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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After giving up 80 points and suffering a 17-point loss in its season-opener against Junction City, Seaman's boys basketball team played much better against the Blue Jays the second time around.
But that is likely to be of little consolation to the Vikings after suffering a heartbreaking 66-64 overtime Centennial League loss Tuesday night at Seaman.
Seaman, which fell to 7-6 overall and 6-4 in the league, held a slight lead in the final seconds in both regulation and overtime, but Junction City senior standout Howard Johnson came through for the Blue Jays in both instances, sending the game to overtime with a bucket with 11 seconds remaining and draining a game-winning 3-pointer with just over six seconds left in the OT.
"We had some opportunities that unfortunately we didn't take advantage of,'' Seaman coach Craig Cox said. "Our shot selection wasn't real good in the first half and I thought we made a pretty good adjustment and started attacking more and that helped us.''
Seaman senior Dreighton Griess came off the bench to score 19 points in Tuesday's 66-64 overtime loss to Junction City Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]
Tuesday's game was tight throughout, with Seaman's biggest lead five points while Junction City's biggest advantage was a brief seven-point lead in the third quarter.
The game included nine ties and 11 lead changes, with the final two coming over the final 40 seconds in OT.
Junction City (10-3, 7-2) led 13-11 after the first quarter and 26-25 at the half before the game was tied 40-all at the end of the third quarter and 58-all at the end of regulation after Seaman missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw situation with 4.2 seconds left.
Senior Dreighton Griess led Seaman with 19 points while seniors Mateo Human and Ty Henry added 16 and 12 points for the Vikings.
"Dreighton Griess came off the bench and gave us a big boost with his offense and defense,'' Cox said. "Our effort in the second half is what you need to be competitive against the top teams in the league.''
Senior Terrance Tedder scored a game-high 21 points for Junction City, ranked No. 10 in Class 6A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, while Johnson added 16 points, with 12 coming in the fourth quarter and overtime..
Seaman will be back at home Friday to host Highland Park in a Centennial League contest.
JUNCTION CITY BOYS 66, SEAMAN 64 (OT)
Junction City 13 13 14 18 8 -- 66
Seaman 11 14 15 18 6 -- 64
Junction City (10-3, 7-2) – Tedder 7-12 6-8 21, Clark 3-9 0-1 8, Johnson 4-6 7-8 16, Fadiga 1-2 0-0 2, Butler-Lawson 4-8 0-1 8, Sellers 1-2 0-0 2, Baker 2-4 0-0 6, Rowell 1-1 1-2 3, Adguzi-Addo 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-44 14-20 66.
Seaman (7-6, 6-4) -- Hyman 7-12 2-4 16, Henry 6-10 0-0 12, Bonner 3-8 0-0 7, Wilhelm 2-6 0-0 4, Davis 3-6 0-0 6, Griess 7-15 4-4 19. Totals 28-57 6-8 64.
3-point goals – Junction City 6 (Clark 2, Baker 2, Tedder, Johnson), Seaman 2 (Bonner, Griess). Total fouls – Junction City 13, Seaman 19. Fouled out – none.
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By KYLE MANTHE
The Washburn Review
Washburn's women’s basketball entered its Tuesday night game against No. 23 Missouri Western on a four-game winning streak and was looking to close out its homestand with a win that would put the Ichbods above .500 for the first time all season.
However, all momentum was stopped early on as the Griffons completed a start-to-finish 80-47 MIAA win over the Ichabods, marking the biggest loss of the year for Washburn.
“I don’t know if I want to watch much film on this one,'' Washburn coach Ron McHenry said. "I got to watch film on Rogers State and catch onto this next game because we got to put this behind us pretty quickly.''
The loss moved the Ichabods to 9-10 on the year and 7-6 in conference play heading into a three-game road trip.
“Give them credit, they are one of the best defensive teams in the league and one of the best offensive teams in the league and that’s why they are pretty good,” McHenry said.
