Sports
March 18, 2021 | B1
TSnews
Cardinals cap perfect season with 3A title By Travis Mounts TSnews news@tsnews.com
The Cheney Cardinals are the 2021 Class 3A State basketball champions. The Cardinals claimed their second-ever State title with 60-44 victory over the Sabetha Bluejays and in the process completed their second-ever unbeaten season. Cheney went 26-0 while winning the 4A title in 2010. The Bluejays challenged the Cardinals down the stretch. The second half began with Cheney leading 29-20, but Sabetha’s Leah Renyer scored 8 of the team’s 11 third-quarter points and helped the Bluejays trim the Cardinals’ lead down to 4 points, 35-31, at the start of the fourth quarter. The Bluejay got within 2 points when a steal by Melinna Schumann led to a 3-point basket by Leah Renyer, who scored 24 points to lead Sabetha. Cheney called a timeout with 5:56 to play, clinging to a 39-37 lead. Cheney nearly turned it over on the inbound play following the timeout. They struggled getting the ball in several times down the stretch. But on this play, Kylee Scheer hit a baseline jump for a 41-37 lead. The Cardinals then forced a steal, and a pass from Lexi Cline to Scheer drew a foul on Renyer. Scheer made both free throws for a 43-37 lead with 5:20 to play. A Sabetha 3-point basket pulled the Bluejays back to within 4 points, 45-41, with 3:34 to play. The Cardinals answered with back-to-back 3-pointers by Korri Lies, with a
Jean Nance/TSnews
ABOVE: The Cheney Cardinals celebrate after clinching their second-ever State championship and undefeated season. Cheney downed Sabetha 60-44 Saturday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. BELOW: Kylee Scheer puts up a second-half shot for 2 points during Saturday’s second half.
defensive steal. The second 3-point basket put Cheney ahead 51-41 with 2:50 to play. Scheer paced Cheney with 25 points, but the Cardinals got scoring from eight different players. Scheer scored 12 in the fourth quarter with several critical drives to the basket, either scoring or going to the free-throw line, where she was a perfect 9-for-9 in the game. As a team, Cheney shot 74 percent from the line. The Cardinals shot 42 percent from the field, while the Bluejays shot 41 percent. Both teams shot 44 percent from 3-point range. Sabetha made eight 3-pointers and Cheney had seven. Lies hit a 3-pointer late in the first quarter, and Lexi Cline hit one to open the second quarter, giving the Cardinals a 14-6 lead. Midway through the quarter, Campbell Hague scored off a rebound and drew a foul. She completed the 3-point play, then scored on the next possession to lift Cheney to a 19-9 lead. At halftime, Cheney led 29-9. Cheney head coach Rod Scheer said the difference in the game was the Cardinals’ ability to respond to Sabetha’s runs. “Each time, we responded. It was Korri hitting 3s, Campbell hitting free throws, Kylee down the stretch,” he said. Scheer added that the team stressed defense in the huddle, and every player contributed. “Everybody who was out there and who came in did their job at both ends,” he said. Campbell Hague and
See CARDS, Page B3
Colts denied in chance for championship By Travis Mounts TSnews news@tsnews.com
The Campus Colts’ dreams of a State championship were dashed Saturday, as the Blue Valley North Mustangs beat the Colts 67-59 in the Class 6A title game at Koch Arena in Wichita. Campus closes out the season with a 21-3 record and a second-place trophy, matching their best-ever
result at State. The Colts placed second in 1988, finishing behind Shawnee Heights in the 5A championship. The Mustangs won this game in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Colts 27-21, although that run started with an inside jump shot at the end of the third quarter that gave them a 40-38 lead over the Colts. The Colts felt good going into the locker room at
Stephanie McKennon/TSnews
Zion Young battles for the ball during Saturday’s Class 6A State championship at Koch Arena.
halftime. Sterling Chapman’s mid-range jump shot late in the second quarter gave them a 28-20 lead. At the break, Campus led 32-26. The Mustangs were able to erase the Colts’ lead in the third quarter, holding the Colts to just 6 points over eight minutes. The teams battled back and forth early in the fourth quarter. Jayden Hall tied the game back up to start the fourth quarter, stealing the Mustangs’ opening possession and going for a lay-up to knot the score at 40. Hall then drew a foul and made two free throws for a 42-40 lead with 7:10 to play. Following a Blue Valley North basket, Steve Strong drove into the lane and drained a pull-up jumper for a 44-42 Campus lead with just over six minutes to play. That would be Campus’ last lead. Blue Valley North went ahead 45-44 on a basket and foul shot by Nikko Taylor. The game started to get away from Campus with under three minutes to play and the Colts trailing 51-47. The Colts were whistled for an offensive foul. The Mustangs converted on the inbounds play with a long pass downcourt. On their next possession, the Colts were again whistled for an offensive
Stephanie McKennon/TSnews
Campus High’s Sterling Chapman goes up for 2 points while playing Blue Valley North in the title game.
foul. They then fouled the Mustangs on the other end of the court, and the Mustangs made one of two foul shots to go up 54-47. Sterling Chapman made
a strong move to the basket right after that, but Blue Valley North was able to score again on a long inbounds pass, capped by an emphatic dunk for a 56-49
lead with 2:05 to play. Following a timeout, Campus gave away the ball on the next play, off
See COLTS, Page B4