Tigers sweep Pittsburg in SEK league openers

PITTSBURG -- Fort Scott High School's basketball teams have each won two in a row after a sweep of Pittsburg in the first games of Southeast Kansas League play here Tuesday night.

Tiger girls held off the Purple Dragons to prevailed 42-40. The boys had to rely on other players as Gary Floyd didn't score in the first three quarter before producing 11 in the fourth period of a 52-45 victory.

Both Pittsburg teams were playing their season openers.

The Tigers also swept their final games of the Willard (Mo.) Four State Classic Saturday against Rogers (Ark.)-Heritage. The girls won 42-20 and the boys took a 46-42 victory. Both teams finished third in the tournament. Gary Floyd was named to the boys' All-Tournament Team while Jolee Sharp was chosen to the girls' All-Tournament Team.

Tuesday girls: Fort Scott 42, Pittsburg 40.

Sharp went into Tuesday's game having score 69 of Fort Scott's 120 points this season and no other Tiger had yet reached double figures in a game.

Megan McDermed provided some support with 12 points to go along with Sharp's 23. McDermed's basket at the end of the third quarter put the Tigers ahead, 32-20, and they would never trail again.

Up to that point, the game was back and fourth with several lead changes. The Purple Dragons broke a 4-4 tie with a 7-0 run midway through the first quarter. But the Tigers came back to tie it by the end of the period on Jolee Sharp's free throws.

Fort Scott's lead grew to as large as 18-14 halfway through the second on a McDermed basket. Pittsburg rallied again and took a 20-19 lead.

McDermed scored two baskets in a 6-point run that gave Fort Scott the lead again, 24-20, with under two minutes to go. Two free throws by McKenzie Spresser brought the Dragons within two at the half.

Kristina Willis, who led Pittsburg with 21 points, scored the first 6 for her team in the second half to put the Dragons up 28-26.

The Purple Dragons shot a higher percentage from the field, making 14 of 31 shots compared to the Tigers' 14 of 40. But Pittsburg also committed 29 turnovers to just 18 for Fort Scott.

Tuesday boys: Fort Scott 52, Pittsburg 45.

The Purple Dragons led throughout the first quarter and were up 15-11 with five minutes to go in the second.

But then Gabe Quick hit a three-pointer to spark a 7-0 run that ended when he scored a two-pointer that made it 20-15. Jordan Elliott closed the deficit to 3 at the half for the Dragons with a jumper in the last minute.

Quick hit another 3 to start the second half and Cody Harper followed up with a jumper to make it 25-17 and it looked as though the Tigers might be ready to begin pulling away.

But the Dragons fought back and got within 28-26 after a 9-3 run late in the third. The Tigers pushed that lead back to 5 with a three-point goal from Jonathan Stark and a free throw from Griffin Knopp to make it 32-26 after three.

Stark hit another basket to start the fourth for the Tigers but Mike Wilson hit back-to-back baskets to bring the Dragons within 34-30.

Then Floyd found his groove, hitting a 3-pointer for his first basket of the night and scoring the Tigers' next 6 after that to boost the lead to 43-35 with 1:45 to go. Knopp hit a basket to add two more points to the margin.

Even though Wilson scored 15 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter, the Tigers were able to keep the Dragons at bay as no other Pittsburg player scored more than two in the period.

Quick finished with 16 points, hitting 4 threes to lead the Tigers while Floyd finished with 11 and Stark had 8. Fort Scott shot 64 percent from the field as it made 18 of 28 field-goal attempts overall and 9 of 11 three-pointers.

Pittsburg shot 18 of 48 from the field for 38 percent as no other Dragon scored more than 9 points.

Saturday girls: Fort Scott 42, Rogers-Heritage 20.

Sharp scored 21 points for the Tigers in their first victory of the season while McDermed added 7. Fort Scott led 20-10 at the half and outscored the War Eagles 13-3 in the fourth.

Saturday boys: Fort Scott 46, Rogers-Heritage 42.

Quick had 16 points in this game as well as he connected on 4 more 3-pointers while Floyd added 12 and Knopp finished with 9.

Heritage led after each break but the Tigers outscored the War Eagles 15-10 in the fourth.

Fort Scott's next games will be this Friday night when the Tigers finally play at home for the first time this season. Labette County will be the visitor in a Southeast Kansas League doubleheader with the girls game tipping off at about 6 p.m. with the boys to follow around 7:30.

