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AVERY MARCHINO

For the third time in the 2025-26 season, Seward County sophomore guard Avery Marchino has been named the KJCCC Division 1 Women's Basketball Player of the Week. Marchino previously won the award in week three and week 13 and now earns it in week 15.

Marchino tallied a career-high 38 points in Seward's 91-52 home win over Independence on Wednesday evening. Marchino finished with 38 points on 15-27 (55.6 percent) shooting, adding eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals in the victory. The 38 points are tied for the fifth most in a single game in Seward County history.

She leads the KJCCC averaging 20.6 points per game, ranks fourth in the league with a 79.8 percent free throw percentage and is seventh in the league averaging 7.3 rebounds per game.

EARL WATT

   • Leader & Times

DODGE CITY — James Fieser said the Liberal Redskins would be playing for pride in their last two games of the season after being eliminated from the postseason, and after a blowout loss in Garden City, the Redskins competed to the final possessions with the game on the line against Dodge City in the regular season finale before falling 56-49.

Liberal got off to a strong start, and after five different Redskins scored in the first quarter, the Redskins had a 17-15 lead. But another quarter where the Redskins struggled ended with Liberal only scoring six points in the second quarter, and that allowed Dodge City to head to halftime with a 25-23 lead.

EARL WATT

   • Leader & Times

GARDEN CITY — Trailing Garden City by 10 points midway through the fourth quarter, the Lady Redskins were in jeopardy of dropping a key Western Athletic Conference game and putting their top three playoff seed at risk. But a flurry of baskets and a record-setting three-point effort by Kylie Rhine lifted the Redskins to an improbable comeback and a 68-66 win in overtime.

After struggling early to get shots to fall, the Lady Redskins relied on defense to stay close. While the Lady Buffaloes relied on freshman Tegan Snodgrass to cut to the lane, the Lady Redskins were expecting Shamari Lewis to carry the load. Snodgrass and Lewis each scored seven points in the first quarter, and the Lady Buffaloes had an 11-9 lead.

The Lady Redskins spread the ball around in the second quarter, and the scoring picked up. Liberal drained four three pointers in the period with one each from Rhine, Trinity Olvera, Rubi Alvarez and Brooklyn Short to help the Lady Redskins erase a six-point deficit and take a 29-26 halftime lead.

EARL WATT

   • Leader & Times

GARDEN CITY — Liberal couldn’t buy a basket in the first half, and Garden City almost couldn’t miss. That combination led to a lead for the Buffaloes in a 64-43 Redskin loss.

Garden City opened the game on an 11-0 run that included a pair of threes and strong moves to the basket, and the Redskins committed several turnovers and couldn’t get the ball through the hoop when they had chances.