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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn women's basketball made a splashing debut inside the new Lee Arena on Friday night, cruising to a 70-47 win over Southwest Baptist in the opening day of the Washburn Classic.

Washburn senior Yibari Nwidadah led the way with 19 points and eight rebounds as the Ichabods rolled to a 23-point win over Southwest Baptist Friday night. [File photo/TSN]

The Ichabods will wrap up the tournament on Saturday, facing Metropolitan State of Denver at 4 p.m.  

The first seven points in Friday game came from 2-1 Washburn, starting with a 3-pointer by Payton Sterk on the first possession.

Washburn held the Bearcats (1-2) scoreless until the 5:49 mark in the first quarter.

After Southwest Baptist got within five Washburn scored 10 points in a row, going up 22-7 after Aniah Wayne knocked down a trey. Behind an 8 of 14 shooting effort the Ichabods built a 22-10 lead after one.  

A layup by senior Yibari Nwidadah with 2:29 to go before half put Washburn up 37-18, its largest lead of the game to that point. The Bearcats finished the half on a 7-2 run to go into the break down by 14.  

Out of the break the Ichabods quickly pushed the lead back up to 19 with Britany Kogbara scoring on the inside. Washburn's defense stepped up in the third, holding Southwest Baptist to just 4 of 14 shooting in the quarter. Nwidadah got a buzzer-beating and-one conversion to go, wrapping up the quarter by extending the Ichabod lead to 20 at 54-34 with her free throw.  

The first nine points in the fourth came by Washburn, with the lead reaching 30 points after Gabi Giovannetti drilled a 3-pointer on an assist by Brooke Gomez with 5:50 to play.

All 14 Ichabods logged action on the night as the Ichabods eased into the 23-point win.

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The No. 2-ranked Washburn Ichabods will be back on the road Saturday as they travel to Liberty, Mo. to face the William Jewell Cardinals at 3 p.m.

Bryson Smith scored 22 points, including the go-ahead basket, in Washburn's 85-81 win over Rockhurst Wednesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Washburn enters the game 5-0 after topping Rockhurst 85-81 on Wednesday in Lee Arena.

William Jewell is coming off a 77-72 win over Emporia State on Wednesday and is 2-1 this season.

With Wednesday's win over the Hawks, the Ichabods improved to 40-1 all-time in their home openers, including 35 straight wins.

Junior guard Jack Bachelor, a Washburn Rural product, leads the nation in 3-pointers made with 16 and sophomore Dillon Claussen is eighth in the nation in double-doubles with two. Claussen is also 13th in the nation in field goal percentage at 78.4 and eighth in total rebounds with 40.

Jeremiah Jones leads the nation in total steals with 18 and is ranked 13th in steals per game at 3.60 per contest.

Justice Sutton leads William Jewell in scoring with a 17.7 scoring average.

Isaac Patterson is scoring 14.7 points per game with a team-high 7.0 rebounding average and Kyle Scharbrough is scoring 12.7 points a game.

The Ichabods lead the William Jewell series 14-7 after winning 81-73 last season in Topeka.

The Ichabods have lost their last two games played in Liberty, with their last win coming on Dec. 1, 1988 in a 76-58 win.

Washburn turned a five-point deficit with 2:29 to play into Wednesday's four-point win over Rockhurst.

The Ichabods outscored the Hawks 11-2 to end the game, led by Smith's driving layup with 51 seconds remaining to give the Ichabods a 81-79 lead.

After a key defensive stop, Tyson Ruud hit a free throw to extend the WU lead to three and Sam Ungashick came up with a steal in the final seconds and sank two free throws with three seconds left to seal the win.

Smith led the Ichabods with 22 points, four rebounds and five assists. Bachelor added 17 points and three assists and Claussen scored 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Ruud came off the bench for 13 points and six rebounds.

Washburn returns home to face Friends on Tuesday and will host Ottawa next Saturday.

 

 

By VINCE LOVERGINE

TopSports.news

Jaley Barkley opens year number two as the head coach of the Cair Paravel Latin girls basketball coach, and as preseason practices ramp up, her smile couldn’t be any bigger.

 

Former Cair Paravel standout Jaley Barkley begins her second season as the Lions' girls basketball coach. [File photo/TSN]

If you ask why, that’s because of the returning talent CPLS has as the Lions look to put last season's 2-11 record in the history books and put their best foot forward this year, especially in their second season in the Flint Hills League.

“We have a lot of veterans but we also have a lot of new faces,'' Barkley said. "I’m just excited from what we learned last year. I was so proud of the girls last year despite how the season went and I want to build off that and continue their drive that they had last year and improve this year.''

 

Barkley said her voice doesn’t carry very well and goes out on her whether that’s at practices or game day when the gym is loud with people cheering. Barkley said it’s a playful thing the team feeds off, which she said is good because that helps them communicate better.

“It’s kind of fun between us because they know they may not be able to hear me … having that understanding of, 'Jaley is calling a play but we also have to look at her,’ so, I think that’s something fun with this group too,” Barkley said.

 

Barkley said this team feels more comfortable with each other as they build on those relationships. She said the Lions all respect each other and the game, which makes it easier to coach them.

 

“I love this season, I grew up playing it and being able to coach it, just makes me happy,'' Barkley said. "This time of the year, basketball is on all the time, watching it on TV, being able to coach, being able to practice with the girls, it brings me so much joy and being able to connect with my girls on and off the court wraps it up in a bundle for me.''

Senior Karsyn Hastert is a top returner for Cair Paravel girls basketball this winter. [File photo/TSN]

Senior Karsyn Hastert is a dominant force down low that will cause problems in Class 2A but Barkley also likes sophomore London Backman and her confidence and experience she brings back starting as a freshman last season.

 

Barkley said don’t forget senior KellyAnn Chada either, as most have seen what Chada brings to the court and soccer fields.

Hastert said with the team doubling in size, that will help in practice being more competitive and hopefully transition into gameplay.

“Building on last year is motivation just to be better, represent our school better and we know we’re better than what we executed last year… and hoping what we know now, we execute that better,” Hastert said.

 

Hastert said they have to remember as a group that it's a new year and turning a new leaf.

 

“The freshmen and sophomores have great drive and leadership for their age and I think they’re going to step into their roles once KellyAnn and I graduate which is great to see,” Hastert said.