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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Saturday's 78-72 Washburn double-overtime Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association victory over Central Missouri included big individual offensive performances for both teams, including eight individual scorers who notched between 11 and 21 points.
But 7 -- the number of steals registered by Ichabod junior Jeremiah Jones -- was just as big as Washburn improved to 11-0 overall and 3-0 in the conference.
Junior Jeremiah Jones scored 13 points and had seven steals in Washburn's 78-72 double-overtime MIAA victory over Central Missouri on Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
A 6-foot-3 transfer from Mary, Jones scored 13 points in Saturday's win, but it was his seven steals that were his personal highlight of the day and a key factor in the Ichabods' come-from-behind win.
"It's just based off my instincts,'' Jones said. "I'm really watching people's eyes and trying not to gamble too much and give up easy plays, but just play my game.''
Jones leads the nation in total steals with 37 and is ranked seventh in steals per game at 3.36 per contest. Jones recorded a school-record eight in his first game as an Ichabod to open the season.
"I would rather get a steal than a shot, honestly, that how it feels for me,'' Jones said. "When I get a steal, it's a rush.''
"He's a great athlete and he's got great anticipation,'' Washburn coach Brett Ballard said. "And what I'm really proud of with JJ is that he's become better on the ball and then off the ball he's just got a knack for getting those steals.''
The Ichabods will now step out of MIAA play, traveling to San Antonio, Texas for the annual River City Holiday Classic.
Washburn will face No. 4 ranked Lubbock Christian at 11 a.m. on Tuesday before wrapping up the 2025 calendar year with a 1 p.m. contest on Wenesday against No. 8 ranked West Texas A&M.
Ballard said Saturday's thriller against the Mules should give the Ichabods a boost heading into this week's top-10 matchups.
"We've won some games in the 90s and we can do that, but sometimes in some of these games, especially in the MIAA, you're going to have to grind a few out and I think we showed that,'' Ballard said. "And just the response on a night when offensively it was kind of janky, our guys stayed resilient on the defensive end and that was good and I'm proud of them.''
Lubbock Christian fell for the first time this season in an 87-83 loss at Cameron last time out, dropping its record to 9-1 on the season.
The Ichabods lead the all-time series with the Chapps 1-0 after winning the only meeting on Nov. 26, 2016 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
West Texas A&M is 10-0 after defeating Texas-Dallas 94-82 last time out.
Washburn is 2-1 all-time against the Buffs, falling 98-93 in the last meeting in overtime in Las Vegas in Ballard's second season as the Ichabods' head coach.
The Ichabods are likely to move into the No. 1 ranking in the NABC poll this week after Nova Southeastern fell to Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday, 88-83.
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The Ichabods lead the NCAA Division II ranks in scoring margin at plus 31.2 points per game.
Washburn ranks seventh in field goal percentage at 51.7 percent and is also eighth in assists per game (19.5), seventh in assist/turnover ration (1.68) and first in rebound margin (plus 13.6).
Washburn has not been out-rebounded in a game.
WU sophomore Dillon Claussen is sixth in the nation in field goal percentage at 69.1 percent while junior Jack Bachelor is 16th in the nation in total assists with 55 and fourth in assist to turnover ration at 3.93 to 1.
The Ichabods' 11-game winning streak is second in the nation behind Daemen, which has won its last 12.
Amondo Miller, Jr. leads Lubbock Christian with a 22.6 scoring average while hitting 20 of 43 3-point attempts. Kendal Dow is averaging 14.9 points while Antonio Pusateri is scoring 13.5 points per game, Alex Anamekwe is 12.2 points and Lucas Mercandino 11.2.
Undefeated West Texas A&M owns three wins over MIAA foes this season, posting an 87-75 win over Missouri Western, a 76-70 win over Pittsburg State and an 81-70 win over Central Oklahoma.
Fontaine Williams leads the team in scoring at 19.0 points per game, hitting 19 of 49 3-point attempts, while Brock Mishak is averaging 10.8 points, Camden Cowgill 10.7 and James Parlow, Jr. 10.6 points per game. Williams is a Wichita native and transferred from Barton County as did Parlow.
