WICHITA, Kan.—
Saturday marks the second day of the fifth annual CatchItKansas Classic at Koch Arena and, for the first time, Hartman Arena. Get a taste for what to expect in our preview.A tale of two very different games: Andover takes on Wichita North
The North boys are the third-ranked team in 6A, and have played like it as of late. North has scored 76 points three times in six games this season, 75 once and 69 and 67 once. This team has a system in place and it is working.
Andover currently sits at 4-2 on the season, but is still looking for a signature win to propel the Trojans into the rest of the season. If Andover were to knock off North, it would qualify as that signature win.
Obviously, Andover needs to shut down Conner Frankamp, who dropped 47 points against South in last year’s CatchItKansas Classic. He put up 33 in 12 minutes against South earlier this season, so he is in mid-season form which is bad news for Andover. This game will begin at 8:00 p.m. Saturday at Koch Arena on the campus of Wichita State.
The Andover Lady Trojans are currently ranked as the No. 6 team in 5A. Andover held Goddard to 18 points earlier in the season and edged Andover Central 52-51 on a buzzer-beating shot. The Lady Trojans are 5-1 on the season.
Wichita North will have its hands full. The Lady Redskins’ season point high is 39, and average 24 points per game. Andover averages 57 per game. No team has scored less than 43 points against North. This game is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Saturday at Koch Arena.
Andover Central could cause big problems for Kapaun
The Kapaun girls’ team has continued to show why it’s the top-ranked team in 5A, but will have its hands full against a 5-1 Andover Central girls’ team. The Lady Jaguars currently sit at No. 7 in the state. Both these teams have players that can make a huge impact on a game. Central’s lone loss was to rival Andover on a buzzer-beater.
The Lady Crusaders have beat a solid Wichita South team and blown out others like Bishop Carroll 60-40 and Southeast 64-25. Andover Central can put up points as well, with season highs of 69 and 61 against Campus and Goddard Eisenhower, respectively. This game is slated for 3:15 at Koch Arena on the campus of Wichita State.
The Kapaun boys ended 2012 with a bang as it took down Carroll 80-76 in a five overtime marathon. This came three days after a 75-44 beat down to North, so this is a team that has shown it can bounce back after a tough game. Kapaun is the No. 4 team in 5A.
Hoping to knock the Crusaders down to earth is Andover Central. This team isn’t ranked, but has made some noise in 5A so far this season. It’s not unusual to see the Jaguars win a game by double digits. This is a team that resembles Wichita North, so Kapaun will have to buckle down on defense to make this a good game. These two will square off at five p.m. at Koach Arena on the campus of Wichita State.
Derby and Southeast provide an intriguing match-up
The Derby and Wichita Southeast girls both have two wins on the season, so both squads are looking for some kind of spark to get the wheels on the track. When Southeast wins, it doesn’t have much trouble winning. The problem is, when it loses, it has no problem losing. If Southeast can stay close with the 2-4 Derby Lady Panthers, the Lady Golden Buffaloes can’t be counted out.
Derby will play this game after playing the day before in Newton, so it could be quite the turnaround. The Lady Panthers are on a three-game skid, which cannot be good for its confidence. Derby and Southeast will play 6:45 Saturday at Hartman Arena.
The Derby boys’ have held a No. 6 spot in 6A consistently throughout the season, and rightfully so. The Panthers are 6-0 on the season and have held teams to the 40s on four different occasions. This squad can put up major points, too. Derby scored 84 against Goddard, 91 over Campus and 89 on Hutchinson. Southeast better bring its best defense.
Southeast has traded a win for a loss so far this season and currently sit at 3-2. The Golden Buffaloes got a nice win over Bishop Carroll 55-50 to end 2012. Southeast needs to put up some points if it wants to keep pace with Derby in this one. This game is scheduled for 8:30 Saturday at Hartman Arena.
Salina South and Wichita East tipoff to begin Saturday
The Salina South girls and Wichita East Blue Aces will be the first game of day two at Koch Arena. It’s a tale of two seasons for these girls’ squads as Salina South has jumped out to a 4-1 start and East went into the break at 2-4. The Lady Blue Aces’ two wins came against North and West. East’s top player is Relina Johnson, so if the Lady Cougars can keep her at bay, they should have no problem with East. This game is at 11:30 in the morning at Koch Arena on the campus of Wichita State.
The Wichita East boys come into its game against one-win Salina South riding a three-game win streak. It was imperative for the Blue Aces to end 2012 on a good note so now it can enter this game against South with some swagger and moxie as opposed to looking to just get back on track. Salina South’s final game before the break was a 72-43 loss to a solid Derby team. If East can get off to a fast start like it has so far this season, the Blue Aces should not have trouble with South. This game is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. at Koch Arena on the campus of Wichita State.
Maize South and Wichita West set to square off
When the Maize South girls win, it wins big. But when it loses, it’s not pretty. The Lady Mavericks held Goddard to 17 points in a 41-point blowout. Then two games later, nearly doubled up on Ark City 51-26. However, the game between those blowouts, the Lady Mavericks lost big to Salina Central.
The good news for Maize South is West has scored more than 28 points just once this season, a 59-35 loss to East. The Lady Pioneers have scored 28 points in three of its five games this season, so far an 0-5 effort. The game is set to tipoff at 3:15 at Hartman Arena.
The boys’ side between Maize South and West is a match-up between two squads trying to get something going on the season. Both sit at 1-4 on the year. West beat a hapless South team 57-49 earlier in the season, but hasn’t shown much promise in its four losses.
It is much the same story for the Mavericks, whose lone win came against Ark City 48-35. Its closest loss came at the hands of Goddard 65-57. Both of these teams can score, so it very well could be a shootout at Hartman Arena at five p.m. Saturday.
