost faith and the Panthers never lost their battling spirit led by Unruh and Spray, who combined for five steals. Emilee Hall scored six second-half points.
The Panthers (4-7) had the Pioneers on the run near the end, but simply ran out of time. Great Bend played Shawnee Heights in Saturday's finale.
"We have to have faith, we can do it," Beck said. "We have a lot of fight. I have complete confidence in them. We have faith in our teammates."
The Panthers converted 17 of 55 field goals to outscore the Pioneers 37-30 from the field. But the Pioneers' offensive rebounding and drives to the basket delivered a 23-9 free throw advantage. The Pioneers converted 23 of 30 free throws, a 13-point difference.
Beck liked how the Panthers played like the "Little Engine That Could," by thinking they could rally.
"If you miss a shot, you've got to carry confidence that you'll get the next one," Beck said.
Leavenworth featured an athletic team that pressured the Panthers into 17 turnovers. The Pioneers (6-5) downed Lawrence High 41-29 Thursday.
Great Bend 9 10 13 14 — 46
Leavenworth 11 21 9 12 — 53
GREAT BEND (4-7)—Unruh 6-16 5-7 20, Spray 5-10 2-3 12, Hall 3-6 1-2 7, Latham 1-5 1-2 3, Premer 1-4 0-0 2, Kaiser 1-4 0-0 0, Smith 0-6 0-0 0, Hannah Loomis 0-1 0-0 0, Harbaugh 0-3 0-0 0, Totals 17-55 9-14 46
LEAVENWORTH (6-5)—Jones 9-19 10-12 32, Wright 2-5 6-6 11, Gardner 0-6 3-4 3, McLain 1-6 1-2 3, DeLeon 0-0 2-2 2, Posch 0-7 1-2 1, Totals 12-3 23-30 53
3-pointers—GB 3-11 (Unruh 3-6, Spray 0-1, Kaiser 0-1, Latham 0-2), L 6-15 (Jones 4-8, Wright 1-1, McLain 1-4, Gardner 0-1, Posch 0-1)
TOPEKA ROUND ROBIN
SATURDAY—Great Bend 49, Shawnee Heights 46; Washburn Rural 71, Lawrence 38; Topeka High 75, Leavenworth 39
FRIDAY—Leavenworth 53, Great Bend 46; Washburn Rural 63, Shawnee Heights 24; Topeka High 79, Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel 50
THURSDAY—Washburn Rural 75, Great Bend 37; Topeka High 71, Shawnee Heights 28; Leavenworth 41, Lawrence 29
WESTERN ATHLETIC GIRLS
Garden City 3-0 8-1
Dodge City 2-0 11-0
Liberal 2-2 10-3
Hays High 1-3 4-8
Great Bend 0-3 5-7
GARDEN CITY (3-0, 8-1)—W *Great Bend 50-44; L Kearney, Neb. 36-38; W *Liberal 42-38; W *Hays 56-42; W Guymon, Okla. 38-30; Colby (W Wichita Life 46-35; W Colby 54-43, OT; W Goodland 57-45); W Ulysses 62-31; 2-2 *Dodge City; 2-5 at Guymon, Okla.; 2-9 Wichita Life Prep; 2-12 *Great Bend; 2-16 *at Dodge City; 2-19 *Hays High; 2-23 *at Liberal
DODGE CITY (2-0, 11-0)—Newton 78-19; Goodland Tournament (W Lakin 76-30; W Nickerson 64-56; W Goodland 58-37); W McPherson 58-41; W Colby 62-37; W Guymon, Okla. 48-31; W *Liberal 45-36; W *Great Bend 63-21; McPherson (W Wichita Southeast 56-33; W Manhattan 43-21; McPherson); 2-2 *at Garden City; 2-5 *at Hays High; 2-8 at Ulysses; 2-13 Maize High; 2-16 *Garden City; 2-19 *at Great Bend; 2-23 *Hays High; 2-25 *at Liberal
LIBERAL (2-2, 10-3)—W Colby 41-30; W Holcomb 80-25; W Wichita Trinity 66-56; W Scott City 42-26; W *Hays 54-23; W *Hays 42-26; L *Garden City 38-42; L *Dodge City 36-45; Salina (W Abilene 62-31; Salina South 43-19; W Salina Central 60-58); L Gruver, Okla.31-67; W Guymon, Okla. 70-49; 2-5 *at Great Bend; 2-9 Guymon, Okla.; 2-12 Hooker, Okla.; 2-16 at Hugoton; 2-20 *Great Bend; 2-23 *Garden City; 2-25 *Dodge City
HAYS HIGH (1-3, 4-8)—Hays (L Hugoton 26-47; L Wichita Life 30-46; W Hays-TMP 31-44); W Hoisington 56-32; L *Liberal 23-54; L *Liberal 26-42; W *Great Bend 48-34; L *Garden City 42-56; Colby (L Wichita Life 31-40; L Goodland 41-54; W Osborne 53-28); W Pratt 52-40; 1-29 Salina Central; 2-2 at Scott City; 2-5 *Dodge City; 2-12 at Colby; 2-16 at Abilene; 2-19 *at Garden City; 2-23 *at Dodge City; 2-26 *Great Bend
GREAT BEND (0-3, 5-7)—W Scott City 50-42; W Holcomb 48-45; L Junction City 42-49; W Larned 54-21; L Emporia 32-57; *Garden City 44-50; *Hays High 34-48; W Hutchinson High 41-32; L *Dodge City 21-63; Topeka (L Washburn Rural 37-75; L Leavenworth 46-53; W Shawnee Heights 49-46); 2-5 *Liberal; 2-9 at Buhler; 2-12 * at Garden City; 2-16 Hays-TMP; 2-19 *Dodge City; 2-20 * at Liberal; 2-26 *at Hays High
