Area players take part in All-Star games

PITTSBURG -- The Fourth Annual U.S. Army/Army Strong High School Basketball All-Star Game took place at St. Mary's-Colgan Fieldhouse here Sunday, with Team KLKC winning both the boys and girls games.

Forty student athletes played in the event, from 22 different Southeast Kansas area schools. Among them were Fort Scott's Gary Floyd and Jolee Sharp and Uniontown's Abbie Smith.

Team KLKC began the girls' contest on a 22-8 run. before taking a 77-65 victory over Team KSEK. Sharp scored 13 points for KLKC. St. Paul's Allison O'Brien led the way with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Girard's Carly Twarog added 10 points.

Smith scored 10 points and had 5 rebounds for Team KSEK, which was led by a 17-point, 11-rebound effort from Chanute's Aly Aylward, who was named the girls' Most Valuable Player.

In the boys contest, both teams chose to run the floor early, resulting in over 100 total points scored by halftime. The final score was 100-91 in favor of Team KLKC.

Cory Henshall took home MVP honors with 16 points and 12 rebounds for Team KSEK. Colgan's Jesse Watt and Galena's Colton Leet added 12 points each and Blake Wilson of Pittsburg added 10.

Floyd finished with 9 points, 5 rebounds and a team-high 4 assists for Team KLKC, which saw 6 players reach double figures. Coffeyville's Ethan Cordray led KLKC with 16 points followed by Labette County's Brannon Green with 14, Trey Thomas had 12, Roman Lopez of Cherryvale and Tyler Kiister of Erie 11 each and Gable LaForge of Caney Valley had 10.

Twarog won the girls' three-point shooting contest, making 9 of 20 attempts. Sharp, St. Paul's Jessica Tuck and Colgan's Ashley Werner, tied for second with 8 triples each.

Iola's Seth Walden claimed the boys three-point shootout, making 11 of 20 attempts. Preston Page of Erie finished second with 10.

Kiister edged finalist Trey Thomas to win the slam-dunk contest.