Welcome to Top Sports News
Shorter scores 25 points with seven 3-pointers as No. 2-ranked WU takes 87-67 win
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The No. 2-ranked Washburn Ichabods opened the River City Classic with an 87-67 win over the St. Edward's Hilltoppers on Tuesday night, turning a two-point lead with under seven minutes to go into a 20-point victory.
The Ichabods will wrap up non-conference play on Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Texas Permian Basin in San Antonio.
After falling behind 3-0 after the Hilltoppers hit their opening shot of the game, Washburn jumped out to a 9-3 lead and eventually went up 22-13 after Brayden Shorter's fourth 3-pointer midway through the first half.
The Hilltoppers hit back-to-back 3-pointers to trim the lead to three at 22-19, but Jack Bachelor answered with a 3-pointer of his own followed by another Shorter deep shot and a fastbreak dunk by Michael Keegan as the Ichabods scored nine straight points to go up 34-21 with 4:41 to play.
Shorter then hit his sixth and seventh 3-pointers of the half to put WU in front 40-25 and Jacob Hanna and Bachelor finished the scoring in the half with two free throws each as the Ichabods took a 44-32 lead into the break.
Starting the second half, Washburn (10-0) pushed out to a 15-point lead with 17:47 to play in the game, but the Hilltoppers (8-4) would slowly chip away trimming an eight-point Ichabod lead with 10:45 to play down to two with 6:30 to play at 65-61.
A driving score by Hanna, followed by a Shorter jumper with another drive by Hanna and a bucket by Andrew Orr stretched the Ichabod lead back to eight with 4:47 left.
The Hilltoppers scored a basket after a pair of free throws by Hanna, pulling within eight, but a 3-pointer by Brady Christiansen from the corner moved the Ichabod lead back to 11 with 3:56 to go as the Ichabods closed with a 14-2 leading to post the 20-point win in the first meeting between the two schools.
No. 2-ranked Washburn takes control in second half for 76-62 win over Texas Permian Basin
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The No. 2-ranked Washburn University men trailed for the first time this season at the halftime break, but turned up the defense and controlled turnovers in the second half on the way to a 76-62 win over Texas Permian Basin in its non-conference finale.
The Ichabods improved 11-0 on the season and returns to MIAA play at Central Missouri on Saturday afternoon in Warrensburg.
Washburn trailed by as many as nine points in the first half, its largest deficit of the season, with 1:45 to go in the half before the Ichabods closed the frame on a 7-2 run to enter the locker room trailing 36-32.
The Ichabods turned the ball over eight times leading to eight points for the Falcons. Overall, there were nine lead changes in the first half.
The Ichabods outscored the Falcons 17 to 9 in the first 5:15 of the second half to take a 49-45 lead as Jack Bachelor scored eight points.
The Falcons (8-3) took their last lead of the game at 51-50 with 12:03 to play on a 3-pointer by Alex Matthews, who had a game-high 26 points, before Andrew Orr gave the Ichabods a 52-51 lead.
Tuesday prep BB roundup: Rural girls, West boys knock off state powers
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's girls, ranked No. 4 in Class 6A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, took control with a huge first half on the way to a 59-38 home non-league victory over No. 3 Shawnee Mission Northwest Tuesday night at Rural.
Washburn Rural, now 4-1 on the season, jumped out to a 20-5 first-quarter lead over the Cougars and followed that up with a 19-6 second quarter to take a commanding 39-11 advantage at the half.
Northwest (2-1) outscored the Junior Blues 27-20 in the second half, but Washburn Rural was never seriously threatened.
Maddie Vickery, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, led Washburn Rural with a game-high 19 points while seniors Kate Hinck and Tenly Bunck added 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Bunck connected on three 3-pointers and Hinck two as five Rural players combined for eight treys.
Shawnee Mission Northwest did not have a player score more than eight points.