WICHITA – The raucous noise coming from the Baldwin boys locker room at Friends University’s Garvey Center was sheer joy.
And perhaps a little relief.
The Bulldogs, a team with battle scars of past postseasons, faced the possibility of another one Wednesday in the Class 4A state tournament quarterfinals against Pratt. The Greenbacks, riding their own energy and that of a spirited crowd, hammered away at a 15-point halftime deficit and caught Baldwin early in the fourth quarter.
But Pratt never completely got over the hump. Making enough plays down the stretch, including sophomore Jackson Wheeler’s blocked shot in the closing seconds, Baldwin held on for a 50-48 victory.
Winning their third game in 13 days by two points, the sixth-seeded Bulldogs improved to 20-6 and advanced to the 4A semifinals, where they’ll face unbeaten Atchison on Friday in Hutchinson.
“Every week it’s been like wobbly legs and sore throat and everything that comes with it,” Baldwin coach Don Blanchat said. “But you enjoy it and move on to another day.”
Baldwin, which saw its 2025 season end in a 4A quarterfinal loss at the buzzer to eventual champion McPherson, has played winning basketball and courted Lady Luck down the stretch this season. The Bulldogs knocked off previously unbeaten Bonner Springs 54-52 in overtime in their regular-season finale.
Baldwin's Cooper Carr starts to dribble away from Pratt's defensive pressure during Wednesday's Class 4A quarterfinal.
Then, after rolling past Coffeyville in the sub-state opener, Baldwin overcame a 15-point deficit to top Paola 46-44 and earned its fourth consecutive state berth.
“The last couple weeks have been a lot of highs and lows,” said Baldwin senior Leo Schoenberger, who scored a game-high 23 points against Pratt, including a free throw with three seconds remaining for the game’s final point. “We’ve battled through a lot of adversity and I think that’s something that’s made us really strong as a team.
“We’re no strangers to the ups and downs, and we know we can bounce back from it.”
Baldwin gave itself a chance for a stress-free finish against Pratt with a sterling first half. Schoenberger scored 10 points, and the Bulldogs forced 10 turnovers and limited the Greenbacks to 3-of-16 shooting to build a 29-14 lead.
“At halftime, it felt a lot better than it did with two minutes left in the game,” Blanchat said. “We came out in the first half and played great. We were flying around on defense and really getting a lot of looks at the rim offensively.”
But, as often happens with opponents in a win-or-go home situation, Pratt responded. The Greenbacks scored on their first four possessions of the third quarter, fueling an 11-0 run that cut their deficit to 29-25.
Pratt, 2 of 11 from 3-point range in the first half, warmed up from long range after the break. The Greenbacks hit 5 of 9, including Creston Pore’s baseline shot that made it 35-33 with 1:18 to play in the third.
Baldwin stemmed that tide with the final six points of the quarter. Schoenberger hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key three seconds before the buzzer.
“It was clear in the second half that their guys were going to start pulling up from 3,” Schoenberger said. “We just had to adjust and keep playing our game. We were doubling the big guy in the middle, but they started coming back on us.
“We just had to keep our heads up and keep attacking and not let off the gas.”
If they didn’t, the Bulldogs’ season would have ended.
Pratt opened the fourth quarter with a 10-2 run to finally catch the Bulldogs. Landon Demuth’s follow shot tied it at 43 with 5:34 remaining. After a Baldwin turnover, the Greenbacks missed an opportunity to take the lead when Hudson Titus couldn’t connect on a 3-pointer.
Schoenberger countered with a coast-to-coast basket and fellow senior Cooper Carr, who had 17 points, added an up-and-under move for a basket that made it 47-43.
Pratt pulled within 49-48 on senior Arley Morrell’s 3-point play with 1:03 to play. The Greenbacks got the ball back when junior Kyler Barker forced Carr into a 5-second violation, but Caleb Strong missed on a left-handed scoop shot.
The Greenbacks got another chance when Carr missed two free throws. But as Titus drove across the lane and flipped up a left-handed shot, Wheeler swatted it away. The ball touched Titus as he fell out of bounds, giving the ball to Baldwin.
After Schoenberger made the first free throw and missed the second, Strong’s heave from midcourt sailed left and Baldwin had the victory.
“We’ve been in these moments before in the high-stakes, high-pressure situations,” Schoenberger said. “You just know that you’ve got to stay in the moment and keep attacking no matter what happens.
“You’ve just got to play to the final whistle and that’s what we did and we were able to get the dub.”
Six of the eight Bulldogs who played Wednesday are seniors. That experience, Blanchat said, is priceless.
“Three of our last four games have just been battles,” Blanchat said. “We took the test and now we’re ready for the semester final.”
Hugoton's Adrian Adigun attempts a shot over Andale's Jack Horsch.
HUGOTON SURVIVES LATE PUSH BY ANDALE
Hugoton threw just enough counters to hold off a fourth-quarter flurry from Andale in Wednesday’s Class 4A quarterfinal at United Wireless Arena in Dodge City.
