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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West's boys basketball team faces a tough challenge in Tuesday night's Class 5A boys quarterfinal contest, with the Chargers going on the road to face 22-0 Hays, which ended the season top-ranked in the KBCA 5A rankings.
But West coach Rick Bloomquist started preparing his team for just such a challenge months ago.
Topeka West coach Rick Bloomquist talks to his team during Saturday's Class 5A sub-state final against Seaman. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Apparently, Brett Ballard's Washburn Ichabods played so well in last week's MIAA Tournament that the NCAA powers that be wanted to see it all over again.
After topping Missouri Western in the semifinals and Northwest Missouri in a thrilling championship game, Washburn faces the prospect of seeing both teams again in the NCAA Central Regional at Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Washburn, which will be making its 15th NCAA postseason appearance, was announced late Sunday night as the No. 3 regional seed and will play No. 6 Missouri Western for the fourth time this season in an 8:45 p.m. regional contest Saturday night at the Wachs Arena.
![Brett Ballard's Washburn Ichabods are in the NCAA tournament for the third tim in his fourth year at WU and will compete in Aberdeen, S.D. later this week. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]](/images/aa-images/BrettBallard.jpg)
Brett Ballard's Washburn Ichabods are in the NCAA tournament for the third time in his four years at WU and will compete in Aberdeen, S.D. later this week. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn will take a 19-6 record into Saturday's game while Missouri Western is 14-10.
The winner of that game will move on to face No. 2 seed Northwest Missouri (23-2) in the semifinals. The Ichabods have also faced the Bearcarts three times, including WU's dramatic 69-68 win in Saturday's MIAA championship game.
“It's interesting they put all three conference schools on the same side of the bracket,'' Ballard said in a Zoom conference Sunday night. "You know, that is what it is. It’s probably not ideal, but you’ve got to go play good teams no matter what region you’re in and no matter where you’re at in the bracket.
"We’re excited about getting in. We know it’s going to be a brutal region to try to get through, just with the players and the coaching and how good everybody is, but we're familiar obviously with our side of it and we'll do some more homework on the other side of it, but out of the gates we'll have a very tough game against Missouri Western.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Softball will definitely be Seaman senior Raigan Kramer's focus in the future, with Kramer already signing a Division I letter of intent with Arkansas.
But Kramer still has work to do on the basketball court before the Viking point guard turns the page on her athletic career.
Kramer is getting ready for her third straight Class 5A state tournament appearance in basketball after helping the Vikings, now 8-14, upset No. 1 sub-state seed Emporia 37-27 on the road last Friday to set up a 6 p.m. quarterfinal game at 18-4 Salina Central Monday night.
"We came out and got it done and we kind of shocked ourselves a little bit I think,'' Kramer said after the win over Emporia.
Seaman senior Raigan Kramer (right) is headed to her third straight Class 5A state basketball tournament before turning her attention to softball at Arkansas. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Yes, Seaman's girls basketball team will go into Monday's Class 5A state quarterfinal at Salina Central as the underdog.
Of course, that's the role Matt Tinsley's Vikings have been in all season while still finding a way to advance to state for the third straight season.
Seaman made it to the 5A semifinals a year ago, but began the season short on experience after multiple returners opted to concentrate on other sports and also had to deal with COVID-19 quarantine issues much of the season.
But the Vikings' progress began to show over the latter part of the year and Seaman put things together, particularly on the defensive end, in a 37-27 win at No. 1 seed Emporia in Friday night's sub-state championship game.
Now Tinsley wants his 7-14 team to approach Monday's 6 p.m. game against the 18-4 Mustangs with the attitude that the Vikings have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
"There was no pressure on us coming into this (Emporia) game,'' Tinsley said after the Vikings' victory. "We were relaxed on the bus ride down here. We were relaxed on Tuesday night (against Topeka West) and I told the girls, 'Just go out and have fun.'
"It's just so good to experience this. I'm just so happy for these kids.''
