The fast start, quality league victories and No. 1 ranking have all been nice.
 
But Wichita East girls coach Willie Davis sees more on the horizon for his unbeaten Blue Aces.
 
“I think we’re playing well together,” Davis said after East defeated Wichita Northwest 72-15 on Tuesday to improve to 5-0. “The only negative is we haven’t put together a full game yet. I think once we put together a full game, it’ll be something to see.”
 
For sure, Davis is still kicking the tires on a team that features new standouts and isn’t yet at full strength. Still, the Aces’ opening-month run that included a 60-46 victory over perennial Greater Wichita Athletic League power Bishop Carroll and a 67-59 win over Kapaun Mt. Carmel helped them vault into the top spot in the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association’s Class 6A rankings earlier this week.
 
“I feel like we’re playing really good and with a lot of confidence,” said East senior guard Quinacy Galbert, who scored 11 points in the victory over Northwest. “I was very excited coming in.”
 
Two of the reasons have been freshmen Jada Davis, the head coach’s daughter, and post player Miya Respress. Davis, a 6-foot-2 guard, has helped East average 76.6 points with her perimeter defense, playmaking and outside shooting. Respress, who had 18 points in Tuesday’s victory, has been a force in the lane and on the boards.
 

“The girls we already had were workhorses,” said Davis, a former Wichita State player who led East to its first state appearance in 19 years last season. “Jada and Miya came in and have been workhorses, too. They’re two really special girls.”
 
Galbert, a ball-hawking defender, was part of the Aces’ rotation last winter, when they posted a 16-7 record and advanced to state with an overtime victory over Liberal in the sub-state finals. Seniors Anahree Smith and Sylvia Selmon, and sophomores Ty’Leeah Lucus and Jalasia Landrum also logged key minutes for East, which won 14 of 17 games prior to a 55-30 state quarterfinal loss to Derby.
 
The Aces showed how lethal can be on Tuesday, using their press to score the first 29 points against Northwest. All five starters scored less than three minutes into the game.
 
“We have some things we shoot for,” Davis said. “We want to get at least 15 assists and keep teams to a certain point total. We’ve outrebounded everybody so far. We’ve got some girls who are going out and reaching their goals.”
 
East has played this season without senior Aniyah Davis, a starter last season who tore an ACL during summer workouts. Willie Davis said she is expected to return in January.
 
Prior to that, East ends its December slate with another quality test, traveling to two-time reigning GWAL champion Wichita Heights on Friday. The Falcons are 4-0 and ranked No. 8 in 6A under new coach Jen Pillich.
 
“I just want to see us go out and play our game and play a full game,” Davis said. “If we play our game and a full game, we’ll be all right.”
 

 
OTHER GIRLS BASKETBALL STANDOUTS
 

• Senior Cammi Unruh scored her 1,000^th career point for Moundridge during the Wildcats’ preseason tournament, eventually leading them to the title with a 63-39 victory over Inman. The reigning Class 2A champions opened the season with six consecutive victories to stretch their winning streak to 19 games before falling 52-40 to Class 1A Division I No. 1 Little River on Tuesday.
• After winning the Class 3A title last season, Halstead is off to a 5-0 start, winning the Marion Classic on Saturday with a 40-22 victory over Berean Academy. Addisen Wills, Piper Schroeder and Jordy Schroeder earned all-tournament team honors for 3A’s top-ranked Dragons, who came back with a 32-30 victory over 2A No. 3 Hillsboro on Tuesday. Wills scored 16 points in that victory after tying a school record with 11 steals in one of Halstead’s tournament victories over Marion.
• Reigning Class 4A champion Wellington is off to a 5-0 start that included a 45-43 victory over host Cheney in the championship of the Cardinals’ tournament on Saturday. Lyndi Barton scored 16 points and Dru Zeka added the winning basket before Cheney missed a shot at the buzzer. The Crusaders, who opened Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail IV play with a 70-17 victory over Wichita Collegiate on Tuesday, host Andale on Friday.
• Last year’s Class 6A runner-up Derby improved to 4-1 on Tuesday with a 76-25 victory over visiting Maize. Senior Macayla Askew scored 17 points for the Panthers, who travel to Maize South for an Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail I showdown on Friday.
• Clearwater won Kingman’s Eagle Classic on the way to a 4-1 start, defeating Sterling 35-32 in the championship game. Justine Berlin, Madison Clevenger and Makena Hampton earned all-tournament team honors for the Indians, who also defeated Great Bend and Haven on its way to the title.
• McPherson snapped a four-game losing streak Tuesday with a 31-28 victory at Buhler in its Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail III opener. Brooke Doile and Piper Alvord each scored eight points for the Bullpups in the victory.
• Norwich won the Border Queen Basketball Classic with a 26-25 victory over South Haven on Saturday. After a 48-45 victory over Udall on Tuesday, the Eagles take a four-game winning streak into the holiday break.