Kansas high school state basketball scores: Andover, Kapaun and Hutch boys all advance

There was no question the Andover high school boys basketball team possessed enough offensive talent to bring home the program’s first state championship.

But individual talent doesn’t always equal team success, as the Trojans quickly found out when they lost back-to-back games in December.

The wake-up call turned around the season for Andover, which committed to team-first basketball and defense. The combination proved vital in the Trojans’ 49-46 win over Maize South in the opening round of the Class 5A state tournament at White Auditorium in Emporia on Thursday.

Andover has won 19 straight games and will play Highland Park in Friday’s 4 p.m. semifinal with a spot in the title game on the line.

“The kids kind of figured out early on that in order for us to win, we’ve got to play defense and get stops,” Andover coach Martin Shetlar said. “I think those losses early in the season helped us because we were trying to just outscore people and do things on our own. After those losses, we saw the importance of playing defense and playing together. They all bought in after that.”

It was fitting that defense propelled Andover to just its fifth semifinal appearance in school history.

Andover’s senior stopper B.J. Redic came up with a crucial block in the final two minutes, then after Devon Neal-McFarthing scored a bucket to extend Andover’s lead, sophomore Joshua Kim came up with a steal that turned into a layup at the other end to help seal the victory.

Maize South had one last look at a potential game-tying 3-pointer, but it missed to end the game.

“It seemed like all of the balls kind of bounced our way there at the end,” Shetlar said. “They weren’t for a while when Maize South was on its run, but we came up with the plays when we needed them in the end.”

Shetlar was a little nervous before the state tournament because his team had not been tested in a game all season. All 20 of Andover’s wins before Thursday came by double-digits.

He was pleased to see his players rise to the occasion when Maize South rallied in the fourth quarter and the game was in the balance.

“We were really tight before the game and I was a little nervous about it,” Shetlar said. “We haven’t had to play in any close games this year, so I didn’t know how we would do having to battle and fight somebody off. But these seniors just don’t want to lose. They stepped up and made play after play.”

Eli Shetlar, an Indiana State recruit, scored a game-high 15 points to lead Andover, while Blake Rucker added 14 points. Maize South, which ended its season with a 19-4 record and the program’s second state tournament berth, was led by 23 combined points from Isaiah Atwater and Michael Kates.

On the other side of the bracket, both Wichita-area teams came away with double-digit victories.

City League co-champion Kapaun Mt. Carmel won its first state game under coach Steve Eck and advanced to its first semifinal since 2020 with a 58-48 win over Blue Valley Southwest.

AV-CTL Division 1 champion had no problem brushing past Pittsburg in an 84-51 victory to win the program’s first game at the state tournament in more than two decades (since 2002).

Kapaun (22-1) and Hutchinson (22-1) will play in Friday’s 8 p.m. semifinal to decide which team will play for the 5A title. The Crusaders haven’t reached the finals since 2016, while Hutchinson hasn’t been back to the state title game since 2002.

Class 6A girls

In its eighth straight year at the Class 6A state tournament in Wichita, the Derby girls won their first-round game for the fifth time during that span with a 43-38 win over Olathe Northwest at Koch Arena.

The Panthers (21-2) will look to reach their fourth title game in the last seven years when they play Blue Valley North (19-4) in Friday’s 8 p.m. semifinal.

Playing in its first state tournament since 1988, Wichita Southeast lost 57-45 to Blue Valley North. The Golden Buffaloes wrapped up a successful 16-7 season.

Class 4A girls

An AV-CTL showdown will determine which area team will play for the Class 4A state championship in Salina.

McPherson easily dispatched Topeka Hayden in a 65-41 win to reach the program’s 25th semifinal and sixth in the last seventh years. Meanwhile, Andale topped Parsons 57-32 to reach the semifinals for the fourth time in the last seven years.

McPherson (21-2) and Andale (20-3) will play at 8 p.m. Friday in the semifinals, a rematch of a regular-season showdown that the Bullpups won 41-29 on Jan. 17.

A third AV-CTL team was in the mix to join them, but Wellington ran into a buzzsaw against Bishop Miege in a 71-40 loss to the best No. 8 seed in the state. The Crusaders wrapped up a 21-2 season with their fifth state berth in the last eight years.

Class 3A boys

A three-peat is still alive for the Hesston boys, which cruised to a 59-46 victory over Colby in the opening round of the 3A tournament at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

The Swathers won the previous two Class 3A titles under coach Greg Raleigh, who retired after last season. Garrett Roth has taken over and Hesston hasn’t missed a beat, as the team improved to 23-1 this season and will take on No. 2 seed Southeast of Saline in Friday’s 8 p.m. semifinal.

It will be a rematch of the season-opening game for both teams on Dec. 2, which Southeast of Saline won 56-46.

The youth and inexperience of Wichita Collegiate was too much to overcome in a 47-41 loss to Marysville, ending a successful 20-4 season that saw the program return to the state tournament for the first time since 2020.

Class 2A boys

Friday will feature an all-area semifinal with one team playing for the 2A girls championship between Berean Academy and Hillsboro, both winners on Thursday at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan.

Berean’s defense clamped down in a 41-25 victory over Hoxie to improve to 23-1 this season, while Hillsboro edged Wichita County, 36-30, to improve to 21-3 this season.

Berean advanced to just its third semifinal in program history and is looking for its first championship game berth since it won a state title in 2008. Meanwhile, Hillsboro is looking for its first finals appearance since it won a state title in 2007 and reached its first semifinal since 2013.