Senior Hunter Bentley scored 10 points to lead Washburn in Tuesday's 80-47 loss to No. 23-ranked Missouri Western Tuesday night. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Washburn senior Shae Sanchez scored nine points in Tuesday's 80-47 MIAA loss to Missouri Western. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/TSN]
Washburn got hit with a long-range offensive attack from the Griffons to open the game as they knocked down three triples in the first three minutes. Two of those came from sophomore Brionna Budgetts, who had 13 points in the first five minutes for Missouri Western.
That number was good enough to outscore the Ichabods, who managed only 12 points in the quarter, led by senior guard Hunter Bentley’s five, as Washburn trailed 21-12 after one.
“They got a little better start than I was hoping,” McHenry said. “Our reaction to it was, we got rattled and we couldn’t kind of catch it back.”
The trend continued in the second quarter, with slow offensive production from the Ichabods coupled with turnover problems, resulting in easy baskets on the other end for the Griffons. The lead grew to as many as 18 points at the 2:48 point in the second quarter spurred nearly 58 percent shooting from Missouri Western in the half.
A five-point burst by Bentley in back-to-back possessions cut into the lead, but the Ichabods still trailed 40-23 heading into halftime.
The lead for the Griffons quickly grew to well over 20 points, reaching as many as 26 in the third quarter. A 3-pointer from senior guard Shae Sanchez for Washburn brought the lead down to 21 at the 2:40 mark in the quarter.
Turnovers and defensive problems persisted for the Ichabods as they trailed 59-33 at the end of the third quarter.
With a deficit hovering around 30 points each team emptied its bench just a few minutes into the quarter. The bench of Missouri Western continued what the starters had done and grew the lead to as many as 35 points.
“They average 79 and give up 59. So that is not far from what they did tonight and that is what they do,” McHenry said. “They got a good basketball team, should have just performed a little better against them and maybe got into our game and we didn’t do that.”
Bentley was the only Washburn player in double figures, finishing with 10 points and two assists. Sanchez added nine points for the Ichabods.
The Ichabods will travel to Rogers State on Thursday.
MISSOURI WESTERN 80, WASHBURN 47
Missouri Western 21 19 19 21 -– 80
Washburn 12 11 10 14 -- 47
Missouri Western (17-3, 11-3)
Cunningham 4-12 0-2 8, Evans 3-3 0-2 6, Clarke 5-7 4-5 15, Budgetts 6-9 4-5 19, Cunningham 3-5 2-2 8, Haggard 4-7 1-2 11, Fultz 2-4 0-0 4, Bonilla 2-6 1-1 5, Gray 0-3 0-0 0, Knapp 1-3 0-0 2, Weishaar 0-1 0-0 0, Bala 1-2 0-0 2, Cobb 0-0 0-0 0, Schomp 0-0 0-0 0, Freemyer 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 31-63 12-19 80.
Washburn (9-10, 7-6)
Cassaday 1-3 0-0 2, Gamble 2-8 0-0 5, Bentley 4-14 0-0 10, Barrientos 3-6 0-0 6, Doebele 1-4 2-4 4, Sanchez 4-11 0-0 9, Oliver 2-6 0-0 4, Dewey 1-1 1-2 3, Chapman 0-1 0-0 0, Sanz 0-0 0-0 0, Fulks 0-2 0-0 0, Glatczak 0-1 1-2 1, Schieferecke 0-0 1-2 1, Johnson 1-1 0-0 2, Willey 0-0 0-0 0, Broadie 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-58 5-10 47.
