A shot by Bonner Springs’ organ Lawrence made it a one-point game with 6.2 seconds left, and the Chieftains (10-10, 7-7 Kaw Valley League) turned the ball over on the inbound pass. Kennedy Bacon got a shot off just before the buzzer, but it clanked off the rim, allowing THS to escape with the win.

THS entered the third quarter with a 35-28 lead, but the Braves (14-6, 10-4) opened the fourth on a 10-2 run to go in front for the first time, 38-37. The Chieftains buckled down on defense, allowing just two more points in the final 3:56. They forced several turnovers and pulled down several key offensive rebounds in the game’s final minutes.

THS went just 12-of-30 from the free throw line, but scored their final four points at the stripe.

The Chieftains set the tone early, scoring the game’s first nine points. They led by as many as 11 in the second quarter, but BSHS closed out the half on a 10-3 run to get within four at the break, 25-21.

Justin Nutter

Tonganoxie’s Katelyn Waldeier led all scorers with 14 points and pulled down 15 rebounds for a double-double. Emily Soetaert added 13 points in the win. Abrise Sims led Bonner Springs with 11 points.

Both teams will open Class 4A-1 sub-state action Thursday. Tonganoxie is the No. 4 seed in its tournament and will face top-seeded Piper at Basehor-Linwood. Meanwhile, BSHS is a No. 3 seed and will play No. 2 Sumner Academy at De Soto.

Score by quarters

Bonner Springs 11 10 7 12 — 40

Tonganoxie 17 8 10 6 — 41

Individual scoring

BONNER SPRINGS — Abrise Sims 5-10 0-0 11, Morgan Lawrence 4-6 0-0 8, Kyliea Jarrett 3-7 0-0 6, Julianne Jackson 3-10 0-1 6, Mikaela Bennett 2-3 0-4 4, Miyah Hightower 0-2 2-2 2, Kennedy Bizzell 1-5 0-0 2, Kennedy Bacon 0-2 1-2 1.

TONGANOXIE — Katelyn Waldeier 5-10 4-8 14, Emily Soetaert 4-9 3-9 13, Tressa Walker 3-7 0-2 7, Sarah Ahart 1-1 4-7 6, Kara Banks 0-1 1-4 1.

Bonner Springs boys 64, Tonganoxie 56

Bonner Springs watched a 10-point halftime lead shrink to one at the end of the third quarter, but rebounded for a six-point lead on the road.

The Braves (7-13, 4-10 KVL) started the second half with a 31-21 advantage, but THS (9-11, 6-8) opened the third quarter with seven straight points to get within one possession. The teams battled for the remainder of the quarter, and a conventional three-point play by Tonganoxie’s Eric McPherson cut the Braves’ lead to 43-42 at the end of the period.

BSHS gave itself some breathing room when it opened the fourth on a 10-3 run. The Chieftains stayed within striking distance the rest of the way and drew within four in the game’s final seconds, but BSHS scored the final four points to secure the win.

Neither team could gain an advantage in the early going, as the Braves led by just a point after one quarter. They started to pull away in the second, opening up a seven-point lead midway through the quarter. Aaron McGee gave BSHS made it a double-digit game when he drained a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer.

Bonner Springs’ Brenden Dotson gave THS fits all night, scoring a game-high 23 points on a 10-of-13 shooting effort. Tyler Ford led THS with 16 points.

The Braves and Chieftains will both open sub-state competition Friday against tournament hosts. BSHS is a No. 3 seed and will play at No. 2 De Soto. Tonganoxie is a No. 4 seed and will travel to Basehor-Linwood.

Score by quarters

Bonner Springs 13 18 12 21 — 64

Tonganoxie 12 9 21 14 — 56

Individual scoring

BONNER SPRINGS — Brenden Dotson 10-13 2-3 23, Aaron McGee 4-7 1-4 11, Jonah Freese 4-5 1-2 9, Jordan Jackson 1-4 4-6 7, Antonio Roark 1-6 3-4 5, Zshavon Dotson 1-2 1-2 3, Weston Vitt 1-1 0-0 2, Dvante’ McGee 1-1 0-0 2, Travis Dooley 1-3 0-0 2.

TONGANOXIE — Tyler Ford 4-7 7-8 16, James Grizzle 5-6 1-2 12, Jack Dale 5-11 0-0 11, Jared Sommers 2-3 1-2 5, Eric McPherson 2-6 1-3 5, Ben Johnson 1-3 2-2 4, Carl Hecht 1-2 0-0 2, Brady Swedo 0-3 1-2 1.