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By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Whether it's spraying 25-year head coach Bob Wells with water after every win in the locker room or tossing pre-game jerseys in the air before every game, Shawnee Heights girls basketball could be an exciting team on the court in 2025-2026.
Junior KK Emmot returns for Shawnee Heights after earning All-Shawnee County Top 10 honors a year ago. [File photo/TSN]
Wells says even in 39 total years of coaching, you always wonder what the team chemistry will be like but this year, he said that’s coming along very well.
Two transfers Shawnee Heights adds to this group are Highland Park’s Pearmella Carter and Topeka West’s Imani McGlory. The T-Birds also added Sami Baum, who had previously been homes-chooled and played volleyball for the T-Birds this fall.
Funny enough, Wells said he coached Sami’s dad back in the day when he coached with the boys. Wells said he didn’t know anything about these girls coming to the school, but when he got word they were coming, he was thrilled to plug them into the game plan.
“It’s been a really smooth transition, she (Carter) played with all these kids up until eighth grade at Shawnee Heights. She fits in real well,” Wells said. “Everyone was saying she (McGlory) was coming here and I said, 'Yeah right.' Then when enrollment happened and they were here I just said, 'Oh wow,' and the great thing is the girls on roster already have been very accepting and hopefully it will stay like that.''
“I think having Pearmella is very beneficial because we don’t have very many bigs out here, we’re mainly shooters and watching her put in the work has been fun. And Imani, she’s a really good shooter, so she just adds to that strength," Senior Reianna Vega said.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn closed out the month of November with a double-digit victory in Saturday's final game of the St. Mary's Thanksgiving Classic, knocking off Texas A&M-Kingsville, 62-48.
Senior Gabi Giovannetti scored a game-high 20 points on Saturday as Washburn improved to 4-2 with a 62-48 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville. [File photo/TSN]
Next up is Washburn's MIAA conference opener at 5:30 p.m. next Thursday against Nebraska-Kearney in Lee Arena.
For a second straight game Washburn (4-2) got out to a quick start, leading 9-5 with 4:08 left in the first quarter after Aniah Wayne came off the bench to knock down a 3-pointer.
The Javelinas (0-4) went on a 10-2 run from that point to go in front and lead 15-13 after one.
Payton Sterk put the Ichabods back in front hitting a trey to begin the second quarter. It was the start of a 15-2 run that took up much of the second quarter.
The final 11 points of the run came from Gabi Giovannetti, with her second connection from deep putting Washburn up 28-17. Kingsville scored the final five points of the quarter to cut its halftime deficit to 28-22.
The Ichabods established the paint early in the third quarter with back-to-back buckets by Yibari Nwidadah that started an 8-0 start to the half.
Sterk moved the offense to the outside, knocking down 3-pointers on three straight possessions to balloon the Washburn lead to 17 with 4:32 left in the third. A 5-0 run to end the quarter for a Washburn offense that shot 8 of 16 in the frame put the Ichabods in front 52-31 with 10 to play.
Midway through the fourth another 3-pointer by Sterk made it a 25-point game with the Ichabods in front. 61-36. The Javelinas picked up the pace in the final five minutes but never got closer than the 14-point final score.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University soccer team will be back in the state of Minnesota to take on No. 3-seed St. Cloud State in a 1 p.m. NCAA Sweet Sixteen matchup on Sunday afternoon.
Lili Everley, Washburn University
Leah Henke, Washburn University
"I'm very thankful that our team has earned the chance to continue to grow and get better in a Sweet Sixteen matchup versus a well-coached SCSU team," Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "I am confident that the character in this group is going to keep us focused on our mentality and performance as we get the opportunity to compete in the elements that national tournament games in Minnesota provide."
Washburn is coming off a 4-2 penalty shootout win over No. 1-seed Minnesota State last Sunday, where the Ichabods scored first in the opening 15 minutes, and the Mavericks equalized in the 60th minute.
Washburn has 12 clean sheets this year, which is third most in program history.
Freshman goalkeeper Lili Everley broke her season high in saves with eight in a 2-0 win over No. 5 seed Missouri Western in the Ichabods' NCAA opener, then broke it again with nine saves on Sunday, with four in overtime to keep the match all square and force PKs. Everley also recorded a save in PKs.
Leah Henke has scored 11 goals in her freshman season, which is tied for fourth in Washburn history for most goals in a single season, and second most by an Ichabod freshman.
Defenders Shaye Taylor and Rilyn Snyder played all 110 minutes against Minnesota State and are 17th and 18th in program history in minutes played in a single season.
Both players scored their first-ever collegiate goals this year, both were off free kicks.
