NEWTON — St. Thomas Aquinas left little doubt about its status as Kansas’ top Class 5A contender last week, rolling through the Newton Invitational with three convincing wins capped by a 48-24 championship victory over state-ranked St. James Academy. 

“Our girls were excited to win the tournament,” Aquinas coach Rick Hetzel said. “They came into the tournament very focused as a team.” 

The No. 1-ranked Saints opened tournament play with a statement performance against host Newton, cruising to a 51-28 victory behind a monster night from senior Alex Crouse. Crouse matched Newton point-for-point with 28 points, setting the tone for a dominant week. 

Aquinas kept that momentum rolling in the semifinals, overpowering Olathe Northwest 68-45. Crouse again led the way with 24 points, while Laila Boylan added 13 and Ainsley Cook orchestrated the offense with eight assists. 

The Saints saved their most complete performance for the title game. Aquinas’ defense suffocated St. James Academy, holding the Thunder to just two points in the second quarter and building a 25-8 halftime lead. Crouse scored 20 points in the championship, Boylan added 12, and Aquinas controlled the glass and tempo from start to finish. 

Hetzel noted that Aquinas had already faced St. James earlier this season, a narrow six-point win that helped prepare the Saints for the rematch. 

“We had played St. James earlier this year beating them by six,” Hetzel said. “I was very pleased with the defensive intensity our kids played with and our commitment to rebounding the ball.” 

The tournament title pushed Aquinas to 15-1 on the season following a win over Blue Valley Southwest on Tuesday, and the Saints continue to look like a favorite in Class 5A.  

Crouse, a Stephen F. Austin commit, eclipsed the 1,000-point mark earlier this season and is looking to guide Aquinas back to the top of the state podium. The Saints won seven consecutive state titles prior to falling short in 2024 and are aiming for a second straight championship this season. 

“Alex is one of the hardest workers we have ever had in our program,” Hetzel said. “I really like how she has improved over the past four years as a team leader on the court. Her defensive understanding has improved and offensively she has improved from just being a shooter to a scorer.” 

Even with the tournament hardware in hand, Hetzel said the Saints know their best basketball is still ahead. 

“As a team we still have a lot of things to improve on,” he said. “But it is nice to see the girls growing their team chemistry and their willingness to compete in games for things bigger than themselves.” 
 

Spring Hill three-peats at Top Gun Tournament with double-overtime thriller 

WELLSVILLE — The third straight Top Gun Tournament title didn’t come easy for Spring Hill, but the Broncos wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. 

In a Frontier League showdown that went to double overtime, Spring Hill outlasted Baldwin, 62-59, Saturday night at Wellsville High School to secure the championship and complete the tournament three-peat. 

Senior Isla Herman delivered when it mattered most, pouring in a game-high 28 points in the title game as the Broncos leaned on their experience and composure in the extra sessions. 

“Isla had a stellar tournament, and we leaned on her to make some big-time shots down the stretch in our championship game,” Spring Hill coach Paige Tuttle said. “She can also step up and make her free throws, which is invaluable in those late-game situations.” 

The Broncos’ road to the title started with a milestone performance. Herman reached the 1,000-point mark in her career in a 56-7 win over Lansing on Jan. 26, while Aubrey Meder led the scoring with 17 points in the tournament opener. 
 

Spring Hill followed that up with a dominant 65-25 semifinal win over host Wellsville, getting 27 points from Meder and 21 from Herman to advance to the championship. 

The final against Baldwin proved to be a test of adjustments and belief. After falling behind at halftime, Spring Hill switched matchups defensively, and freshman Kylynn Herrman helped slow down Baldwin’s Cami Collum, who had knocked down five three-pointers in the first half. 

“After being down at halftime, it came down to a belief in our system,” Tuttle said. “Our team has started to commit to game plans in a new way after seeing success in the last few games, and they’ve developed a belief in themselves in executing a game plan late in the game.” 

Herman, Meder and Keeley Rodden earned all-tournament team honors, with Rodden’s screens and interior defense playing a key role throughout the week. 

“Isla Herman and Aubrey Meder were great team leaders with the ball in their hands late in the game,” Tuttle said. “Keely Rodden played a huge role in setting some great screens for her teammates and playing solid defense inside. Our girls stayed calm throughout the two overtimes, and what an exciting moment for our team to realize we achieved our goal of a three-peat.” 

With a win over Topeka Seaman on Wednesday, Spring Hill improved to 10-5 on the season and has now won six straight games, carrying momentum into the second half of the schedule. 

“Much credit to a well-coached Baldwin squad,” Tuttle said. “Their players made our players better, and it was great for our younger kids to experience what being in a tight late-game situation was like.” 
 

Long powers Olathe South to Mid America Classic title 

McPHERSON — Olathe South made a statement last week, knocking off the state’s top-ranked team and capping the run with a tournament championship. 

The Falcons rolled through the Mid America Classic in McPherson and secured the title with a 63-51 win over Manhattan in Saturday’s championship game. Ranked No. 6 in Class 6A entering the tournament, Olathe South continued its surge up the rankings with three impressive victories. 

Senior Eve Long dominated the title game with 31 points and 14 rebounds, while Phoebe Pflumm knocked down five 3-pointers and added 18 points. Brooke Maupin paced the Falcons with seven assists. 

The signature moment of the tournament came in the semifinals against No. 1-ranked Shawnee Mission South. Trailing 57-50 with less than three minutes remaining, Olathe South leaned on Long, who scored the Falcons’ final nine points in a thrilling 61-59 comeback win. 

Long delivered a historic performance with 43 points and 12 rebounds, setting a tournament single-game scoring record and earning all-tournament team honors. Considered one of the top players in the country, Long’s effort came against the state’s top-ranked team on the biggest stage of the week. 

The Falcons opened tournament play with a 53-39 win over Hutchinson behind another Long double-double with 28 points and 14 rebounds. Macy Price added eight rebounds and five assists in the opening-round victory. 

Since the tournament, Olathe South has climbed to No. 2 in the Class 6A rankings and stands at 11-5 on the season. 

Other basketball standouts: 

• Gardner-Edgerton senior Landri Schaffer continues to put together a strong final season with the Blazer. Last weekend she surpassed 1,500 career points, just one year after reaching the 1,000-point milestone. Schaffer is currently averaging 24.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per game. She holds Gardner-Edgerton’s school records for career, season, and single-game scoring, along with career marks in made threes, free-throw percentage, and steals. 

• Basehor-Linwood's Sarah McKnight put together an impressive scoring performance as the Bobcats knocked off state-ranked Bishop Miege last Thursday in a 56-54 win over the Stags. She scored 31 points in the winning effort and Bobcats are now 13-4 on the season and have won five straight games.  
   

  

• Olathe North senior Asia Lee eclipsed a big milestone last week for the Eagles. Lee scored her 1,500th career point on Jan. 22 in a win over Hillcrest (Mo.). Lee, a Florida State commit, is currently averaging nearly 23 points a game for the state-ranked Eagles. 
   

  

• Tonganoxie senior guard Alyssa Schoeneck scored her 1,000th career point last Thursday in a win over Turner. Schoeneck is currently averaging nearly 19 points a game this season, which is second in the Frontier League to go along with 5 rebounds. She also leads the league with 5.6 assists and 4.5 steals a game.