3-point shots – Missouri Western: 6-13 (Clarke 1-1, Budgetts 3-4, Cunningham 0-1, Haggard 2-4, Bonilla 0-1, Weishaar 0-1, Bala 0-1). Washburn 4-15 (Gamble 1-3, Bentley 2-4, Barrientos 0-1, Sanchez 1-5, Fulks 0-1, Glatczak 0-1). Rebounds – Missouri Western 42 (Cunningham 11), Washburn 36 (Doebele 7). Assists – Missouri Western 14 (Cunningham 4), Washburn 8 (Bentley, Doebele, Oliver 2). Turnovers – Missouri Western 13, Washburn 18. Fouled out – None. Technical fouls – None.
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By KYLE MANTHE
The Washburn Review
On Tuesday night Topeka West and Washburn Rural boys basketball were in action for a rematch of the first game of the season for both teams, which saw the Chargers take a 69-57 Centennial League win back on Dec. 3.
This game would be no different, as Topeka West claimed a 56-42 road win propelled by a 24-1 second quarter, moving to 13-1 on the season as the final month of regular-season play begins.
Senior Elijah Brooks led Topeka West with 21 points in Tuesday's 56-42 win over Washburn Rura. [File/TSN]
Junior Xavier Alexander scored 16 points with three 3-pointers in Tuesday's 56-42 win at Washburn Rural. [File photo/TSN]
On the other end, the Junior Blues fell to 6-7 on the year and 5-4 in league play.
Forty-two points were the second-fewest allowed this season by the Chargers, much to the delight of coach Rick Bloomquist.
“I was really pleased with how we handled this basketball game,” Bloomquist said. “Our defense had to turn into our offense and I thought we pressed real well and got our hands in passing lanes real well.”
The first quarter was as even as possible, with the score knotted at 11 after eight minutes.
Junior Jack Bachelor scored two buckets and knocked down two free throws in the quarter to lead the Junior Blues.
“I think they had a great gameplan for how to neutralize Elijah (Brooks) with the zone,'' Bloomquist said. "It’s the first time we have seen a true well-coached zone all year.
:"Once we started rolling and got more consistent and got to the paint we did better.”
On the other end Chargers junior Xavier Alexander knocked in six points as well, including one 3-pointer.
The game flipped in the second quarter as Topeka West’s defense picked up to as high of levels as it has all season, holding Washburn Rural to just one point.
Offensively the Chargers were just as effective, scoring 24 in the quarter. They were led by an inside attack of senior Brooks and junior Malachi Berg, who each had eight in the quarter to give Topeka West a 35-12 halftime lead.
“We just knew we had to play with high energy on the defensive end,'' Brooks said. "Coming into their place you gotta be jacked up (because) every play (can) shift momentum, so we knew we had to just lock in defensively and try to limit them from the inside-out game.''
Out of halftime, the defense of Topeka West loosened and Washburn Rural senior Brock Howard was able to take advantage down low, with three baskets in the first four minutes.
Alexander continued to shoot well from the outside for the Chargers, knocking down two 3-pointers in the same time.
Topeka West’s defense picked up again, forcing turnovers and holding the Junior Blues to two points in the final four minutes to lead 47-22 after three quarters.
Some early scoring from Washburn Rural capped off by a 3-pointer from Bachelor at the 5:20 mark pulled the game within 20. Five more from Bachelor had the game down to 13 with less than three minutes left.
Brooks then took over for Topeka West, scoring three layups in a 66-second span to put the game out of reach.
“I feel great, and I feel like we are definitely clicking, and we can play to do anything, that’s the biggest thing,'' Brooks said. "Anything a team throws at us we are ready for, everybody is going to step up.''
Brooks led Topeka West with 21 points while Alexander and Berg were in double figures with 16 and 11, respectively.
“Washburn Rural is very disciplined, and coach (Kevin) Muff want’s to control the ball and control the game,” Bloomquist said. “We responded, if we didn’t respond it would have been a 35-37 game, and I’m not sure we would have won,”
Bachelor had 16 points to pace the Junior Blues, while the next highest scorer was Howard with six.
Both team's next games will be at home, with Washburn Rural taking on Hayden Friday and the Chargers playing host to Manhattan next Tuesday.
