McPherson Invitational Boys Basketball Tournament Scores
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Day 3 - 1/25/25
7th place: Manhattan defeats Hutch 63-61
The Manhattan Indians staged a thrilling come-from-behind victory over the Hutchinson Salthawks, pulling out a narrow 63–61 win in a game that went down to the final seconds. Hutchinson controlled much of the early action behind strong inside play from Lamar Govain and key rebounds by Lucas Witt, building a double-digit lead in the first half. Manhattan fought back in the third quarter, with timely outside shooting from Vince Doering and Landon Knopp that cut into the deficit. In a dramatic fourth quarter, the Indians seized the lead in the final minute and held on through tense final possessions, as Hutchinson’s last-second three-pointer missed the mark.
Source: McPherson Optimist Club Stats
5th Place - Lawrence Free State defeats Wichita East 59-55
In a back-and-forth contest, the Lawrence Free State Firebirds edged the Wichita East Blue Aces 59–55 in high school basketball action. Free State jumped out to a 15–11 lead after the first quarter, then held a slim 34–33 advantage at halftime. Wichita East battled back behind buckets from Luke Henderson and key offensive boards from Kamarion Bodney, tying the score multiple times and briefly taking the lead in the second half. However, Free State’s balanced attack—powered by timely shots from players like Bennett Negal and Korbin Dowdell—stretched the margin to 48–41 entering the final period. Although the Blue Aces rallied late, clutch free throws in the closing seconds helped the Firebirds secure the hard-fought 59–55 victory.
Source: McPherson Optimist Club Stats
3rd Place - Shawnee Mission East defeats St. James Academy 62-58
The SM East Lancers edged out the St. James Academy Thunder 62-58 in the third place game of the MIT. The Lancers maintained a slim lead throughout the game, opening with 18 points in the first quarter to the Thunder's 17. While St. James managed to keep pace, posting strong numbers in the third quarter with 16 points and finishing with 17 in the fourth, they ultimately couldn't overcome the Lancers' consistent offensive performance. The Thunder's late-game push proved insufficient to close the four-point gap, as the Lancers held on for the victory.
Source: McPherson Optimist Club Stats
Championship - Blue Valley West defeats McPherson 54-47
For more than half a century, the McPherson Invitational has showcased some of the finest high school basketball talent in Kansas. Since its inception in 1965, the tournament has grown into a midseason highlight, and McPherson High School’s storied Roundhouse has served as center stage for countless classic showdowns. Saturday night added another chapter to that history when the Blue Valley West Jaguars bested the McPherson Bullpups, 54-47, in the championship game of the 61st edition of this prestigious event.
McPherson entered the invitational seeking its 26th tournament title in school history. Blue Valley West, meanwhile, appeared in only its second McPherson Invitational championship game. The Jaguars made the most of their previous title shot, defeating the Bullpups in the 2012 final.
Over the years, McPherson has generally held the upper hand in head-to-head meetings with Blue Valley West, but the Jaguars’ victory in 2012 foreshadowed another tightly contested battle in 2025.
Among the Jaguars’ standouts was junior forward Lawson McGraw, who has garnered significant recruiting attention as a football prospect. McGraw, listed at 6-foot-4 and possessing formidable athleticism, has already fielded multiple Division I scholarship offers, including overtures from Kansas, Kansas State, Cornell and several other D1 programs.
Blue Valley West rode hot perimeter shooting in the first half, knocking down nine three-pointers overall and seizing a 28-23 lead at halftime. McPherson, now 9-2 on the season, fell behind by as many as 13 late in the third quarter. However, behind the scoring burst of senior guard Gabe Pyle, the Bullpups went on a run that electrified the Roundhouse, trimming the deficit and even leading by one point midway through the fourth quarter.
Pyle, who was named Tournament MVP, poured in a game-high 23 points. He connected on five three-pointers and offered clutch defensive plays that helped McPherson claw back into contention. Junior forward Ian Razak added 10 points in the paint, while point guard Jett Pyle contributed nine.
On the other side, Blue Valley West protected its slim lead down the stretch with timely free-throw shooting from Brandon Kirk and Luke Goodale. McGraw added key rebounds and inside baskets, helping the Jaguars finish strong. Tyler Peterson, the 6-foot-7 senior center, also cleaned up on the glass to preserve possession in the closing moments.
Source: Ad Astra Radio
Day 2 - 1/24/25
Consolation Semifinal I: Hutch 58 v Wichita East 61
Consolation Semifinal II: Q3 Lawrence Free State 52 v Manhattan 40
Semifinal I: St. James 46 v Blue Valley West 57
Semifinal II: McPherson 66 v Shawnee Mission East 64 (OT)
In a thrilling overtime semifinal at the McPherson Invitational, the host Bullpups emerged victorious over Shawnee Mission East, 66-64, thanks to a alley-oop in the final seconds. With the game tied at 64 and time winding down, Jett Pyle found his cousin Gabe Pyle with a well-timed lob pass, which the latter slammed into the winning basket. The dramatic finish capped off a night where Gabe Pyle led all scorers with 23 points, including five crucial points in the overtime period.
The game was a back-and-forth battle throughout, with neither team able to build a substantial lead. McPherson needed a clutch free throw from Bishop Brown with just two seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime at 56-56. The Lancers, led by Stephen Hlobik's 15-point, 12-rebound performance, kept answering McPherson's runs with timely three-pointers, including several big shots from Walt Jones and Logan Verschelden in the fourth quarter and overtime. However, the Pyle cousins' connection on the final play sealed the Bullpups' spot in the championship game against Blue Valley West.
Day 1 - 1/23/25
St. James 68 v Wichita East 44
Q1 - St. James 19 - Wichita East 12
KC Q2 - St. James 33 - Wichita East 20
Q3 - St. James 55 - Wichita East 30
Q4 - St. James 68 - Wichita East 44
Hutchinson 42 v Blue Valley West 53
Q1 - Hutch 0 - BVW 13
Q2 - Hutch 16 - BVW 23
Q3 - Hutch 25 - BVW 40
Q4 - Hutch 42 - BVW 53
Lawrence Free State 47 v Shawnee Mission East 48
Q1 - LFS 12 - SME 18
Q2 - LFS 18 - SME 29
Q3 - LFS 33 - SME 36
Q4 - LFS 47 - SME 48
McPherson 78 v Manhattan 53
The McPherson Bullpups continued their impressive season with a commanding 78-53 victory over Manhattan in the opening round of the McPherson Invitational. Led by a career night from Cade Strathman, who set the tone early with multiple three-pointers, the Bullpups jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back. The balanced McPherson attack, featuring strong performances from the Pyles (Jett and Gabe), Bishop Brown, and Ian Razak, helped extend their advantage to 36-20 by halftime. Despite solid efforts from Manhattan's Landon Knopp, who finished with 16 points, and contributions from Noah McFadden, Manhattan couldn't overcome McPherson's relentless defensive pressure and efficient offense. The win, which pushes McPherson to 8-1 on the season and extends their winning streak to seven games, sets up a semifinal matchup with Shawnee Mission East in the tournament they won last year.
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