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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WASHBURN RURAL (4-2, 1-0) at HAYDEN (3-2, 0-1)
Senior Brooklyn DeLeye scored a game-high 17 points Tuesday night as Washburn Rural opened Centennial League play with a 50-9 romp past Junction City. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural opened Centennial League play Tuesday with its third straight win, a 50-9 romp past Junction City. Senior Brooklyn DeLeye led the No. 7-ranked (Class 6A) Junior Blues with 17 points while junior Zoe Canfield added 13 points and three 3-pointers. Hayden dropped a 43-34 decision at No. 3-ranked (5A) Emporia on Tuesday in the Wildcats' Centennial League opener. Sophomore Brylee Meier led Hayden with 17 points while sophomore Norma Greco added nine points. Both Meier and Greco hit two 3-pointers.
Topeka High senior Kiki Smith is coming off a 25-point, 11-rebound effort Wednesday night in the Trojans' 56-36 non-league win over Blue Valley Northwest. [File photo/TSN]
EMPORIA (7-0, 1-0) at TOPEKA HIGH (7-1, 1-0)
Topeka High, ranked No. 6 in Class 6A by the KBCA, opened the 2023 portion of its schedule with a 56-36 non-league win over Blue Valley Northwest Wednesday night in the Trojans' home opener. Senior Kiki Smith led Topeka High with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Emporia, No. 3-ranked in 5A, remained unbeaten with a 43-34 win in the Spartans' Centennial League opener. Senior Rebecca Snyder led Emporia with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Senior Taylor Rottinghaus (left) scored 17 points to lead Shawnee Heights in a 48-36 UKC win over Leavenworth in the T-Birds' final game before the holiday break. [File photo/TSN]
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (4-1, 4-1) at LANSING (2-3, 2-3)
Shawnee Heights will be making its 2023 debut with a United Kansas Conference road contest at Lansing. The T-Birds wrapped up '22 with a 48-36 UKC win over Leavenworth. Senior Taylor Rottinghaus led Shawnee Heights with 17 points while senior Emari Doby added a double-double with 13 points an 13 rebounds. Lansing returned to action on Tuesday, with the Lions dropping a 54-23 UKC decision to Lansing.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After a promising start by Topeka High in the opening half, perennial Class 6A state contender Blue Valley Northwest dominated the second half on the way to an 88-40 rout Wednesday night at High.
But first-year Trojan coach Geo Lyons saw some positives out of his team, now 1-5, that Topeka High can build off of moving forward.
Topeka High boys basketball coach Geo Lyons talks to his team during Wednesday's non-league loss to state power Blue Valley Northwest. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I think we played with great energy and effort,'' Lyons said. "The two things you don't want to coach is attitude and effort and I don't think we had to coach those tonight.''
Topeka High took a 12-11 lead on a Da'Mykel Hales 3-pointer at the 4:36 mark of the first quarter and led 15-14 after a Mason Gomez trey but the Huskies (4-2) would answer with a 6-0 run and never trailed again.
After trailing 27-19 at the end of the first quarter, junior Isaiah Lyons nailed a 3-pointer to get the Trojans back to within five points but Northwest scored seven straight points to regain control and went on to take a 40-28 halftime advantage.
"I really think we made them at halftime go in that locker room and dig deep and get to another level,'' Geo Lyons said. "I think we took them out of their comfort zone in the first half and really made them step their game up at halftime.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High's girls basketball team rolled to an 18-point win over Blue Valley Northwest back on Dec. 6 in the Trojans' third game of the season.
But that romp didn't help first-year Topeka High coach Brittney Redmond rest any easier heading into Wednesday's rematch against the Huskies at Topeka High.
Topeka High senior star Kiki Smith scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Trojans improved to 7-1 with a 56-36 win over Blue Valley Northwest. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka High girls basketball coach Brittney Redmond talks to her Trojans during Wednesday's 56-36 win over Blue Valley Northwest. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Trojans were up to the challenge, going wire to wire for a 56-36 non-league victory, the seventh straight for sixth-ranked (Class 6A) Topeka High, which finally played its home-opener.
"Coming into this game I told the girls that (Northwest) is probably going to be about 10 times better than when we played them last time,'' Redmond said. "I think they definitely were but we've also gotten better.
"We work hard every day and we work hard for that outcome so when we do play a team twice, that's what we get.''
As usual, senior star Kiki Smith, the reigning Shawnee County and Centennial League player of the year, was a big part of the Topeka High victory, posting a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds.
"Kiki's our most consistent player,'' Redmond said. "Every game we know what Kiki is going to give us. That's the one area that I don't have to worry about.
"We know Kiki's going to be Kiki. She's going to give us what we need consistently and I don't want to say we rely on Kiki but we know that her numbers, they're always going to be there.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn men's basketball team will open the 2023 calendar year with a 7:30 p.m. home MIAA game against Central Missouri Thursday night at Lee Arena.
The Ichabods, 4-7 overall and 1-4 in the MIAA, will be looking to bounce back from a 72-57 loss at No. 9-ranked Central Oklahoma 72-57 last Saturday.
Former Hayden standout Levi Braun led Washburn with 17 points in last Saturday's 72-57 MIAA loss at Central Oklahoma, hitting five 3-pointers. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Mules are 7-6 overall and 3-4 in the MIAA after taking a 62-48 home win over Nebraska-Kearney Monday night.
Washburn has won the last five games in the series against the Mules and lead the overall series, 56-52.
Sophomore Andrew Orr leads the Ichabods with a 14.5 scoring average while averaging 17.6 ppg in five MIAA contests. Orr, who has reached double figures in nine of 11 games this season, is second on the team in rebounds at 6.0 per game.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University women's basketball team will return home to Lee Arena on Thursday to host No. 7-ranked Central Missouri in a 5:30 p.m. MIAA tilt.
The Ichabods have won back-to-back games for the first time this season and are now 6-5 overall and 2-3 in the MIAA after defeating Central Oklahoma, 75-73, last Saturday.
Junior Macy Doebele (left) scored a career-high 19 points, including a 17 of 20 performance at the free throw line, in Washburn's 75-73 win at Central Missouri last Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Central Missouri begins the week as one of five teams in NCAA Division II with an unblemished record and is ranked seventh in the WBCA Poll and second in the D2SIDA Poll.
The Jennies are 11-0 overall with a 7-0 mark in the MIAA after holding on for a 55-50 win over Nebraska-Kearney on Monday.
Washburn swept the regular-season series against Central Missouri last year for the first time since the 2010-11 season. Washburn defeated Central Missouri on Dec. 31, 2021 in Warrensburg, 66-59, and then posted a 72-71 comeback triumph in Topeka on Feb. 12, 2022.
The Ichabods have now won three straight against the Jennies, dating back to the MIAA Tournament quarterfinal on March 3, 2021.
Washburn is averaging 55.8 points per game and has a 38.0 field goal percentage.
The Ichabods are second in the league and ninth in all of Division II in fewest points allowed per game as they have held opponents to 54.3 points per game.
Washburn attempted 35 free throws against Central Oklahoma while junior Macy Doebele made a program-best 17 free throws in 20 attempts against the Bronchos.
