photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

The Eudora girls basketball team poses with their substate championship plaque after beating Wamego on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Eudora High School.

EUDORA – The Eudora Cardinals girls basketball team is headed back to the Class 4A State Tournament.

Eudora used tough defense and timely offense to knock off Wamego, 41-34, in its substate final on Saturday afternoon at Eudora. The victory sends the Cardinals back to state for the first time since 2022, when Eudora finished as the runner-up.

“Nobody on our team has ever been to state, so this feels surreal,” said Eudora sophomore guard Brynn Deterding. “This is amazing to experience with this team and these girls. Our bond with each other is so strong. We play so hard and we just want to do well for each other.”

The Class 4A State Tournament will be at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina, and Eudora (20-2) will play its quarterfinal game on Thursday. The Cardinals will learn their quarterfinal opponent and game time when the KSHSAA seeds the eight substate winners and releases the bracket, most likely on Sunday morning.

“Personally, for these girls to make it to the state tournament, and this season as a whole has just been incredible, and I’m not just talking about them as basketball players,” said Eudora head coach Brandon Parker, who also led the Cardinals to the runner-up finish in 2022. “All of these girls are fantastic people and human beings. There’s never been any problems with them at all and to be able to see them enjoy this with their friends and family members means the world to me.”

Wamego (16-6) – which also lost to Eudora, 52-38, in the Cardinals’ season opener on Dec. 10 – scored seven straight points and led 11-5 after the first quarter. The Red Raiders got 3-pointers from Lexi Hecht and Sariah Pittenger-Reed in the opening eight minutes to help stake them to their lead.

However, Eudora responded in the second quarter, going on a 13-0 run and holding Wamego without a field goal for over nine minutes between the first and second quarters to take a 20-12 lead with 1:04 to go before halftime. Wamego finally got a basket from Kendall Mayer with 40 seconds left before halftime, but the Cardinals still took a 22-16 lead into the break.

“(In the second quarter) we just stayed with what we want to do,” said Parker. “We knew before the game that there would be a lot of adrenaline and eventually that would wear off. I knew that eventually we’d level off and we’d be there at the end.”

Eudora didn’t let Wamego within eight points in the third quarter, getting a 3-pointer from Deterding late in the period to take a 34-21 lead into the fourth quarter. In the final period, Eudora’s defense kept Wamego from cutting too much into the Cardinals’ lead and Eudora scored just enough points to keep the Red Raiders at arm’s length and advance to the State Tournament.

“(In the fourth quarter) we wanted to get the ball and run time off the clock,” said Deterding, who made 5-of-6 free throws in the fourth quarter. “We got some stops and then ran our offense, moved the ball and ran the clock. When I first went to the free-throw line, I was a little bit nervous, but once I made a couple and we stayed ahead, I started to think I could do this.”

Deterding led Eudora with 12 points, including 10 in the second half. Izzy Brunkow and Avah Dye pitched in eight apiece for the Cardinals in the win. Hecht and Mayer had 11 points each to lead Wamego in the loss.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Eudora sophomore Izzy Brunkow shoots a free throw during the substate game against Wamego on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Eudora High School.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Eudora senior Ally Rietcheck shoots against Wamego on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Eudora High School.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Eudora sophomore Brynn Deterding dribbles down the court against Wamego on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Eudora High School.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Eudora sophomore Izzy Brunkow dribbles forward during the substate game against Wamego on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Eudora High School.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Eudora senior Hanna Keltner fights for a rebound during a Wamego free throw on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Eudora High School.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Eudora sophomore Izzy Brunkow looks to inbound the ball during the substate game against Wamego on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Eudora High School.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Eudora senior Hanna Keltner ties up a Wamego ball handler during the substate game on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Eudora High School.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Eudora senior Hanna Keltner stays in front of a Wamego ball handler on Saturday, March 8, 2025, during the substate game at Eudora High School.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Eudora freshman Avah Dye goes up for the tip against Wamego’s Isabella Wilber during the substate game on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Eudora High School.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

The Eudora girls basketball team huddles before taking to the court for the substate game against Wamego on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Eudora High School.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Eudora senior Hanna Keltner runs onto the court before the substate game against Wamego on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Eudora High School.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

The Eudora girls basketball team lines up for the national anthem before its substate game against Wamego on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Eudora High School.