Sabetha Channel Broadcast – Sabetha vs. Horton (2-27-18) – click here to watch.

For a half, the Sabetha girls’ basketball team found themselves in trouble Tuesday night in the opening game of the 3A girls Horton sub-state as five seed Horton jumped out in front and led the majority of the first half over the four seed.

But Lady Jays’ freshman Melinna Schumann made sure that didn’t last, as she knocked down four 3-pointers in near succession spanning the third and fourth quarters to push Sabetha to the semifinals Friday night with a 40-34 win over the Lady Chargers.

After a game-opening 3-pointer from Sabetha’s Kinley Schuette, Horton went on an 8-0 run to take control of the first quarter midway through. Sabetha was able to overcome four first quarter turnovers to make sure the Lady Chargers didn’t extend the lead any further, as the Lady Jays trailed by just 3 points, 8-5, after the first quarter.

Both teams struggled to hold onto the basketball in the second quarter combining for 11 total turnovers, and as a result of the mistakes the score remained close at halftime with Horton leading 17-15.

This is where Schumann got going.

The freshman entered the third quarter with just a free throw, but hit back-to-back treys from the right wing to spark the Sabetha offense early in the second half. The Lady Jays notched 15 points in the quarter as junior Skylar McAfee also netted 5 points to give Sabetha a 30-25 lead heading into the fourth.

In the opening moments of the fourth quarter Schuman buried another 3-pointer, this time from the right corner, but Horton’s Kaitlyn McAfee answered with a long ball of her own to cut the deficit back down to five.

Schumann delivered the dagger with another 3-pointer from the left corner, as Horton struggled from the free throw line down the stretch going just 2 of 5 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter with all three misses coming on front ends of one-and-ones.

Both teams struggled with turnovers throughout as Horton finished with 19 while Sabetha finished with 14, but the Lady Jays turned over the basketball just four times in the second half which proved to be the difference.

Sabetha (11-9) now heads to Horton where they will take on 3A No. 1 Nemaha Central Friday in the semifinals of sub-state with tip off set for 7:30 and live coverage on KNZA 103.9 FM. The Lady Thunder took both meetings this season, winning 47-35 and 50-34.

Horton ends the season with an overall record of 8-12, and will have to replace five key seniors; Callie Hoobler, Kaitlyn McAfee, Zoe Bone, Kristen Becker and Daspin Bruning.

Sabetha: Melinna Schumann – 15, Skylar McAfee – 9, Jessica Payne – 5, Hillary Krebs – 4, Hannah Wertenberger – 2, Payton Michael – 2.

Horton: Kaitlyn McAfee – 16, Daspin Bruning – 7, Maryanna Randall – 5, Zoe Bone – 4, Kailea Smith – 2.