WICHITA – The Maize Eagles are taking the survive-and-advance nature of postseason basketball to extremes.
Eight days after junior Brayden Myovela helped the Eagles avoid a season-ending upset with a buzzer-beating layup against Garden City, Myovela was at it again Wednesday in the Class 6A state tournament. His driving basket on an inbound play with six seconds remaining helped Maize stun top-seeded Shawnee Mission South 49-48 in the opening game of the quarterfinals at Koch Arena.
“Honestly, it’s kind of a miracle we’re here anyway,” Maize coach Chris Grill said. “We won the first round of sub-state in two seconds having to go full-court. We threw one up and caught it and finished it.
“Maybe these guys just think they can do anything now.”
Myovela’s team-high 15 points helped Maize send the Raiders home with a 21-2 record and propelled the Eagles into Friday’s semifinals against reigning 6A champion Shawnee Mission Northwest, which blistered Mill Valley 76-52.
“Our locker room was hyped,” Myovela said. “Everyone was dancing, even Coach. But we’ve still got a job to finish. We came here to win, so that’s what we’re going to try to do.”
Myovela supplied the game’s 11th and final lead change by receiving Alec Grill’s inbound pass near the elbow. He jabbed toward the lane, then headed straight for the basket, slipping past Shawnee Mission South’s Jadon Sautter for the winning points.
“We saw some things on film where we thought we might be able to get a step on a guy here and there,” Chris Grill said. “He was able to take advantage of it.”
Myovela also got to the rim in the sub-state opener against Garden City, pulling in a pass from Alec Grill from just beyond midcourt. His layup at the buzzer sent the game into overtime, where the Eagles pulled out a 64-62 victory against the 5-16 Buffaloes.
Wednesday’s conquest came against a more highly regarded opponent. Maize got the job done largely with its five starters, all of whom played over 28 minutes. Myovela was the lone Eagle in double figures, but Alec Grill and Ty Willits each hit three 3-pointers to finish with nine points.
“One thing we did offensively is we knocked down some shots,” Chris Grill said. “If we don’t knock down some shots, it doesn’t matter what we do defensively.”
Maize's Charles Sharp challenges Shawnee Mission South's Conor Kerrigan on Kerrigan's shot attempt Wednesday.
Shawnee Mission South came into state without 6-foot-6 junior Drake Debaun, who broke his foot in the sub-state semifinals. But 6-5 sophomore Conor Kerrigan scored 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting to lead all scorers, while guard John Allen added 18.
The Raiders maintained the lead for nearly all the first half and into the third quarter. But Willits hit all of his 3-pointers in the third to draw Maize into a seesaw battle the rest of the way.
After Myovela scored Maize’s final points, teammate Alan Hanna effectively sealed the victory with a steal near midcourt that burned all but 0.6 seconds off the clock. The remaining time expired after Alec Grill threw a high inbound pass to Myovela, who gathered it and started the celebration.
“We knew they were going to be physical,” Myovela said. “We just had to match that physicality, which we did. Proud of the guys for that.”
Olathe North's Jaalan Watson scored 17 points to lead the Eagles into their first state semifinal.
OLATHE NORTH 69, DERBY 50
The fourth time was the charm for Jaalan Watson and Olathe North.
Sent home after one game in three previous state trips, Watson and the Eagles ambushed No. 2 seed Derby with a 28-2 run that bridged the halftime break and went on to advance to the state semifinals for the first time.
“Getting past the first round means a lot, especially since no one in our school history has gotten past the first round at state,” said Watson, whose team will face Wichita Heights in Friday’s semifinals.
The 5-10 Watson scored a game-high 17 points, including the first eight of the second half as Olathe North (17-6) pushed a 23-19 halftime lead into double digits. Derby, which led 11-2 in the first 4½ minutes of the game, never recovered.
“We came into the half with the lead already, but we wanted a bigger lead than that,” Watson said. “So I came out with the mindset that I’ve got to step up and start making shots.”
The Eagles used their quickness to disrupt Derby’s offense, frequently jumping the passing lanes for steals. Olathe North forced 16 turnovers and scored 18 fast-break points.
“I think any time that we go on a run, it’s going to be fueled by our defense,” Olathe North coach Adam Olerich said. “I think that was the key. We settled in and started to guard the way we’re capable of guarding. We forced tough shots and that triggered our run.”
Cameron Love added 12 points and Bradley Boyd had 10 for Olathe North, which shot 56% from the field (27 of 48). Derby (21-2), which got 13 points from Jack Ulwelling and 11 from Cayden Titus, made 10 3-pointers. But the Panthers hit just 34% from the field (17 of 50) and trailed by as many as 25 points.
“We made some shots, which always helps,” Olerich said. “It allows you to set your defense when the ball is going through the net. When we do that, we’re a tough team.”
Shawnee Mission Northwest's Keaton Wagler drives between Mill Valley defenders Reece Riedel (5) and Jack Carpenter (10).
SHAWNEE MISSION NORTHWEST 76, MILL VALLEY 52
Shawnee Mission Northwest coach David Birch couldn’t help but play the what-if game when the Cougars dropped a 77-75 decision to Mill Valley in late January on a buzzer-beating shot from beyond halfcourt by Jaguar senior Carter Kaifes.