The Ichabods return to MIAA play on Jan. 3, hosting Emporia State.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Austin Broadie
AUSTIN BROADIE, Washburn University
A 6-foot senior rightside hitter, Broadie was named a first-team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association after helping lead the Ichabods to a share of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association regular-season title and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The MIAA Player of the Year, Broadie registered 348 kills on the year with a .302 hitting percentage, 72 blocks and 72 digs.
Dillon Claussen
DILLON CLAUSSEN, Washburn University
Claussen, a 6-foot-8 sophomore, scored 21 points with 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocked shots Saturday as No. 2-ranked Washburn men's basketball improved to 11-0 on the season with a 78-72 double-overtime Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association victory over Central Missouri in Lee Arena.
Malakyah Duncan
MALAKYAH DUNCAN, Topeka West
Duncan, a senior basketball standout, scored 23 points Friday, hitting 8 of 11 shots from the floor and 7 of 11 free throws, as No. 4-ranked (Class 5A) Topeka West remained unbeaten with a 71-57 United Kansas Conference road romp past No. 2-ranked Seaman. Duncan scored 17 points earlier in the week as the Chargers posted a 79-44 non-league win over Shawnee Mission West.
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By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
DESOTO -- The Washburn Rural girls battled the Liberty, Mo. Blue Jays in the championship game of the DeSoto Hardwood Classic on Saturday afternoon.
In a game of ebbs and flows, Liberty won the closely contested title game, 47-46.
Washburn Rural came out of locker room for the start of the game on absolute fire. Senior Ella Hirschi scored the first eight points with two 3-pointers, causing Liberty to take a timeout with 5:25 left in the opening quarter. Freshman Brynn Anderson joined the scoring column with a basket to extend the lead to 10-0 before the Blue Jays scored their first basket with 4:12 remaining in the quarter. The teams exchanged points over the last four minutes and the Junior Blues led 14-5 after the first eight minutes.
The second quarter represented a flip of the script, with Liberty taking control throughout the second quarter while Washburn Rural committed seven turnovers. The Blue Jays outscored the Junior Blues 11-4 over the first four minutes, cutting the Rural lead to 18-16. Liberty took its first lead of the game with a little over a minute remaining before halftime at 20-19 on a basket by senior Enslie Dryer. The Blue Jays finished the half on a 13-3 run to take a 26-21 advantage to the locker room.
The third quarter saw Liberty extended its lead to seven points on three different occasions while Washburn Rural could get no closer than five points in the entire quarter. Liberty junior Elecea Norman scored 10 points in the quarter, including the final six, giving Liberty a 41-32 lead heading into the final stanza.
Over the first 3 minutes, 17 seconds of the fourth quarter, Washburn Rural was able to cut the lead to 45-41, coming from senior Josie Carlgren’s six points, a Anderson bucket and a free throw by senior Hallie Walker.
After holding Liberty scoreless for almost three minutes, Anderson scored five straight points, with the last bucket being a step-back three pointer, giving Rural the lead, 46-45. The teams traded scoreless possessions over the next minute and Liberty’s Enslie Dryer hit a layup with 20 seconds remaining to give Liberty the 47-46 lead. The Junior Blues had multiple chances over the final 20 seconds, but couldn’t get a shot to fall.
Washburn Rural was led by Brynn Anderson’s 22 points and six rebounds. Hirschi was the only other Rural player in double figures with 12 points. Walker pulled down 10 rebounds.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University men's basketball's most experienced player came through huge when it mattered the most Saturday in Lee Arena.
Senior Brady Christiansen scored 8 of his 12 points in the second overtime as Washburn outlasted Central Missouri, 78-72. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Brady Christiansen, who has played 104 games in an Ichabod uniform, scored eight of his 12 points in the second overtime period as the Ichabods outlasted Central Missouri 78-72 to improve to 11-0 overall and 3-0 in the MIAA.
Christiansen, who also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds with three assists, scored five straight points in the second OT to put Washburn in front 69-63 with 2:51 remaining in the second five-minute extra session and later drained a huge 3-pointer to give the Ichabods a 74-69 advantage with 59 seconds left.
"I kind of just got lost in the moment,'' Christiansen said. "I'm still a little bit lost for words right now, but I think when the team needed plays I was ready to step up.
"It's someone else's night every night, but credit to how tough we played on defense I think that was what really kept us in the game because we didn't shoot it worth a lick. They got 72 points in two overtimes and that's really good defense and coach is proud of that. It was a really good team-effort win.''
