EMMIE BOESE
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Salthawks beat the Wichita-Kapaun Mt. Carmel Crusaders 41-37 in the first round of the class 5A sub-state basketball tournament Wednesday night. Junior Kaia Smith scored 21 points and junior Grace Posch scored 15.
Head Coach Kalen Hilst said senior guard Azariah Dawes ability to limit Kapaun guard Lizzie Romer was a key to advance to the next round of sub-state. Romer is committed to Texas-Rio Grande Valley.
"I just want to give all the credit in the world to Azariah Dawes (AZ) for locking down a division one basketball player," Hilst said. "She did a fantastic job defensively. Lizzie Romer is a heck of a player and AZ stepped up to the plate. We knew as a senior she was going to be ready for that challenge."
Kapaun had a 17-7 lead at one point in the second quarter, but Hutchinson came from behind and went on a 12-2 run right before halftime. The game was tied 19-all at halftime and tied again at 28 headed into the fourth quarter.
"It was all about, 'hey, we've been here before,'" Hilst said. "We've been in games with Derby, and we've lost. We've been in some tight games with Maize South and we've lost them, so you know we've kind of learned from our mistakes, and we are lucky enough to pull this one out."
The Salthawks will play for a sub-state championship at Andover on Saturday, March 2, at 5 p.m.
Andover is 21-0 and the No. 1 seed in Class 5A. The Trojans beat Goddard Eisenhower 52-32 on Wednesday night.
"Andover is one of the most high-powered teams I've seen on film this year," Hilst said. "Offensively and defensively they are going to throw some pressure at us and try to wear us down because we don't have a ton of depth, but they are going to try and speed us up. They put a little 1-2-2 on. They put a little 2-2-1 on. We've got to get in transition and try and shut down all that stuff because they are getting out and they're going."
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