The reigning 6A champions were without 7-foot center Ethan Taylor in that contest, and senior Tyler Salmon, who drew the primary defensive assignment on the high-scoring Kaifes, was plagued by foul trouble.
With their big guy in the lineup and a fresh slate for Salmon, Northwest dominated the rematch Wednesday. Taylor and Salmon each scored 20 points, and Salmon helped hold Kaifes to three points on 1-of-6 shooting as the Cougars rolled into the semifinals.
Illinois signee Keaton Wagler added 19 points for Northwest, which shot 62% and improved to 20-3.
“I really liked the defense,” Birch said. “Ever since they hit that shot on us, we decided that was going to be our calling card. We want to make people take tough shots and control the glass.”
Mission accomplished. The Cougars held Mill Valley to 37% from the field, and with Salmon grabbing 10 rebounds and Taylor adding eight, Northwest held a 37-20 advantage on the boards.
“Coming off last year’s tournament run, I would say we just picked up where we left off,” said Salmon, who hit 8 of 11 shots including two 3-pointers. “Everybody distributed the ball and we looked really good out there today.”
Taylor used his size advantage to make 9 of 10 shots and also blocked two on the defensive end. He was complemented by Wagler, who hit 4 of 6 3-pointers and also grabbed eight rebounds.
Thatcher Ivey scored 16 points and Reece Riedel added 15 for Mill Valley, which finished the season 18-5.
“We remembered that last one with them, absolutely,” Salmon said. “We Just came in with that fire and remembering what they did to us last time. We wanted to put it to work today.”
Wichita Heights' Jalihn Timmons goes up for a shot as Washburn Rural defenders look on.
WICHITA HEIGHTS 64, WASHBURN RURAL 44
Junior Jalihn Timmons led three Heights players in double figures with 19 points to help the Falcons reach the semifinals for the fourth consecutive year.
But Heights coach Joe Auer was more enamored with his guard’s defensive effort.
Timmons drew the assignment on Washburn Rural’s Kaden Ballard, who came in averaging 12 points. On Wednesday, Ballard scored three points on 1-of-10 shooting.
“For us, that’s the game,” Auer said. “He did such a great job defensively.”
Timmons was equally effective on offense, reaching his point total on 8-of-13 shooting. The taller Falcons scored 34 points in the paint, but Timmons’ added some fast-break points and assists, punctuating his game with a nifty assist to Amalachi Wilkins for a dunk that made it 58-40.
K’Mari Holt also highlighted Heights’ perimeter game with four 3-pointers and 14 points. Chase Robinson added 13.
“Coming into the game, I knew that I had played in the arena before,” Timmons said. “We had a good start and then I got a couple fouls. Coach just told me to settle down. I just took that and ran with it.”
Amare Jones scored 16 points to lead Rural, which finished 18-5. The Junior Blues made 5 of 19 3-pointers and shot 34% from the field.
“I thought we were very average at best offensively,” Auer said. “We did not shoot it well. All coaches say this, but you want to defend at a level that on an off offensive night isn’t that big a deal, and I thought tonight was a testament to that.”
CLASS 6A BOYS QUARTERFINALS
MAIZE 49, SHAWNEE MISSION SOUTH 48
Maize ... 10 ... 6 ... 19 ... 14 ... – ... 49
Shawnee Mission South ... 13 ... 8 ... 14 ... 13 ... – ... 48
Maize (17-6) – Grill 3-7 0-0 9, Myovela 7-9 1-5 15, Hanna 3-6 1-2 8, Sharp 3-5 1-1 7, Willits 3-6 0-0 9, Lerma 0-1 1-2 1, George 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-34 4-10 49.
Shawnee Mission South (21-2) – Gregory 0-1 0-0 0, Allen 7-13 2-2 18, McKenna 1-2 2-2 4, Sautter 2-7 0-0 4, Kerrigan 10-15 2-3 22, Featherston 0-2 0-0 0, Hampton 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-40 6-7 48.
3-point goals – Maize 7-17 (Willits 3-6, Grill 3-7, Hanna 1-1, Lerma 0-1, Sharp 0-2); Shawnee Mission South 2-8 (Allen 2-3, Featherston 0-2, Sautter 0-3). Rebounds – Maize 18 (Myovela 5); Shawnee Mission South 23 (Kerrigan 9). Assists – Maize 12 (Myovela 5); Shawnee Mission South 13 (Gregory 7). Turnovers – Maize 8, Shawnee Mission South 8. Total fouls – Maize 12, Shawnee Mission South 10. Fouled out – None.
SHAWNEE MISSION NORTHWEST 76, MILL VALLEY 52
Mill Valley ... 9 ... 8 ... 17 ... 18 ... – ... 52
Shawnee Mission Northwest ... 20 ... 11 ... 19 ... 26 ... – ... 76
Mill Valley (18-5) – Carter 2-11 5-5 9, Ivey 6-9 2-2 16, Riedel 6-16 0-1 15, Kaifes 1-6 0-0 3, Everhart 3-5 0-0 6, Carpenter 1-2 1-2 3, Henderson 0-1 0-0 0, Davis 0-0 0-0 0, Kuchynka 0-1 0-0 0, Larson 0-1 0-0 0, Clark 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-52 8-10 52.
