By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
The Chapman Lady Irish dominated Mulvane in the sub-state championship game on Friday, eliminating the Wildcats 62-40 to advance to their first 4A state tournament since 2020.
Jai Rogers continued her domination of Class 4A with 28 points on the evening, while Avery Baer etched her name into the record books, securing the single-season assist record in style.
Mulvane’s Brittani Peschel looked unstoppable out of the gates, scoring 13 first-quarter points to deliver the Wildcats a 16-11 lead after the first.
Chapman quickly went to the bench, putting defensive stopper Kennedy Sholz onto Peschel, and the move worked as Peschel scored just three points the rest of the half.
At the intermission, Chapman held a 27-23 lead, feeling good but needing more to secure a spot at state.
Enter Jai Rogers.
After scoring just six points in the first half, Rogers exploded, striking for 14 in the third, and eight in the fourth to put the Wildcats away in a comfortable 62-40 win.
Rogers’ 28 points led all players, with Peschel nearly matching pace with 27. Callie Cook and Adelyn Kirkpatrick each chipped in nine points in the victory as well.
For Mulvane, the season draws to a close at 15-10 while the Lady Irish, now 16-9 will join Wellington (22-1), Rock Creek (22-3), Eudora (21-3), Hayden (19-6), Andale (17-6), Bishop Miege (17-8), and Concordia (14-9) in the 4A state tournament.
You can watch this game on-demand any time below.