Class 1A boys

At the Class 1A Division 1 boys tournament in Dodge City, Wichita Classical registered the first win at state with a 66-46 win over McPherson Elyria Christian to advance to Friday’s semifinal to take on No. 1 seed Olpe.

Thursday’s Kansas high school state basketball tournament game scores

Class 6A girls (Wichita)

Blue Valley 41, Shawnee Mission South 34 (OT)

Washburn Rural 58, Lawrence 49

Derby 43, Olathe Northwest 38

Blue Valley North 57, Wichita Southeast 45

Class 5A boys (Emporia)

Highland Park 60, Basehor-Linwood 49

Andover 49, Maize South 46

Kapaun Mt. Carmel 58, Blue Valley Southwest 48

Hutchinson 84, Pittsburg 51

Class 4A girls (Salina)

Bishop Miege 71, Wellington 40

Hugoton 53, Independence 40

McPherson 65, Topeka Hayden 41

Andale 57, Parsons 32

Class 3A boys (Hutchinson)

Galena 38, Wellsville 35

Marysville 47, Wichita Collegiate 41

Southeast of Saline 64, Perry-Lecompton 47

Hesston 59, Colby 46

Class 2A girls (Manhattan)

Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan 52, St. Marys 38

Riverside 49, Wichita Independent 30

Berean Academy 41, Hoxie 25

Hillsboro 36, Wichita County 30

Class 1A Division 1 boys (Dodge City)

Olpe 46, Centralia 30

Wichita Classical 66, McPherson Elyria Christian 46

Macksville 72, La Crosse 48

South Gray 75, Clifton Clyde 63

Class 1A Division 2 boys (Great Bend)

Greeley County 56, Southern Cloud 33

South Central 61, Stafford 47

Axtell 59, Bucklin 44

Lebo 67, Beloit-St. John’s Tipton 45

Friday’s KSHSAA state basketball tournament game schedule

Class 6A semifinals (Koch Arena in Wichita)

Boys: No. 2 Blue Valley North (20-3) vs. No. 3 Blue Valley Northwest (19-4), 2 p.m.

Girls: No. 8 Blue Valley (16-7) vs. No. 5 Washburn Rural (17-5), 4

Boys: No. 1 Wichita Heights (21-2) vs. No. 4 Derby (17-6), 6

Girls: No. 2 Derby (21-2) vs. No. 3 Blue Valley North (19-4), 8

Class 5A semifinals (White Auditorium in Emporia)

Girls: No. 8 St. James Academy (18-5) vs. No. 4 St. Thomas Aquinas (20-3), 2 p.m.

Boys: No. 1 Highland Park (23-0) vs. No. 4 Andover (21-2), 4

Girls: No. 2 Bishop Carroll (21-2) vs. No. 3 Andover (21-2), 6

Boys: No. 2 Kapaun Mt. Carmel (22-1) vs. No. 3 Hutchinson (22-1), 8

Class 4A semifinals (Tony’s Pizza Event Center in Salina)

Boys: No. 1 Hugoton (21-2) vs. No. 4 Eudora (19-4), 2 p.m.

Girls: No. 8 Bishop Miege (14-9) vs. No. 5 Hugoton (18-5), 4

Boys: No. 2 McPherson (20-3) vs. No. 6 Bishop Miege (17-6), 6

Girls: No. 2 McPherson (21-2) vs. No. 3 Andale (20-3), 8

Class 3A semifinals (Hutchinson Sports Arena)

Girls: No. 1 Phillipsburg (24-0) vs. No. 4 Cheney (22-2), 2 p.m.

Boys: No. 1 Galena (24-0) vs. No. 4 Marysville (22-2), 4

Girls: No. 2 Goodland (24-0) vs. No. 3 Silver Lake (23-1), 6

Boys: No. 2 Southeast of Saline (23-1) vs. No. 3 Hesston (23-1), 8

Class 2A semifinals (Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan)

Boys: No. 1 Wichita Independent (22-2) vs. No. 5 Medicine Lodge (18-6), 2 p.m.

Girls: No. 1 Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan (23-0) vs. No. 4 Riverside (21-3), 4

Boys: No. 2 Thomas More Prep (22-2) vs. No. 3 Moundridge (21-3), 6

Girls: No. 2 Berean Academy (23-1) vs. No. 3 Hillsboro (21-3), 8

Class 1A Division 1 semifinals (United Wireless Arena in Dodge City

Girls: No. 1 Norwich (22-2) vs. No. 5 Doniphan West (19-5), 2 p.m.

Boys: No. 1 Olpe (22-2) vs. No. 4 Wichita Classical (22-2), 4

Girls: No. 2 Quinter (21-3) vs. No. 3 Frankfort (21-3), 6

Boys: No. 2 Macksville (22-2) vs. No. 6 South Gray (21-3), 8

Class 1A Division 2 semifinals (Barton County Community College in Great Bend)

GIrls: No. 2 Hanover (24-0) vs. No. 3 Beloit-St. John’s Tipton (21-4), 2 p.m.

Boys: No. 1 Greeley County (23-1) vs. No. 5 South Central (18-7), 4

Girls: No. 1 Lebo (24-0) vs. No. 5 Bucklin (20-4), 6

Boys: No. 2 Axtell (21-4) vs. No. 6 Lebo (17-7), 8