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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Junior Dayne Johnson scored 35 points Thursday night as Silver Lake's boys improved to 12-4 with a hard-earned 64-60 home Big East League win over St. Marys.
Junior Dayne Johnson (2) scored 35 points Thursday as Silver Lake rallied for a 64-60 win over St. Marys. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake trailed 53-47 at the end of the third quarter before outscoring the Bears 17-7 over the final eight minutes to pull out the victory.
Johnson canned 13 field goals and went 9 of 10 at the free throw line on the night to lead the Eagles.
Silver Lake led 19-12 at the end of the first quarter, but the Bears cut their deficit to 30-29 at halftime before outscoring the Eagles 24-17 in the third quarter.
Silver Lake will take aim on its third win of the week on Friday when the Eagles travel to Royal Valley.
Silver Lake girls improve to 14-2
Defending Class 3A champion Silver Lake, currently ranked No. 6 by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, improved to 14-2 Thursday night with a 67-54 home Big East win over St. Marys.
The Eagles led by just a 44-41 margin at the end of the third quarter before taking control with a 23-13 fourth quarter.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball went down to the wire in its first ever meeting with Arkansas-Fort Smith on Thursday evening but fell just short, losing 83-81 in a high-scoring affair.
Washburn junior Payton Sterk scored 33 points in Thursday's 83-81 loss at Arkansas-Fort Smith. [File photo/TSN]
The opening minutes of the contest went back-and-forth, with Yibari Nwidadah tying the game up at seven for Washburn (13-11 overall, 7-7 MIAA) with a layup at the 6:27 mark.
Over the next 1:36 the Lions (14-8, 8-5) scored eight points in a row to force a timeout.
The Ichabods responded with a run of their own, tying the game at 19 after Payton Sterk nailed a triple. She had eight points in the opening quarter as Arkansas-Fort Smith led 21-20.
After both teams shot over 50.0 percent in the first quarter the home squad kept pace, scoring the first eight points in the second to lead 29-20 at the 7:42 mark. The margin grew to double digits in the ensuing minutes.
Washburn began to make up ground, starting with a three-point play from Amaya Davison. The score was knotted up at 40 after a 5-0 run for the Ichabods ended with a triple from Sterk. The Lions responded with one of their own to lead by three heading into the half.
Out of the break Arkansas-Fort Smith connected on three 3-pointers in the first four minutes as they built the lead up to 12 points. The WU deficit grew to as many as 13 before a 7-0 run for the Ichabods, ending with a bucket inside by Nwidadah at the 3:03 mark. The teams traded baskets the rest of the way with the Lions leading 67-60 with 10 to play.
Sterk began the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer and the points kept coming for Washburn, 10 of them in a row, going from seven down to three up after a three-point play by Sterk with 7:35 to play.
With the score knotted at 72, Arkansas Fort-Smith connected on a triple, adding two more shortly after to go up by five at the 2:25 mark. The Ichabods hung around and in the final minute cut the deficit to one after an offensive rebound and layup by Nwidadah with 16 seconds remaining.
One free throw went down on the other end for the Lions and that was all they needed as Washburn came up empty on the next possession, falling 83-81.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 1-ranked Washburn Ichabods fell for the first time this season in an 87-80 overtime loss to Arkansas-Fort Smith on Thursday.
Sophomore Jack Bachelor scored a career-high 25 points in Thursday's 87-80 Washburn OT loss at Arkansas-Fort Smith. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn led 69-65 in the second half with 4:43 to play but were outscored 9-4 down the stretch while going 1 of 3 from the field and committing three turnovers while the Lions (8-13 overall, 4-10 MIAA) hit all four free throws to send the game to overtime.
Washburn's jumper at the end of regulation after a fullcourt pass banked off the rim and fell out.
In the extra frame, the Lions jumped out to a 77-74 lead, but a jumper by Brady Christiansen pulled Washburn within two, but a 3-pointer by the Lions and a free throw pushed the margin back to five with 1:44 to play.
Two free throws by Jack Bachelor with 72 seconds left cut the lead to three at 81-78, but the Lions hit all six free throw attempts in the final 31 seconds, sealing the win.
The Ichabods (22-1, 13-1) led by four at the break as Jacob Hanna's driving layup just before the half sent Washburn into the locker room with a 40-36 lead.
Washburn led by as many as 10 in the first half at 33-23, but the Lions were 8 of 17 from 3-point range, hitting 13 field goals in total in the first 20 minutes.
Andrew Orr and Bachelor each had 11 in the opening 20 minutes.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The rebuilding of the Washburn Rural boys swim team took another step Thursday as it placed second in the Centennial League Championship at Capitol Federal Natatorium.
A loaded Manhattan team ran away with all three relays and eight of nine individual events to rack up 500 points. Washburn Rural finished second with 425.
