Sports

LADY OILERS WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT SUB-STATE TITLE

GREENSBURG  — The top-ranked, undefeated and three-time defending 2A champion Lady Oilers of Central Plains will return to Manhattan to defend their title following a 68-34 victory over a good Kinsley basketball team Saturday in Greensburg.

The Lady O’s (23-0) will begin their quest for a fourth-straight conquest of the hardwood against Chase County (15-8) at 3 p.m. Thursday, March 9 on the Lady Oiler’s home-away-from-home court, Bramlage Coliseum on the campus of Kansas State University in Manhattan.

The top-ranked St. John-Hudson Tigers worked to defeat the 10th-ranked O-men, 51-45, Saturday in the championship 2A sub-State game in Greensburg. It was four exciting quarters of a 2-point ballgame.  

RUSSELL — Third-ranked Norton Community (19-2) defeated the ‘Cats 67-30 Friday in the second round of the 3A Russell sub-State basketball tournament. Ellsworth ended the season with a solid 14-9 season and played a lot of top teams on their schedule.

SYLVAN GROVE — Wilson  ended the 2016-17 season with a successful 12-10 record after fifth-ranked and top-seed Central Christian defeated the Dragons, 56-41, Friday in Sylvan Grove.

The Lady Dragons will face a quick Central Christian of Hutchinson club at 6 p.m. Saturday, in Sylvan Grove in the sub-State title game. Wilson will play without the services of point guard Kaleigh Hanzlick, who injured her knee in the March 2 win over Sylvan-Lucas Unified.

GREENSBURG  — The basketball hurricane also known as the top-ranked, undefeated and three-time defending 2A champion Lady Oilers of Central Plains continued their march to Manhattan with a 55-22 win over St. John-Hudson Friday in Greensburg.

RUSSELL — The Ellsworth Lady Bearcats’ season was ended by 10th-ranked Russell, 54-40, Thursday in Russell in the second round of the 3A Russell sub-State basketball tournament.

The ‘Cats (14-7) will face third-ranked Norton Community (18-2) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the second round of the 3A Russell sub-State basketball tournament.

SYLVAN GROVE — The seventh-ranked and top-seeded Lady Dragons defeated arch-rival Sylvan-Lucas Unified 56-43 in the second round of the Sylvan-Lucas Unified 1A Division II sub-State basketball tournament at Sylvan Grove.

The Lady Dragons will face a quick Central Christian of Hutchinson club at 6 p.m. Saturday, in Sylvan Grove in the sub-State title game.

The Wilson Dragons (12-9) will meet fifth-ranked and top-seed Central Christian (16-4) of Hutchinson at 6 p.m. Friday in Sylvan Grove.

By Mark McCoy

WILSON — The seventh-ranked, 1A Division II Wilson Lady Dragons fell to 1A Thunder Ridge, 62-48, in a Northern Plains League contest Friday in Wilson.

The Lady Longhorns moved to a 13-10 lead in the first quarter. The taller Lady Longhorn squad scored 20 points and held Wilson to 13 in the second period to have a 33-23 lead at halftime.

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By Mark McCoy

WILSON — The Wilson Dragons defeated Thunder Ridge, 56-29, in a Northern Plains League contest Friday in Wilson.

The Dragons moved to an 11-6 lead by the end of the first quarter. Wilson scored 15 points and held the Longhorns to nine in the second quarter to give Wilson a 26-15 lead at halftime.

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By Mark McCoy

The Lady Bearcats defeated Hoisington 41-24 Monday in the first round of the 3A Russell sub-State tournament in a game played at Ellsworth. The Lady ‘Cats were seeded third and due to their 15-5 season record, had home court advantage in the first round.

The Lady ‘Cats scored the first bucket of the game and battled to a 10-5 lead at the end of the first quarter by playing a solid brand of team basketball. Ellsworth scored 10 points and the Lady Cardinals scored eight in the second stanza to make it a 20-13 ballgame at the halftime buzzer.

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ELLSWORTH — The Lady ‘Cats are seeded third with their best season record in years (15-5) and play sixth-seeded Hoisington, who has an 8-11 season record, tonight (Monday) at 7 p.m. in Ellsworth. The teams are competing in the 3A Russell sub-state tournament and the victor will face the winner of the game between second-seeded Russell (17-3) or Minneapolis (5-15) Thursday, March 2 in Russell.

The fourth-seeded Ellsworth Bearcats won home court advantage with a 13-7 season record and will play a good fifth-seeded Thomas Moore Prep of Hays (11-8) at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27 in Ellsworth. The teams are competing in the 3A Russell sub-state tournament and the victor will face either top-seeded Norton (18-2) or Russell Friday, March 3 in Russell.

BY Mark McCoy

LINCOLN — The Ellsworth Lady Bearcats easily defeated Lincoln, 49-14, Friday in Lincoln. The Lady Leopards, normally one of the most competitive teams in the Northern Plains League, has had to contend with an epidemic of bad luck this season.

“Injuries are never an excuse,” said Lincoln head coach Steve Crist. “But this season we’ve suffered a season-ending knee injury, a hyperextended knee, a broken wrist and some major ankle sprains along with the normal minor injuries. I’ve never had such a season.”

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