WASHBURN RURAL BOYS 42, TOPEKA WEST 56
Topeka West 11 24 12 9 -- 56
Washburn Rural 11 1 10 20 -- 42
Washburn Rural (6-7, 5-4 ) – Kidd 2 0-0 5, Morris 1 0-0 3, Bowen 0 0-0 0, Hirschi 0 0-0 0, Bachelor 4 6-6 16, Durst 1 1-2 3, JC Heim, 0 0-0 0, Conklin 2 0-0 5, Ross 2 0-0 4, Howard 3 0-0 6. Totals 15 7-8 42.
Topeka West (13-1, 9-1 ) – Austin 2 2-4 8, Robinson 0 0-0 0, Foy 0 0-0 0, Brooks 8 4-8 21, Thompson 0 0-0 0, Alexander 5 3-4 16, Berg 5 1-3 11, Noonoo 0 0-0 0, Bearman 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 10-19 56.
3-point goals – Washburn Rural 5 (Bachelor 2, Kidd, Morris, Conklin). Topeka West 6 (Alexander 3, Austin 2, Brooks). Total fouls – Washburn Rural 16, Topeka West 8. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Topeka High sophomore point guard Bryson Thrasher had a huge 23-point night on Tuesday, leading the Trojans to a 69-56 home Centennial League win over Manhattan.
Thrasher canned four 3-point shots on the night while scoring 13 points in the first half and 10 in the second.
Trojan coach Ty Baumgardner believes that Tuesday's win was a good step for his team, whch has won two out of its last three games.
“Any win is a good win,” Baumgardner said. “Ever since we got back from Christmas break, we’ve been knocking on the door and have been right there. We haven’t been able to put it all together to get a win, but tonight was a good win.”
Topeka High coach Ty Baumgardner talks to his team during Tuesday's 69-56 Centennial League win over Manhattan. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Topeka High is a team comprised of three seniors, two juniors and 10 sophomores and freshmen.
Baumgardner acknowledges the youth of the team, but he doesn’t believe that youth should be a factor in wins or losses at this point of the season.
“We are a young, inexperienced team,” said Baumgardner. “We keep telling them that you aren’t young anymore. I know we are starting four sophomores, but they’re not sophomores anymore. At this point in the regular season, you can’t be making freshman or sophomore mistakes.”
Topeka High had three players score in double figures, with senior Germane Mays adding 16 points and sophomore Isaiah Lyons 14 for the Trojans.
The 21-point second quarter from High was the turning point of the game for the Trojans, who trailed by two points to end the first quarter.
“To be quite honest, the second quarter has been our demise,” said Baumgardner. “This second quarter was really good to see. I thought we played with a lot of poise throughout that second quarter.”
It wasn’t just the second quarter that was friendly to the Trojans, all four were. The 69 total points scored Tuesday were a season-high for Topeka High. It was the best scoring night that the Trojans have seen since they scored 70 points against St. Marys back on Jan. 24th, 2020.
While the win was nice, Baumgardner believes that the team has a lot to work on before Friday night’s Centennial League contest with Emporia.
“We still have a lot to work on, there is no question about that,” said Baumgardner, an Emporia High grad. “Friday is the Dean Smith game and that is a pretty big and meaningful game for both schools. (Emporia) won it last year, so they will bring the trophy up here, and I hope they don’t take it back with them.
TOPEKA HIGH BOYS 69, MANHATTAN 56
Manhattan 15 13 17 11 – 56
Topeka High 13 21 18 17 – 69
Topeka High (3-11, 3-7) – Thrasher 8 3-4 23, Mays 6 4-4 16, Lyons 2 8-8 14, Flenoy 3 1-3 7, Canady 3 1-3 7, Cameron 1(0-1 2.
