The fans got their money’s worth on Friday night in Emporia, as Manhattan High and Emporia played two overtime thrillers. The Indian girls win the Centennial League title outright for the first time in school history, defeating the Spartans 35-33 in three overtimes. MHS trailed by eight points early in the second quarter, but stormed back on a 15-0 run to lead by five at halftime. Emporia led by three going into the fourth quarter, but the Indians’ Liz Kennedy tied the game at 29 on a layup with just over two minutes to play. The Spartans’ Lindy Arndt missed a pair of free throws after the buzzer the end of regulation, either of which would’ve won the game. The first two overtimes were scoreless as just two shots from the field were taken by Emporia. In the third OT, Kennedy hit the game winning bucket with three seconds left for MHS, and Emporia’s Megan McRell missed a shot in the lane at the buzzer. The Indians (16-4, 12-1) were led by 13 points from Staci Thomas in a gutty performance. MHS will be the #3 seed in their 6A substate with a home game on Wednesday night. Emporia (17-3, 10-3) was paced by Arndt’s game-high 22 points.
It looked as if Manhattan would blow out Emporia early on Friday night, but the Indians actually had to come from behind in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime. MHS pulled out a 61-60 victory in OT in the regular season finale. The Tribe built a quick double-figure lead, but the Spartans would not go away. MHS led by eight after three quarters, but trailed 50-44 with less than a minute to go in the fourth quarter. Connor Brooks and A.J. Stitt each hit crucial treys as Manhattan forced overtime on a Zach Nelson lay-in. The Tribe never trailed in OT as Emporia hit a three at the buzzer to make the final margin 61-60. All but two points came for Manhattan’s starting five on Friday night. Nelson had 19 points, Brooks finished with 16, and Ryan Wilkinson scored a career-high 14 points for the Indians (10-10, 7-6). 42 of Emporia’s 60 points came from the bench led by freshman Jackson Perez, who dumped in 20 points to lead all scorers. Austin Knight chipped in 13 for the Spartans. Emporia (6-14, 3-10) lost for the seventh time in the last ten home meetings against Manhattan. Substate play for the Tribe boys will begin on Thursday night at Wichita East.
The Manhattan High girls clinched at least a share of their first Centennial League title by beating Hayden 43-31, combined with Emporia 42-40 loss to Seaman. The Indians can now do no worse than a tie for the Centennial Title even with a loss to the Spartans on Friday night in Emporia. MHS jumped out to a 14-5 lead after the first quarter on Hayden on Tuesday night, and pushed their advantage to 29-9 at halftime. The Wildcats though would crawl back into the ballgame by pounding it in to their posts. The Tribe saw their lead dwindle to nine points early in the fourth quarter, but Hayden couldn’t get any closer. Manhattan (15-4, 11-1) wins their first conference title since claiming the last four I-70 League titles from 2000 to 2003. The Indians were led by 11 points apiece from Staci Thomas and Onyeka Ehie. Hayden (7-12, 2-10) was led by a game-high 17 points from Jayde Reid.
The Manhattan High boys broke a three-game losing streak to Hayden in a 58-42 victory on Tuesday night in the Little Apple. The Indians built a 20-16 halftime lead, and never trailed in the second half. MHS pushed the advantage to ten after three quarters, and led by as many as 17 in the fourth. After struggling early in the game, the Tribe hit their final eight free throw attempts to help seal the win, going 9 for 13 on the night. MHS (9-10, 6-6) was led by 18 points from senior Zach Nelson and Connor Brooks chipped in with 12. Hayden (15-4, 8-4) was paced by Kurt Walker’s 12 points.
The Manhattan High girls and boys basketball teams will conclude the regular season on Friday night at Emporia. Coverage begins at 5:45 on KMAN.
Kansas State senior forward Ashley Sweat garnered CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America third team honors. This is the first national honor for Sweat in her career and it is the second straight season K-State has had a student-athlete earn Academic All-America honors. Sweat is a two-time CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine All-District VII selection, earning first team honors this season and a second team selection in 2009. She has also garnered a pair of Academic All-Big 12 first team honors. This season, Sweat is a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award with fan voting continuing through March 22 at www.seniorCLASSaward.com or by texting ‘W9’ to 74567. The 6-2 forward from McPherson, Kan., leads the Wildcats in scoring (17.1 ppg), rebounding (5.5 rpg), free throws made (115), free throws attempted (142) and blocked shots (17). She ranks seventh in the Big 12 this season in scoring and eighth in the league in free throw percentage (.810). During her senior campaign, Sweat has ascended a number of K-State career lists as she ranks third in scoring with 1,735 points and into 15th in career rebounds with 583. She also ranks in the top-10 in career blocks with 69 to become the third player in school history to record 1,700 points, 500 rebounds and 60 blocks for a career. She also ranks in the top-10 in career free throws made (401) and attempted (518), career field goals made (614) and minutes played (3,878).
