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Silver Lake Eagles cruise to eighth state girls basketball championship

Story & photos by Dale Grosbach

Rica Simpson

• 3 min read
Silver Lake Eagles cruise to eighth state girls basketball championship
Silver Lake Eagle Karys Deiter (23) takes the ball to the rim against the Osage City Lady Indians in the KSHSAA Class 3A girls state basketball championship. Deiter scored 19 points for the Eagles. The Silver Lake High School Eagles defeated the Osage City High School Lady Indians 60-44 on March 14, 2026, at Hutchinson Sports Arena, Hutchinson, Kan. With the victory, the Silver Lake Eagles claimed the KSHSAA Class 3A girls championship.

The Osage City Lady Indians faced the Silver Lake High School Eagles in the Kansas State High School Athletic Association (KSHSAA) Class 3A girls state basketball final at the Hutchinson Sports Arena on Saturday, March 14, 2026.

Entering the game, the Silver Lake Eagles were the No. 2 seed with a 27-1 record, while the Osage City Lady Indians were the No. 4 seed with a 26-3 record.

In the semifinal on Friday, Osage City overcame the No. 1-seeded, previously undefeated Halsted High School Dragons 44-39. Silver Lake defeated the Holcomb High School Longhorns 50-36 in the other semifinal.

The championship game began with the Silver Lake Eagles establishing control over both the pace of play and the scoreboard. Four minutes into the first quarter, the Eagles had built a six-point lead and never trailed throughout the contest.

Emory Speece led the offense for the Osage City Lady Indians, scoring 10 of their 14 first-half points and triggering their offense from her guard position.

Silver Lake's defense was dominant in the first half, successfully blocking Osage City's access to the lane and forcing them into long-range shots. As a result, the Lady Indians managed only a 31.2 percent shooting percentage from the field before halftime.

The Eagles maintained their strong second-half performance, continuing to extend their lead. By the final buzzer, Silver Lake had grown its advantage to 16 points, winning 60-44.

Jayla Jenkins led the scoring for Osage City with 18 points, while Emory Speece contributed 15 points and Kaelyn Boss grabbed seven rebounds.

For the Silver Lake Eagles, Kailyn Hanni led the scoring with 21 points, while Karys Deiter added 19. Hanni also led the team in rebounds with nine.

With the victory, Silver Lake secured its eighth state basketball championship, adding to its previous title won in 2024.

Osage City Lady Indian Jayla Jenkins (31) drives to the basket against the Silver Lake Eagles in the KSHSAA Class 3A girls state basketball championship. Jenkins led the Lady Indians with 18 points.
Lady Indian Emory Speece (1) puts up a shot from the corner for Osage City against the Silver Lake Eagles in the KSHSAA Class 3A girls state basketball championship. Speece contributed 15 points and three assists for the Lady Indians.
Silver Lake Eagle Kailyn Hanni (4) puts up a shot from the baseline against the Osage City Lady Indians in the KSHSAA Class 3A girls state basketball championship. Hanni led the Eagles with 21 points and seven assists.
Silver Lake Eagle Savannah Wende (24) shoots from the corner against the Osage City Lady Indians in the KSHSAA Class 3A girls state basketball championship.
Osage City Lady Indian Jewelia Kitselman (21) defends against Silver Lake Eagle Paige Heiman (14) in the KSHSAA Class 3A girls state basketball championship.