Spartan boys build early lead, hold off Topeka High, 66-54
Euler, Bloomquist, Pierce combine for 58 points to help snap 2-game losing streak
By Michael Ashford
Monday, February 18, 2008
TOPEKA — It had been a while since the Emporia High boys basketball team knew what it felt like to have a lead to hold on to at the end of a game.
Not surprisingly, the Spartans like it much better that way.
Emporia High got out to a 21-12 lead at the end of the first quarter Saturday against Topeka High and then turned away a late Trojan comeback bid to take a 66-54 victory, snapping a two-game losing streak.
In the previous two games against Washburn Rural and Manhattan, the Spartans fell behind by a combined 38-16 after the first quarter, going on to lose both contests after their second-half rallies fell short.
“We knew that after our past couple of games, we had to come out hard in the first half,” senior Troy Pierce said. “It felt good to finally start a game with a lead.”
Emporia (11-7, 6-5 Centennial League) got its first victory since a Feb. 8 win over Seaman, and it came about because the Spartans were as balanced offensively as they had been since the game against Seaman in which all five starters scored in double figures.
Against the Trojans, Caydrick Bloomquist and Taylor Euler led the way with 22 points apiece while Pierce added 12 points. Four other Spartans scored, including reserve Marcus Jamison, who saw easily his most extensive varsity action of the season.
“We can’t be a team that relies on Caydrick being the offense, and everybody knows that,” EHS coach Rick Bloomquist said. “When we show that type of balance, we’re a very good team.”
Emporia was hot right from the start, jumping out to a 21-12 lead at the end of the first period, spurred on by the sizzling shooting of Euler. The junior guard scored all 14 of his first-half points in the opening frame, including two threes and several slicing drives into the lane for easy layups.
“They came out and they were really guarding Cayd hard and they were trying to take him out of the game — trying to push him away from the basket,” Euler said. “I just used my quickness and got around my guy, and when I got inside, they had to respect Troy from the way he played against them last time, and I got some nice, open shots.”
If the first quarter belonged to Euler, the second frame went to Pierce. The 6-foot-5 senior scored seven points — four coming on offensive put-backs — to help the Spartans stake a 37-23 lead by halftime.
“I felt good in the first half,” Pierce said. “We were all playing together and playing hard and talking to each other and passing the ball, and we were getting good shots because of it.”
Emporia cruised through the third period thanks to eight points from Caydrick Bloomquist, as the Spartans held a 16-point edge heading into the final 8 minutes. But that’s when things got a little dicey for EHS. EHS missed its first five shots and Topeka High (6-12, 2-9) went on a 13-3 run to open the fourth quarter, slicing the Spartans’ lead down to six points at 54-48 with 3 1/2 minutes left to play.
“We played very hard the first three quarters, and then fatigue was a factor in the fourth quarter,” Rick Bloomquist said. “We started to make some fatigue errors, and we had to hold on to our lead, and we haven’t had to do that for a long time.”
Emporia scored for the first time in 4 minutes when Jacob Torres made 1 of 2 free throws to put EHS ahead 55-48 with 2:39 left. On Torres’ miss, Bloomquist got the rebound and missed a three, but then Jamison grabbed the offensive rebound and later converted on a wide-open layup off a feed from Torres that pushed the Spartans’ advantage to nine points at 57-48, and Topeka never threatened again.
EHS closed the game by hitting 9 of 10 free throws.
“I challenged these kids pretty hard (Friday) night,” Coach Bloomquist said. “I questioned their character, I questioned their heart, I questioned their mentality. I questioned a lot about the intangibles that go into being an athlete, and I was really concerned how they were going to respond.
“As long as we play as hard as we did (Saturday), it makes those other tangible negatives a little easier to swallow.”
Emporia 66, Topeka High 54
Saturday at Topeka
Emporia 21 16 14 15 — 66
Topeka 12 11 12 19 — 54
Emporia (11-7, 6-5 Centennial League) — Brandon Childs 2-7 0-1 4, Caydrick Bloomquist 6-20 7-8 22, Taylor Euler 8-13 4-4 22, Jacob Torres 0-3 2-4 2, Troy Pierce 4-8 4-6 12, Eric Reimer 0-0 0-0 0, Marcus Jamison 1-1 0-0 2, Greg Canales 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 22-53 17-23 66.
Topeka (6-12, 2-9) — A.J. Barber 2-6 3-6 7, Eric Ray 3-11 5-5 13, LaShawn Kelley 3-7 0-0 6, Marcus Jordan 1-2 0-0 2, Sam Long 0-2 0-0 0, Ashton Patton 7-17 0-0 16, Lamar Mady 0-0 0-0 0, Onzie Branch 4-5 0-0 8, Mico Anderson 0-2 2-2 2. Totals 20-52 10-13 54.
3-point goals — Emporia 5-16 (Childs 0-1, Bloomquist 3-10, Euler 2-4, Torres 0-1), Topeka 4-19 (Ray 2-5, Kelley 0-4, Patton 2-9, Anderson 0-1). Rebounds — Emporia 36 (Pierce 10), Topeka 30 (Ray, Jordan 6). Assists — Emporia 8 (Torres 4), Topeka 5 (Barber 3). Turnovers — Emporia 12, Topeka 14. Total fouls — Emporia 12, Topeka 19. Fouled out — Topeka: Branch.