Xavier Henry scored 18 of his 23 points in the first half and No. 1 Kansas clinched at least a share of its sixth straight Big 12 regular season title with an easy 81-68 victory over Oklahoma on Monday night. Kansas (27-1, 13-0) didn’t wait to clinch its latest title, sewing it up with three games left after doing it in the final week the past three seasons. The Jayhawks overwhelmed Oklahoma (13-14, 4-9) from the start, building a 17-point lead in the first half and shooting 51 percent overall to extend the Sooners’ Lawrence losing streak to 10 games. Sherron Collins added 17 points and joined fellow senior Brady Morningstar for their 124th win together, most all-time in Kansas history. The Jayhawks have won 13 straight games for their best start since opening 34-1 in 1996-97 and have the nation’s longest home winning streak at 58 games.
The Manhattan High boys and girls basketball teams will be honoring their seniors on Tuesday night when they host Hayden. The Indian girls will be looking to keep pace in the Centennial League with Emporia as both teams are 10-1 before a showdown on Friday. Manhattan High coach Scott Mall says the Tribe can’t afford to look past Hayden, who will be a tough matchup with their size up front. The MHS boys will try to finish the job against Hayden as they led into the fourth quarter against the Wildcats in Topeka last month, but lost 52-39.
Manhattan High girls and boys basketball hosts Hayden on Tuesday night at 6:00 pm. KMAN will not be able to broadcast the games due to K-State and Texas Tech.
Once thought to have a broken shot, K-State’s Denis Clemente continues to be on a tear as he was named the Big 12 player of the week for the second time in three weeks. Clemente, who shares the honor with Oklahoma State’s James Anderson, averaged 24 points in K-State wins over Nebraska and Oklahoma. K-State coach Frank Martin says Clemente’s passion for the game carries over to the rest of the team.
The K-State men will look to win for the first time in Big 12 play at Texas Tech. The Cats last won in Lubbock in 1986, when the Red Raiders were a member of the now-defunct Southwest Conference. Texas Tech is struggling a bit in the Big 12 at 4-8 after a very successful non-conference season. The 22-4 Cats have won five straight on the road in the league, and are 9-3 in Big 12 games.
K-State men’s basketball will play at Texas Tech on Tuesday night at 7:00 pm. Coverage on KMAN and K-Rock from Lubbock on the K-State Sports Network begins at 6:00 with Wyatt Thompson and Stan Weber.
Two Manhattan High wrestlers drew #1 seeds for Saturday’s 6A regional hosted by MHS. Dane Norris (119 pounds) and Xavier Fisher (285 pounds) will lead the Indians up against a talented field of eight teams. The regional features three ranked teams in 6A including #2 Derby, #4 Wichita Heights, and #7 Junction City. The top four wrestlers in each weight class advance to next weekend’s 6A state wrestling tournament at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita. SportsRadio 1350 KMAN will have live updates throughout the day beginning at approximately 9:30 a.m. with Adam Kufahl and Rod Olsen. Coverage of the championships and consolation finals will begin following the K-State/Oklahoma men’s game.
After the first day of the 4A regional tournament at Holton, Wamego sits in sixth place with 54 points. Two Red Raiders will wrestle for regional titles on Saturday night. Taylor Shaffer (19-4, 215 pounds) will square off with NCKL rival Taylor Wuthnow (41-0) of Abilene. At 285 pounds, Bryce Seljestad (19-1), pinned all three of his opponents in under a minute to move to the finals. Seljestad will face Jarin Brown (32-9) of Concordia. Eight Wamego wrestlers remain alive in the bracket. Clay Center (161 points) and Abilene (141.5 points) are running away from the rest of the field. Wrestling resumes on Saturday morning in Holton.
4A Regional Team Standings at Holton
1) Clay Center - 161 pts
2) Abilene - 141.5 pts
3) Concordia - 81 pts
6) WAMEGO - 54 pts
8 Silver Lake - 47.5 pts
12) Chapman - 27 pts
15) Hayden - 5 pts
Friday proved to be a long day for the Rock Creek Mustangs at the 3-2-1A regional wrestling tournament at Rossville. Rock Creek’s Shane Schaake (125 pounds) and Trevor Sutton (160 pounds) both reached the semifinals but lost. Schaake lost by fall to John Corman of Minneapolis in the second period. Sutton was pinned in the first period by Colton Gentry of Rossville. Both Schaake and Sutton must win their next match to advance to the state tournament. Eight Mustang wrestlers are still in contention. After day one, Rossville leads the regional with 114 points. Wrestling will resume on Saturday morning at Rossville High School at 11:00 a.m.