St. Cloud State is 16-2-5 on the season, coming off a 3-0 win over No. 6-seed Pittsburg State 3-0 and a 2-1 victory in overtime over the No. 7 seed Central Missouri.
Sunday will be the first meeting between Washburn and St. Cloud State.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 2-ranked Washburn Ichabods left no doubt in a record-setting performance on Saturday afternoon, rolling to a 115-30 victory over Ottawa in Lee Arena as the Ichabods improved to 8-0 on the season.
Sophomore Dillon Claussen scored a game-high 20 points on 7 of 11 shooting from the field in Saturday's 115-30 Washburn win over Ottawa. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Junior Jeremiah Jones scored 18 points on 8 of 10 shooting and grabbed six rebounds in Washburn's 115-30 win over Ottawa Saturday in Lee Arena. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn dominated in most every phase of the game, shooting 58 percent from the field, forcing 33 turnovers and outscoring the Braves 64-10 in the paint.
"I thought we respected the opponent and we were able to take their confidence away early, which is what you want to do against a team that you feel like you're probably a little more talented than,'' Washburn coach Brett Ballard said.
"I'm really happy with how we came out, business-like, and the respect level was there and then we took their confidence, so all three phases were good.''
The Ichabods will remain in Lee Arena next week to open their MIAA schedule, hosting Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday and Fort Hays State on Saturday.
After a brief 3-2 Ottawa lead, the Braves' only advantage of the day, Washburn went on a 19-0 run to take control.
By halftime the Ichabods had turned 23 Ottawa turnovers into 30 points, taking a huge 60-17 advantage into the break behind 52 percent shooting from the field and an 8-of-17 mark from 3-point range.
The second half was even more overwhelming as Washburn opened the period with a 26-0 run that ballooned the margin to 86 points, the team's largest lead of the day.
The Ichabods shot 66 percent in the final 20 minutes and registered 14 more steals and 30 additional points off turnovers.
Sophomore Dillon Claussen finished with 20 points, six rebounds, five steals, and two blocks while going 7 of 11 from the field.
Ichabod junior newcomer Jeremiah Jones added 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting, pulled down six rebounds and said he continues to feel more and more at ease in the Washburn system.
"It's definitely a stepping stone every game,'' Jones said. "No matter the competition I feel like the chemistry goes up every single game, our defensive intensity goes up every single game and I'm starting to get comfortable with the team.''
Junior Jack Bachelor scored 16 points with four 3-pointers in Washburn's 115-30 win over Ottawa Saturday in Lee Arena. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Junior Jack Bachelor recorded 14 points with four 3-pointers and six assists as the Ichabods drilled 13 three-pointers on the afternoon.
Sophomore Tyson Ruud slams home a dunk in Washburn's 115-30 win over Ottawa Saturday in Lee Arena. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sophomore Tyson Ruud came off the bench to score 13 points and grab a game-high seven rebounds while Marcus Glock hit three threes and also finished with 13 points.
Senior Sam Ungashick had eight points (two 3s), six assists, and five steals as Washburn's bench accounted for 49 points.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The first seven points of the game came from Washburn (3-2) as five were scored by senior Payton Sterk.
The Rattlers (4-0) did not get on the board until the 6:45 mark in the opening frame. A layup inside from Britany Kogbara pushed the Washburn lead to nine points and a triple by Aniah Wayne made it 17-7 with 1:47 left in the first quarter. St. Mary's made it a single digit game trailing 17-9 after one.
The Rattlers scored the first five points of the second quarter, pulling within two and eventually tying the game at 19 at the 4:35 mark. The Ichabods shot just 3 of 12 from the field in the quarter as St. Mary's went in front, 23-21. Sterk hit a layup in the final seconds of the half to tie the game at 23.
Brooke Gomez connected from deep to open the second half for Washburn. Both teams traded baskets throughout much of the third quarter, with both shooting exactly 3 of 11 in the 10-minute period. Sterk finished the scoring in the quarter with a 3-pointer to put Washburn up 34-31 heading into the fourth.
With four points to start the quarter the Ichabod lead grew to seven after Madelyn Amekporfor hit a pair of free throws with 8:08 to play. St. Mary's began to chip away from that point, tying the game with 3:34 to play and going in front 43-41 on the next possession. The Rattlers led by two into the final minute until Sterk hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 45. Yibari Nwidadah made a block on the ensuing defensive possession, but the final Washburn offensive possession came up empty, resulting in overtime.
Neither team scored until the Rattlers got a free throw with 3:01 left in the extra period. Sterk scored a layup to put the Ichabods in front 47-46 at the 2:39 mark, but the next seven points came from the home team as St. Mary's took control.
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