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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Gabi Artis' focus these days is on developing as a college basketball player for Washburn University.
But the former Bishop Miege star will never forget her late high school coach, Terry English, and the things he did to help get her ready to take that next step.
Washburn freshman Gabi Artis, a three-time state champ at Bishop Miege, is coming off a career-high 11-point night in Thursday's 57-40 win over Bethany. [File photo/TSN]
English, who passed away on Oct. 11, was Artis' head coach during her first three high school seasons and served as an assistant coach during her senior season after Terry turned the head coaching reins over to his son, Jeff, for the 2021-2022 season.
Artis and English were part of three Class 4A titles at Miege while English was part of 23 state championships and compiled an amazing 910-168 career record. He had planed to return to the Miege bench as head coach this season before passing away at 72 years old after a stroke.
"It was heartbreaking,'' Artis said. "Honestly, I didn't believe it when they told me. He was going to come back to coach this year and it's still just settling with me. It was such a shock and it just broke my heart.''
Artis, who has made an immediate impact as a freshman for the Ichabods, credits English for helping her develop as a player and person.
"He helped me a lot -- basketball, personal,'' Artis said. "We were really close. I feel like our practices in high school were ran like college practices and I think it prepared me well.
"He was really tough on me in practices and he would be like, "Gabi, you're going to go play at Washburn, you need to do this,' and would coach me through everything and boost me up when I needed to be and bring me down when I needed to be.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Tyler Nelson, one of the most experienced players for a young Washburn University men's basketball team, had to sit and watch as the Ichabods endured a tough early-season stretch.
The 6-foot-3 junior guard missed the first five games with a Jones fracture in his foot and played limited minutes in the Ichabods' next three games while working his way back into game shape.
Washburn junior guard Tyler Nelson (14) celebrates a big play for the Ichabods in a 76-51 win over Missouri Western along with teammate Connor Deffebaugh (10). [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn junior Tyler Nelson scored 19 points with seven rebounds, six assists and six steals in the Ichabods' 76-51 MIAA romp past Missouri Western on Dec. 17. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
And now that the former Kansas City-Rockhurst, Mo. standout is finally close to full strength, Nelson is determined to do everything he can to help Brett Ballard's Ichabods reverse their fortunes after a 4-6 start to the 2022-2023 campaign.
"It's always frustrating going down with an injury and not being able to play out and compete with the guys,'' Nelson said. "That's always frustrating but the guys lift me up. We have good practices, good workouts so that just builds up my confidence so when I come back I'm just ready to hoop.
"We're all ready to hoop and it's always enjoyable to play the game I love.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Ten different Ichabods scored in the first half as Washburn University, returning from its holiday break, jumped out to a double-digit advantage on the way to a 57-40 non-conference victory over Bethany College Thursday night at Lee Arena.
Junior Aubree Dewey scored 12 points and freshman Gabi Artis a career-high 11 to lead a balanced Ichabod attack as Washburn improved to 5-5 on the season.
Washburn coach Lora Westling talks to her team during Thursday's 57-40 non-conference win over Bethany at Lee Arena. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Macy Doebele (30) drives to the basket Thursday night against Bethany in Washburn's 57-40 non-conference win. Doebele scored eight points as the Ichabods improved to 5-5. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn, which had been off since Dec. 17, returned to practice on Tuesday to get ready for Thursday's game, which wrapped up the Ichabods' non-conference schedule.
"I thought there were some bright spots,'' Washburn coach Lora Westling said. "We had a chance to work on some things that we needed to work on and shake some rust off, but some of our old demons were still lurking around -- our aggressiveness on offense and lack there of and how we turned the ball over too often.
"We've just got to continue to work on those things but credit to Bethany. They're a quality team and really well-coached and it was nice to get out and play.''
After surrendering the first basket of the game four seconds into the contest, the Ichabods shot 50 percent (7 of 14) from the field in the opening quarter while holding the Swedes to just 23.1 percent (3 of 13) en route to opening up a 15-7 advantage.
Artis opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer to push Washburn's lead to double figures and the Ichabods led by as many as 15 points en route to a 30-20 advantage at the break.
The Ichabods maintained a double-digit lead for the entire second half and held the Swedes to just five points in the third quarter.
Washburn closed out the third quarter on an 8-2 run to take a 41-25 lead into the final stanza.
Washburn remained in control in the fourth quarter and tallied nine of the final 11 points to cap the 17-point victory.
The Ichabods finished the evening shooting 42.1 percent (24 of 57) from the floor and limited the Swedes to 27.1 percent shooting (13 of 48).
Washburn made 3 of 10 attempts from 3-point range, with Artis hitting all three treys, while Bethany made just 1 of 9 from deep.