Freshman Taylin Stallbaumer, driving to the basket against Topeka West in the sub-state semis, led Seaman with a game-high 16 points in the Vikings' 37-27 sub-state final win at Emporia. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
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By ANDREW GILL
TopSports.news
Centennial League powers Topeka High and Washburn Rural met for the third and final time of the year in Saturday’s Class 6A girls sub-state basketball championship game, with the Lady Trojans making it a season sweep with a decisive 72-52 win at High.
“We didn’t play our best the first two times we played Rural,'' Topeka High coach Hannah Alexander said. "We came out flat, so we really wanted to make an exclamation point with this game.''.
Topeka High was anything but flat in the third bout, with Alexander most impressed with her team’s defense.
“I felt like it was a team effort. They really bought in this week; we had some great practices. (Defense) was what we tried to excel on and doing that really helped them get the win tonight,” Alexander said.
With Saturday's win the 21-1 Trojans advance to the 6A state tournament for the third straight season and will host 16-6 Wichita Heights in a 6 p.m. quarterfinal game Tuesday. The Falcons routed Wichita East 60-27 in their sub-state final.
Topeka High receives its Class 6A sub-state championship trophy Saturday after its 72-52 win over Washburn Rural. [Photo from Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The Trojans appeared to be in control early, ending the first quarter ahead 16-4, but the Lady Blues slowly chipped away at the lead before halftime.
With just over a minute to go in the half, Rural sophomore Brooklyn DeLeye was fouled on a made field goal attempt and knocked down the free throw to shrink the deficit to just 2 points.
On the ensuing in-bounds play, freshman Zoe Canfield got a steal and found junior teammate Ella Hurtig for a go-ahead 3-pointer.
The Blues’ first and only lead of the game lasted mere seconds, however, as Topeka High senior Lilly Smith answered with a 3-pointer of her own.
The Trojans quickly got the ball back and sophomore Kiki Smith (15 points) managed to beat the halftime buzzer, putting her team up 30-26 at the break.
“The drive from Kiki at the buzzer was huge.'' Alexander said. "We regrouped at halftime and answered back in that third quarter.''
The second half belonged to Trojan NiJaree Canady, who scored 19 of her team-high 21 points after halftime. The junior earned a double-double by grabbing 12 rebounds.
Topeka High junior NiJaree Canady had 21 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday's 72-52 sub-state win over Washburn Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Though pleased with her individual performance, Canady was more focused on the team’s victory.
“At the end of the day, as long as my team wins that’s the main thing,'' she said. "If we win and I only get 2 points, then we win, and I only get 2 points. Whatever it takes to get us to state,” Canady said.
Tae Thomas added 16 points for the Trojans, with a pair of 3-pointers.
Topeka High junior Tae Thomas scored 16 points for the Trojans' in Saturday's 72-52 sub-state win over Washburn Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
DeLeye was the game’s high scorer with a 22-point contribution for the Lady Blues. DeLeye also added 6 rebounds.
Washburn Rural sophomore Brooklyn DeLeye scored a game-high 22 points in Saturday's sub-state final. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The defeat marked the end of an impressive 16-3 season for Washburn Rural.
TOPEKA HIGH 72, WASHBURN RURAL 52
Washburn Rural 4 22 12 14 -- 52
Topeka High 16 14 21 21 -- 72
Washburn Rural (16-3) -- Bagshaw 1 2-2 4, Lutz 1 0-0 3, Krueger 2 3-6 7, Canfield 2 2-3 7, Hurtig 1 0-0 3, Ingram 2 2-3 6, DeLeye 7 8-13 22. Totals: 16 17-27 52
Topeka High (21-1) -- L. Smith 2 2-2 7, Thomas 4 6-8 16, Shields 0 1-2 1, K. Smith 6 0-0 15, Hendricks 3 0-1 6, Canady 9 2-4 21, Lyons 3 0-0 6. Totals: 27 11-17 72
3-point goals -- Washburn Rural 3 (Lutz, Canfield, Hurtig), Topeka High 7 (K. Smith 3, Thomas 2, L. Smith, Canady). Total fouls -- Washburn Rural 14, Topeka High 21. Fouled out -- none.
