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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Topeka High boys basketball team erupted for 76 points – 70 in the first three periods – to run away from Bonner Springs 76-48 at Topeka High Friday.
The victory sent the 3-3 Trojans into the holiday break on a high note.
Senior Miguel Villegas scored 25 points to lead Topeka High to a 76-48 win over Bonner Springs Friday night. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Da'Mykel Hales scored 20 points in Topeka High's 76-48 win over Bonner Springs Friday night. [File photo/TSN]
“This is a great win. We talked about how important this game was to set us up for the rest of the season,” Topeka High coach Geo Lyons said. “As we go into break and get healthy and pick up some momentum, this was a must win for everything we want to accomplish down the line.”
Lyons admitted that, while he had a feeling his team stood a good chance to get the victory, he had no idea it would be by a 28-point margin.
“We’ve been on the other side of that twice this season,” Lyons said. “So, for that to happen, for it to be a home game for us, with the great fan support behind us, it was just tremendous.
“The energy – I really believe today everybody played for one another and for the name on the front of the jersey. This one gives you goose bumps.”
The hot hand of senior Miguel Villegas sparked a stunning 20-0 run in the second quarter that turned a deficit into a lopsided 17-point halftime lead for the Trojans.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Topeka High girls basketball team – made up entirely of freshmen and sophomores – came of age Friday with a come-from-behind 40-33 non-league win over Bonner Springs at High.
Sophomore Keimara Marshall (12) scored 18 points in Topeka High's come-from-behind 40-33 win over Bonner Springs Friday night. [File photo/TSN]
Freshman Ahsieryrhuajh Rayton led Topeka High with 18 points in Friday's 40-33 non-league win over Bonner Springs. [File photo/TSN]
For the young Trojans, going into the break with their second victory of the season felt significant.
“This is special. I think this is motivation going into January,” Topeka High coach Brittney Redmond said. “If you look at our record, I think it’s very deceiving. We’ve played ranked team after ranked team. I think we finally had the chance to put somebody away, and that’s what we did.''
The Trojans fell into deep deficits multiple times in the game only to eventually catch the visiting Braves.
Topeka High fell behind by nine early in the fourth period and that’s when the Trojans made their move.
The Trojans went on an 18-2 run to close out the game, with 11 of those points coming from sophomore Keimara Marshall.
“I just told them, ‘Do not quit,’ ” Redmond said. “Our zone press is probably one of the best I’ve seen, and I told them ‘We’re not going away from it.’ ”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
In his heart, veteran Shawnee Heights boys basketball coach Ken Darting believes his T-Birds could be undefeated right now.
But after dropping a pair of single-digit games to open the season, Heights has bounced back with a vengeance, reeling off three straight United Kansas Conference wins, including an 85-37 home rout over Leavenworth Friday night.
Shawnee Heights senior Dylan Sanchez, applying defensive pressure Friday night, scored a game-high 14 points with four 3-pointers in the T-Birds' 85-37 UKC rout over Leavenworth Friday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sophomore Da'Quan Lee (15) goes up for a shot in Shawnee Heights' 85-37 UKC win over Leavenworth Friday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"The big thing of it is we didn't get down,'' Darting said of the early losses. "That's what you worry about with a young team, 'Oh, we've already lost two, we're done.' But we won two really tough games against (Topeka) West and at Basehor and I'm proud of them because we did stay the course.''
Shawnee Heights dominated Friday's game from start to finish, scoring the first 13 points and steadily adding to its advantage throughout the game.
The T-Birds led 25-9 at the end of the quarter and took a huge 51-22 lead to the locker room at the half.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Veteran Shawnee Heights girls basketball coach Bob Wells was quick to admit that Friday wasn't one of the T-Birds' best nights.
But Heights was good enough to achieve to achieve its main, and really its only objective, taking a home 39-35 United Kansas Conference decision over Leavenworth in the T-Birds' final game before the holiday break.
Freshman KK Emmot scored a game-high 17 points in Shawnee Heights' 39-35 UKC win over Leavenworth Friday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sophomore Reianna Vega (42) scored 11 points, seven in the fourth quarter, in Shawnee Heights' 39-35 UKC win over Leavenworth Friday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I thought we did some nice things time and time again,'' Wells said. "We'd make a great drive, we'd make a move and have an open perimeter shot and we couldn't get the ball in the net. It would rim around and rim around and then I think it got in our heads a little bit.
"Thank goodness we had a couple of girls step up at the end and hit a few shots.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabods return to Missouri for their second straight contest Saturday as they will face Missouri Western at the St. Joseph Civic Arena at 3:30 p.m.
Washburn (5-4 overall, 1-2 MIAA) fell 68-65 last time out at Northwest Missouri on Wednesday while the Griffons (8-2, 3-2) topped Emporia State 76-54 on Thursday night.
Sophomore Sam Ungashick is Washburn's leading scorer at 16.3 points per game entering Saturday's game at Missouri Western. [File photo/TSN]
Saturday's meeting will be the 105th between the two schools with Washburn leading the series 60-44. Washburn will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak to the Griffons on Saturday.
The game will be played in the St. Joseph Civic Arena instead of on campus because of Missouri Western's graduation ceremonies.
Sophomore Sam Ungashick leads the Ichabods with a 16.3 scoring average while averaging 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Ungashick has reached double figures in each of the last eight games.
Junior Andrew Orr is scoring 13.9 points per game this season while going 29 of 30 from the free throw line, which ranks second in the nation in percentage at 96.7. He is shooting 58 percent from the field, hitting 48 of 83 attempts.
Freshman is scoring 9.7 points per game off the bench while adding 2.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists this season.
Brady Christiansen is averaging 8.4 points with a team-high 7.8 rebounds.
The Ichabods rank eighth in the nation in defensive rebounds per game, leading the MIAA with 28.1 per game.
The Ichabods are third nation in 3-point shooting at 43.5 percent, hitting 81 of 186 attempts.
JaRon Thames averages 17.1 points for Missouri Western and scored 25 against Emporia State last time out.
Julius Dixon is averaging 14.0 points while Zion Swader and Taye Fields are both scoring 11.4 points per game. Fields is averaging a team-high 9.3 rebounds per game after recording 12 against the Hornets.
Washburn will wrap up the 2023 calendar against Northeastern State next Tuesday with a 4 p.m. afternoon contest at Lee Arena.
