By Brett Marshall – KSHSAA Covered Contributor
DODGE CITY — One might call it “unfinished business” or take advantage of the “second chance.”
But no matter how you say it, Riverside wants to make it right in the 2024 Class 2A girls state championship game on Saturday afternoon.
The Cyclones get that “second chance” after holding off a gallant second-half rally by Valley Heights to notch a 53-45 semifinal victory at United Wireless Arena in Dodge City on Friday afternoon.
The Cyclones will get Wichita Independent a year after they opened the state tournament with a win over the Panther and reached the championship before suffering a 48-31 loss at the hands of Berean Academy in the 2023 title game.
“We didn’t do it right the first time,” said Riverside head coach Craig Burnes of that 2023 loss. “I told the girls early in the season that if we wanted to get back, we had to be better. Our defense is better, our offense is scoring in and out much better than last year. The girls are looking to shoot more.”
After building a 24-15 halftime advantage, the Cyclones saw the Mustangs come back with a vengeance, rallying from down 26-15 to tying the game at 26-all and then leading for the first time at 29-27 with 2:48 left in the third. Five different Mustangs got into the scoring act to help the comeback.
When the buzzer ended the third period, it was a one-point Cyclone lead, 30-29. Then, the fourth quarter happened and it was an explosive eight minutes for Riverside.
Led by 6-3 senior center Taylor Weishaar (9 of her game-high 19 points) and clutch free throws from sophomore Niahla Duncan (6 of 6 at the stripe), the Cyclones went from a narrow lead to leading by as many as 10. Only Valley Heights’ Maggie Toerber kept the score from getting out of hand, scoring 10 of her team’s 16 points in the closing quarter. She finished with 15 points.
Weishaar also grabbed 12 rebounds (11 defensive) but Valley Heights led that category with 35, led by Audra Steinfort’s 11 boards. Riverside overcame 21 turnovers while Heights committed 14 miscues.
In the shooting stats, Heights struggled all night, finishing with just 18 of 59 (30.5%) while the Cyclones hit a respectable 16 of 37 for 43.2%.
For the Cyclones’ Weishaar, the game was all about withstanding a run by Heights, and managing to have the last run.
“Coach has always said games are about runs – we run, they run, but we have the last run,” Weishaar said. “It feels great to get back to the championship game. We lost a couple of players from that team, but I think we’re more experienced. We’re playing lockdown defense. We just try to work hard and be strong.”
Riverside jumped out to an early 10-4 lead in the first period, but could manage only a 10-9 margin when the quarter came to an end. A pair of 3-pointers sparked the Cyclones.
Early in the second period, the Cyclones clung to a 14-13 edge, but then went on a 9-0 run with Ella Wisler getting five of those points to go up 23-13. The half ended with Valley Heights looking at a 24-15 deficit. Wisler was the big offensive weapon in the half, finishing with 10.
INDEPENDENT KNOCKS OFF UNDEFEATED COLGAN TO REACH FIRST TITLE GAME
In the 2023 Class 2A Girls’ State Tournament, Wichita Independent made just its second state appearance in the school’s relatively brief history.
It was a quick exit, falling to eventual state runner-up Riverside in the opening quarterfinal round.
Friday night, the Panthers (21-3), advanced to the state title game at 4 p.m. Saturday at United Wireless Arena with a workmanlike 48-40 triumph over previously unbeaten St. Mary’s Colgan in the semifinals.
That will pit the Panthers against the team that knocked them out a year ago as Riverside reached its second straight title game with a 53-45 triumph over Valley Heights in the early semifinal.
Not only is Independent playing for its first state crown, it is doing so with a young roster, which consists of only one senior.
Leading the pack for coach EJ Garnes was 5-7 freshman point guard Zoey Buckner-Franklin, who scored a game-high 23 points off 8-of-15 shooting and 7-of-8 free throws while also directing the Independent offense to compile a game-high six assists.
“She’s a special player and I’m privileged to be her coach,” Garnes said of Buckner-Franklin. “She sees the entire court and despite her being our leading scorer, the other girls know they have to be ready because she will find the open player. She’s got great court vision.”
The difference in this game, which was closely played through the first half with Independent up 29-27, was a 13-2 run at the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth that produced a 42-29 lead that Colgan could not overcome.