Topeka High senior Jaxon Cowdin won his third straight Centennial League diving title Thursday, the lone city champion. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
The lone gold medal claimed by anyone not from Manhattan came in the one-meter diving competition, won by Topeka High senior Jaxon Cowdin.
Cowdin dominated Thursday's competition en route to a 428.75-299.50 victory over teammate Roland Weaver, with the Topeka High standout adding a third straight Centennial League title to his four city championships.
"I think it's a cool thing for Topeka High School history,'' Cowdin said of Thursday's accomplishment. "I think I've done something that very few people can say they've done, so I have a lot of pride in that.''
Last year’s Washburn Rural team, which placed third in in Class 6A, was dominated by seniors. The team is rebuilding this season, with a number of freshmen and sophomores swimming in key positions.
“We put people into events they’d never been in before, hoping to find some slots where we could beat (Manhattan),” Washburn Rural coach Bob Burdick said. “But they had a really good night tonight, and (Manhattan coach Alex Brown) had some time drops that even he didn’t expect. So, they took away some of those points. They ended up beating us by 75, which is sort of like a touchdown and a field goal.
“But I’m OK with this, second place this year. It was good experience, and we had an opportunity to build for next year.”
Washburn Rural senior Luke Lemke finished second in four events in Thursday's Centennial League swimming meet, helping Rural post a runnerup team finish. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sophomore Andres Morao-Jaspe helped lead Washburn Rural to a runnerup team finish in the Centennial League meet. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Castle Wallace finished second in the 100 breaststroke for Centennial League runnerup Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
While no Washburn Rural swimmers took home gold medals, they claimed several silvers. Luke Lemke led the Junior Blues by taking second in the 200 yard individual medley and the 100 yard backstroke. He also anchored two Washburn Rural relay teams that took second. Andres Morao-Jaspe took second in the 500 yard freestyle. Castle Wallace placed second in the 100 yard breaststroke.
Topeka High's Dawson Blankenship posted a second-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly in Thursday's Centennial League meet. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka High’s Dawson Blankenship took second in the 100 yard butterfly.
Washburn Rural has qualified just one senior – Lemke – for individual events at the state meet. It has also qualified sophomore Morao-Jaspe and freshmen Wallace and Thomas Appuhn. Additionally, several seniors will swim on the relay teams that Washburn Rural sends to state.
“This was really powerful that we’ve come so far as a team,” Lemke said. “I was quite scared going into this year because we lost all of our heavy hitters. We pulled through and I’m extremely proud of all my men.”
CENTENNIAL LEAGUE SWIMMING/DIVING
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Sophomore Maddie Vickery scored a game-high 27 points in Washburn Rural's 58-28 win over Manhattan Tuesday night. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
WASHBURN RURAL at JUNCTION CITY
Washburn Rural, ranked No. 6 in Class 6A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, is 11-4 overall and 4-1 in the Centennial League after a 58-28 home league win over Manhattan on Tuesday. Sophomore Maddie Vickery led Washburn Rural with 27 points, going 9 of 10 at the free throw line, while senior Kate Hinck had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Junction City dropped a 61-14 decision to league-leading Hayden last Friday. Game time: 6 p.m.
Sophomore Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton scored 19 points in Topeka High's 55-49 loss at Hayden Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]
MANHATTAN at TOPEKA HIGH
Topeka High, 9-7 overall, 2-4 in the Centennial League, is coming off a 55-49 league loss at top-ranked (Class 4A) and league-leading Hayden on Tuesday, the Trojans' third straight loss, while Manhattan (10-5, 3-2) dropped a 58-28 league game at Washburn Rural. Sophomore Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton led Topeka High with 19 points while freshman Hailey Caryl added 10 points against Hayden. Game time: 6 p.m.
Shawnee Heights sophomore KK Emmot (1) scored 18 points in Tuesday's 64-54 loss to unbeaten Seaman. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
DE SOTO at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS
Shawnee Heights is 11-5 overall and 8-4 in the United Kansas Conference after a 64-54 UKC road loss to undefeated and top-ranked (Class 5A) Seaman on Tuesday. Sophomore KK Emmot led Shawnee Heights with 18 points against Seaman while senior Kaydence Torrez added 13 points and junior Reianna Vega 12. De Soto is 11-4 overall and 7-4 after a 46-43 loss to Basehor-Linwood. Game time: 5:45 p.m.
Freshman Hailey Schmidtlein (2) scored 19 points in Hayden's 55-49 Centennial League win over Topeka High Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]
EMPORIA at HAYDEN
Hayden, top-ranked in Class 4A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, improved to 14-1 overall and a perfect 6-0 in the Centennial League on Tuesday with a 55-49 league win over Topeka High. Freshman Hailey Schmidtlein led the Wildcats with 19 points against the Trojans while senior Millie Ramsey added 17 points and senior Brylee Meier 10. Emporia dropped a 62-29 league decision to Manhattan last Friday. Game time: 6:15 p.m.
