Moore, Ellis leads Heights in opening win over North

BY TAYLOR ELDRIDGE/Eagle correspondent

Published Dec. 3 at 7:39 a.m. | Last updated Dec. 3 at 7:56 a.m.

• Gallery: Heights beats North 71-54 in season opener

When Terrence Moore is soaring through the air, the Heights senior claims he isn't thinking of tearing the rim down. His dunks just look that ferocious. To the packed crowd of more than 1,600 at North on Friday night, the season opener between North and three-time defending state champ Heights was Conner Frankamp vs. Perry Ellis. But it was Moore that grabbed the spotlight, scoring 20 points to lift Heights to a 71-54 victory.

While the two future Jayhawks lived up to the billing — Frankamp scored a game-high 27 points on 21 shots and Ellis posted 21 points and eight rebounds — three thunderous dunks from Moore were the highlight.

"Yeah, they were only worth two points," Moore said, "but it gets the crowd hyped, which we're not really worried about because we don't entertain, and it gets our team hyped. We get it going."

Heights may not be worried about entertaining, but when its transition game starts, so does the show.

Moore scored six points as part of a 9-0 run to start the second quarter that catapulted Heights ahead 23-12. The run was punctuated by Moore's first dunk, in which he slung the ball high over his head with his left hand to tomahawk it through the basket.

"They can get up and down the floor," North coach Gary Squires said. "They can flat-out fly. Terrence Moore played possessed. I've always thought he was the real sleeper on that team."

In some ways, Heights picked up right where it left off from its undefeated state championship from last season. 11 of the 14 players Heights suited up were playing their first varsity game, so the roles of Moore and Ellis were expanded.

"I'm used to having other leaders do it for me," Moore said. "This is me and Perry's team now, as Coach (Joe) Auer says. We had to put the team on our back, bring the energy and our team followed behind us."

North couldn't keep pace with Heights unless Frankamp was feeling it. His night began modestly — 11 points at halftime — but turned sour in the third quarter, when Frankamp missed his first five shots and scored two points. That quarter, Heights out-scored North 21-7.

"I didn't shoot the ball very good tonight," said Frankamp, who scored 14 of his points in the fourth quarter. "I had a few good stretches, but overall, I didn't shoot it very well."

Frankamp said the build-up of the game didn't affect his performance. Ellis seconded that. But they were the center of attention, as North athletic director Brian Becker said he was forced to shut the gates at halftime of the girls' game, turning away an estimated 300 fans.

"I wasn't worried about any of that," Ellis said. "I wasn't worried about the Conner-Perry thing, my mindset coming in was playing defense. I wasn't worried about offense at all."

More importantly for Heights, it was discovering what it had outside of Ellis and Moore.

Gavin Thurman transitioned into his new role seamlessly, finishing with nine points, five rebounds and three steals.

But perhaps the most impressive performance came from sophomore Ealy Bell, whose first varsity assignment was guarding Frankamp.

"I knew the way that Ealy guarded him the first quarter we were going to have a good night," Auer said. "There was not a more inexperienced guy in the gym and he was just terrific.

"Conner Frankamp had two points in the third quarter. That's game over."

Heights (1-0, 1-0) 14 23 21 13 — 71 North (0-1, 0-1) 12 14 7 21 — 54

HEIGHTS: Lynch 2 0-2 4, Moore 10 0-0 20, Bell 1 0-0 2, Thurman 4 0-0 9, Ellis 8 5-8 21, Smith 3 0-0 6, Reed 1 3-4 5, Kolbeck 1 0-0 2, Williams 1 0-0 2, Moreland 0 0-0 0, Lattimore 0 0-0 0. Totals 31 (1) 8-14 71.

NORTH: Beard 3 0-0 9, Frankamp 8 5-5 27, Elliott 2 0-0 4, Henderson 2 0-2 5, Shockley 0 0-0 0, Villa 1 0-0 3, Bernard 1 0-0 2, Kinder 1 0-0 2, Mathiasen 1 0-0 2, Urban 0 0-0 0, Jarvis 0 0-0 0, Bogle 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 (11) 5-7 54.