Andover Central finishes perfectly
TOPEKA — It was a span of 5 1/2 minutes. To Andover Central coach Stana Jefferson, that was the time that began to define how her team won the Class 5A girls championship Saturday.
It wasn't on Tiffany Bias' shoulders, though Bias ended her career by breaking the 5A tournament scoring record.
It was how the Jaguars responded to being held scoreless that long.
Andover Central followed its scoreless eternity, as Jefferson described it, by holding St. Thomas Aquinas scoreless for its own six minutes to close the first half.
"The defense that the girls played was tremendous tonight and I knew that was the only way we would have a shot at this game," Jefferson said. "That's been all year, 25 games, the best offense is going to be our defense."
That defense led to Andover Central's 44-36 win, its first 5A championship (it won 4A in 2008) and a 25-0 record.
Bias scored 24 points and finished the tournament with 89, one point ahead of Mary Kennedy's record set in 1980 for Kapaun Mount Carmel.
But not even Bias could get past the early defensive pressure by Aquinas. Trailing 8-2, St. Thomas Aquinas went on a 14-0 run over the next 5 1/2 minutes to lead 16-8.
"That's a long 5 1/2 minutes, but you keep pushing and either your team is going to lay down and quit or your going to work a little bit harder," Jefferson said. "I have a team that works a lot harder."
It wasn't Bias who got Central out of the scoring drought. It was a Kaitlin Tennyson three-pointer that got the Jaguars going again and they wouldn't stop.
Andover Central closed its deficit to 20-17 at half and that's when the Jaguars' defensive pressure went up even more.
"We are a team that never gives up, we're never going to quit going at you and playing our best," Tennyson said. "Defense has always been our key, it's our bread and butter, that's what we always do. We just brought it to them even more."
The Jaguars held St. Thomas Aquinas to 16 points in the second half. Dashawn Harden, who finished with 15 points, was held to five points and made 1 of 5 shots in the second half.
"They played a little harder than we did, they are very deserving," Aquinas coach Rick Hetzel said. "They played a tough man-to-man defense, our kids didn't go hard enough to the basketball or square up quite quick enough so they deserve the credit."
Andover Central clawed back into it and took its first lead since 8-6 with a Bias three with 31 seconds left in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was all Central. A 13-3 run, highlighted by the Jaguars making 7 of 8 free throws put the game right where Jefferson wanted it.
"We always talk about composure and not panicking and finishing," Jefferson said. "The last month we really focused on that and it really came into play tonight."
As the fans and teammates swarmed Bias and Jefferson, Jefferson felt the emotion.
"I knew it was all bittersweet, you lose a point guard like Tiffany Bias who I've had for four years, and Kaitlin Tennyson and Maddie Chapin along with her, I'm screaming and yelling and crying all at the same time," Jefferson said. "I'll miss them tremendously."
Third place: Bishop Carroll 51, Bishop Miege 38 — Julie Sooter's 16 points led the Eagles to third place for the second consecutive year.
Nicole Walden had eight points and 11 rebounds and Catherine Brugman added 10 points.
Carroll controlled throughout, including 25-13 at halftime. The Eagles had 19 steals.