EHS squads look to improve showings against Topeka High
By Michael Ashford
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
It’s a nasty little habit that began on Dec. 12 with a 74-64 loss on the road at Topeka High.
In that game, the Emporia High boys basketball team held a double-digit lead over the Trojans, only to see it fall apart.
The problem has come and gone in several games since then for the Spartans, as they have lost two more games — at Washburn Rural and at Hayden — in which they held a substantial lead over their opponent, and nearly let the same thing happen again last Friday in a 64-54 home victory over Shawnee Heights after seeing a 19-point lead dip as low as seven.
With the problem starting at Topeka High, the Spartans (7-5, 2-4 Centennial League) get their first crack at righting a wrong tonight when they face the No. 7-ranked (Class 6A) Trojans (10-4, 6-1) again, this time at the EHS gymnasium.
“We really have something to prove,” junior Seth Torres said. “With the way we played in the first half against them, and then coming out and not playing the way we like to play in the second half, that wasn’t us.”
In the first game against the Trojans, EHS jumped out to a 27-14 lead in the second quarter before Topeka High ripped off a 22-2 run to take the lead for good.
At the time, the Spartans were coming off playing three games in the Paul Terry Classic just two days before, and the speedy and athletic Trojans, led by 27 points from Justin Purtee and 10 points and 10 rebounds from forward Chris White-Ready, ran away from a fatigued EHS squad.
With the No. 9-ranked (Class 5A) Spartans now well-rested, they will look to be the aggressors when it comes to controlling the pace of the game.
“We’re playing a very athletic team that likes to put a lot of points on the board. It will be very important for us to dictate the tempo of the game,” coach Rick Bloomquist said. “I don’t know if we’re capable — with the depth that we have and the depth that Topeka High has — of getting into a full-fledged running game with Topeka High.”
Another aspect the Spartans have been doggedly working on lately is their team chemistry. Players and coaches agreed that a certain something was missing in back-to-back losses to Rural and Hayden, and that it started to come back in the win over Shawnee Heights on Friday.
“We took steps in the right direction with our play against Shawnee Heights,” Torres said. “It’s coming together. We’re looking to see if we can take it another step.”
The Emporia High girls also will try to save a little face in their rematch with Topeka High.
In the Lady Spartans’ 63-58 loss to Topeka High, the Lady Trojans out-rebounded EHS, 41-21. Sixteen of those rebounds came on the offensive end, leading to easy put-backs by Topeka High.
Needless to say, the Lady Spartans (8-5, 2-4) expect much different results defensively this time around.
“They got so many offensive boards the first time. In the first half, most of their points came from getting an offensive board or a shot somewhere near the block,” junior Sadie Webb said. “Our help defense wasn’t there, and that was probably the reason why they got so many offensive boards.”
Indeed, Topeka High’s post trio of Ivy Morrison, Jackie Hoyt and Myah Sprew was allowed to basically roam free in the lane the first time out, getting easy baskets galore in combining to score 46 points and grab 29 rebounds. Ever since that game, defense and rebounding has been the Lady Spartans’ rallying cry.
“At practice, a lot of our main focus is either rebounding or containing the dribbler on defense,” Webb said. “I think we’ll show a big improvement. We’re just going to have to have good post defense and good help defense.”
The EHS girls will tip off against the Lady Trojans (7-7, 3-4) at 6 p.m., with the boys game to follow 20 minutes after the end the girls game.