Manhattan (3-10, 2-7) – Wilson 5 0-0 12, Brown 5 1-2 12, Perkins 3 1-2 10, Coonrod 3 0-0 7, Elumugo 3 0-1 6, DeLurt 2 0-0 4, Holloway 0 3-4 3, Schartz 1 0-0 2.
3-point goals -- Topeka High 6 (Thrasher 4, Lyons 2), Manhattan 7 (Perkins 3, Wilson 2, Brown, Coonrod). Total Fouls: Topeka High 10, Manhattan 18.
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
The inability to convert shots in the second half haunted the Hayden girls basketball team in the Tuesday night, as the Wildcats dropped a home 48-33 Centennial League decision to Emporia.
“I thought we played hard,” Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said. “I thought our defensive effort was good. We made (Gracie) Gilpin work hard for her shots.
"I think that we lost to a great player and a great team.”
Both Emporia and Hayden were coming off of mid-season tournaments, with the Lady Spartans, who are ranked No. 3 in Class 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, winning the Glaciers Edge Invitational and the Lady Wildcats finishing as the runner ups in the Top Gun Invitational.
Despite coming off of a busy tournament week, Reynoldson didn't believe that his team waa suffering from any fatigue.
“I don’t think that we are fatigued at all,” said Reynoldson. “I think our girls are pretty fresh. They love each other and work for each other. They will always fight.”
Freshman Brylee Meier led Hayden with 12 points in Tuesday's 48-33 Centennial League loss to Emporia. [File photo/TSN]
The amount of converted 3-point shots was the difference for Emporia, with the Spartans nailing eight treys on the night.
“Three’s are something we work on quite a bit,” Emporia coach Carolyn Dorsey said. “I think (the team) is playing well. I think they’re understanding their roles. We have enough kids that are buying in to what we are trying to do here.”
Gilpin created numerous problems for Hayden, mostly beyond the arc, with the Spartan senior standout hitting five 3-point shots and finishing with 19 points.
“Gracie works at shooting all the time,” said Dorsey. “She’s been playing extremely well for us this season and she did a good job tonight.”
Emporia’s Rebecca Snyder had her way against Hayden in the first quarter. The 6-foot junior had eight points and was a problem for Hayden’s defense down on the low block.
Snyder, who would go on to have 10 points in the contest, also recorded 13 rebounds. Tuesday night’s double double was her fourth of the year.
Emporia’s defensive pressure was a big problem for Hayden to overcome in the second half, with the Wildcats scoring just 12 total second-half points.
Brylee Meier continued her solid freshman year season, leading the Wildcats with 12 points Tuesday night while senior Macy Smith added 11 and senior Carly Stuke seven.
Dorsey admitted that this is a tough week for her Spartans, who will face undefeated Topeka High on Friday.
I was nervous,'' Dorsey said. "(Hayden) is a tough place to play. (Reynoldson’s) kids play hard, they’re intelligent, and (Hayden) is a good team. I think (Topeka High) is playing better than they did when they beat us the first time. Kiki (Smith) is hard to guard, (Tae) Thomas is so athletic and (Topeka High) forces a lot of problems.''
Hayden also faces a tough challenge Friday night, playing at No. 3-ranked Washburn Rural.
EMPORIA GIRLS 48, HAYDEN 33
Emporia 16 11 13 8 – 48
Hayden 10 11 7 5 – 33
Emporia High (11-3, 7-3) – Gilpin 7 0-0 19, Snyder 4 2-6 10, Kirmer 2 1-2 6, Shivley 2 0-0 5, Peak 1 1-2 3, Stewart 1 0-0 3, Baker 1 (0-1) 2.
Hayden (7-5, 5-4) – Meier 4 2-4 12, Smith 4 3-5 11, Stuke 1 4-6 7, Greco 0 2-2 2, Grunert 0 1-2 1.
3-point goals – Emporia 8 (Gilpin 5, Kirmer, Shivley, Stewart), Hayden 3 (Meier 2, Stuke). Total fouls – Emporia 16, Hayden 9.
