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WU women take control in second half for 68-52 non-conference win over Bulldogs
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
There was very little that Washburn University women's basketball coach Lora Westling was happy about at halftime of Tuesday's home non-conference game against Truman State and Westling imparted that displeasure to her team in no uncertain terms.
Junior Britany Kogbara scored a team-high 18 points in her first Washburn start, helping lead the Ichabods to a 68-52 win over Truman State. {Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
And although Westling didn't get everything she was looking for out of her team in the second half, the Ichabods did plenty enough to take control on the way to a 68-52 victory in Lee Arena while improving to 7-3 on the season.
"It's sad that with the experienced group that we have, with that many seniors, that I have to raise my voice like that to get any sort of response,'' Westling said. "It's disappointing, but I'm glad it worked. Aniah (Wayne) came out and had a great second half with effort and I thought Britany (Kogbara) wanted the ball a little more, but we still didn't get as much as we needed.
"We had a great opportunity for some players to step up and show some things tonight and that level of effort and execution is just not to the standard that we've set here.''
Early offense built a lead in the opening minutes for Washburn as the Ichabods led 9-6 after Kogbara, a junior, got a layup to go.
But the next six points went to the Bulldogs (4-6) to go in front. The Ichabods finished the opening quarter on a 5-0 run and led 16-14 after a 3-pointer by Wayne, a senior, with 32 seconds left in the quarter.
Washburn extended its lead to 21-14 after senior Gabi Giovannetti connected from deep, but the Ichabod offense went cold and was held scoreless for the next five minutes as Truman State pulled within two.
The lead went back to the Bulldogs in the final minute before half as they went into the locker room leading 28-27 after both teams shot under 30 percent in the half.
Washburn shot 28.6 percent in the second quarter while committing 12 first-half turnovers and giving up 18 first-half points to Truman State's Emajin McCallop, a former Ichabod.
But Washburn came out of the break with the first five points to go in front and the lead quickly grew to double-digits with a triple by junior Madelyn Amekporfor at the 3:26 mark of the third quarter as part of a 15-0 run.
The Ichabods hit 8 of 15 shots in the third while holding the Bulldogs to 25 percent shooting and led 47-35 heading to the fourth quarter.
The Washburn offense continued to churn in the fourth as the Ichabod lead reached 24 points before Truman State cut its final deficit to 16 points.
"I think we're very capable of bouncing back from adversity,'' Wayne said. "I think we kind of were shocked in the first half, but I think as a team we made sure to get in tight huddles and just know that we could do it and play our game.
"We had a big bounce back in the third quarter and that really set the tone for the rest of the game.''
After a 41-point second half the Ichabods shot 43.5 percent for the game while holding the Bulldogs to 18-57 (31.6 percent) shooting overall.
The rebounding battle was won 44-29 by Washburn, which led 42-24 in paint scoring as well.
Kogbara, making her first start for the Ichabods in the absence of injured senior star Yibari Nwidadah, led four players in double figures for the Ichabods with 18 points on 9 of 12 shooting while also adding five rebounds and two blocks.
"I wasn't nervous coming in,'' Kogbara said. "I've been in this position before and just knew I had to be aggressive.
"Me and Yibari, we've been competing since Day 1 in practice and we're different players, but we're kind of similar in many ways. I really love how she's been competing with me and she pretty much prepared me for this moment.''
Amekporfor had 13 points on 6 of 9 shooting while Giovannetti chippped in 12 points and senior Payton Sterk finished with 10.
Senior Aniah Wayne grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds with 7 points and four steals in Tuesday's 68-52 Washburn win over Truman State. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Wayne scored seven points while adding a career and game-high 10 rebounds and registering four steals.
"We've emphasized rebounding in practice and we know it can be a game changer,'' Wayne said. "Rebounding was big in this game and I think taking on that role was very important and just knowing that I could do it.''
A1 Lock & Key Performers Dec. 15, 2025
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Austin Broadie
AUSTIN BROADIE, Washburn University
A 6-foot senior rightside hitter, Broadie was named a first-team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association after helping lead the Ichabods to a share of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association regular-season title and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The MIAA Player of the Year, Broadie registered 348 kills on the year with a .302 hitting percentage, 72 blocks and 72 digs.
Dillon Claussen
DILLON CLAUSSEN, Washburn University
Claussen, a 6-foot-8 sophomore, scored 21 points with 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocked shots Saturday as No. 2-ranked Washburn men's basketball improved to 11-0 on the season with a 78-72 double-overtime Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association victory over Central Missouri in Lee Arena.
Malakyah Duncan
MALAKYAH DUNCAN, Topeka West
Duncan, a senior basketball standout, scored 23 points Friday, hitting 8 of 11 shots from the floor and 7 of 11 free throws, as No. 4-ranked (Class 5A) Topeka West remained unbeaten with a 71-57 United Kansas Conference road romp past No. 2-ranked Seaman. Duncan scored 17 points earlier in the week as the Chargers posted a 79-44 non-league win over Shawnee Mission West.
Heights girls drop 77-74 OT heartbreaker to Manhattan despite Emmot's 37 points
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights girls basketball coach Bob Wells knows that his team is making strides, but he also knows that the T-Birds let an opportunity get away Monday night in a 77-74 home non-conference overtime loss to Manhattan.
Junior KK Emmot scored 37 points Monday in Shawnee Heights' 77-74 overtime loss to Manhattan. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Now 1-3 on the season, Heights led for the bulk of Monday's game, including an 11-point lead in the opening minutes, a nine-point advantage at the half, a 14-point cushion in the third stanza and a 12-point lead early in the fourth period.
But the 5-1 Indians came storming back, including scoring the final six points of regulation to force overtime at 67-67, and Manhattan came from behind again in the extra session to lead by as many as five points before holding off the T-Birds in the closing seconds.
"We knew Manhattan wasn't going to quit and it was a fight to the end and we just have to learn to keep our composure in those situations and take care of the basketball at opportune times and finish,'' Shawnee Heights coach Bob Wells said.
"But I think we're making progress. We're making progress, I feel like, by leaps and bounds''
Senior Imani McGlory scored 14 points with four 3-pointers in Shawnee Heights' 77-74 overtime loss to Manhattan Monday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The T-Birds lost despite a game-high 37-point night from junior star KK Emmot and 14 points from senior newcomer Imani McGlory, with Emmot (six) and McGlory (four) combining for 10 of Heights 12 3-pointers on the night.
Senior Reianna Vega also hit a pair of 3-pointers and finished with eight points along with junior Pearmella Carter.
