CLASS 5A GIRLS
 
At White Auditorium, Emporia
 

 
ANDOVER
 
Coach: Hannah Alexander
 
Record: 22-0 (No. 1 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Eisenhower, 52-32; beat Hutchinson, 47-23
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Blue Valley Southwest (8: 12-10), 2 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Brooke Walker, sr., G; Alana Shetlar, sr., F/G; Aliyah Green, jr., F/C; Amelya Vance, jr., PG; Katie Evans, jr., G; Brodie Christensen, jr., F/G; Bella Bouddhara, fr., G; Aneilia Williams, jr., G; Asiah Sullivan, fr., PG; Grier Hand, fr., G.
 
Worth noting: Trojans finished fourth at state last year, falling to Bishop Carroll in semifinals and St. James Academy for third. … Andover posted first undefeated regular-season in program history, winning Ark Valley Chisholm Trail II title and taking Salina Invitational title without top player Walker playing in the tourney. … Alexander in second year at Andover after leading Topeka High to two state championship games in 2019 and 2021 and undefeated season in 2020 when state tourney was canceled. … Green, a transfer from Hutchinson, leads the team with 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. … Walker averages 12.9 points, 4.1 assists and 2.8 steals a game. … Shetlar averages 10.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. … Vance dishes out 3 assists a game. … Trojans have had only two games decided by single digits, a 42-37 win over Salina Central and a 36-29 win over Valley Center. … Andover has allowed 35 points or less 16 times and hasn’t given up more than 44.
 

 
BISHOP CARROLL
 
Coach: Taylor Dugan
 
Record: 19-3 (No. 6 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Andover Central, 49-41; beat Hays, 38-34
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Emporia (3: 21-1), 8 p.m.
 
Key players: Leah Henke, jr., G; Lilly Martin, jr., G; Avery McCorry, so., F.
 
Worth noting: Carroll making third straight trip and finished runner-up at state last year, falling to St. Thomas Aquinas 62-56 in the championship game. … Trip to state is 23^rd overall and 15 of of the previous 22 ended with top-four finishes. … Lone state title came in 2004. … Golden Eagles won the Newton Tournament at midseason and finished as Greater Wichita Athletic League runners-up to 6A qualifier Wichita Heights. … Two of three losses came to Heights and the other to Kapaun Mt. Carmel. … Dugan got her 200^th career win this season. … Henke leads team at 15 points per game and also gets 4 rebounds and 2.5 steals per contest. … Martin averages 8.4 points and 3.4 rebounds a game and McCorry averages 6.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
 

 
BLUE VALLEY SOUTHWEST
 
Coach: TJ Taylor
 
Record: 12-10 (No. 8 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Spring Hill, 60-52; beat Pittsburg, 47-41
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Andover (1: 22-0), 2 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Madison Mann, jr., PG; Mia Hansen, so., G; Ashley Chaput, sr., F; Lily Unruh, jr., G; Olivia Payne, jr., F; Teegan Vietti, fr., G; Karter Skillman, jr., F; Kylie Cross, so., G; Maryam El-Demerdash, sr., G; Lindsay Dill, jr., F.
 
Worth noting: Southwest making first state appearance since taking second in 2019 to St. Thomas Aquinas. … Timberwolves also finished runner-up in 2015 to Aquinas. … Timberwolvdes upset Spring Hill in sub-state semifinals and then held off Pittsburg for state berth. … Southwest got first Eastern Kansas League win since 2020 this season when it beat Blue Valley West and has posted first winning season since that year as well. … Most of losses came in rugged EKL, which produced four state qualifiers. … Timberwolves are young with just two seniors in rotation. … Unruh leads team at 11.5 points per game. … No other player averages at least 7 but seven are between 4-6.7 points per game with Hansen at 6.7 and Mann at 6.6 points a game. … Chaput is leading rebounder at 5.7 per game. … Mann also adds 3 assists per game.
 

 
DE SOTO
 
Coach: Ryan Robie
 
Record: 19-3 (No. 5 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Lansing, 58-19; beat Shawnee Heights, 62-47
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Seaman (4: 20-2), 4 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Makenzie Farmer, jr., G; Addison Tower, sr., G; Amanda Tower, sr., G; Violet Conley, sr., F; Ava O’Brien, sr., F; Sydney Cinotto, so., G; Chloe Kmiecik, so., F; Ella Lawson, sr., F.
 
Worth noting: Wildcats making sixth trip to state in program history, five of those coming in the last nine seasons. … Last trip came two years ago with Wildcats falling in the quarterfinals to Salina Central. … Two of three losses came to United Kansas Conference rival, fellow 5A qualifier and quarterfinal opponent Seaman, 49-44 and 50-47. … Other loss came to Lee’s Summit North (Mo.). … Wildcats had to beat two conference rivals (Lansing, Shawnee Heights) for the third time each in sub-state to secure state berth. … Farmer set three school records this season, breaking her own single-season assist record (102) and becoming the single-season steals record holder (89) and career assists leader (255). … Conley became program’s all-time leading rebounder with 599. … Farmer averages 14.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 4 steals per game. … Conley adds 9.3 points and 7.2 rebounds a game. … Both Towers average 11.5 points per game. … O’Brien adds 4.2 points and rebounds a game.
 

