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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball will finish its road swing through the Show Me State at 1:30 p.m. Saturday against the Missouri Western State Griffons in the Civic Arena.
Senior Aubrey Dewey scored 18 points to lead the way as Washburn rallied for a 66-64 road win at Northwest Missouri State on Wednesday. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn will play its final road game of 2023 on Saturday against the Griffons before turning to Lee Arena next Tuesday to host Northeastern State in a 2 p.m. contest.
Saturday's game is being played in the St. Joseph Civic Arena, with the game moved due to graduation ceremonies in the Missouri Western Arena.
Washburn is coming off a 66-64 road win at No. 23 Northwest Missouri State on Wednesday. WU is now 7-2 overall on the year and has gone 2-1 in the MIAA.
The Griffons are off to a 7-3 start on the year and are 3-2 in the MIAA after an 80-60 win over Emporia State on Thursday.
Sophomore Yibari Nwidadah is averaging a double-double for the Ichabods and has registered six double-doubles this season. She is is tied for the team scoring lead with a 13.6 average while also pulling down a team-best 10.8 rebounds per game.
Nwidadah is shooting a team-best 58.6 percent from the floor.
Senior Aubrey Dewey is also averaging 13.6 points for the Ichabods while playing a team high 32.4 minutes per game. She also averages 6.3 assists and from the point guard position, Dewey is second on the team with 5.7 rebounds per game and has come away with 1.8 steals per contest.
Aniah Wayne is scoring 10.2 points per game this season and leads the Ichabods with 19 3-pointers.
WU is 14th in the nation in scoring margin as the Ichabods have outscored teams by an average of 20.2 points per game.
On the defensive end the Ichabods are sixth in the nation in field goal percentage defense with opponents shooting a combined 33.0 percent. That ranks first in the conference.
Connie Clarke paces the Griffons with a 13.2 scoring average. She also pulls down a team high 7.8 rebounds per game while coming away with 2.5 steals per game.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman sophomore KaeVon Bonner and Rossville sophomore Rylee Dick have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2023-2024 school year.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Bonner and Dick over the past week:
Seaman sophomore KaeVon Bonner (13) has been named the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency boys Rising Star of the Week after leading the Vikings to a 76-74 UKC win over Piper Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]
KAEVON BONNER, Seaman
Bonner, a sophomore, scored 27 points with four 3-pointers in Tuesday night's home United Kansas Conference game against Piper, with the Vikings rallying over the final four minutes to pull out a 76-74 victory.
Bonner was fouled with 12 seconds left in the game and hit both free throws to give Seaman the victory.
Bonner is averaging 22.3 points a game for the 2-1 Vikings, with 28 and 27-point performances.
Rossville sophomore Rylee Dick has been named the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency girls Rising Star of the Week after earning MVP honors in last week's Irish Classic. [X photo]
RYLEE DICK, Rossville
A sophomore, Dick was named the tournament's most valuable player in last week's Chapman Irish Classic after helping lead Rossville to three straight wins and the championship.
Dick scored 23 points with three 3-pointers and a six of six performance at the free throw line in last Saturday's 83-40 win over Chapman after scoring 16 points in Friday's 60-45 win over Salina Sacred Heart and 23 points with three 3s in Tuesday's 105-16 first-round victory over Kansas City-Bishop Ward.
Dick followed up last week's tournament performance with a 19-point game in Tuesday's 78-23 win over Kansas City Christian, hitting five 3-pointers in the game as Rossville improved to 5-0.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West's boys did a lot of good things in Thursday's non-league basketball game against unbeaten Junction City.
But a five-minute dry spell at the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth foiled the Chargers in a 64-56 loss at West.
Topeka West, which fell to 3-2 on the season, jumped out in front 17-12 in the first quarter and took a 30-26 halftime lead before 5-0 Junction City turned the tables in the second half.
Sophomore Malakyah Duncan (12) came off the bench to lead Topeka West with 16 points in Thursday's 64-56 non-league loss to Junction City. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"We were there, we were playing well,'' Topeka West coach Rick Bloomquist said. "We played a great first half. Junction City's a very good basketball team, very quick, very athletic and we knew that.
"They caught us with our pants down a couple of times but I think what I'm really disappointed in is we weren't persistent enough. We took time off in transition a couple of times and they got an extended lead and then we had some turnover woes again and missed some easy shots. It's a work in progress and if they keep staying with it they're going to be a pretty good basketball team.''
West was still within a point with two minutes left in the third quarter, but the Blue Jays ended the quarter with five straight points and opened the fourth with a 9-4 run to open up an 11-point advantage.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's likely to be a weary, but happy bunch of Topeka West Lady Chargers that head to Kansas City-Turner Friday.
Angie Ketterman's Chargers will be playing their third game in four days on Friday, but West will take a two-game winning streak into the game after a 54-35 home non-league win over Junction City Thursday night.
Topeka West sophomore Imani McGlory (5) led the Chargers with 16 points in Thursday's 54-35 win over Junction City. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka West senior Zoe Clark (35) scored 13 points in Thursday's 54-35 win over Junction City. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"They're going to be tired, but I think they can do it,'' Ketterman said of Friday's United Kansas Conference game. "I think they're pumped about the two-game winning streak right now and hopefully that will pull us through.''
The 2-3 Chargers, who were coming off a 20-point UKC win over Lansing on Tuesday, rallied from an early 11-4 deficit against Junction City to take a 14-12 first-quarter advantage and took the lead for good when sophomore Imani McGlory scored to break a 17-17 tie with about six minutes left in the first half.
West went on to build a 25-20 halftime advantage and steadily pulled away in the second half.
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By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
DeShawn Hanika has had quite the journey since graduating in 2018 from Hayden, where he won a state title in basketball and posted over 1,000 receiving yards his senior year in football.
After stops at Butler County Community College and Iowa State, where he posted 17 catches for 244 yards and four touchdowns his junior season, the 6-foot-6, 255-pound tight end is coming home to Kansas to finish out his collegiate career.
DeShawn Hanika has commited to Kansas to play his final season of college football. [X photo]
“My journey has been one of a kind,'' Hanika said. "It has been full of challenges and blessings and I wouldn’t change any of it for the world.
“I am grateful to have had some of the best coaches along my journey and I’ve learned so much from each one and made relationships with those coaches that will last forever.”
