Scott City basketball teams snap losing streaks in Sterling

Sterling, Kan. (westernkansasnews.com)–If you can’t go 3-0 during tournament week, the goal changes to go for a winning week at 2-1. Thursday’s Sterling Invitational games for the Scott City Beavers would put them in a position to get a win, and get some momentum for the final day of competition. The Beavers would seize the opportunity, and snap seven-game losing streaks, as the girls held off Hutchinson Trinity 37-33, while the boys pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 44-29 win over Smoky Valley.

Scott City Girls 37, Hutchinson Trinity 33
Scott City would start out hot, and lead wire to wire in this one. The Lady Beavers would jump out to a 12-3 lead in the first quarter, and didn’t allow Hutch Trinity to score their first field goal for the first nine minutes of the game. While Scott City allowed seven points in the second quarter, they didn’t allow the Lady Celtics to get anything going, as they scored the final five points of the half, and built a 24-10 halftime lead. In the second half, Hutchinson Trinity started warming up, but early on, the Lady Beavers were able to withstand any run. The Lady Celtics would score the first five points, while the Lady Beavers counted with six of the next seven, before Hutch Trinity drained a three to end the third quarter to pull to within 30-20. In the fourth period, Scott City would see their lead evaporate slowly, as they put up seven points in the period. The Lady Celtics went on a 7-2 run to get to within 35-33 with 37.8 seconds left. Two Lady Beaver free throws pushed their lead to 37-33 with 29.5 seconds left, and they were able to hold on and get their second win of the year. 

Brooke Strine recorded her second double double of the season, finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Malorie Cupp had a career high seven points and Erika Felker grabbed 10 rebounds. The Lady Beavers shot 29% for the game at 15-52, and were just 6-14 at the line. Leading Hutchinson Trinity was Becca Hammersmith with 18 points and Hayley Hughes with 11. They were at 24% for the game from the floor at 10-41 and finished 10-16 at the free throw line.

With the win, Scott City snaps their seven-game skid, and won the first-ever meeting with the Lady Celtics. Amber Latta is sitting in fifth place after round two of the three-point shooting competition with 16 made.

Scott City             12-12-6-7-37
Hutchinson Trinity   3-7-10-13-33

Scott City (2-7): Rumford 2 1-3 5; Strine 5 2-4 12; Latta 1 2-4 5; Felker 3 0-0 6; Cramer 0 0-0 0; Cupp 3 1-2 7; Castillo 0 0-0 0; Patton 1 0-1 1; Team: 15 6-14 37
Hutchinson Trinity (2-7): Alvarez 0 0-0 0; Ortiz 0 0-0 0; Galliher 0 0-0 0; Bourell 0 0-0 0; Hughes 3 5-7 11; Morales 2 0-2 4; Hammersmith 5 5-6 18; Team: 10 10-16 33

Three Pointers: Scott City 1 (Latta); Hutchinson Trinity 3 (Hammersmith 3); Turnovers: Scott City 22, Hutchinson Trinity 19; Rebounds: Scott City 45, Hutchinson Trinity 34; Fouls: Scott City 16, Hutchinson Trinity 13; Fouled Out: None.

Coach Amy Felker Postgame

Scott City Boys 44, Smoky Valley 29
It would be a slow start for the Beavers in the first half, but this time they were able to make up for it in the fourth quarter. Scott City trailed 7-6 after the first quarter, and 20-15 at the break, before they showed glimpses of making a run. Trailing 22-17 with five minutes left in the third quarter, the Beavers would tie the game up with 2:23 left in the period to pull to tie the game at 22. Smoky Valley responded with four straight, before a Scott City basket late in the third frame pulled them to within 26-24. It was all in favor of the Beaver blue in the final eight minutes, as they used a 12-3 run to lead 36-27 with 3:02 left. They would also score the final eight points of the game to take a 44-29 win, giving up their fewest points of the year. 

Dylan Metzger came off the bench to lead Scott City with a career-high 12 points, while Blaine Culp tied a career-best nine and Lawson Bailey added eight. The Beavers went 50% from the field at 15-30 and were 11-20 at the foul line. Haven Lysell-Stewart led Smoky Valley with 10 points, all in the first half, as the Vikings shot 10-33 for the game for 30%. They had just one field goal in the second half, and didn’t have a field goal in the final 13:01 of the contest. Smoky Valley was 8-19 at the charity line.

With the win, Scott City snaps a seven-game losing streak, and wins their first-ever matchup with Smoky Valley in basketball, as they played their first Central Kansas League opponent since 2016, when they defeated Sterling in sub-state finals play. Josh Rosin is currently in a second place tie with 30 three’s in the three-point contest. 

Scott City      6-9-9-20-44
Smoky Valley 7-13-6-3-29

Scott City (2-7): Serrano 0 0-0 0; I. Tarango 2 0-0 4; Rosin 0 0-0 0; King 0 0-0 0; Stevens 0 1-1 1; Thon 0 1-2 1; Culp 4 1-3 9; Hawkins 3 1-4 7; Bailey 1 5-6 8; Metzger 4 2-2 12; E. Tarango 0 0-0 0; Gooden 1 0-2 4; Team: 15 11-20 44
Smoky Valley (2-6): Apel 0 2-2 2; Miller 0 0-0 0; Elseth 1 2-2 5; Lucas 2 0-0 4; Blanchat 1 3-6 5; Miller 0 0-0 0; Pickering 0 0-0 0; Heline 1 0-1 2; Lysell-Stewart 5 0-4 10; Heble 0 1-2 1; Stambaugh 0 0-0 0; Team: 10 8-19 29

Three Pointers: Scott City 3 (Metzger 2, Bailey 1); Smoky Valley 1 (Elseth 1); Turnovers: Scott City 17, Smoky Valley 14; Rebounds: Scott City 27, Smoky Valley 23; Fouls: Scott City 19, Smoky Valley 22: Fouled Out: Smoky Valley (Lysell-Stewart).

Coach Brian Gentry Postgame

Other scores on Thursday on the girls side saw Sterling pull away in the second half for a 64-49 victory over Southeast of Saline, and Hugoton take a 63-49 win over Smoky Valley to wrap up pool play. On the boys side, Hutchinson Trinity defeated Lyons 43-38 and Hugoton thumped Sterling 69-48.

Friday’s games will start at 3 pm with the seventh place games on the girls side with Hutchinson Trinity and Chaparral in Sterling High School’s south gym, Southeast of Saline matching up with Kingman in the fifth place game in the Ora Shields Activity Center, and Scott City girls facing Smoky Valley in the third place game inside the Gleason Center at Sterling College. The Championship game at 6:30 at the Gleason Center will pit two unbeatens, as Sterling faces Hugoton. Scott City girls finished second in Pool A, as they won the tiebreaker over Southeast of Saline, by allowing just four fewer points in two games played. 

The boys schedule at 4:45 has Kingman and Smoky Valley meeting up in the seventh place game in the Sterling High School south gym, Scott City and Southeast of Saline in the fifth place game in the Ora Shields Activity Center, Lyons and Sterling battling in the third place game at the Gleason Center, and the Championship game between Hutchinson Trinity and Hugoton at 8:15 in the Gleason Center.