CHENEY ADVANCES TO 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 58-49 WIN OVER PHILLIPSBURG

HUTCHINSON, Kansas -- No. 4 Cheney was considered the underdog in their 3A semifinal matchup against No. 1 Phillipsburg. However, Cheney thrived under extraordinarily high pressure and topped previously undefeated Phillipsburg, 58-49.

Despite a 31-point performance from Kansas State commit and Phillipsburg guard Taryn Sides, Cheney held the rest of the Panther squad to a combined 18 points.

Cheney had three double-digit scorers in the 3A semifinal win. Senior Leah Durr had a team-high 16 points, senior Campbell Hague added 13, and junior Reagan Ayers added 12. Hague added 13 rebounds to her day, which gave her a double-double.

“That’s the thing about our team; we don’t have just one girl,” Cheney coach Sarah McCormick said. “There’s been multiple games where we have a different leading scorer every single time. That’s where I feel like teams can go really far; they don’t have just one or two players, and everyone is capable of scoring. And tonight it was Leah (Durr).”

The Phillipsburg Panthers pounced on Cheney immediately. The first quarter couldn’t have been better for Phillipsburg on both sides of the ball in a 17-5 run over Cheney.

Offensively, the Panthers efficiently shot the ball 40% (six-of-15) from the field and went a smooth 80% (five-of-six) from the charity stripe.

Defensively in the opening quarter, Phillipsburg kept Cheney quiet from the field, shooting a rough 14.3% (two-of-14) from range. Cheney turned the ball over seven times with nearly all of those free possessions for Phillipsburg, resulting in points.

“We knew this was coming; we’ve got to wipe it off,” McCormick said. “If we allow this to go on, we will get into a deeper hole. So every possession has to be very valuable.”

McCormick’s message echoed throughout the squad.

“Honestly, I wasn’t feeling great; I felt a little sick to my stomach,” Durr said. “Coach pulled us aside and told us we could do this. That was all of the affirmation I needed.”

 Sides had a 10-point quarter, easily in charge of the Panther’s offensive production.

Cheney guard Raegan Black guarding Phillipsburg's Taryn Slides

With Cheney already battling in a 12-point deficit, they needed to play desperate, which they did. As a result, the Cardinals looked like a brand-new team in the second quarter.

After trailing by 12 points to end the opening quarter, Cheney went on a roll and brought the game within a bucket. Cheney would outscore Phillipsburg 21-14 in the quarter and were within five points going into the halftime break.

“Honestly, having all of this competition (this year) has been a huge advantage for us,” Durr said. “It prepares us so much for going at it in these hard games; being in big game environments has definitely been a big advantage for us.”

After trailing the entire contest, Cheney got its first lead of the game at the 4:46 mark of the third quarter. The Cardinals got the lead and did everything in its power not to look back. After Cheney had its rough opening quarter, where they trailed 17-5, but they repaid the favor with a 17-6 run of their own in the third quarter, shocking Phillipsburg.

Despite several chances to get back within striking distance, Phillipsburg couldn’t get back on track, with Cheney riding a monstrous amount of momentum. In addition, Phillipsburg had a difficult time shooting against Cheney’s post players, which played a big part in the victory.

“It’s no secret; it’s our bigs,” McCormick said. “It’s no secret with our bigs; they’ve done so much for us. I’d have to say the next game; we will have to take better care of the ball.

Cheney advanced to the 3A state championship after its 58-49 win over the Panthers. Cheney (23-2) will await the winner of second-seeded Goodland and three-seeded Silver Lake.

“We need to stay excited, sleep well and have a good breakfast,” Durr said.

CHENEY 58, PHILLIPSBURG 49.

Cheney         5 21 17 15 – 58

Phillipsburg 17 14 6 12 – 49

Phillipsburg (24-1) – Keeten 0-1 0-0 0, Gross 0-5 2-2 2, Sides 9-25 11-12 31, Jacobs 0-2 1-3 1, Schemper 5-17 3-5 13, Miller 0-0 0-0 0, Billings 1-2 0-1 2, Dierking 0-0 0-1 0, Means 0-1 0-2 0. Totals – 15-53 17-26 49.

Cheney (23-2) – Bartlett 3-6 2-3 8, Martin 2-6 0-2 4, Hague 2-13 9-12 13, Ayers 3-7 4-5 12, Durr 6-10 4-5 16, Black 1-8 3-6 5, McCormick 0-0 0-0 0, Inslee 0-0 0-0 0. Totals – 17-50 22-33 58.

3-point goals – Cheney 2-6 (Ayers 2), Phillipsburg 2-11 (Sides 2). Total fouls – Cheney 23, Phillipsburg 23. Total rebounds – Cheney 44, Phillipsburg 36. Offensive rebounds – Cheney 15, Phillipsburg 13. Turnovers – Cheney 17, Phillipsburg 15. Blocks – Cheney 7, Phillipsburg 0. Fouled out – Cheney: Durr, Martin. Technical fouls – none.