Bison boys advance to Topside Tip-off semis; McCook girls fall to Norton

Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette McCook High School senior Mark Nichols (32) goes for 2 points in traffic during Thursday night's first round game at the 20th annual Goodland (Kan.) Topside Tip-off Classic basketball tournament. Nichols scored 13 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in McCook's 79-32 win over Weskan. Teammate Dustin Parde (44) led four Bison players in double figures with 20 points and added 5 rebounds.

GOODLAND, Kan. -- After scoring 43 and 33 points in their first two games, the McCook High School boys basketball team found some offense Thursday in the first round of the 20th annual Goodland (Kan.) Topside Tip-off Classic.

The McCook boys routed the Weskan Coyotes 79-32 and advanced to the semifinals tonight against the host squad from Goodland, which defeated Wray, Colo., 56-49.

The McCook-Goodland game starts at 9 p.m. central time/8 p.m. mountain time.

Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette McCook High School senior Tara Powell (22), with basketball, tries to drive past Norton's Ashlie Stewart (14) during a first-round girls game at the 20th annual Goodland (Kan.) Topside Tip-off Classic. Powell scored 5 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, had 3 steals and dished off 1 assist.

In other first-round boys action, Ottawa defeated Norton 73-35 and Wallace County-Sharon Springs defeated Burlington, Colo., 57-43.

Ottawa plays Wallace County in the other semifinal game. In the consolation round, Norton plays Burlington and Weskan plays Wray.

The McCook girls basketball team lost its first round game 39-33 to Norton.

The McCook girls will play Wallace County in the consolation round today at 3 p.m. central time/2 p.m. mountain time.

In other first round girls games, Wray defeated Wallace County 67-60, Ottawa defeated Goodland 72-35 and Weskan defeated Burlington 63-34.

In the semifinals tonight, Wray plays Norton and Ottawa plays Weskan.

The other consolation game features Goodland against Burlington.

The boys and girls finals will be played Saturday.

McCook boys 79, Weskan 32

Four Bison boys scored in double figures, led by Dustin Parde with 20 points.

Connor Larson scored 17 points (including three 3-pointers), Mark Nichols 13 and Dillon Goltl 10.

Seth Schaeffer added 7 points, Matt Berry 3, Ethan Hardin 3, Ryan Hardin 2, Austin Larson 2 and Dylan Parde 2.

Nichols also pulled down 14 rebounds -- 6 offensive and 8 defensive.

Berry had 5 steals, Connor Larson 4, Goltl 4 and Nichols 4. Berry and Connor Larson each had 3 assists.

McCook made 33-of-67 field goals (49.3 percent), including 6-of-13 3-pointers (46.2 percent), and 7-of-14 free throws (50 percent).

Cody Pancake led the Coyotes with 9 points. Derek McKinney added 7 and Matt Kuykendall 5.

McCook led 25-8 after one quarter and 43-19 at halftime.

McCook improved to 2-1.

Norton girls 39, McCook 33

The McCook girls made just 11-of-43 field goals (25.6 percent) and 11-of-24 free throws (45.8 percent) in a 39-33 loss to Norton.

The two teams combined for 74 turnovers. Norton committed 40 and McCook 34.

Joanna Bryant led the Bison in scoring with 8 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and had 8 steals.

Hanah Swanhorst added 6 points, Tara Powell 5, Morgan Schaeffer 4, Emilyne Nichols 4, Meagan Carfield 3, Gretchen Sehnert 2 and Brianna Watkins.

Sydney Jumps and Swanhorst each had 4 rebounds, Nichols 3 and Powell 3. Schaeffer and Powell each had 3 steals.

Lacey Wallingford led the Bluejays with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Laura Lee Baird added 9 points and Amanda Ray 7.

The McCook girls dropped to 1-2.

BOYS

McCook: Berry 3, E.Hardin 3, R.Hardin 2, A.Larson 2, Connor Larson 17, Dillon Goltl 10, Mark Nichols 13, Dy. Parde 2, Schaeffer 7, Dustin Parde 20.

Weskan: Kuykendall 5, McKinney 7, G. Reiss 3, Hilgemann 4, Pancake 9, D. Reiss 4.

GIRLS

Norton: Lacey Wallingford 13, Roy 2, Stewart 4, Baird 9, Jones 4, Ray 7.

McCook: Carfield 3, Sehnert 2, Powell 5, Schaeffer 4, Joanna Bryant 8, Swanhorst 6, Nichols 4, Watkins 1.