Top seed Trojans win big, advance to semi-finals
Big first quarter lifts Trojans to a lopsided win over Baldwin
BY BJ HARRIS
Less than one minute into their first round game with the Baldwin Bulldogs (7-15), the Girard Trojans (23-0) found themselves trailing 3-2. That would be the one and only time the Trojans were on the wrong side of the scoreboard as they cruised to a 77-49 victory, advancing to the semi-finals of the KSHSAA 4A Division II State Tournament.
A blistering 23 point first quarter paved the way for the Trojans one-sided victory. The Girard bench, led by Garrett Bailey and Kross Hamblin, sparked the Trojans in the opening quarter. Following their early one-point deficit, Girard went on a 10-0 run, building a 12-3 lead midway through the first quarter and eventually ending the period up 23-10.
The first of two dunks from Drew Davied in Girard’s rout of Baldwin on Thursday. Davied led all scorers with 22 points. PHOTO BY JOYCE KOVACIC
Kross Hamblin had a big day for Girard, finishing with a double-double that included 10 points and 10 rebounds. PHOTO BY JOYCE KOVACIC
In the second, Girard used a strong defensive effort and dominant rebounding to extend their lead. A pair of Drew Davied dunks would get Trojan fans on their feet, highlighting the half. Girard took a 38-18 lead into the locker room.
In the third the Trojans picked up where they left off, leading by as many as 25 points midway through the quarter. Girard held a 55-32 advantage going into the final eight minutes.
When Girard went stagnant early in the game, Garrett Bailey provided a spark off the bench, spurring a 10-0 run and contributing 7 points. PHOTO BY JOYCE KOVACIC
A spirited 8-0 run by Baldwin would pull the game to within 17 with 6:03 remaining. The Bulldog run was spurred by Austin Ward, who led Baldwin with 11. The Bulldogs leading scorer, Jackson Barth was limited to 10 points in the game, thanks in part to a strong defensive effort by Junior Lindbloom. “I really felt Junior did a great job on their best scorer,” said Girard Head Coach Rod Wescott. “Kross (Hamblin) played well, rebounding and finishing around the basket.”
The Trojans eventually put a stop to the Bulldog run and hit their free throws in the fourth quarter, knocking down 12 of 16 from the charity stripe including 4 of 6 from Davied. Davied led all scorers in the contest with 22 points, making 9 of 13 from the field. Hamblin, who battle back from a midseason ankle injury to have his best performance since January, finished the game with a double-double, 10 points and 10 rebounds. Hamblin also led the way on the glass for Girard, a category the Trojans dominated 46 to 19.
Hamblin and Davied were joined in double digits by Laike Damman and Eric Wilson, each with 10.
Every Trojan player would see the court, with 10 Girard players scoring in the game. When asked what the best part of the game was, Wescott quipped, “The best part is we get to play some more.”
The win sets up a matchup with fourth seeded Wichita-Collegiate. Collegiate defeated Pratt 83-55 in their opening round.
The Spartans and Trojans are scheduled to tipoff at 4:45 p.m. on Friday.
The game will immediately follow the semifinal game between the Girard Lady Trojans and Topeka-Hayden Lady Wildcats.
OFFICIAL STATS