The Eagles held a double-digit lead in the third quarter but saw the Indians storm back to take the lead late in the fourth quarter.
Hugoton’s Adrian Adigun hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with about a minute left to put the Eagles up a point.
The Eagles left the door open by missing two free throws with six seconds left, but Andale missed a 3 as time expired and Hugoton escaped with a 56-55 win.
Hugoton had to play down the stretch without point guard Gavin Salazar, who fouled out early in the fourth quarter.
“(Andale) just never gave up and kept coming back,” Hugoton coach C.J. Korf said. “That fourth quarter kind of just became a free throw battle between both teams. We struggled with some foul trouble. Salazar, our leader, goes out early in the fourth quarter with his fifth foul, and we just had some other kids step up and make some plays.
“Hats off to Andale. They just kept competing and had a shot there at the end to win it, and we were fortunate to get the win.”
Korf credited Adigun for rising to the occasion after Salazar fouled out.
“We're kind of a two point-guard team with Adrian and Gavin out there together,” he said. “When Gavin fouled out, Adrian stepped up and led the team, handled the ball for us, but he also hit a couple big threes for us down the stretch,” Korf said.
Cameron Rosas led Hugoton with 17 points while Adigun had 12.
Jack Horsch helped power Andale’s comeback, scoring 17 points. Sam Harp added 13. Andale finished 18-6.
Hugoton (21-4) has reached the semis in three of the last four years, including a championship run in 2023. The Eagles will meet unbeaten Rock Creek in Friday’s 5:30 p.m. semifinal in Hutchinson.
“They're a great team,” Korf said of the Mustangs. “We're just looking to go out there and compete and give it our best.”
Atchison's Jeremiah Thompson led the Phoenix with 29 points in their quarterfinal win over McPherson.
ATCHISON 73, MCPHERSON 53 — Atchison showed exactly why it entered the Class 4A state tournament undefeated.
Behind a dominant second half and a big showing from Jeremiah Thompson, Atchison pulled away from McPherson for a 73-53 victory Wednesday in the Class 4A state quarterfinals at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
The Phoenix (26-0) broke open a tight game in the third quarter, erupting for 27 points to turn a three-point halftime lead into a comfortable advantage they never relinquished.
McPherson (16-10) actually kept things competitive early. The Bullpups trailed just 27-25 at halftime after getting strong play from Jett Pyle, who scored a game-high 24 points and knocked down four 3-pointers.
But Atchison took control coming out of the locker room. The Phoenix used their defense and transition offense to overwhelm McPherson in the third quarter, outscoring the Bullpups 27-8 in the period. Atchison also dominated inside, finishing with a 40-12 advantage in points in the paint.
Thompson led the way with 29 points while Kael Williams added 13 points and Yogi Purdy finished with 12 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
McPherson got 12 points and 10 rebounds from Cole Cooper, but the Bullpups struggled to keep pace once Atchison seized momentum in the second half.
ROCK CREEK 80, EUDORA 67 – After needing a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Gavin Rosa to keep its undefeated season going in the sub-state finals with Bishop Miege, Rock Creek dropped the hammer on Eudora early in its Class 4A quarterfinal.
The Mustangs exploded for 25 first-quarter points to lead 26-15 at the end of the period. After only managing 25 points over the next two quarters, they finished with a bang as well, putting up 29 in the final period to hold off Eudora’s upset bid.
Four Mustangs finished with at least 13 points, led by 17 points and 10 rebounds from Ethan Tonsor. Logan Klingenberg scored 16, Peter Gill had 15 and sub-state hero Rosa finished with 13.
The Mustangs were only 6 of 21 from 3-point range but were 24 of 42 inside of it.
Eudora got a big game from Nasiyah Thomas, who led all scorers with 24 points. Ryan Osburn added 14 and Cash Schneider had 11 for the Cardinals, who finished with a 13-12 mark.
Rock Creek (26-0) will take on Hugoton (22-4) in Friday’s 5:30 p.m. semifinal at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
CLASS 4A BOYS QUARTERFINAL BOXSCORES
ROCK CREEK 80, EUDORA 67
Eudora … 15 … 18 … 11 … 23 … -- … 67
Rock Creek … 26 … 18 … 7 … 29 … -- … 80
Eudora (13-12) – Thomas 7-22 7-10 24, Hurtig 2-3 2-5 6, Osburn 6-18 0-0 14, Oatis 1-7 2-2 5, Schneider 1-1 9-12 11, Duncan 1-2 0-0 2, Dunback 1-1 0-0 3, Noble 0-2 0-0 0, Pickett 0-0 0-0 0, Gonzalez 0-0 0-0 0, Votaw 1-2 0-0 2, Crabill 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-58 20-29 67.
Rock Creek (26-0) – Rosa 4-7 2-3 13, Martinie 3-6 3-5 9, Tonsor 8-14 0-0 17, Gill 6-14 2-3 15, Klingenberg 5-11 6-8 16, Brinson 1-4 0-0 3, Edelman 2-6 0-0 4, Pendell 1-1 1-1 3. Totals 30-63 14-20 80.
