Hutcherson, Albertini lead Indians to sub-state

By: Aaron Pyle 

         After receiving a first-round bye, the St. Paul Lady Indians automatically moved onto the semifinal of the Class 1A Regional where they defeated Southern Coffey Co. 49-18, Feb. 28. Senior Katie Coomes and freshman Josey Harris led the way in the victory scoring nine points, respectively. 

         Following the win, the Lady Indians moved onto the championship Saturday, Feb. 29, where [1] St. Paul battled [2] Chetopa (13-8) for a chance at the Class 1A Sub-State Tournament. The two teams met earlier in the season, Dec. 10, where St. Paul dominated the Hornets 50-6. 

         Senior Emily Hutcherson helped the Lady Indians gain momentum in the first quarter hitting shots from deep and scoring six of St. Paul’s 10 points. St. Paul would outscore the Hornets 17-4 in the second quarter to take a 33-11 lead at halftime. 

         The Lady Indians continued to dominate the Hornets defensively in the championship matchup holding Chetopa to 13 points in the second half. St. Paul (18-4) went on to defeat the Hornets (13-9) 49-24 claiming a regional title. 

         Hutcherson led the way for St. Paul in the victory scoring a game-high 12 points. Harris and sophomore Elise Doherty made a major contribution as well scoring nine points each. 

         For the boys, the Indians also received a first-round bye which moved St. Paul onto the semifinal, Feb. 27, where they conquered Oswego (6-16) 54-36. Senior Kaleb Lemmons led the Indians to victory scoring 20 points for St. Paul. 

         After the win, the Indians moved onto the regional championship where [1] St. Paul faced [3] Colony-Crest (10-12) Saturday, Feb. 29. The two teams met Dec. 19 where St. Paul handled the Lancers 68-44. 

         St. Paul’s defense put on one of their best performances of the season against the Lancers holding Colony-Crest to 11 points in the first half. Senior Adam Albertini provided a major spark in the first half for St. Paul scoring 10 points through two quarters. At halftime, the Lancers trailed the Indians 34-11. 

         From there, the Indians continued their defensive effort holding Colony-Crest to nine points in the second half. St. Paul (16-6) went on to win 53-20 over the Lancers (10-13) claiming the 1A regional title and moving onto sub-state. 

         Albertini led the Indians in scoring Saturday night finishing the game with 14 points. Lemmons finished in double-figures in the victory as well tallying up 10 points. 

         The Indians’ basketball teams move onto the Class 1A Sub-State Tournament which is slated for Mar. 5-7 at either Butler Community College or Emporia Recreation Commission. Schedules for the tournament TBA.