WAKEFIELD, Kan.—
White City High School’s basketball teams ventures into Wakefield Tuesday evening for a Wheat State League showdown.One game had two teams neck and neck in the current Wheat State League standings. The other game had the team at the top of the standings battling a team near the bottom of the standings.
Wakefield used overtime to defeat White City 39-32 in the girls game. White City cruised from the opening tip to defeat the Bombers 57-32.
"These girls finally started believing in themselves," Wakefield girls coach Ben Hamilton said.
In that girls game, there were five lead changes and eight ties before the Lady Bombers took control in the fifth quarter and only allowed White City one field goal, while scoring 9 of their own points for the victory.
"It wasn’t the prettiest win we have had all year but we ground it out," Hamilton said. "That has kind of been the story on us. We have lost a lot of close ones, it has always come down to the fourth quarter. Multiple times we have entered the fourth quarter either tied or with the lead. We just haven’t been able to finish, these girls just showed a lot of heart tonight and knocked down free throws when it counted.
"We finally have them believing in themselves. That is all that mattered."
Melissa Jackson led Wakefield (6-10 overall, 3-4 Wheat State) in scoring with 14 points and was the only Wakefield player to reach double-figure scoring. Mindy Stilwell led White City (7-8 overall, 4-3 Wheat State) with 10 points.
In the boys game, White City took the opening tip and scored the game’s first 8 points and never trailed in the contest.
The Huskies improved their overall record to 12-3 overall and remain undefeated in the Wheat State League at 7-0 while Wakefield falls to 2-14 overall and 1-6 in Wheat State action.
The Huskies, who were led in scoring by Sam Morgan’s 15 points while Trent Blythe pitched in 12, outscored Wakefield 14-6 in the opening quarter, led 29-13 at intermission and 40-20 going into the final period before finishing off the 25-point victory.
Wakefield was led in scoring by Keenan Westerman’s 11 points.
"Offensively we were a little bit slow and struggled a little bit offensively," White City boys coach Denny Crable said. "But I thought defensively we did a very good job. We helped well. We hadn’t played for a week and so I thought we were a little bit rusty on offense but we got the win and that is what matters to us."
