TONGANOXIE HIGH’S LIZ BASKA puts up a shot over the outstretched arm of Eudora’s Elaina Kouri. Baska and the Chieftains earned a berth in the Class 4A state tournament with Saturday’s 46-34 sub-state title-game victory.

Tonganoxie - Ali Pistora simply couldn’t help but show the waterworks. The Tonganoxie High senior had just played her last basketball game in the Tonganoxie gym — and well enough to make a return trip to the Class 4A state tournament in Salina.

But Eudora didn’t make it easy for Pistora, who scored a game-high 13 points, and her teammates. The Cardinals — the six seed that had knocked off both the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds to advance to the finals — trailed by only three points heading into the final quarter thanks in part to Haley Epperson’s team-high seven points.

The Chieftains will play their first-round state game Thursday, but the opponent and time will not be made available until the final seeding is made. They will be one of the top two seeds, having just lost one game — matched only by Holton, which defeated Topeka Hayden, 59-49, to advance to state.

After fighting throughout the game just to keep within striking distance of Piper in the sub-state final, a last-second three-point attempt by Blake Wieden came up short in a 41-39 loss.

Wieden and Drew Berg, who had a team-high 12 points, each hit a big three-pointer in the final minute to get it close enough that the final three could have punched a ticket to Salina.

“They played defense, but, you know, I thought we did a good job executing. We just probably didn’t shoot the ball as well as we needed to tonight,” said Toot, whose team shot 46 percent for the game, but was just 5-of-15 in the second half.

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