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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Wabaunsee star Abby Oliver scored a game- and career-high 19 points to lead a balanced attack as Washburn's women's basketball team topped Missouri Southern 56-49 Thursday night at Lee Arena to even its record at 4-4 overall and in the MIAA.
Oliver, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, went 7 of 11 from the field and hit 5 of 6 free throws for the Ichabods, who won their second straight game, while senior Hunter Bentley added 15 points, including a 9 of 10 performance at the free throw line. Junior Nuria Barrientos recorded her third double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Washburn led 15-12 at the end of the opening quarter, but 4-5 Missouri Southern took a 22-21 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Ichabods forced third-quarter ties at 24 and 32 before using a 7-1 run to take a 37-33 advantage into the fourth quarter. Washburn led the rest of the way, leading by as much as 9 points.
Washburn helped hold the Lions at bay while hitting 13 of 16 free throw attempts in the fourth quarter and going 26 of 36 on the night.
Both teams struggled offensively, with Washburn shooting 31.3 percent (15 of 48) and going 0 of 9 from 3-point range while Southern shot 32.7 percent (16 of 49). The Lions his 5 3-pointers to help stay in the hunt.
Carley Turnbull led Missouri Southern with 15 points and 8 rebounds.
Washburn is scheduled to be back in action Saturday, hosting Pittsburg State in a 1 p.m. MIAA contest.
WASHBURN WOMEN 56, MISSOURI SOUTHERN 49
Missouri Southern 12 10 11 16 — 49
Washburn 15 6 16 19 — 56
MISSOURI SOUTHERN (4-5, 4-5)
Skiles 1-9 0-0 2, Stokes 4-6 1-2 9, Stauffer 0-0 1-2 1, Jackson 0-0 1-2 1, Turnbull 5-13 5-7 15, Hunnicutt 2-8 1-2 7, Stocks 2-6 1-2 7, Johns 0-1 0-0 0, Campbell 1-2 1-2 3, Grant 1-3 1-2 4. Totals 16-49 12-21 49.
WASHBURN (4-4, 4-4)
Bentley 3-15 9-10 15, Oliver 7-11 5-6 19, Barrientos 3-12 6-12 12, Doebele 1-3 5-6 7, Gamble 0-1 0-0 0, Cassaday 1-4 0-0 2, Willey 0-1 0-0 0, Glatczak 0-0 1-2 1, Johnson 0-1 0-0 0, Rhodes 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-48 26-36 56.
3-point goals — Missouri Southern 5-16 (Hunnicutt 2-5, Stocks 2-4, Grant 1-2, Skiles 0-3, Turnbull 0-2), Washburn 0-9 (Bentley 0-5, Barrientos 0-2, Gamble 0-1, Johnson 0-1). Rebounds — Missouri Southern 37 (Stokes 10), Washburn 35 (Barrientos 11). Assists — Missouri Southern 10 (four with 2), Washburn 5 (Barrientos 2, Doebele 2). Turnovers — Missouri Southern 18, Washburn 12. Total fouls — Missouri Southern 26, Washburn 21. Fouled out — Turnbull, Doebele, Willey. Technical fouls — none.
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Rural's Joe Berry glides in for 2 of his 19 points against Topeka High (Photo by Rex Wolf/Top SportsNews)
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's boys basketball team finally got the chance to play a game Thursday night after a long break and took advantage of that opportunity, rolling to a 64-38 Centennial League road victory at Topeka High.
Like all teams across the state, Rural had an extended holiday layoff due to the coronavirus and then had to wait a couple of extra days when Tuesday's game against Manhattan was postponed.
But it didn't take the Junior Blues long to take shake off any rust, forcing a running clock with just over three minutes remaining on the way to improving to 4-1 overall and in the league as seniors Joe Berry and Jack Hutchinson both scored 19 points while canning 3 3-pointers apiece.
Berry and Hutchinson also had plenty of help, with five Junior Blues scoring at least 6 points, including Jack Bachelor with 9 points, Quincey Kidd with 8 and Brock Howard with 6.
Defensively, Rural forced 16 Topeka High turnovers en route to building a 31-13 halftime lead and stretched its advantage to 49-28 by the end of the third quarter and 64-34 in the fourth.
