By CONOR NICHOLL
Eight girls’ basketball teams didn’t lose in the 2021-22 regular season.
That group was Class 6A Olathe North, 5A Salina Central, 4A Wellington, 2A’s Sterling and Pittsburg Colgan, 1A-I Jetmore-Hodgeman County and Centralia and 1A-II Golden Plains.
After Tuesday, nearly every Kansas team has played at least one basketball game. Three of those regular season streaks were halted.
Sterling, which basically graduated every key player off last year’s team, has opened 0-2. The Black Bears had Kansas’ longest overall winning streak at 40 games for boys or girls.
Centralia fell, 54-37, to Nemaha Central in a key contest. Centralia is currently ranked fourth in Class 1A, Division I. Nemaha Central is fifth in 3A.
On Tuesday, Salina Central, which also lost multiple key players including a pair of Division I signings, took its first defeat with a 45-41 loss to Hutchinson.
That leaves five teams that have extended its regular season winning streak: Olathe North, Wellington, Colgan, Hodgeman County and Golden Plains.
Colgan, with veteran coach Abby Farabi, opened with a 66-34 victory at Columbus on Friday in a CNC matchup. Two seasons ago, Farabi was SIK 2A Coach of the Year after she led Colgan to a state runner-up. Last year, Colgan went 21-1 and fell to Garden Plain in the state quarterfinals.
Colgan will face St. Paul on Thursday and Girard on Friday.
The Panthers have not lost in the regular season since a 51-39 defeat against Frontenac on Feb. 19, 2021.
Colgan has its two well-known posts with senior Lauren Torrance and junior Lily Brown. They combined for more than 34 points a game last season. Torrance is currently the only healthy senior on the roster. Ava Glover is the second senior and has an injury.
Brown delivered 30 points and Torrance had 24 in the Columbus win. Brown also averaged a double-double as a sophomore after a big freshman season. Last March, Brown was first team all-state (top-5) by the Kansas coaches, and Torrance was honorable mention. Both are at least 6-feet tall.
The other three starters are: 5-foot-10 sophomore Delanie Meek, 5-5 junior Polona Kalan, and 5-6 freshman JaKayla Davis. The top reserves are four sophomores: 5-10 Mariah Harris and a trio of 5-5 players: Khyla Osborn, Molly Swezey, and Lauren O’Brien.
Among the other longest current regular season girls’ basketball winning streaks:
Olathe North last lost in the regular season in a 43-38 defeat to Olathe Northwest on Feb. 19, 2021. ON is currently fourth in 6A.
Wellington’s last regular season loss came in a 52-37 defeat to Andale on Feb. 12, 2021. The Crusaders are currently sixth in 4A.
Hodgeman County last fell in the regular season to Bucklin, 44-36, in the finals of the SPIAA midseason tournament championship on Jan. 30, 2021. HC is fifth in 1A-I.
Golden Plains has easily the state’s longest regular season winning streak. Golden Plains is currently fifth in 1A-II. GP has not dropped a regular season game since a 49-33 defeat to Hill City on Feb. 15, 2018.
