DODGE CITY – Moments after watching his young squad end Ashland’s 19-year title drought at the SPIAA Tournament, Blue Jays’ girls basketball coach Jon Schnable was still in a bit of disbelief. 

“It's still surreal,” Schnable said. “I want to pinch myself and see if I wake up and it's true or not.”

The Blue Jays were unfazed by the moment, notching a 49-38 win over South Central in the SPIAA title game on Jan. 31 at United Wireless Arena. It was Ashland’s first SPIAA Tournament title since 2006. 

Ashland’s starting lineup includes three freshmen and a sophomore. Despite their youth, the Blue Jays have thrived, fashioning a 15-1 record and rising to No. 6 in the Class 1A Division II rankings. 

Ashland  beat South Gray 45-39 in the semifinals before turning in another tremendous defensive effort against South Central in the title game. 

“There's not an ounce of give up,” Schnable said. “Whether something goes wrong, they just keep scrapping and keep fighting.”

Freshman Jayla Walker led the Blue Jays with 13 points in the title game while fellow freshmen Kashlee Grigsby and Joslyn Hazen each had nine points.
Sophomore Molly Harris added eight. 

Walker averages a team-high 12.2 points and adds 6.3 steals, 4.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Harris averages 11.8 points while Grigsby and Hazen add 8.1 and 7.1 points per game, respectively. 

“Watching (the current freshmen) in middle school, we saw what they can do, and then they stepped up from the moment: go," Schnable said. "They're just growing and getting better and getting stronger, and that's the exciting part.”

Mia Ceniceros is the Blue Jays’ lone senior. Junior Britney Redger joins four underclassmen in the starting lineup. 

The Blue Jays’ lone loss came against Hodgeman County before Christmas. Ashland is allowing just 30 points per game.

“Defense is our strong point,” Schnable said. “ We're trying to create that chaos. That’s the type of momentum we build off.”

South Central (9-6) knocked off top-seeded Bucklin in the quarterfinals of the SPIAA tournament before edging Hodgeman County 39-37 in the semis. Cashton Leeper led the Timberwolves with 13 points in the title game.
 

LAKIN NOTCHES HI-PLAINS LEAGUE TITLE WITH COME-FROM-BEHIND WINS 

Aryn Michaelis helped lead Lakin to the Hi-Plains League Tournament title. 

The junior forward scored 15, 18 and 26 points in Lakin’s three tournament wins. She also grabbed 8, 14 and 13 rebounds in the victories. 

The Broncs rallied in each of the last two games of the tournament. Lakin trailed heading into the fourth quarter in the semifinals against Wichita County before securing a 49-43 win. 

In the title game, the Broncs were down 20-7 in the second quarter against Syracuse but pulled away in the second half for a 56-32 win. 

“Aryn Michaelis was our leading scorer for all three games, with someone different each game being our second leading scorer,” Lakin coach Jacy Holloway said. 

Amari Esquibel added eight points in Lakin’s tournament opener while Lileah Villa contributed 12 points in the semifinal and Jordan McCombs put up 14 points in the title game. Villa led the team with 4.3 assists per game in the tournament. 
 

DIGHTON SECURES NWKL TOURNEY TITLE 

Despite being short-handed, Dighton won the Northwest Kansas League Tournament title, notching a 58-52 win over Quinter in the championship game. 

Senior starting guard Rylee Myers missed the semifinals and finals of the tournament with a concussion. 

“We had to have a lot of other girls step up and expand their roles,” Dighton coach Cyrus Haynes said. “Nora Beach really has started to come on as a freshman. In the championship game she was tasked with guarding Braelyn Blackwill and did a really good job of locking her up, along with her older sister Lily Beach. They held her to 10 points.”

Haynes also credited Lani and Carlie Speer for holding Quinter standout Kamry Getz to four points in the title game. 

Quinter’s only lead of the title game came at 3-2. Dighton led 24-20 at halftime and Kenzie Zimmerman hit a 3 at the start of the third quarter to push the lead to seven. 
 
Quinter got within four in the fourth quarter but could get no closer. 

Lani Speer posted 15 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks in the final while Zimmerman went for 16 points and Rielly James added 11 points. Kendall Johnson led Quinter with 17 points and 5 rebounds.

“This has become quite the rivalry over the last three years since I took over as head coach,” Haynes said of the Quinter matchup. 

The Hornets and Bulldogs will meet again for a makeup game on Feb. 19. Five of the last six matchups have been decided by seven points or less. 

Dighton (13-3), ranked No. 1 in Class 1A Division II, took back-to-back losses to Oakley and Oberlin-Decatur following the NWKL title. 
 

HOXIE REBOUNDS FROM FIRST LOSS TO NAB MCL TOURNAMENT TITLE 

A day after suffering their first loss of the season in a 54-49 setback against Quinter, the Hoxie girls rebounded to claim the Mid-Continent League Tournament title with a 56-48 win over Oakley on Saturday in the final at Plainville. 

Kendall Baalman, Allie Gourley and Evie Schippers all scored 11 in the title game while Avery Mauck added 10 points, while Camryn Gourley and Carley Cooper chipped in seven and six points, respectively. 

“The middle of the season is providing some great growing points for our team,” Hoxie coach Jake Moss said. “We are learning to play in close games and win games in different ways as we haven't been shooting the ball as well as we would have liked.  I believe this will help us tremendously when March rolls around.  Staying disciplined and having a tough mindset will be keys for us going forward.”

Schippers scored 26 points in a 54-25 win against Thomas More Prep-Marian in the semifinals. 

In a 56-40 win over Norton in the first round of the tournament, Cooper scored 16 followed by 15 from Schippers and 10 from Baalman. 
 

BELOIT-ST. JOHN’S HOLDS OFF ROCK HILLS FOR NPL TITLE 

Beloit-St. John’s notched a 47-45 win over Rock Hills in the Northern Plains League title game on Jan. 31 at Lincoln. 

The Blujays are 11-4 on the season. They beat Thunder Ridge 50-13 in the first round and took a 45-20 win over Osborne in the semifinals.