Fort Scott High School Lady Tigers Jolee Sharp (4), Joce Allen (2), Elizabeth Meech, Brittany Bingesser, Hannah Hawkins and Afton Gray walk off the floor after a heartbreaking 71-61 loss to the Andover-Central Jaguars in the Kansas 4A State Quarterfinals in Salina Wednesday evening. (Captured Images/Kenny Felt). [Click to enlarge]

SALINA -- The score of Fort Scott High's first-round Class 4A State Tournament game here Wednesday night doesn't look that close. But the second-seeded Andover Central Jaguars know they played a tough team even after taking a 71-61 win that keeps them undefeated for the season.

Jaguar head coach Stana Jefferson, whose team currently holds the No. 1 ranking in Class 4A from the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, certainly wasn't surprised at how the Tigers (17-6) hung tough until the game's final two minutes.

Fort Scott senior Afton Gray shoots over an Andover-Central defender during the first quarter of play in the Kansas 4A State Quarterfinal in Salina. Gray finished the game with 11 points. (Captured Images/Kenny Felt). [Click to enlarge]

"I saw (Fort Scott) on tape and I thought they were going to be a great match-up for us," Jefferson said after her team improved to 24-0 on the season. "They like to push the ball; they're man-to-man. I knew we would struggle with their penetration and I knew we aren't patient enough and disciplined enough on defense to do that right now. Nothing surprised me with them. I knew they were a great team."

The Tigers got within one possession of tying the game or taking the lead several times in the fourth quarter, the last time after Jolee Sharp hit a turnaround jumper with 2:29 remaining in the contest to bring them within 60-59.

"We couldn't quite get it over the hump," Fort Scott head coach Jeff Armstrong said. "But we lost a lot of fingernails trying to climb over it. And I couldn't be more proud of them."

In games held earlier in the day, top-seeded Colby remained unbeaten with a 70-41 win over Andale (15-9) and in the four-vs.-five match-up, lower-seeded Holton prevailed over Basehor-Linwood, 55-51, in a battle of teams that entered the tournament with 22-1 records.

Andover Central will face Abilene in Friday's late semifinal. The third-seeded Cowgirls, yet another unbeaten team, defeated fellow Southeast Kansas League member Labette County, 65-56, in the final game of Wednesday's opening round. LCHS (21-3) lost despite 34 points from from 6' 4" senior Kendra Frazier. Holton will square off against Colby in Friday's early semifinal.

The Tigers got consecutive baskets from Jolee Sharp and Kori Page Rienbolt as they took an early 4-2 lead. But the Jaguars were forcing turnovers and getting most of the offensive rebounds. However, Andover Central didn't start converting on their second chances until later in the period, when it scored eight of the last 10 points to go up 17-12 at the end of the quarter.

The Jags continued to build on that lead in the second quarter as they finally started to convert on their second chances. The Tigers were also having trouble with 5' 11" senior Bailey Gee, who can not only work in the post but also run with the ball and pass well.

A pair of Brittney Chamberlain free throws capped a 9-2 run that boosted Central's lead to 28-18 with 4:21 left in the half. But the Tigers found some new life with a Hannah Hawkins stickback and two Afton Gray three pointers cutting the deficit to 30-26 with 1:16 to go

But sophomore guard Tiffany Bias -- who's getting looks from Division I schools -- picked up a steal off the press and took it in for a layup as she personally scored Central's last six points of the half to make it 36-26 at intermission.

"Andover Central did a good job at the end of the half to take it from a four-point game to a 10 really quick," Armstrong said. "We talked at halftime saying, 'Hey, we've got to come out in the third and be ready to roll.' And we were; we cut it down real quick."

Both teams were shooting the ball about equally well, percentage-wise at the half, and turnovers were about even. It was the Jaguars' rebounding that was making the difference. Andover Central had 21 boards, 10 of which were offensive. Fort Scott had just 11 rebounds, only two coming on the offensive glass.

"The problem was giving them second and third opportunities," Armstrong noted. "We did a much better job in the second half of coming out and only giving them four offensive rebounds instead of 10 and that made a huge difference. We were able to finish some shots and get to the foul line."

The Tigers scored the first five points of the second half as Sharp hit a three-point shot and also scored a layup after Allen broke the press to cut the deficit to 36-31.

Fort Scott's defensive effort was having an effect on Gee, whose shots started coming up a bit short. She even missed four straight free throws at one point. But Bias took over the scoring load even as the Tigers continued their rally. Bias followed up a teammate's miss to finally get her team on the board. But Rienbolt stepped up and hit a three-pointer moments later to start a 7-3 run that got Fort Scott within 41-38.

Bias converted an old-fashioned three-point play to get the lead up to six. But Sharp stuck back a teammate's miss and Elizabeth Meech made two free throws after drawing Gee's third personal to cut the deficit to 44-42 with 1:57 to go in the third.

Chamberlain hit two free throws with 1:13 to go. Sharp took a pass from Rienbolt and countered with a triple moments later. Chamberlain responded with a jumper with 30 seconds left to put Central up 48-45.

With 10 1/2 seconds left, Meech picked up a loose ball and drew a foul as she shot. She made both free throws to bring the Tigers within two as the third period came to a close.

Gee came back into the game to start the fourth and was determined to get her team kick-started again. She scored her team's first six points to put the Jags up 54-49.

But Fort Scott refused to go away. Allen scored a layup after using Meech's screen. Then Meech took a pass from Rienbolt to bring the Tigers within one.

Central scored the next five but the Tigers fought back again with a 6-1 run capped by Sharp's turnaround jumper.

"(Fort Scott) played a great second half," Jefferson said. "They made some adjustments and Sharp did a fabulous job."

