Starling, Gardner drop Bullpups to fourth

BY BROOKS SEELEY/Eagle correspondent

Published March 14 at 1:47 a.m. | Last updated March 14 at 3:12 a.m.

TOPEKA — McPherson's lone senior, Treg Fawl, had expended all his energy. He didn't have anything left and neither did the rest of the Bullpups on Saturday at the Kansas Expocentre.

Gardner-Edgerton slowly finished off McPherson, winning 66-54 to finish third at the Class 5A boys tournament.

McPherson was led by Christian Ulsaker and Fawl, who combined for 37 points but made 10 of 35 shots.

Bubba Starling scored 25 points to lead Gardner-Edgerton.

"Once again we missed some easy shots, I don't know what you blame that on, probably you blame it on the fact that Bubba is chugging along behind you like a freight train," McPherson coach Kurt Kinnamon said.

McPherson made 25.4 percent for the game and couldn't get the big basket to catch Gardner-Edgerton.

Even when McPherson got one of its 15 steals, it couldn't capitalize.

"You make a steal and go down and miss a layup, that doesn't do you any good," Kinnamon said.

McPherson fell behind 25-12 late in the second quarter but twice clawed back to six and four-point deficits.

McPherson pulled within 45-41 with six minutes to go in the fourth, but Conner Langrehr (16 points) tipped in a miss and Gardner-Edgerton went on a 6-0 burst.

A Fawl three got it to 57-51 with five minutes left, but Starling ended that run with a two-handed slam.

"The thought of this team quitting on me never even exists because I knew they wouldn't," Kinnamon said.

Championship: Bishop Miege 71, Topeka West 47 — Miege won its first 5A title since 2001 behind Trevor Releford's 24 points.

Rodney Givens had 18 an Curtis Okafor had 14 points and nine rebounds for Miege, which never trailed.

Alex North had 12 points to lead Topeka West.