The Colgan version of Panthers tried to claw their way back into the game, getting to within 44-40 with 1:28 to play, but Independent iced with a basket and two free throws in the final 50 seconds.
In addition to Buckner-Franklin’s outburst, Deena Holmes added 12 points and 8 rebounds for Independent.
Garnes said after last year’s tournament exit in the first round, he upped the level of the 2023-24 schedule by playing such non-KSHSAA team Life Prep Academy and then going to Tulsa, Okla., to play in the Jenks/Tulsa Union tournament where they faced Class 5A and 6A schools.
“It has helped us prepare tremendously for this tournament,” Garnes said. “Our girls have a lot of experience playing and their IQ for the game is quite high. I’ve been pleased that we have been able to integrate a number of new players into the lineup this year.”
Colgan, which will play Valley Heights at noon for third place, was led by 6-0 senior Lily Brown’s 22 points. Jakayla Davis added 15 to Colgan’s cause.
The first half was dominated by Independent, which led just 9-8 after one quarter, but then went on a 10-0 run in the second and eventually led at halftime, 23-14.
Freshman guard Zoey Buckner-Franklin led the Wichita Panthers with 8 points while Jakayla Davis had six to lead Colgan.
CLASS 2A GIRLS SEMIFINAL BOXSCORES
RIVERSIDE 53, VALLEY HEIGHTS 45
Riverside … 10 … 14 … 6 … 23 … — … 53
Valley Heights … 9 … 6 … 14 … 16 .. — … 45
Riverside (23-2) — Studer 0-5 1-2 1, O’Grady 3-6 0-0 9, Jackson 1-4 3-6 6, Weishaar 7-11 5-8 19, Wisler 5-8 0-0 12, Duncan 0-3 6-6 6. Totals 16-37 15-22 53.
Valley Heights (19-6) — A. Toerber 0-4 0-0 0, M. Toerber 8-14 1-2 15. T. Miller 1-2 0-0 3, Murk 2-7 1-1 5, Steinfort 2-7 5-5 9, Skalla 1-1 0-0 2, Smith 5-16 1-5 11, Vermetten 0-8 0-0 45. Totals 18-59 8-13 45.
3-point goals — Riverside 6-19 (Studer 0-3, O’Grady 3-6, Jackson 1-3, Wisler 2-5, Duncan 0-2); Valley Heights 1-16 (A. Toerber 0-1, M. Toerber 0-1, T. Miller 1-1, Murk 0-4, Steinfort 0-1, Smith 0-4, Vermetten 0-4). Rebounds — Riverside 33 (Weishaar 12); Valley Heights 35 (Steinfort 11). Assists — Riverside 15 (Studer 5); Valley Heights 9 (Murk 3). Turnovers — Riverside 21; Valley Heights 14. Total Fouls — Riverside 15; Valley Heights 24. Fouled Out – Riverside: Wisler; Valley Heights: Murk, Vermetten.
WICHITA INDEPENDENT 48, ST. MARY’S COLGAN 40
Wichita Independent … 9 … 14 … 6 … 19 … — … 48
St. Mary’s Colgan … 8 … 6 … 13 … 13 … — … 40
Wichita Independent (21-3) — Selmon 0-1 0-0 0, Galbert 2-3 0-0 4, Del Muro 0-2 0-0 0, Buckner-Franklin 8-15 7-8 23, Holmes 6-7 0-02 12, Allen 1-4 0-0 3, Safi Salumu 2-4 2-2 6. Totals 19-36 9-12 48.
St. Mary’s Colgan (24-1) — Brown 8-17 6-6 22, Kalan 0-1 0-0 0, Harris 0-7 1-2 1, Meek 1-3 0-0 2, Davis 4-15 7-7 15. Totals 13-43 14-15 40.
3-point goals — Independent 1-5 (Selmon 0-1, Galbert 0-1, Allen 1-3); Colgan 0-7 (Brown 0-1, Kalan 0-1, Harris 0-1, Meek 0-1, Davis 0-3). Rebounds — Independent 27 (Holmes 8); Colgan 22 (Meek 9). Assists — Independent 9 (Buckner-Franklin 6); Colgan 7 (Davis 2). Turnovers — Independent 8; Colgan 9. Total Fouls —Independent 11; Colgan 13. Fouled Out — Colgan: Meek.