 
EMPORIA
 
Coach: Carolyn Dorsey
 
Record: 21-1 (No. 3 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Topeka West, 65-35; beat Great Bend, 59-26
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Bishop Carroll (6: 19-3), 8 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Addie Kirmer, sr., G; Lexsey DeWitt, sr., G; Alexa Shively, sr., G; Emeil Bennett, sr., PG; Ryan Peak, sr., C; Teegan Baker, sr., G; Kyla Herfkens, sr., F; Addison Gutierrez, sr., G.
 
Worth noting: Spartans making third straight state appearance and fourth overall under Dorsey in her 10 years. … Emporia won the Centennial League title for the first time since 1997, going undefeated in league play. … That included two wins over 6A qualifier Washburn Rural for the first time in 17 years as well. … Spartans also beat 6A qualifier Derby and 3A qualifier Hayden (twice) with the Wildcats handing Emporia its only loss in the preseason tournament. … Dorsey won 150^th game in regular-season finale and Spartans have won 19 straight since lone loss. … Roster contains 12 seniors. … Kirmer averages 18 points per game. … DeWitt adds 8.6 points and is key defensive stopper. … Peak is lone post presence and adds 8 points and 5 rebounds a game. … Shively and Bennett each average 3.9 points. … Record is best ever for Emporia team. … Spartans have given up 35 points or less in 15 of 22 games.
 

 
MAIZE SOUTH
 
Coach: Ben Hamilton
 
Record: 21-1 (No. 2 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Arkansas City, 52-29; beat Valley Center, 40-25
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (7: 16-6), 6 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Ashley Singhateh, sr., G; Ava Howie, sr., F; Sophie Hurley, sr., G; Kaylee Brunton, so., F.; Skylar seals, jr.; Ali Singhateh, sr.; Bella Peters, sr.
 
Worth noting: Mavericks at state for the third time in the past six years. … Mavericks have drawn St. Thomas Aquinas each year they have qualified, falling to the eventual champion Saints in the two previous meetings. … South’s lone loss came to Ark Valley Chisholm Trail I rival and 6A qualifier Derby with whom the Mavericks have split to share the league title. … Singhatehs are transfers from Eureka who led the Tornadoes to the 3A state tournament last year. … Ashley is averaging 17.2 points a game while also dishing out 4.5 assists per game to hold a 6.5-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. … She set program’s single-season assist and steals record. … Ali adds 7.5 points and 4 rebounds per game. … Howie is top post player with 7.4 points and 6.7 rebounds a game. … Hurley adds 6.2 points per game. … Seals averages 5.8 points per game and both Peters and Brunton are just under 5 points a game. … .
 

 
SEAMAN
 
Coach: Matt Tinsley
 
Record: 20-2 (No. 4 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat KC Harmon, forfeit; beat Basehor-Linwood, 68-33
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. De Soto (5: 19-3), 4 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Taylin Stallbaumer, sr., G; Anna Becker, jr., G; Ava Esser, jr., C; Maddie Gragg, so., F; Jaida Stallbaumer, jr., G; Kinley Wilhelm, jr., G; Elinore Stallbaumer, sr., G.
 
Worth noting: Vikings making fifth state trip in the last seven years and second straight, falling in quarterfinals to St. James Academy last year after going in as No. 1 seed. … Trip to state is 20^th overall and Seaman won 6A state title in 1991 and finished second in 5A in 2001. … The Vikings reached the semifinals in 2020 when the tourney was canceled. … Vikings have won consecutive United Kansas Conference titles in both of their years in the league, suffering just two league losses in that span. … Only losses this year came to Shawnee Heights and Wichita South. … Vikings handed fellow 5A qualifier and quarterfinal opponent De Soto two of its three losses and also beat 6A qualifier Wichita Heights. … Both wins over De Soto were by five points or less. … Becker leads team in most statistical categories, averaging 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game. … Gragg averages 12.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists and missed a handful of games late with an injury. … Taylin Stallbaumer is four-year starter who averages 12.5 points, 2.9 assist and 2.8 steals per game and is school record holder for 3-pointers made. … She’ll also finish top 5 in steals and assists and is closing in on 1,000 career points. … Esser missed last year with knee injury but has been force in paint with 6.2 points and 7 rebounds per game. ... Jaida Stallbaumer adds 7.7 points, 2.3 assists and 2.3 steals a game. … Vikings only allow 33 points per game.
 

 
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
 
Coach: Rick Hetzel
 
Record: 16-6 (No. 7 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Leavenworth, 66-13; beat St. James Academy, 64-42
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Maize South (2: 21-1), 6 p.m.
 
Key players: Kelsey Schenck, sr., F; Jamya McPherson, sr., G; Tatum Grimes, sr., C; Alex Crouse, so., G; Laila Boylan, fr., G; Hudson Welsh, so., G; Sofia Calovich, fr., F.
 
Worth noting: Saints extended state record for consecutive state tournament appearances to 30 straight with sub-state championship. … Aquinas has won the last seven Class 5A state titles and were in the Forever Four in 2020 as well. … Program has 11 state titles overall, second only to Eastern Kansas League rival Bishop Miege. … Saints split games with Stags this year, losing in overtime and winning by one. … Saints also beat defending 6A champion Blue Valley North and won the Lindbergh (Mo.) Tournament. … Two of six losses came to out-of-state competition and another to 6A No. 1 seed Shawnee Mission South. … Aquinas lost to St. James for first time ever in early February but avenged loss with 22-point win in sub-state finals. … Schenck averages 15.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. … McPherson adds 11.3 points and 4 assists per game and Crouse adds 10.1 points a game. … Grimes and Boylan also both over 8 points per game with Grimes also getting 6.5 rebounds a contest.