3-point goals – Eudora 7-23 (Thomas 3-8, Osburn 2-7, Oatis 1-6, Dunback 1-1, Noble 0-1); Rock Creek 6-21 (Rosa 3-6, Tonsor 1-1, Gill 1-6, Brinson 1-2, Klingenberg 0-2, Edelman 0-3, Martinie 0-1). Rebounds – Eudora 31 (Osburn 7, Schneider 7); Rock Creek 45 (Tonsor 10). Assists – Eudora 10 (Thomas 3); Rock Creek 16 (Klingenberg 7). Turnovers – Eudora 7, Rock Creek 12. Total fouls -- Eudora 20, Rock Creek 20. Fouled out – none.
HUGOTON 56, ANDALE 55
Andale … 9 … 6 … 17 … 23 … – … 55
Hugoton … 13 … 12 … 15 … 16 … – … 56
Andale (18-6) – Grimes 1-4 2-2 4, Stanley 2-5 0-0 6, Harp 4-9 4-6 13, Horsch 4-11 8-10 17, Fowler 3-5 1-2 7, Kaiser 3-6 0-0 8, Kuepker 0-2 0-0 0, Stanhope 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 17-43 15-20 55.
Hugoton (22-4) – Salazar 3-7 2-2 8, Guardado 2-2 2-4 6, Hernandez 4-8 0-2 9, Adigun 4-10 2-4 12, Rosas 6-8 5-6 17, Gamez 0-2 2-2 2, Mauk 1-3 0-0 2, Allen 0-0 0-0 0, Fajardo 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-40 13-20 56.
3-point goals – Andale 6-18 (Kaiser 2-3, Stanley 2-4, Harp 1-3, Horsch 1-6. Grimes 0-1, Fowler 0-1), Hugoton 3-14 (Adigun 2-5, Hernandez 1-3, Salazar 0-2, Gamez 0-2, Rosas 0-1, Mauk 0-1). Rebounds – Andale 32 (Fowler 7), Hugoton 21 (Rosas 8). Assists – Andale 8 (Fowler 3), Hugoton 13 (Adigun 4). Turnovers – Andale 13, Hugoton 9. Total fouls – Andale 21, Hugoton 17. Fouled out – Salazar.
ATCHISON 73, MCPHERSON 53
McPherson… 11 … 17 … 8 … 17 … -- … 53
Atchison… 13 … 14 … 27 … 19 … -- … 73 '
McPherson (16-10) – Strathman 1-3 1-2 4, Pyle 7-15 6-11 24, Malm 3-7 2-2 10, Ingels 0-5 0-0 0, Cooper 5-9 2-3 12, Becker 1-2 0-0 3, Harrison 0-1 0-0 0, Buchman 0-0 0-0 0, Pelzel 0-1 0-0 0, Timson 0-0 0-0 0, Melton 0-0 0-0 0, Bauer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-43 9-17 53.
Atchison (26-0) – Gillum 3-8 0-5 6, J. Thompson 12-19 2-2 29, Mays 1-3 0-0 2, Williams 5-6 2-2 13, Purdy 4-9 3-4 12, Jo. Thompson 2-2 1-2 5, Kelley 2-2 1-1 5, Craddock 0-0 0-0 0, Cormode 0-0 1-2 1, Taylor 0-0 0-0 0, Seymore 0-0 0-0 0, Gayden 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-49 9-14 73.
BALDWIN 50, PRATT 48
Baldwin … 13 … 16 … 12 … 9 … – … 50
Pratt … 5 … 9 … 19 … 15 … – … 48
Baldwin (20-6) – Rood 0-1 0-0 0, Carr 7-15 3-10 17, Smasal 0-3 0-0 0, Schoenberger 9-18 4-5 23, Collum 0-1 0-0 0, Wadel 2-4 0-0 6, Wheeler 2-4 0-0 4, Frost 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-46 7-15 50.
Pratt (21-4) – Titus 5-11 0-0 11, Barber 0-3 0-2 0, Liggett 1-3 2-2 4, Morrell 2-4 5-7 9, Strong 5-10 0-0 13, Pore 2-3 0-0 6, Demuth 2-3 0-0 5, Lara 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-39 7-11 48.
3-point goals – Baldwin 3-7 (Wadel 2-3, Schoenberger 1-1, Collum 0-1, Smasal 0-2); Pratt 7-18 (Strong 3-7, Pore 2-3, Demuth 1-1, Titus 1-4, Morrell 0-1, Barker 0-2). Rebounds – Baldwin 28 (Carr, Schoenberger, Wheeler 5); Pratt 26 (Strong 10). Assists – Baldwin 5 (Schoenberger 3); Pratt 9 (Morrell 3). Turnovers – Baldwin 8, Pratt 14. Total fouls – Baldwin 13, Pratt 14. Fouled out – None.