Washburn coach Brett Ballard wasn't surprised that his 6-foot-7 frontliner, who has been a steady performer for the Ichabods since his freshman season, came through in the clutch.
"He's always consistent and he really rises in big moments,'' Ballard said. "He made a huge shot in Florida when we needed it early in the season and this game those plays late, he's not afraid of that moment. He's put the time into it and I'm really happy for him because he's just been consistent for us for four years.''
The No. 2-ranked Ichabods erased multiple deficits, including a seven-point deficit with five minutes left in regulation and a five-point deficit in the first OT, to pull out their 22nd straight home victory.
The Ichabods finished the game with a decisive 15-9 advantage in the second overtime after the teams were deadlocked at 63 following the first extra period.
Washburn trailed by as many as seven points in the first half but closed the opening period strong and carried that momentum into the second half, where the game tightened into a possession-by-possession battle.
Washburn shot 42.3 percent in the second half and forced key turnovers late to send the game to overtime tied at 56.
Both teams scored 7 points in the first overtime to force a second extra session.
Washburn took control for good in the second overtime.
Sophomore Dillon Claussen led Washburn with 21 points in Saturday's 78-72 double-overtime win over Central Missouri. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sophomore Dillon Claussen opened the period with a free throw and followed with strong finishes at the rim as part of a game-defining 9-0 run that stretched the lead to six.
Claussen capped the run with a fastbreak dunk off a Jeremiah Jones steal to push the margin to 78-69 in the final seconds.
Junior Jack Bachelor scored 16 points in Washburn's 78-72 double-overtime win over Central Missouri. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Junior Jeremiah Jones scored 13 points and had seven steals in Washburn's 78-72 double-overtime MIAA victory over Central Missouri. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Claussen led all Washburn scorers with 21 points, adding seven rebounds, four assists and four blocks in 40 minutes. Bachelor chipped in 16 points while Jones finished with 13 points and seven steals.
Tyson Ruud provided a spark off the bench with nine points and seven boards.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball played the entire fourth quarter without senior star Yibari Nwidadah as Central Missouri pulled away down the stretch for a 67-56 MIAA win over the Ichabods Saturday in Lee Arena.
Junior Madelyn Amekporfor led Washburn with 16 points, including three 3-pointers, in Saturday's 67-56 loss to Central Missouri. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Nwidadah, Washburn's leading scorer and rebounder, did not return after hitting her head on the floor after a collision late in the third quarter, but Ichabod coach Lora Westling refused to use Nwidadah's injury as an excuse as WU suffered its first conference loss.
"They're a big team, we knew that, and I think I'm most frustrated by just our lack of awareness,'' Westling said. "We knew what they were going to do and we let them to do it, and I think that's just poor execution of our game plan because we had some counters to their size, we didn't execute it.
"I thought we were really selfish tonight and trying to do a lot on our own. We've been doing a good job of getting into 17, 18 assists a game and we were back to eight tonight because we were trying to do too much. We just didn't have enough juice and energy and we can make all the execuses we want, but at the end of the day we didn't show up tonight and you're not going to beat anybody like that, let alone a really good team like Central.''
The Jennies (6-3 overall, 2-1 MIAA) opened the game with the first five points, but Washburn (6-3, 2-1) was able to get going offensively, pulling ahead at 10-9 after a layup by Gabi Giovannetti at the 2:46 mark. Central Missouri kept connecting from outside, hitting 4 of 6 shots from 3-point range in the quarter to lead 18-12 after 10 minutes.
Both sides traded baskets to begin the second quarter, the Ichabods pulled within three points after a steal and score by Nwidadah at the 5:02 mark. The Washburn offense bounced back after a slow first quarter to shoot 50.0 percent in the second.
The Ichabods went in front briefly in the final minute of the half after Payton Sterk hit a pair of free throws. The Jennies hit a free throw on the other end to forge a 29-29 tie at halftime.
Washburn got five straight points from Aniah Wayne to go up 39-35 with 5:23 remaining in the third quarter, but the next six points came from the Jennies, who would lead by 45-42 heading to the fourth quarter.
Sterk hit a jumper with 7:29 to go in regulation that tied the game up at 45, but the Ichabod offense slowed down while Central Missouri scored the next 10 points to lead by double figures inside of five minutes remaining.