Sharp finished the game with 22 points and 11 rebounds, her eighth double-double of the season, as she made eight of 12 shots from the floor and hit a pair of three-point shots.

"We talked at the beginning of the season about how we need the ball in (Sharp's) hands," Armstrong said. "And you can see why when she has it. She can do a lot of amazing things even though she's young. (The Tigers) did a good job of finding her tonight and she did a great job of creating things."

Afton Gray added 11 points for Fort Scott, which shot 46 percent from the field on the night, making 25 of 50 field-goal attempts, six of 11 from behind the three-point line and nine of 12 at the free-throw line.

Bias finished with 21 points for Andover Central, which shot 45 percent on 26 of 58, made four of 14 free throws and 15 of 24 free throws. Gee had 20 points and 10 boards and Chamberlain contributed 13 points.

Central won the battle of the boards, 34-31. Fort Scott committed 20 turnovers to Central's 14.

The Tigers' season ended with five of their six losses coming to teams that have won 20 games and advanced to at least the final eight in their respective states. They proved the belonged in this tournament.

"Our girls were happy to be here but we came to win it," Armstrong said. "We knew any team has a chance when you get here and that's how they played -- like they deserved to win. But we just came up a little short."

NOTES -- Colby's senior trio of April Gee (21 points), Lissa Mazanec (18) and Paige Stephens combined to score 50 points on 20-of-31 field-goal shooting....

Senior Melissa Nelson, a 5' 10" senior, scored 24 points for Holton to lead her team to victory over Basehor-Linwood. She made 11 of 13 free throws in the process. Crista Bechard was seven of eight at the line as she added 11 points. Holton went 23 of 30 at the charity stripe as a team -- making its last 10 in a row -- and committed just nine turnovers..

Cassie Lombardino, a 6' 3" senior, led Basehor-Linwood with 20 points and 11 rebounds....

In the last 30 seconds of the Colby-Andale game, a bird swooped down from the rafters of the Bicentennial Center. Fortunately, the bird stayed clear of the action....

The Colby-Andale game was completed in just one hour, 18 minutes....

Labette County's game was very similar to Fort Scott's in that the Grizzlies fell behind in the first half, rallied and got very close late only to fall back again at the end. Frazier hit a jump shot midway through the fourth that cut Abilene's lead to 50-49. But the Cowgirls made 13 of 16 free throws down the stretch.

Frazier, according to LCHS head coach Kristi Snider, had been fighting the flu all week.

"I thought Kendra played an exceptional ballgame for being ill," Snider told Joey Sprinkle of the Parsons Sun. "She did the best that she could in there."...

(7) FORT SCOTT: Gray 4-7 1-2 11, J.Allen 3-8 0-0 6, Sharp 8-12 4-4 22, Rienbolt 3-14 0-0 8, Hawkins 3-5 0-0 6, Bingesser 0-1 0-0 0, Meech 2-3 4-6 8. TOTALS: 23-50 9-12 61.

(2) ANDOVER CENTRAL: Huelskamp 1-1 0-0 2, Tennyson 3-6 1-1 7, Walker 3-6 1-2 8, Bias 8-17 3-5 21, Chamberlain 3-7 6-6 13, Gee 8-21 4-10 20, Taton 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 26-58 15-24 71.

Fort Scott.................. 12 14 21 14 -- 61

Andover Central..... 17 19 12 23 -- 71

Three-point field goals: Fort Scott 6-11 (Gray 2-3, Sharp 2-3, Rienbolt 2-5), Andover Central 4-14 (Bias 2-7, Chamberlain 1-2, Walker 1-3, Tennyson 0-1, Gee 0-1).

Total fouls: Fort Scott 18, Andover Central 12. Fouled out: none. Technical fouls: none.

Rebounds: Fort Scott 31 (Sharp 11), Andover Central 34 (Gee 10). Assists: Fort Scott 9 (J.Allen 3), Andover Central 11 (Tennyson 3, Bias 3). Turnovers: Fort Scott 20, Andover Central 14. Steals: Fort Scott 7 (Gray 2, J.Allen 2, Sharp 2), Andover Central 12 (Bias 4, Gee 4). Blocked shots: Fort Scott 1 (Rienbolt), Andover Central none.

Courtesy of the Parsons Sun

(6) LABETTE COUNTY: Frazier 13-22 8-9 34, Penner 5-8 0-0 10, Farrow 2-3 0-0 5, Smith 1-4 0-0 3, O'Connell 1-6 0-0 2, Burris 1-3 0-0 2, Graham 0-1 0-2 0, Britton 0-2 0-0 0. TOTALS: 23-49 8-11 56.

(3) ABILENE: D. Wilson 409 4-4 15, Hullet 7-13 1-3 15, Ostermann 3-11 4-4 11, G. Wilson 2-4 4-7 8, Holm 2-5 4-6 8, Anderson 1-3 2-4 4, Koop 1-2 0-0 2, Sims 1-2 0-0 2, Sexton 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 21-49 19-28 65.

Labette County....... 14 17 12 13 -- 56

Abilene................... 18 21 10 16 -- 65

Three-point field goals: Labette County 2-9 (Farrow 1-2, Smith 1-3, Graham 0-1, Frazier 0-1, O'Connell 0-2); Abilene 4-12 (D. Wilson 3-7, Ostermann 1-5). Rebounds: Labette County 32 (Penner 8); Abilene 28 (Holm 11). Assists: Labette County 8 (O'Connell 2, Graham 2, Smith 2); Abilene 12 (Anderson 4). Steals: Labette County 4 (Frazier 3); Abilene 11 (Anderson 4). Blocks: Labette County 2 (Frazier 2); Abilene 1 (Anderson). Turnovers: Labette County 19, Abilene 10. Fouled out: Labette County (Graham). Total fouls: Labette County 21, Abilene 9.