Scott City opens up season with a sweep of Wichita County

Leoti, Kan. (westernkansasnews.com)–The first games of the year can sometimes be more than just about the outcome of a game. It can be a good measuring stick to find out early on where a teams strengths and weaknesses are against other competition. Friday night at Wichita County High School, Scott City saw both of their teams start out slow, but finish well, as they both picked up wins by leading from start to finish. The Lady Beavers won 55-32, while the Beaver boys poured it on in a 58-16 win. It was the first time the Indians and  Beavers had met on the hardwood since the 2010 Scott City Invitational Tournament, and the first since January of 2009 in Leoti.

Girls
Scott City showed that they can be a strong perimeter team this year, when given the opportunity. The Lady Beavers started out racing to an 18-5 lead, thanks in part to converting four three’s in the first quarter, and had seven by the break. Wichita County (0-1) was unable to mount any run of sorts in the game. Scott City (1-0) used runs of 10 and eight to build a 31-12 intermission lead. They would push their lead to as many as 25 at 45-20 with 1:20 remaining in the third quarter, and coasted to their sixth straight win vs the Indians. Kaitlyn Roberts led the way for the Lady Beavers, as she had seven three-pointers for a career-best 23 points, and Kiana Yager added 10. Scott City did not get to the free throw until the third quarter, and finished 1-9 for the night there. Mareli Salazar led Wichita County with 14 points, as the Lady Indians committed 24 turnovers, compared to Scott City’s 10. With the win, the Lady Beavers won their season opener for the first time since 2011. Scott City had a season high 58 points in an overtime win last year against Fountain Fort Carson, and hit the 50-point mark in their third game of the season. It was the most points they’ve scored in a season opener since 2009, when they had 65 against Wichita Trinity.

Coach Sarah McCormick Postgame

Boys
For a while, the finale of the evening looked as though no one was going to score. Both teams combined for 10 early turnovers and missed shots from point blank, but it was a shot form the Beavers that broke the ice. Scott City did not score until the 3:15 mark of the first quarter, and eventually stretched it to a 12-0 lead after the first quarter, and 15-0 early in the second quarter until Wichita County got on the board. The Beavers took a 25-4 halftime lead, as the Indians were held to only one field goal. Scott City (1-0) never let up, scoring the first seven points of the second half, all by Bo Hess, and led 32-4 just 63 seconds into the third quarter. After Wichita County (0-1) got to within 37-14 with 1:43 remaining in the third frame, the Beavers put their foot down, and closed the final 9:10 of the game on a 21-2 run, and cruised to their third straight season-opening victory. Bo Hess and Jordan Horn led the charge for Scott City with 15 points each. Hess had 13 of his points in the second half, while Horn connected on three-three point shots. The Beavers won the rebounding battle 31-23. Juan Alvarado led the Indians off the bench with nine points. Wichita County finished with 23 turnovers in the game. With the win, Scott City has now won 15 straight in the series that started in 2002, and included a six-year hiatus that ended Friday night. They’ve also won eight out of their last eight season openers. 

Coach Brian Gentry Postgame

Scott City will return home for two straight, as they host Palmer Ridge to open up the Roundball Classic on Thursday, with game time is 6 pm for the girls, and the boys to follow. The Lady Bears are 1-1 on the season, while the Bear boys are 2-0 after Friday night. Wichita County begins tournament play at the Sagebrush Shootout in Brewster Monday, with games against Logan.