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Tuesday girls

FORT SCOTT: Sharp 7 7-10 23, Therwhanger 0 0-0 0, Carpenter 0 0-0 0, Shelton 0 2-2 2, Harper 0 0-0 0, Allen 1 2-2 4, McDermed 6 0-2 12, Campbell 0 1-2 1. TOTALS: 14-40 12-18 42.

PITTSBURG: K.Willis 7 6-9 21, Spresser 0 2-4 2, Farnsworth 0 0-0 0, Wogelmort 1 0-0 2, Perez-Diaz 4 0-1 10, A.Willis 1 0-0 2, Forest 0 0-0 0, McGuire 0 0-0 0, Powers 0 0-1 0, Hall 0 0-2 0, Shepard 1 0-0 3. TOTALS: 14-31 8-17 40.

Fort Scott.......... 11 13 8 10 -- 42

Pittsburg........... 11 11 8 10 -- 42

Three-point field goals: Fort Scott 2-4 (Sharp 2), Pittsburg 4-7 (Perez-Diaz 2, K.Willis, Shepard).

Total fouls: Fort Scott 21, Pittsburg 17. Fouled out: Therwhanger. Technical fouls: None.

Rebounds: Fort Scott 26, Pittsburg 22. Assists: n/a. Turnovers: Fort Scott 18, Pittsburg 29. Steals: Fort Scott 16, Pittsburg 11. Blocked shots: n/a.

Tuesday boys

FORT SCOTT: Stark 3 0-1 8, Quick 5 2-2 16, Hull 1 0-0 2, Karleskint 1 2-2 4, Floyd 4 1-2 11, Woodring 0 0-0 0, Knopp 2 2-4 6, Harper 2 0-0 5. TOTALS: 18-28 7-11 52.

PITTSBURG: Wilson 8 0-0 20, Elliott 4 1-2 9, Mendez 1 0-0 2, Southern 1 2-2 4, Young 3 1-2 7, Reed 1 0-0 3, Phalen 0 0-0 0, Schoonover 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 18-48 4-6 45.

Fort Scott.......... 8 12 12 20 -- 52

Pittsburg............ 10 7 9 19 -- 45

Three-point field goals: Fort Scott 9-11 (Quick 4, Stark 2, Floys 2, Harper), Pittsburg 5-15 (Wilson 4, Reed).

Total fouls: Fort Scott 10, Pittsburg 15. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: None.

Rebounds: Fort Scott 21, Pittsburg 40. Assists: n/a. Turnovers: Fort Scott 15, Pittsburg 17. Steals: Fort Scott 13, Pittsburg 9. Blocked shots: n/a.

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Saturday girls

FORT SCOTT: Weeter 0 0-0 0, Sharp 7 5-9 21, Therwhanger 2 0-2 4, Tourtillott 0 3-4 3, Shelton 1 2-2 4, Harper 0 0-0 0, Allen 0 0-0 0, McDermed 3 0-0 7, Campbell 1 1-1 3. TOTALS: 14 11-18 42.

ROGERS-HERITAGE: Heckman 3 0-0 9, Y.Johnson 0 0-0 0, Wood 0 0-0 0, Layton 1 0-0 2, Portero 1 0-0 2, Shlanger 1 0-0 2, R.Johnson 1 0-2 2, Zadito 1 0-0 3, Elliott 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 8 0-2 20.

Fort Scott.......... 9 11 9 13 -- 42

Rogers-Heritage. 5 5 7 3 -- 20

Three-point field goals: Fort Scott 3 (Sharp 2, McDermed), Rogers-Heritage 4 (Heckman 3, Zadito).

Total fouls: Fort Scott 6, Rogers-Heritage 16. Fouled out: None.

Saturday boys

FORT SCOTT: Stark 0 0-0 0, Quick 6 0-0 16, Hull 1 0-0 2, Karleskint 1 0-0 2, Floyd 4 2-2 12, Woodring 0 0-0 0, Knopp 3 3-8 0, Harper 2 0-0 5. TOTALS: 17 5-10 46.

ROGERS-HERITAGE: Brzozkiewski 2 0-0 5, Lovelace 3 0-0 8, Olinger 0 0-2 0, Johnson 2 2-2 7, Mouland 2 0-0 4, Warner 5 0-0 10, Jordan 3 2-4 8. TOTALS: 17 4-8 42.

Fort Scott......... 12 10 9 15 -- 46

Rogers-Heritage 14 12 6 10 -- 42

Three-point field goals: Fort Scott 7 (Quick 4, Floyd 2, Harper), Rogers-Heritage 4 (Lovelace 2, Brzozkiewski, Johnson).

Total fouls: Fort Scott 9, Rogers-Heritage 7. Fouled out: None.