"I thought we got better as the game went on,'' Washburn Rural coach Kevin Muff said. "We've been out a month now without a game, and these guys are so sick of me in practice, so they're so excited that, 'Hey we get to play again tomorrow (at Junction City) and don't have to practice, that's awesome.' They're celebrating now. The kids at this age would rather play than practice anyway.
"Coming in here is never easy. I don't care what year it is or what's going on, and I thought we did a good job of just establishing the defensive end, got some steals, got some turnovers, got some easy baskets and I thought opened things up and we started sharing the ball and putting where it needed to be.''
Senior Jayden Leesman led Topeka High (1-5, 1-5) with 14 points and senior Jalen Smith added 9, but the Trojans never seemed to get in sync offensively.
WASHBURN RURAL BOYS 64, TOPEKA HIGH 38
Washburn Rural 10 21 18 15 -- 64
Topeka High 8 5 15 10 -- 38
Washburn Rural (4-1, 4-1) -- Bachelor 3-5 2-2 9, Kidd 3-7 0-0 8, Berry 8-14 0-0 19, Hutchinson 8-15 0-0 19, Howard 3-6 0-0 6, Patterson 0-3 1-2 1, Brady 1-3 0-0 2, Williams 0-1 0-0 0, Bunck 0-0 0-0 0, Hanks 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-56 3-4 64.
Topeka High (1-5, 1-5) -- Esquibel 0-0 0-0 0, Smith 4-17 1-4 9, Wilson 3-4 0-2 6, Leesman 6-11 2-2 14, Canady 1-5 0-0 2, Phillips 2-4 0-2 5, Kincade 0-0 0-0 0, McMillon 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 17-44 3-10 38.
3-point goals -- Washburn Rural 9 (Berry 3, Hutchinson 3, Kidd 2, Bachelor), Topeka High 1 (Phillips). Total fouls -- Washburn Rural 12, Topeka High 7. Fouled out -- Brady.
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Trojan's #5 Lilly Smith drives to the basket against Washburn Rural (photo by Rex Wolf/TopSportsNews
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High's girls basketball team stared the end of its long winning streak in the face Thursday night and found a way to keep it alive.
The top-ranked Trojans trailed No. 4 Washburn Rural, which handed High its last loss in the 2019 Class 6A state championship game, by a 49-46 margin after a Emma Krueger basket with 1:53 remaining, but Topeka High ran off the final 7 points of the game over the final 1:34 to escape with a 53-49 Centennial League win at High.
The Trojans' vaunted defense turned the tide in the late going, forcing multiple turnovers that led to points en route to their 6th straight victory this season and 29th overall.
High junior NiJaree Canady scored back-to-back hoops to put the Trojans up 49-48 and then senior Lilly Smith scored the final 3 points of the game after coming up with two straight steals.
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Washburn Rural’s boys swimmers topped a 13-school field in the Topeka West Invitational, which was contested Tuesday and Wednesday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium, posting seven wins en route to a 434-336 margin over Blue Southwest.
Junior Dagen Clouse captured four gold medals while junior Nathen Trachta won three golds.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural dominated Wednesday’s Topeka High bowling quadrangular at Gage Bowl, sweeping both the boys and girls team and individual titles.
Rural senior Hannah Casto won the girls individual title with a event-best 695 three-game series, including a second-game 299, as the Junior Blues won the girls team championship by 428 pins over runner-up Shawnee Heights (2,403-1975).
Kaitlyn Doyal posted a second-place individual finish for Rural’s girls with a 594 series, while Shawnee Heights’ Brylee Prockish was third with a 555 series to lead the runner-up T-Birds.
Doyal had a high game of 209, the second-highest game in the girls division on the day.
Rural sophomore Josh Hammons rolled a 669 series to take the boys individual crown, leading the Junior Blues to a 90-pin win over Shawnee Heights (2,542-2,452).
Hammons put together three straight 200 games to win the boys title by 23 pins over Junction City’s Torrey Lindsay, who had a 646 series.
Hammons opened with a 238 game, followed by 205 and 226 games.
Runner-up Shawnee Heights was led by Aidan VanMetre (636) and Josh Egly (627), who finished fourth and fifth individually.
