Staff Photo by Steve Sell
Before the final seconds ticked off the game clock at the Topeka Expocentre at Saturday's girls 5A state championship game, the McPherson students began chanting "Un--de--feated." The Lady Bullpups waited for the final buzzer before their celebration erupted on the court. After receiving the championship trophy, team members carry it toward the fans' side of the court.

By STEVE SELL, Sentinel Sports Editor

TOPEKA -- McPherson High's girls, you can now go ahead and exhale.
Whew!

Turn off the pressure in the cooker. The Bullpups have done it.

MHS completed its second 25-0 season in the past seven years Saturday afternoon with a defensive-dominating 40-30 victory over hometown heroes Shawnee Heights at the Expocentre.

The Bullpups went wire-to-wire, as they began the year as the state's top-ranked team, based on the fact they returned all but one player from last year's state runner-up team. Also, the Bullpups had been the bridesmaids in 2003, so they entered Saturday's game with a lot to prove, but also with a gorilla-sized load of pressure.
"There was a lot of pressure on our kids," said MHS coach Scott Schaefer, who during warmups had remarked that his team looked uncharacteristically tight. "I'm just happy they were able to withstand that. Sometimes that kind of stuff is unfair, but they handled it like true athletes."

It was the Bullpups' sixth title overall, winning back-to-back in 1981-82, and then tripling from 1997-99.

MHS' defensive effort was keyed by Kansas State signee Marlies Gipson, who put up almost numbing, super-human numbers. She had a remarkable 17 rebounds, but more stunningly, she blocked 14 shots, as the T-Birds were determined to try and get her into foul trouble.

"She was just immense inside, just tremendous," Schaefer said. "We broke down against their penetration several times, but I think they were thinking if they just kept taking it at her, that she would eventually make mistakes and get into foul trouble. They kept throwing it to Julia (Hale) and she'd turn and shoot it and Marlies would block it."
Both offenses paled in comparison to the defenses. The first half was forgettable by both teams, as MHS shot 22.1 percent, but that was better than the 21.7 by the Thunderbirds, which resulted in a 15-14 MHS lead. The Bullpups actually had a six-point lead just before the break, but fumbled it around, allowing the T-Birds to score five quick points.

A sequence midway through the third quarter perhaps best epitomized the game. MHS was up 23-22 when the T-Birds took it right at Gipson three times. She blocked the first shot, but it went back to the T-Birds. They tried again, but it was another rejection, though Heights kept possession. A third attempt had the same result, which had the T-Birds wondering if they could ever get anything past her.
A Jamie Sims 3-pointer near the end of the third quarter gave the Bullpups a 26-24 lead going into the final eight minutes. The `Pups, who had many runs in this tournament, finally got it going offensively and started the final period with a 10-0 blast, which effectively salted the title away, though three straight baskets by Jessica Mainz in the last two minutes did whittle the margin to 36-30. But two Sims free throws and a basket by Gipson pushed the final to 40-30, meaning the Bullpups won every game by double digits this year, though, fittingly, this was their closest. It was only the second loss of the year for the T-Birds, who finished 23-2.

MHS held Heights to just 11 of 55 from the field for 20 percent and the Bullpups finished with 16 blocks in all.

Sims, who gets somewhat overlooked state-wide but often has come up big in the clutch, led the Bullpups with 13 points.

"That 3-pointer she hit (at the end of the third quarter) was big. Anytime you're clawing for one point at a time and you get three, it's like a big leap forward," Schaefer said.
Ashley Sweat scored 10, as Heights did a good job of denying her the basketball after she had rung up 53 in the first two games. The T-Birds were led by Mainz with 9.
Schaefer admitted that even though it's his fourth title at MHS, this one might be the most special. His daughter, Kendra, is one of the five seniors who played their final Bullpup game, with the others being Gipson, Sims, Lindsey Oliver and Monica Adcock.
"I've known these kids for so long through Kendra basically, and little kids basketball all the way on up," he said. "The other kids are very special to me, but having a daughter on the team is a very unique experience and something I'll always cherish."

By going 25-0, MHS now has won 48 of its last 50 games, the only losses to Hutchinson and Carroll.

MHS (40) -- Ulsaker 2-4, 4-5, 8; James 0-3, 1-2, 1; Sims 5-10, 2-2, 13; Sweat 3-9, 4-4, 10; Oliver 0-1, 0-0, 0; Adcock 0-2, 0-0, 0; Gipson 4-11, 0-0, 8. Totals -- 14-43, 11-13, 40. 3-pointers -- Sims 1.
Heights (30) -- Fundis 1-4, 1-1, 3; Edmonds 0-1, 0-0, 0; Tetuan 1-6, 2-4, 4; Wells 1-4, 0-1, 2; Stinson 2-12, 0-0, 5; Mainz 4-10, 1-4, 9; Hale 2-18, 3-4, 7. Totals -- 11-55, 7-14, 30. 3-pointers -- Stinson 1.

McPherson High's Marlies Gipson receives a hug after her 17 rebounds and 14 blocked shots helped the Bullpups to the Class 5A state title Saturday.
MHS girls complete 25-0 season with 5A title

McPherson Unified School District 418
514 N. Main
McPherson, KS 67460
620-241-9400
It is the policy of McPherson USD 418 not to discriminate on the basis of sex, disability, race,
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