Topeka West avenged its lone loss, Brooks set a program record. 3 takeaways from the win over Seaman
The Topeka West Chargers avenged their only loss of the season at the hands of the Seaman Vikings, doing it in historic fashion.
The Chargers steamrolled Seaman 74-58 at Topeka West Friday. Ranked second in 5A, Topeka West improved to 12-1.
The Chargers rode 33 points from senior Elijah Brooks, who broke the Topeka West scoring record in the process.
While Brooks stole the spotlight, there were plenty of other storylines worth noting in the game.
Topeka West avenges loss
Topeka West is riding an 11-game win streak. But the team on the other bench knows what it takes to beat the Chargers. The Vikings remain the only team to do it this season.
Seaman defeated Topeka West 69-59 back on Dec. 7. That night, Vikings Mateo Hyman and Kaeden Bonner were on fire. They combined for 47 points on 18 of 22 shooting. Bonner dropped in six three-pointers that night.
It was that kind of shooting the Vikings needed Friday. They didn’t get it.
“We’re the only team that has beaten them this year,” Seaman coach Craig Cox said. “And we played really well and hit shots that night.
“Tonight we just didn’t shoot the ball well enough to stay in the game. We had a stretch where we had four good looks – shots that we wanted to take – that could have kept us in the game, and we didn’t hit any of them. You’ve just got to shoot the ball better to hang with an explosive offense like West has.”
For the Chargers, it was important to make up for that early-season defeat.
“It’s definitely good for our confidence, because back then we weren’t really the same team that we are now,” Brooks said. “We didn’t have the same chemistry that we have now. I feel like at the beginning of the game (tonight), we just had to settle in. Once we started playing, it started flowing from there, and everybody started clicking.”
Topeka West coach Rick Bloomquist remembers the loss to Seaman, and said that, even though it wasn’t close Friday, it was still a quality win.
“They did a good job. Seaman’s a good basketball team,” Bloomquist said. “They’re a state-caliber basketball team without a doubt. They’ve got all the pieces to be successful.”
Chargers work through adversity
Seaman took its only lead of the night on a Gavin Wilhelm three-pointer with one-minute left in the first period, a 13-11 advantage that held to the end of the quarter.
Seaman employed All-Centennial League senior Ty Henry to stop Brooks, limiting him to just one basket. Henry avoided fouling, and Aron Davis scored twice in the quarter. So far, so good for the Vikings.
“We couldn’t get frustrated,” Bloomquist said. “We talk about persistence all the time. Being persistent in what we do.”
The Chargers got Brooks rolling in the second period, and created a 35-27 advantage by halftime. They never looked back, leading by at least 10 for the final quarter and a half.
Xavier Alexander was big in the second quarter with eight of his 12 points.
Seaman plays through gauntlet
The Vikings are weathering a tough stretch of games. They went 1-2 in the McPherson Invitational Tournament last week. They lost to St. James Academy, the eighth-ranked team in 5A and to the always-tough host McPherson.
Their one victory at the tournament came against a team that features Missouri commit Aidan Shaw.
“We played good against a very fine Blue Valley team,” Cox said. “It was a tough victory and we showed some real poise down the stretch.
“Then we played St. James in the semifinals, and they’re really good. We lost by seven. Then we got McPherson in the consolation game and lost by four.
“One and two isn’t what you want in a tournament. You want to be on the other side of it. But still it was a good experience for our guys.”
The Vikings got back in the win column at home against Manhattan on Tuesday. But then had to face the Chargers, ranked second in 5A.
It doesn’t get any easier.
“We’ve got plenty of room for improvement, but we’ve got two extremely tough opponents at home next week in Junction City and Highland Park,” Cox said.
Highland Park is ranked third in 5A, and Junction City whipped the Vikings in the first game of the season 80-63.
Davis works back into Vikings rotation
Aron Davis, an integral part of Seaman’s 13-9 season as a sophomore, has been working his way back from injury. The 6-foot-4 Davis scored 10 points against the Chargers and gives the Vikings a big presence they’ve been missing.
“He started playing at the tournament in McPherson, and got those three games in, and it was good to get him back with us,” Cox said. “Then, he was actually our leading scorer on Tuesday against Manhattan. He had 19 points in that one.”
Davis floated between the lane and the perimeter Friday night, knocking down a three-pointer and showing the ability to put the ball on the floor at times. Cox gave the junior occasional breaks throughout the contest.
“He’s still getting into basketball shape after such an extended time off,” Cox said. “He’s just going to continue to work his way back to his potential.”
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Topeka West beats Seaman, Elijah Brooks sets program record