3-2-1A Regional Standings at Rossville
1) Rossville - 114 pts
2) Marysville - 106 pts
3) Effingham - 104.5 pts
6) Council Grove - 81.5 pts
13)-TIE Onaga & St. Marys - 22 pts
17) Rock Creek - 18 pts
22) Wabaunsee - 0 pts
The Manhattan High girls remain in a first place tie in the Centennial League with a 51-47 victory over Seaman on Friday night in the Little Apple. The Indians started the game on an 11-2 run, but the Vikings stormed back to take a one-point lead after the first quarter. The score was tied at 38 heading into the fourth quarter before MHS went on a quick six-point burst and Seaman couldn’t close to within any closer than three the rest of the way. Staci Thomas led the Tribe (14-4, 10-1) with 16 points, and Liz Kennedy scored 9 of her 11 points in the fourth quarter. A trio of Vikings (13-5, 9-2) each scored 10 points, Erin Greenwood, Haleigh Tenpenny, and 6 foot 3 inch Kara Lee. Manhattan High is now tied with Emporia for the Centennial League lead. The Indians and Spartans will clash in Emporia next Friday with all the marbles possibly being on the line.
For the third time in the last four games, the Manhattan boys built a double-figure lead, only to see it evaporate. The last two times (Topeka West and Topeka High) the Indians came up short. Friday night, MHS exorcised their demons as Zach Nelson drilled a three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left to give the Tribe a 62-59 win over Seaman. Manhattan led by double figures on two occasions but Seaman stormed back. The Indians led 39-38 going into the fourth quarter and outscored the Vikings 23-21 in the final frame to pick up their eighth victory of the season. Nelson, for a second straight game, established a career high. After scoring 25 points on Tuesday night against Topeka High, Nelson erupted for 27 points to pace Manhattan High. A.J. Stitt added 10 points for the Indians (8-10, 5-6). Seaman had four players reach twin digits, Connor McDaniel scored 15 and three Vikings tallied 11 points. Seaman (10-8, 5-6) lost for the sixth straight time to the Indians.
MHS will host Hayden this Tuesday night for senior night. The doubleheader tips off at 6:00 p.m., with coverage on SportsRadio 1350 KMAN at 5:45.
Daniel Dellasega’s bases-loaded double highlighted a five-run ninth inning explosion as Kansas State topped Delaware, 11-5, Friday afternoon in the 2010 season-opener at Riley Park in the opening game of The Citadel Memorial Challenge. The Wildcats, who led throughout the contest, saw a 6-2 lead evaporate in the seventh inning when the Blue Hens scored three times to pull within one run. But, in the ninth, freshman Blair DeBord coaxed a pinch-hit walk to begin a rally that included Dellasega’s line-drive double into the left-field corner that put the game out of reach. K-State won its fourth season-opening game in the last five years, marking the first time the Wildcats have accomplished the feat since the 1998-02 seasons. The Cats also moved to 4-3 in season-openers under Hill’s leadership. Dellasega, a native of Pittsburg, Kan., went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Matt Giller also tallied a pair of hits and RBI, while Nick Martini was 1-for-5 with two runs driven in. Starting pitcher Ryan Daniel (1-0) was dominant through the first five innings, retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced before Delaware scratched a run in the fourth. The senior sprayed four hits with one strikeout and did not allow a walk. James Allen, who tallied five saves last season, recorded his first save by throwing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Delaware’s Nick Young (0-1) took the loss as he allowed four runs on five hits in five innings, but he did strike out seven Wildcats. Carlos Alonso and Hank Yates led the Blue Hens offensively with two hits apiece. The second game of the opening weekend pits the Wildcats against East Tennessee State on Saturday. First pitch at Riley Park is scheduled for 10 a.m. (CT).
Manhattan High wrestling will be hosting their 6A regional meet on Saturday with a loaded field coming to town, with #3 Wichita Heights, #4 Wichita East, and #8 Junction City. The top four wrestlers in each weight class qualify for state next week in Wichita. Indians coach Bob Gonzales says it’s a great advantage to be at home, and should give them a few extra wins. Manhattan High wrestling will host their 6A regional Saturday beginning at 9:00 am. Sports Radio 1350 will have reports throughout the day with Adam Kufahl and Rod Olson.