BonnerSprings.com

Fresh off of a challenging regular season where the Bonner Springs Bravettes posted a 4-16 record, the road is about to get even more difficult.

The Bravettes earned the No. 7 seed in the Class 5A sub-state tournament. They were paired with No. 2 seed and perennial power Shawnee Heights (14-6) in a first-round game that was slated for 7 p.m. Wednesday night. Results were unavailable at press time.

The teams have not faced each other this season, however Heights won the Bonner Springs Metro Prep Classic in December, so there is some familiarity.

The Bravettes have improved throughout the season, though this has not been seen in terms of wins. They are hanging around in games longer, a good key to progress for young teams. They recently took Kaw Valley League second place finishers Mill Valley and Basehor-Linwood to the wire.

Some of the recent struggles have come from the absence of leading scorer Malia Williams, who has been ill. Missing Williams has forced many of the younger players to pick up the slack.

One of those younger players, sophomore guard Erica Smith, has led the Bravettes in scoring nearly every game that Williams has missed. Smith, who is a very vocal player, has become one of the leaders on the team along with junior Lynsey Ostman. The pair has formed a formidable backcourt duo during the final month of the season, but the Bravettes were likely to be without Smith against Shawnee Heights due to an undisclosed illness.

“Erica missing the game is really going to (upset) her,” BSHS coach Clay Oakes said. “She is such a competitor and is just in tears over this. We all just hope that she is all right.”

Without Smith and Williams, the Bravettes only have nine players in uniform and may lose Smith’s regular replacement off the bench Meg Fowler, who missed practice on Tuesday, also due to illness.

“This is unbelievable,” Oakes said. “In my 12 years of coaching I have never seen anything like this, losing this many players due to illness is (unheard of).”

If the shorthanded Bravettes knock off Shawnee Heights, they would advance to the sub-state championship game against Schlagle (13-7) or Washington (5-15).

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