By Anthony Gorges
JC Post
The Junction City High School boys' and girls' basketball teams traveled to Topeka High School on Friday night.
Girls recap
Topeka High won the opening tip, scored on the first possession of the game, and cruised to victory over the Junction City Lady Jays on Friday night. The Trojans beat the Lady Jays 80-33.
Despite a tough first quarter for Junction City, which trailed 34-4 after one, the second quarter was much better. The team ended the half on a 12-0 run to cut the deficit down to a 41-20 halftime score.
In the second half, T-High was moving up and down the floor quickly, scoring in transition and turning defense into offense. The final score was 80-33, with the Lady Trojans picking up their fourth win of the season.
Junction City was led in scoring by junior Morgan Nabus with eight points, and junior Kalia Riley added seven.
With the loss, the Lady Jays fall to 1-5 on the season. The girls will host Shawnee Mission West on Tuesday night in Junction City.
Boys recap
The Blue Jays entered Friday night undefeated at 6-0, coming off an overtime win over their rival Manhattan on Tuesday night. After a big win on Tuesday night, the Blue Jays handled business on Friday night, beating the Trojans of Topeka High 69-46.
Junction City jumped out to a quick 9-0 lead thanks to stellar defense and a couple of three-pointers by senior Jackson Austin. The first quarter was all JC leading 24-8 after one. The second quarter featured a nice run by the Trojans, cutting the lead to 10 at one point, and trailed 34-20 at halftime.
In the second half, the Blue Jays picked up their defensive intensity, and shots started falling and led 53-31 at the end of three. In the fourth quarter, Junction City had a continuously running clock and emptied their bench for the fourth time this season. The Blue Jays beat the Trojans by 23, 69-46.
Three players scored in double-digits for JC. Seniors Larkin Turner and Jackson Austin had 15, and sophomore Brody Boeckman added 10 points.
With the win, the Blue Jays go to 7-0 for the second straight season. Next up for the boys is a trip to Dodge City, to play in the Tournament of Champions next week.