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T-Bird girls roll to 53-18 UKC win over Leavenworth
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Shawnee Heights girls took the next step in the United Kansas Conference race Tuesday night by beating up on visiting Leavenworth, 53-18.
Junior Reianna Vega scored 13 first-half points for Shawnee Heights in Tuesday's 53-18 UKC romp past Leavenworth. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The T-Birds improved to 5-3 in a league that features three of the top seven Class 5A teams in the state according to the most recent Kansas Basketball Coaches Association poll in Seaman, Piper and De Soto.
Shawnee Heights left no doubt against the Pioneers, building a 14-0 lead before the visitors got on the board with 2:16 left in the first period. The second period followed the same script, with Leavenworth getting its second bucket with 2:30 left before halftime. At the break, the T-Birds led, 31-7.
“We wanted to come out of the gate and get a good start,” said Shawnee Heights coach Bob Wells. “We’ve had some times where we struggled a little bit at the start, or that we’ve had a dead spot in the third quarter. We wanted to make sure we didn’t have those dead spots. And I thought the girls really responded.”
Leading the first half charge was junior Reianna Vega, who scored 13 points before the intermission. The 6-foot forward demonstrated the ability to face the basket, knock down perimeter shots, handle the ball and battle in the paint.
“I think I am growing as a player, watching myself improve each game,” Vega said. “I set goals for myself each game, and when I achieve them, I feel (I’m improving).”
“I think she can play an even bigger role,” Wells said of Vega. “We are looking to her to score and now she’s stepping forward in games and starting to put up some numbers like we think she’s capable of doing.
“For somebody that’s basically 6-feet tall who can handle the ball, who can shoot from the perimeter or go inside and battle with the bigs, that really helps us. With that size, she’s able to see over the defense and that makes a big difference looking at what’s going on with the offense.”
Sophomore KK Emmot scored a game-high 21 points in Tuesday's 53-18 home UKC win over Leavenworth. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Pacing Shawnee Heights for the game was sophomore KK Emmot with 21. The T-Birds were an efficient 21-42 from the field and 6-8 from the free throw line.
No. 1-ranked Ichabod men hit the road to face Northwest Missouri
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 1-ranked Washburn University Ichabods will hit the road for a pair of games this week, starting with Northwest Missouri on Wednesday night (7:30 p.m.) in Maryville, Mo., WU's second game with the Bearcats in 11 days.
Senior Jacob Hanna and the No. 1-ranked Washburn men will put their 17-0 record on the line in Wednesday's MIAA contest at Northwest Missouri. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods moved to 17-0 overall and 8-0 in the MIAA with a Newman 121-73 win over Newman last Saturday in Lee Arena.
Northwest is 4-13 and 2-6 in the MIAA after falling 72-65 at Fort Hays State on Saturday, the Bearcats third straight loss.
The Ichabods won the last meeting with the Bearcats 96-66 on Jan. 11 in Lee Arena.
Washburn is off to its best start to begin a season since starting the 2003-04 season 16-0 en route to the MIAA regular-season championship.
The Ichabod record for the most wins to start the season is 19, coming in the 1992-93 season.
Washburn is now one of two undefeated teams remaining in the NCAA Division II ranks, joining No. 2 Daemen (14-0).
Topeka High hands Highland Park girls their first loss in 53-45 rivalry win
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Playing without injured point guard Keimara Marshall, Topeka High's committed 29 turnovers in Tuesday night's non-league game against USD 501 rival Highland Park, but despite those struggles the Trojans never trailed en route to a 53-45 win over the previously-unbeaten Scots on their home floor.
Sophomore Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton scored a game-high 19 points in Tuesday's 53-45 road win at Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"As a coach, and any coach would understand this, you want a little bit more,'' Topeka High coach Ron Slaymaker said. "You want to win and look halfway decent but we also know that an awful lot of the time you win and you don't look very good winning, so we'll take it.
"(Highland Park's) not a bad team. They're flying high, they were undefeated and this is a rivalry game, as I was reminded several times by the girls. I'm just happy that we won that one.''
Topeka High (5-3) and Highland Park (6-1) were knotted four times in the opening quarter before High junior Amari Triplett canned a 3-pointer with 12 seconds remaining in the quarter to put her team in front 13-10 and the Trojans never trailed again.
High went on to build a 24-15 advantage late in the first half, but Highland Park sophomore Pearmella Carter converted a 3-point play to get the Scots within six (24-18) at the break.
It was in the third quarter where the Trojans took control, with High outscoring the Scots 16-5 to lead 40-23 at the start of the fourth.
