Welcome to Top Sports News
No. 4-ranked Ichabods clinch MIAA regular-season title with 90-60 romp past Hillcats
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For a Washburn University men's basketball team with national title aspirations, there's still plenty of work to be done.
But Saturday was a day of celebration as the Ichabods claimed their 11th regular-season MIAA championship with a 90-60 Senior Day win over Rogers State on Saturday afternoon in Lee Arena while also becoming the seventh team in NCAA Division II history to reach the 1,700-win plateau.
Washburn coach Brett Ballard hoists the MIAA championship trophy during Saturday's post-game title celebration after Washburn's 90-60 win over Rogers State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn celebrates late in Saturday's 90-60 win over Rogers State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"This is a surreal feeling,'' senior Michael Keegan said. "To win (the title) here, it's something special to cut down your own nets. When there's a lot riding on the line, this team comes together more than ever. We know what's at stake for us, especially this game and going forward so especially when we fight adversity that's when we tend to bind together even more.''
Washburn senior Andrew Orr cuts down the net after Saturday's 90-60 MIAA title-clinching win over Rogers State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"This is amazing,'' said senior Andrew Orr. "There's been a lot of ups and downs so it kind of feels like all these losses we had beforehand it feels like we really did learn something from those losses and it was bound to happen. We do the right things.''
After honoring seniors Jacob Hanna, Keegan, Orr and Jake Schadegg, Washburn, which improved to 24-2 overall and 15-2 in the MIAA, needed only 28 seconds to take a lead they would not give up as a jumper by Hanna in the paint and a 3-pointer by Schadegg put Washburn up 5-0 out of the gate.
After a bucket by the Hillcats (20-9, 11-6), a layup by Orr followed by 3-pointers by Jack Bachelor and Brayden Shorter pushed the Ichabods to an 11-point lead, forcing a Rogers State timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, the Hillcats used a 10-0 run to cut Washburn's lead to one, but Washburn responded with a 9-0 run to go back up by 10 before the Ichabods went into the break with a 14-point margin (44-30).
Top-ranked Seaman improves to 17-0 with 61-32 romp past Bobcats
By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
In their first game in 10 days, the top-ranked team in Class 5A, the Seaman Lady Vikings battled the Basehor-Linwood Bobcats on Friday.
Senior Anna Becker scored 25 points Friday as Seaman improved to 17-0 with a 61-32 win over Basehor-Linwood. [File photo/TSN].
After a sluggish start by both teams, Seaman was able to exert their will on the Bobcats and continued their undefeated season with a 61-32 home United Kansas Conference victory.
“We have had to adjust due to the weather and not being able to practice or play,'' Seaman coach Matt Tinsley said. "We need to control what we can control. When it comes down to it, the girls are competitors and when the game lights come on and they step out on the floor, they are locked in and ready to go.”
Basehor-Linwood jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first 2:30. Seaman outscored Basehor-Linwood 11-2 over the remainder of the quarter and led 11-6 at the end of one.
“It took us a while to get going offensively, but our defense helped spark that,'' Tinsley said. "Our goal coming into the game was to control the tempo and we wanted to dictate the pace of the game.”
The Lady Vikes jumped out in the second quarter with a 5-2 run over the first minute, extending the lead to 16-8, leading to a Bobcat timeout. For the rest of the half, the Lady Vikes dominated, causing 10 turnovers by the Bobcats and leading 32-12 at the halftime break.
“Defensively, we got down and guarded,” Tinsley said about the defensive effort by his squad.
The third quarter saw the Lady Vikes extend their lead to 26 points over the first six minutes. The Bobcats trimmed three points off the lead and trailed 47-24 heading to the fourth quarter.
Basehor-Linwood boys take control early in 67-39 UKC romp at Seaman
By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
The Seaman Vikings, ranked eighth in Class 5A, came off a 10-day break due to weather to take on the Basehor-Linwood Bobcats in a United Kansas Conference battle on Friday night.
Junior KaeVon Bonner scored a team-high 15 points in Friday's 67-39 UKC loss to Basehor Linwood. [File photo/TSN]
The Vikings were looking to avenge a 67-62 defeat by the Bobcats back on February 4th, but Basehor-Linwood started off hot from the field and continued throughout the contest. The Bobcats shot 53% from the field, including 10-18 from 3-point range and defeated the Seaman Vikings, 67-39.
Basehor-Linwood jumped out to a 17-5 lead in the first five minutes of the game, hitting 4-5 from the three-point line. They ended the quarter leading 18-7. While the Bobcats were scorching the nets, the Vikings were struggling, going only 2-13 in the quarter.
The second quarter was more of the same for the Bobcats. They connected on three more 3-pointers, shot 7-12 from the field in the quarter and led going to halftime, 37-11. Seaman was just 2-12 from the field in the quarter.
A quick 4-0 run by Seaman over the first 90 seconds of the quarter led to a timeout by Basehor-Linwood. Seaman continued with defensive pressure throughout the quarter, forcing nine turnovers, but was only able to outscore the Bobcats 16-11 and still trailed 48-27 heading to the final quarter.
Basehor-Linwood continued its hot shooting, going 8-11 from the field over the last eight minutes and both benches were emptied as the Bobcats posted the 28-point win.
“We can’t make any excuses,'' Seaman coach Craig Cox said. "We need to own it, learn from it and then forget about it. We must recognize that next week is a big week with Leavenworth and Piper at home and Shawnee Heights on the road.
“We can’t let this performance lead to an entirely bad week. We need to bounce back, keep our heads up and get back to who we think we are and who we want to be.”
