Hanover rode a hot first half from beyond the arc and held off a strong effort from Marais Des Cygnes Valley to secure a 71-61 victory Wednesday in the Class 1A Division II girls state quarterfinals in Salina.
The Wildcats, who entered the tournament at 22-3, came out firing early and built a seven-point cushion by the end of the opening quarter, leading 23-16. Hanover continued to stretch the margin in the second period thanks to its outside shooting, knocking down eight three-pointers in the first half to take a 44-33 lead into the locker room.
Hanover cooled somewhat after halftime but maintained control. The Wildcats pushed the advantage to 58-44 by the end of the third quarter, keeping the Trojans at arm’s length despite several rallies.
Marais Des Cygnes Valley, now 22-4, continued to battle in the fourth quarter behind a standout performance from Akyra Traver. Traver poured in 34 points and was disruptive on defense with 14 steals, helping the Trojans trim the deficit but never quite closing the gap enough to threaten the lead.
Hanover finished the night shooting 24 of 56 from the field and connected on 9 of 31 attempts from three-point range. Marais Des Cygnes Valley shot 20 of 49 overall and made 7 of 21 from beyond the arc.
Drew Bruna led a balanced Hanover attack with 18 points as the Wildcats advanced to the state semifinals with the 10-point win.
