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Top-ranked Hayden girls earn 55-49 Centennial League win over Trojans
By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
It might have been cold outside, but it definitely was not cold inside the Ken Bueltel Center Tuesday as the Class 4A No. 1-ranked Hayden girls would go up against Topeka High.
Freshman Hailey Schmidtlein (2) tied for game-high honors with 19 points in Hayden's 55-49 win at Hayden Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]
Senior Millie Ramsey had 11 of her 17 points in the second half in Hayden's 55-49 win over Topeka High. [File photo/TSN]
And although the Wildcats would trail much of the game, Hayden took control down the stretch to pull out a 55-49 Centennial League victory.
The Trojans would get off to a hot start by going up 15-11 to end the first and the game would go back and fourth but ending the first half would be all Trojans.
The Trojans were led by sophomore guard Ahsieryrhuajh Rayton, who scored 11 of her 19 in the first half.
After making some changes at halftime Hayden would finish the third quarter still trailing 42-40 but would out-score the Trojans 14-13 in the third and 15-7 in the fourth to pull out the 6-point win.
The Wildcats got big nights from freshman Hailey Schmidtlein, who would tie for game-high scoring honors with Rayton with 19 points, and senior Amelia Ramsey, who would score 17 points with 11 of those coming after halftime.
“This was a hard fought game, they have a lot of talent and their two guards were hot and they have added some things down low,'' Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said. "They will be a tough out for anybody come postseason. I was really proud of our girls for coming back and getting the win.
“Hailey allowed us to get out in transition, Millie did what Millie does. She is a force in the paint, gets offensive and defensive rebounds, has a soft touch around the rim. Brylee (Meier), Norma (Greco) and Bella (Reid), all our seniors played really well tonight.”
WU women on the road to face Arkansas-Fort Smith
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball will go south for the first time in conference play this season beginning with the first ever meeting between the Ichabods and new MIAA foe Arkansas-Fort Smith at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday evening.
Junior Yibari Nwidadah leads Washburn with 16.5 points and 7.1 rebounds a game entering Thursday's MIAA contest at Arkansas-Fort Smith. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn is 13-10 on the year, equaling its win total for the 2023-2024 season, and 7-6 in the MIAA after defeating Central Missouri 75-61 last Saturday. Last time out Arkansas-Fort Smith (13-9, 7-6) lost its fourth straight game, 82-62 to No. 8 Fort Hays State in Hays.
Yibari Nwidadah is averaging 16.5 points and 7.1 rebounds while ranking second in the nation with a 65.7 percent field goal percentage. The junior Olathe North product has started all 21 games she has played in, logging 26.9 minutes per game. She has shot at or above 50.0 percent in all but three games and has four double-doubles.
With 203 career offensive rebounds Nwidadah is seventh in program history. She needs 14 offensive boards to move up to sixth. In overall rebounds she is 15th in Washburn history with 541. Her career field goal percentage of .585 is the second best in program history. In scoring she ranks 35th with 852 career points.
Junior Payton Sterk, a Colorado Springs native, is averaging 16.2 points while starting all 23 contests and playing a team-high 30.7 minutes per game. She is shooting a team-high 39.5 percent from 3-point range while drilling a team-high 49 3-pointers.
Top-ranked and 22-0 Ichabod men on the road Thursday to face Arkansas-Fort Smith
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 1-ranked Washburn University Ichabods are on the road this weekend for two MIAA contests, beginning at Arkansas-Fort Smith on Thursday night (7:30 p.m. start) for only the second meeting in program history against the Lions.
Washburn sophomore point guard Jack Bachelor leads the MIAA and is sixth in the nation in assist to turnover ratio. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods improved to 22-0 and 13-0 in the MIAA with an 83-60 home win over Central Missouri last Saturday. The Lions enter the contest 9-13 overall and 3-10 in the MIAA after a 59-53 loss at Fort Hays State.
Thursday's meeting with the Lions will be the only one between the two schools this season in the regular season. The contest with the Lions will also be only the second in program history between Washburn and Arkansas-Fort Smith, with the Ichabods winning the lone meeting on Nov. 12, 2011 in an 87-66 decision in Bartlesville, Okla.
The Ichabods are one of two undefeated teams remaining in the NCAA Division II ranks, joining No. 2 Daemen (20-0).
Senior Andrew Orr became the 28th member of the Ichabod 1,000 point club with a free throw at Fort Hays State earlier this season. Orr now has 1,197 career points, sitting in 17th all-time. Next on the chart is Jemi Johnson in 16th with 1,215 career points from 1992-95.
Orr is 14th in the nation in field goal percentage at 63.1, leading the MIAA.
Senior Michael Keegan has 949 career points in 118 career games as an Ichabod and he has moved past Bobby Chipman into fifth place on the career blocks chart with 95. Keegan is also fourth all-time in steals with 149 and he went over the 200-assist mark earlier this season.
Keegan is eighth in the nation and leading the MIAA in steals with 58 and he is ranked ninth in steals per game at 2.64 per game.
Sophomore Washburn Rural product Jack Bachelor is sixth in the nation and leads the MIAA in assist to turnover radio at 3.47, is 14th in total assists at 125 and 12th in assists per game with 5.7. In his last nine games Bachelor has had 70 assists and 11 turnovers -- a 6.4 to 1 ratio.
