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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University junior standout Andrew Orr hit second of two free throw attempts with 1.4 seconds left to give the Ichabods a 70-69 MIAA win at Lincoln on Saturday afternoon.
Washburn junior Andrew Orr scored 18 points and hit the game-winning free throw in the Ichabods' 70-69 wn at Lincoln on Saturday. [File photo/TSN]
The 6-foot-8 Orr, one of the nation's top free throw shooters, missed his first attempt before draining the second to give the Ichabods their final margin.
"He's a great free throw shooter so I would have liked him to make the first one, but he made the one that counted,'' Washburn coach Brett Ballard told KTPK Radio.
The Ichabods trailed by as many as 11 in the first half at 33-22 with 5:07 to play before cutting the Lincoln lead down to eight, but a 3-point play by Elijah Farr pushed the lead back to 10 with 3:14 to go. A dunk by Jarmell Johnson jump-started a 6-0 run to end the half, cutting the Blue Tiger advantage back to four at 37-33.
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By CHARLES SPURLOCK
TopSports.news
Seaman's boys basketball team hosted Shawnee Heights in a United Kansas Conference contest on Friday night, and in a game where both teams took turns with the upper hand, the T-Birds rallied late to take a 54-51 victory while extending their win streak to five games.
Junior Jaret Sanchez (23) scored 15 points to lead Shawnee Heights to its fifth straight win, 54-51 over Seaman. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Brennon Dodge scored 14 points Friday night as Shawnee Heights held off Seaman for a 54-51 UKC win [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Thunderbirds built an 11 point lead at one point in the first half, but the Vikings battled back to take the lead at the end of the third quarter, 40-38.
“In the first half, we weren’t on the same page offensively and weren’t communicating well enough,” said Seaman coach Craig Cox.
Shawnee Heights led by eight points after the first quarter and built the lead to a game-high 11 points, but Seaman was able to cut into the lead and only trailed 30-24 at the halftime break.
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By CHARLES SPURLOCK
TopSports.news
A top-10 clash in Class 5A took place at Seaman High School on Friday night with the Seaman Lady Vikes, ranked No. 3 in 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association battling the visitors from Tecumseh, the 10th-ranked Shawnee Heights Thunderbirds.
Senior Taylin Stallbaumer scored 15 first-half points and 18 on the night as Seaman rolled to a 69-39 UKC win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The host Vikings came out focused and shot 75 percent from the field (8-12) in the first quarter, including 60 percent from the 3-point line (3-5), to take a commanding 21-9 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back.
Seaman extended the lead to 37-19 at halftime as senior Taylin Stallbaumer led Seaman with 15 points, including three 3-pointers in the first half. The T-Birds were led in the first half by freshman KK Emmot with six points.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Topeka High boys basketball team returned from its holiday break to a rude welcome from defending Class 6A champion Blue Valley Northwest. The Trojans followed that up with missed practices and rescheduled games due to weather and a disappointing loss at Washburn Rural.
Junior Da'Mykel Hales scored 16 points in Topeka High's 63-49 win over Hayden Friday night, the Trojans' first win of 2024. [File photo/TSN]
Friday, the Trojans capped a special Topeka High Sports Hall of Honor celebration with a 63-49 win over Hayden, their first victory of 2024.
“I was a little nervous knowing this was our first hall of fame induction,” Trojan coach Geo Lyons said. “I knew the crowd would be a packed house. A couple of state championship teams were honored tonight. We didn’t want to let them down.”
The Trojans used a 10-0 run to build a 21-11 first quarter lead. The Wildcats closed the gap in the second period, but Topeka High responded with a 19-4 third period to lock up their fourth win and first in the Centennial League.
“Tonight, we jumped out with a great first quarter,” Lyons said. “The game settled, and they punched us back in the second quarter. But we showed a lot of resiliency in the third quarter. If you hold a team to four points, that’s playing defense right there. We want to try to get two single-digit quarters every game. If you can do that, you’re in a great place to win.”
Leading the Trojans was junior Da’Mykel Hales, who hit 5-11 shots and all six of his three throw attempts to finish with 16 points.
“It’s easy when you’ve got teammates around you who want you to succeed,” Hales said. “We knew we had to get this one. We want to build off this win. I think we’re going to go on and do better the rest of the season just by the way we have been practicing and working.”
Isaiah Lyons added 12 points and Jayden Norman had 10 for Topeka High.
Connor Hanika led Hayden with 10 points. Cooper Colboch scored nine.
A halftime ceremony introduced to the crowd each member of the inaugural class of the Topeka High Sports Hall of Honor. Included in the recognitions was the legacy of the Topeka Ramblers, an all-Black team that represented the school when its sports teams were not integrated.
Lyons and the coaching staff wore Topeka Ramblers sweatshirts while all the players wore Rambler warmups.
“I wanted to make sure that the kids understand, we are a part of Topeka High history. There’s guys who came before you who laid that foundation,” Lyons said. “We talk all the time about, at Topeka High, you’re playing for more than just yourself. It’s for everybody that’s hung a banner here. For everybody that’s put in their blood sweat and tears. You’re playing for those guys every time you take the floor.”
TOPEKA HIGH BOYS 63, HAYDEN 49
Hayden 11 15 4 19 -- 49
Topeka High 21 9 19 14 -- 63
Hayden (4-4, 0-4) – Colboch 2-10 4-4 9, Charvat 1-2 2-6 4, Mitchell 3-10 0-1 6, Becker 1-8 4-8 6, Grace 0-3 0-0 0, Hanika 3-6 4-7 10, Deister 3-4 0-0 7, Kuta 3-7 0-0 7. Totals: 16-50 14-26 49.
Topeka High (4-5, 1-2) – Lyons 3-8 4-6 12, Freeman 3-7 0-0 7, Hales 5-11 6-6 16, Villegas 2-10 3-3 7, Norman 5-10 0-0 10, Groves 1-2 0-0 2, Brown 3-4 0-0 7, Woods 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 23-54 13-15 63.
3-point goals – Hayden 3 (Colbach 1, Deister 1, Kuta 1), Topeka High 4 (Lyons 2, Freeman 1, Brown 1). Total fouls – Hayden 21, Topeka High 20. Fouled out – Freeman. Technical fouls – Freeman.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Hayden senior basketball player Lauren Sandstrom believes she may have found something in the past week. She followed up a 22-point effort against Washburn Rural with 32 points in a 61-32 win at Topeka High Friday.
Senior Lauren Sandstrom scored 32 points in Friday's 61-32 Hayden win at Topeka High, giving her 54 points over her last two games. [File photo/TSN]
The win pushed the Wildcats’ record to 7-1 overall, 3-1 in the Centennial League.
Hayden has been winning despite early-season struggles from Sandstrom, a third-team All-Class 4A pick a year ago. Friday, she knocked down three 3-pointers and drove to the basket relentlessly, knocking down 13 of 22 shots.
“It’s really nice seeing Lauren attack like she’s attacking,” said Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson. “The last two games, it’s like the other team really doesn’t have an answer for her.
“She had several nights like this last year. But this year, it’s been a bit of a struggle. She had a breakout game against Washburn Rural last Friday and that carried over to tonight.”
“The games before (Washburn Rural), I was in a little bit of a slump I guess,” Sandstrom said. “I honestly was sort of disappointed in myself. But then Washburn Rural was like my breakout game. I honestly think that was what I needed. And tonight, to get 32 really helps my confidence.
“Tonight, I just kept driving the ball, and I decided if they’re not going to stop me, why not just keep going? My teammates did a great job of moving the ball around, giving me open looks.”
