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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball struggled on and off throughout Saturday's home finale against seven-win Rogers State.
Junior Payton Sterk scored a game-high 24 points in Washburn's 64-52 Saturday MIAA win over Rogers State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Freshman Brooke Gomez had eight points, a career-high 11 rebounds and five assists in Saturday's 64-52 Washburn win over Rogers State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But in a clear sign of how far the WU program has progressed, the Ichabods were still able to post a double-digit MIAA victory, taking a 64-52 win in Lee Arena.
"It was just one of those days,'' Washburn coach Lora Westling said. "We struggled taking care of the ball. We struggled with some things we usually don't and we just kind of struggled to get going, but we got enough done."
With the win Washburn improved to 16-11 overall and 10-7 in the MIAA with their third straight victory while clinching a winning 2024-2025 campaign, picking up a big win in a game WU might not have won a year ago.
"We don't win that game (last season) I don't think,'' Westling said. "We don't win that game three months ago, so this is a group that has everything going in the right direction. You're going to have ugly wins sometimes and we'll take that. You want them all to be pretty, but they're not.''
The Hillcats (7-19, 1-16) jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead, but the next nine points were all scored by Washburn, with the Ichabods going in front 11-5 at the 6:07 mark after junior Gabi Giovannetti got a jumper to fall. The Ichabod offense worked efficiently in the first quarter, shooting 8-15 to lead 20-13 after one.
Washburn pushed the lead into double digits after a free throw by Giovannetti early in the second. Both teams traded baskets the rest of the way as the Ichabod offense cooled off from the first quarter.
Rogers State cut the lead down to just five points at the 3:22 mark and once again with just over a minute left in the half. Freshman Brooke Gomez ended the frame with a driving layup to make it 31-24 WU after 20 minutes.
Two straight baskets by junior Payton Sterk, the second off a steal, began a 6-0 Washburn run that put the Ichabods in front by 14 at the 5:24 mark in the third stanza.
Washburn got to the free throw line, shooting eight free throws in the quarter and making six to keep the lead in double digits into the final two minutes. The Hillcats then went on a 4-0 run in the final 35 seconds of the quarter to pull within eight at 48-40 going into the fourth.
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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.”
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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.
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By NICHOLAS GAINEY
Special to TopSports.news
The duo of junior Reianna Vega and senior Kaydence Torrez proved to be too much for the visitors as the Shawnee Heights Thunderbirds cruised to a 56-12 United Kansas Conference victory over KC-Turner on Friday night at Shawnee Heights.
Junior Reianna Vega scored a game-high 16 points in Friday's Shawnee Heights 56-12 UKC win over KC-Turner. [File photo/TSN]
Vega got things started for the T-Birds by knocking down a jump shot to open the scoring. Torrez then answered with back-to-back layups before Vega earned her second quick basket, forcing a Golden Bears timeout just over two minutes into the contest.
The two post players continued to trade baskets as Shawnee Heights opened up a 23-0 lead after the first quarter.
Sophomore KK Emmot added all five of her points on the evening in the period. A 3-pointer from senior Haley Bowers and a layup from Torrez extended the T-Birds’ lead to 28-0 before Alyasia Ollie’s jumper gave Turner its first points of the evening.
Aubrey Hamilton joined in on the scoring later in the second quarter, tallying all seven of her points in the frame as the hosts took a 43-3 lead at halftime.
Shawnee Heights opened the second half on a 9-0 run, featuring a 3-pointer from Taylor Brees and a pair of baskets from Vega.
Andrea Ruby answered by hitting Turner’s first 3-pointer of the night, while Jerzey Hanna knocked down a shot from well beyond the arc a few minutes later.
With the contest in hand for the T-Birds, the remainder of the game was played with a running clock, with both sides giving playing time to their reserves.
Vega led Shawnee Heights with 16 points on 7 of 11 shooting, while making both of her free throw attempts and adding eight rebounds. Torrez also reached double figures, scoring 14 points.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Highland Park Scots don’t have much time to celebrate Friday night’s 95-53 blitzing of Sumner Academy. They will return to their home court on Saturday to take on Atchison in a makeup game.
Senior Ja'Corey Robinson led all scorers with 30 points in Friday's 95-53 Highland Park win over KC-Sumner. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The flexibility of Mike Williams’ Scots is being tested in an odd stretch. After playing on February 10, the Scots went 11 days without a game. Weather restricted their practice time. Now, beginning with the Sumner blowout, they will play four times in an eight-day stretch.
“I think anybody who’s been coaching around Topeka or Kansas, you kind of expect with the winter months, there’s going to be some kind of shutdown sooner or later,” Williams said. “I tell our kids they’ve got to be fluid. They’ve got to flow with it.
“And I’ve got to make sure that when we get gym time, we take advantage of it. It’s causing our kids to make sure, day in and day out, that we bring it.”
The Scots brought it to Sumner Academy Friday, with a running clock the only thing that kept them from blowing past the 100-point mark.
Senior Mikey Williams scored 21 points in Friday's 95-53 Highland Park win over KC-Sumner. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Highland Park senior Isaiah Kelley scored 16 points in Friday's 95-53 win over KC-Sumner. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Jacorey Robinson tossed in 30 points while missing just five shots from the field. Mikey Williams scored 21 and Isaiah Kelley added 16.
Senior Da'Mykel Hales scored 15 points on five 3-pointers in Friday's 95-53 Highland Park win over KC-Sumner. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Dropping in five 3-pointers for 15 points was senior Da’Mykel Hales, who transferred to Highland Park after playing three seasons at Topeka High.
“I felt like (Highland Park) was a better fit and better for my career,” Hales said. “They brought me in and treated me well. They gave me a role and helped me to get better every day.”