Shawnee Mission Northwest (20-3) – Wagler 6-8 3-5 19, Collins 2-9 0-0 4, Riley 3-9 1-1 7, Salmon 8-11 2-4 20, Taylor 9-10 2-3 20, Jackson 0-0 0-0 0, Klahn 3-3 0-0 6, Allen 0-0 0-0 0, Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Fowler 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-50 8-13 76.
3-point goals – Mill Valley 6-23 (Riedel 3-7, Ivey 2-5, Kaifes 1-1, Carpenter 0-1, Henderson 0-1, Kuchynka 0-1, Larson 0-1, Carter 0-6); Shawnee Mission Northwest 6-16 (Wagler 4-6, Salmon 2-4, Collins 0-1, Riley 0-5). Rebounds – Mill Valley 20 (Everhart 7); Shawnee Mission Northwest 37 (Salmon 10). Assists – Mill Valley 10 (Carter, Carpenter 3); Shawnee Mission Northwest 15 (Wagler 5). Turnovers – Mill Valley 3, Shawnee Mission Northwest 7. Total fouls – Mill Valley 12, Shawnee Mission Northwest 8. Fouled out – None.
OLATHE NORTH 69, DERBY 50
Olathe North ... 10 ... 13 ... 25 ... 21 ... – ... 69
Derby ... 16 ... 3 ... 11 ... 20 ... – ... 50
Olathe North (17-6) – Simmons 3-11 3-4 9, Love 5-11 1-3 12, Watson 6-11 2-4 17, Boyd 5-5 0-0 10, Cooper 2-3 0-0 4, Rabbitt 2-3 0-0 6, Galindo 2-2 0-0 6, Cooper 0-0 0-0 0, Rolland 0-0 0-0 0, Rowden 0-0 0-0 0, Larson 2-2 0-0 5, Simms 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-48 6-11 69.
Derby (21-2) – Smith 0-3 0-0 0, Ulwelling 4-12 2-2 13, Malvo 4-9 0-0 9, Titus 3-7 2-2 11, Bui 1-4 1-2 4, Riley 2-8 1-2 6, Clingan 2-4 0-0 4, Marhall 1-2 0-0 3, Stiger 0-1 0-0 0, Chadwick 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-50 6-8 50.
3-point goals – Olathe North 9-16 (Watson 3-6, Galindo 2-2, Rabbitt 2-3, Larson 1-1, Love 1-2, Simmons 0-2); Derby 10-30 (Titus 3-5, Ulwelling 3-9, Marshall 1-1, Malvo 1-2, Bui 1-2, Riley 1-6, Smith 0-2, Clingan 0-2, Stiger 0-1). Rebounds – Olathe North 25 (Simmons, Love 6); Derby 33 (Titus 8). Assists – Olathe North 16 (Simmons 5); Derby 10 (Ulwelling, Titus 3). Turnovers – Olathe North 10, Derby 16. Total fouls – Olathe North 12, Derby 13. Fouled out – None.
WICHITA HEIGHTS 64, WASHBURN RURAL 44
Washburn Rural ... 11 ... 5 ... 10 ... 18 ... – ... 44
Wichita Heights ... 13 ... 16 ... 13 ... 22 ... – ... 64
Washburn Rural (18-5) – Jones 5-14 5-9 16, Leonard 2-3 0-0 4, K. Ballard 1-10 0-0 3, Rowley 1-6 4-4 6, Hoytal 3-6 2-2 10, Chooncharoen 2-2 0-0 5, B. Ballard 0-0 0-0 0, Wright 0-0 0-0 0, Schwinn 0-0 0-0 0, O’Connor 0-0 0-0 0, Schmidt 0-0 0-0 0, Nimz 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 14-41 11-15 44.
Wichita Heights (21-2) – Robinson 5-15 2-2 13, Timmons 8-13 3-3 19, Mboule 2-7 3-4 7, Wilkins 3-7 0-0 6, Holt 5-9 0-0 14, O’Neal 1-1 0-0 2, Carter 0-1 0-0 0, Peeples 0-0 0-0 0, Hadley 0-1 1-2 1, Hayes 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 25-55 9-11 64.
3-point goals – Washburn Rural 5-19 (Hoytal 2-5, Choonchareon 1-1, Jones 1-4, K. Ballard 1-5, Rowley 0-4); Wichita Heights 5-13 (Holt 4-8, Robinson 1-1, Mboule 0-1, Timmons 0-3). Rebounds – Washburn Rural 25 (Jones 9); Wichita Heights 35 (Wilkins 11). Assists – Washburn Rural 8 (Jones 3); Wichita Heights 9 (Timmons 4). Turnovers – Washburn Rural 9, Wichita Heights 6. Total fouls – Washburn Rural 13, Wichita Heights 16. Fouled out – None.