Broncos split in district finals

The Lee's Summit North boys and girls basketball teams were both in district title games but only one was able to advance, with the boys claiming an impressive 66-45 win over Blue Springs South.

The girls did all they could to stick with Blue Springs, only to struggle in the final 10 minutes and fall 61-39.

The Broncos boys showed why they are so tough against the host Jaguars. They played hard-nosed defense in the final three quarters and for the entire game they were attacking the basket at will.

North has adapted the aggressive mentality over the past few weeks and it has paid off. They rarely took shots from the perimeter during the title game, hitting just three shots from outside the paint - all from three-point range - as they just kept getting layup after layup.

Head coach Mike Hilbert talked after the game about how this is a different style of team than he's ever coached, with their ability to get to the basket seemingly at will, but he's not about to start complaining. The Broncos are playing some of their best basketball at the right time.

While it was hard to ignore the Broncos' offense, their defense was just as big of a key. After South hit 6 of 10 shots from the field in the first quarter, they were just 7 of 34 the rest of the game. WIth their size, they were able to neutralize South's Shawn Meyer inside, which didn't allow South's shooters to get many open looks.

But what's most impressive about the Bronco defense is their ability to run in transition after stops and steals. After every steal they were right back on the attack running it down South's throat for layups. The Broncos can play in the half court, but they're much better when they get out and run.

The win sets up a sectional matchup with Rockhurst, a team the Broncos lost to by just a couple of points back in early January. The game will be played Wednesday at the Independence Events Center at 4:45 p.m.

As for the Lady Broncos, the Wildcats turned up the pressure just enough to pull away from the Broncos in the second half.

North came out in the second half with a bounce in their step and sliced a 12-point deficit down to four at 36-32, forcing a Wildcat timeout as they had them on their heels.

But in a matter of minutes the Blue Springs full-court press took over. They finished the quarter on an 11-1 run where the Broncos had trouble just getting a shot off without turning the ball over. North finished with 11 turnovers in the quarter alone.

How the Broncos handled the Wildcat pressure was one of the big keys of Saturday's game and for 2 1/2 quarters they didn't do such a bad job. But Blue Springs has the ability to make you pay for every mistake and they can pounce quick, which is what they did.

Afterward, seniors Ashley Creason and Lauren Dudenhoeffer talked about the successful season, and how the one loss didn't take away from what a memorable year it was. After losing their leading scorer and rebounder, there may have been some question marks coming into this season for the Broncos, but they answered those questions with a hot start and finished fairly strong. They just ran into a tough team Saturday.

Read Wednesday's Journal for full stories and photos from both games. Also, check back here Tuesday night for a preview of the state sectional game for the Bronco boys against the Hawklets.