Topeka West puts stop to McPherson, Ulsaker

BY BROOKS SEELEY/Eagle correspondent

Published March 13 at 1:06 a.m. | Last updated April 18 at 11:16 a.m.

TOPEKA — Trailing 48-45, McPherson’s Treg Fawl and Christian Ulsaker missed three-pointers to tie the game with seven seconds to go in overtime. Topeka West’s Alex North made 1 of 2 free throws to seal it.

Topeka West defeated McPherson 49-45 Friday night and advanced to the Class 5A championship game against Bishop Miege.

North finished with 24 points and nine rebounds for Topeka West.

“I thought there were several big plays, we missed a box out, there was a block/charge call, any number of factors you can point to, bottom-line Topeka West made playsæ.æ.æ. we didn’t,” McPherson coach Kurt Kinnamon said.

Fawl’s 16 points led McPherson, but only three other Bullpups scored.

Christian Ulsaker, after falling one point short of the 5A boys scoring record in the quarterfinals — a review of game tape showed him with 36 points, not 38 — had 12 points and made 3 of 16 shots.

“After the monster game that Christian had the other night, I thought he felt a little pressure to have to do that again,” Kinnamon said. “He’s so competitive that sometimes he tries to do too much, but it’s because he’s a winner.”

Topeka West’s Jarrod Kruger tied it at 43 with one minute left, then McPherson held for the last shot. Fawl missed a three at the end of regulation that would have won it for the Bullpups in a game that neither team led by more than six points.

McPherson, who made a living at the free-throw line and was on pace to break the state record for free throws attempted, had only eight attempts all game.

“Part of that is because they played zone and they had a good plan,” Kinnamon said. “Give them credit, this game could have gone either way.”