The Ichabod bench contributed 30 of the 57 total points, led by Artis' 11 points.
R'Manie Pulling led the Swedes, who played the game as an exhibition, with 12 points.
Washburn will return to MIAA action on Saturday afternoon at Central Oklahoma, with the Ichabod women playing at 1:30 p.m., followed by the men's game at 3:30.
WASHBURN WOMEN 57, BETHANY 40
Bethany 7 13 5 15 -- 40
Washburn 15 15 11 16 -- 57
BETHANY (9-5)
Dunn 0-2 4-4 4, Unruh 0-2 3-4 3, Garrett 1-5 0-0 2, Weathers 2-6 1-1 5, Reiner 1-5 0-0 2, Pulling 5-15 2-3 12, Lopez 0-1 1-2 1, Green 0-2 1-2 1, Gleason 3-3 0-0 6, Becker 0-3 0-0 0, Noll 0-2 0-0 0, Aeschliman 1-2 1-2 4, Breshears 0-0 0-0 0, Toerber 0-0 0-0 0, McGuire 0-0 0-0 0, Ballard 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 13-48 13-18 40.
WASHBURN (5-5)
Chapman 3-5 0-1 6, Gamble 2-3 0-0 4, Dewey 5-11 2-4 12, Schieferecke 0-4 1-2 1, Figueroa 2-7 0-0 4, Nwidadah 1-2 1-4 3, Doebele 4-6 0-0 8, Artis 3-9 2-2 11, Davison 2-4 0-0 4, Cassaday 2-4 0-0 4, Newfarmer 0-0 0-0 0, Sanders 0-0 0-0 0, Broadie 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-57 6-13 57.
3-point shots – Bethany 1-9 (Aeschliman 1-1, Pulling 0-3, Unruh 0-2, Noll 0-2, Green 0-1), Washburn 3-10 (Artis 3-6, Figueroa 0-2, Davison 0-2). Rebounds – Bethany 31 (Unruh 5, Lopez 5), Washburn 43 (Figueroa 8, Artis 7). Assists – Bethany 8 (Dunn 2, Pulling 2), Washburn 9 (Gamble 2, Figueroa 2, Cassaday 2). Turnovers – Bethany 18, Washburn 17. Total fouls – Bethany 17, Washburn 20. Fouled out – Green. Technical fouls – none.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Darting Basketball Academy held its second annual Community Give Back Shoe Drive Camp Wednesday at Topeka Collegiate School, raising more than 50 pairs of new basketball shoes to be distributed to local children.
Kerry Darting instructs campers during Wednesday's DBA Community Give Back Shoe Drive Camp at Topeka Collegiate School. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Darting Basketball Camp raised more than 50 pairs of new basketball shoes for local children in Wednesday's Community Give Back camp. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Former local high school standouts and city coaches served as instructors for Wednesday's camp, which included 51 boys and girls participants who all donated a new pair of sneakers to be distributed by the Topeka non-profit group Sole Reason.
"Everybody brought a pair and we even had some families that didn't have a kid here who brought in a pair of shoes,'' DBA's Kerry Darting said. "We're probably about 60, 70 pairs of shoes, which is really good.
"(Sole Reason) is going to come pick them up and they distribute them throuhout the Topeka schools.''
Darting said DBA plans to continue to making the Community Give Back Shoe Drive Camp an annual event.
"The kids have fun and they're able to help the community so it's a really good thing over the holidays to do for the community,'' Darting said.
If interested in donating a pair of sneakers, email Kerry Darting at
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University women's basketball team will play its final non-conference game of the 2022-23 regular season on Thursday, hosting Bethany College in a 7 p.m. non-conference game at Lee Arena.
The Ichabodw, 4-5 on the season, last played on Dec. 17, dropping a 57-44 home MIAA decision to Missouri Western.
Washburn's women's basketball team will play its final non-conference game of the 2022-2023 season Thursday night against Bethany. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Bethany is 9-5 this season and has won its last three official games. The Swedes played an exhibition at MIAA member Fort Hays State on Dec. 19, losing to the Tigers, 80-46.
Thursday's contest will mark exactly one year since Washburn and Bethany last played each other when the Ichabods came away with a 71-50 home win. Thursday's game will count as an exhibition for Bethany.
Washburn is averaging 53.6 points per game and has a 36.9 field goal percentage. The Ichabods are third in the MIAA and ninth in all of Division II in fewest points allowed per game, holding opponents to just 53.8 points per game.
Through nine games, Washburn's defense has not allowed more than 64 points in a game and has held two opponents to 45 or fewer points.
Junior point guard Aubree Dewey has started all nine games for the Ichabods, averaging 10.9 points per game and ranks seventh in the MIAA with 3.4 assists per game.
