Senior guards Vinny Collier and Kaden O’Bray combined for 47 points as ninth-seeded Frontenac took control in the second quarter and rolled past eighth-seeded Neodesha 71-48 Friday night in a Class 3A sub-state No. 1 game in the Bluestreaks’ gymnasium.
The Raiders (12-9) advance to the semifinal round and will play at top-seeded Galena at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The Bulldogs (21-0) downed Columbus 75-42 in their postseason opener.
Collier poured in 29 points to lead the Raiders. He made his first five shots and scored 11 of Frontenac’s 13 points in the game’s first five minutes, and his next two 3-point attempts went halfway down before rattling out. He totaled 13 points in the first half, hit back-to-back treys early in the third stanza and converted 10-of-12 free throws in the final 4:40.
“He’s just been playing within himself honestly,” Frontenac coach Ryan Varsolona said. “He’s playing within the system and being patient. When he’s getting his looks, he’s taking them. When they are closing out on him, he’s making the right decision with the basketball. Just really pleased.”
O’Bray hit two 3-pointers while scoring 18 points, including 11 in the second half.
“The most important thing I have to say about Kaden is his defense,” Varsolona said. “We were really worried about their point guard coming in, but I felt like Kaden did a good job on him and didn’t let him get going.”
Neodesha led 19-15 after the first quarter and scored 20 seconds into the second period for a six-point lead. But the Bluestreaks’ didn’t make another field goal until a reverse layup just before the halftime buzzer.
Meanwhile, the Raiders broke away with a 22-1 outburst between Neodesha’s two buckets. Jake Wegner and Jayden Hougton scored on the inside and O’Bray hit a 15-footer to tie the game, and Collier’s high-arching shot from the left side gave Frontenac the lead.
O’Bray nailed a trey from the right corner, Wegner added four points, and Luke Sneed’s four-point play from the left corner capped the run for a 37-24 halftime lead.
“I’m real proud of all of the seniors,” Varsolona said. “They put in the work every day, and they are good leaders. Without them, I don’t know if we would have weathered that storm early on. They kept their composure and led the team through the next 24 minutes.”
The Bluestreaks got within 10 points midway through the fourth quarter, but the Raiders closed the game with a 16-3 spree, including 12 free throws.
“The gym was pretty hot,” Varsolona said. “I was worried about our legs in the fourth quarter, how we would handle it. But the guys did a good job. We struggled the first couple of trips, then started making our freee throws and taking care of business.”
Rylan Allen led Neodesha with 16 points, including three treys among 11 points in the first quarter. J’Vonte White scored 10 of his 13 points after halftime, and freshman Tayte Leck had 10.
Wednesday’s game is the third meeting between Frontenac and Galena this season. The Bulldogs beat the Raiders by two points in Frontenac and one point at home on a shot with 1 second left.
“They’re a good team,” Varsolona said. “Matt (Meyr, coach) does a good job with them, and we know Jack (Perry, senior guard) is one of the best in the state. We have our hands full, and the rest of their senior class plays well together. They have chemistry, play for each other.”
