It was cold outside, but Washburn University women's basketball was hot from the start on Friday afternoon in Lee Arena, scoring 47 points in the first half to down Missouri Western 71-55 and earn a fourth straight win.
Washburn senior Payton Sterk (20) scored 20 of her game-high 22 points in Friday's 71-55 MIAA win over Missouri Western. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn improved to 14-5 overall and 7-3 in the MIAA while avenging an earlier loss to the Griffons (6-13, 2-8).
"I thought we did a really nice job in the first half with a lot of things we've been working on,'' Washburn coach Lora Westling said. "We were solid defensively and stayed in front of the ball and I thought we got some really good looks offensively and weren't forcing.
"I thought our shot selection was great and a great team effort.''
It was the Griffons who took an early 9-7 lead with a pair of 3-pointers, but Washburn answered back with an 8-0 run, including five points from senior Payton Sterk, who had 20 in the first half.
"I think it definitely gets me going and gets the team going, too,'' Sterk said of her hot start.
The Ichabods shot 50.0 percent in the first quarter and ended the final minute on a 4-0 run to lead 21-14 after the opening quarter.
The Washburn run continued with the first four points in the second quarter, pushing the lead to double figures. A quick 5-0 burst was capped off by a 3-pointer from senior Gabi Giovannetti that pushed the lead up over 20 points.
While Washburn shot over 50.0 percent again in the second stanza, Missouri Western was held to just 2 of 8 shooting in the frame as the Ichabods built a 47-24 lead.
Out of the break Washburn's offense cooled off as they were held scoreless until junior Kellyn Hunter knocked down a jumper with 4:24 left in the quarter. She hit another shot to push the lead back over 20 points the next possession.
The Ichabod defense helped maintain the lead, with the Griffons hitting just 4 of 11 shots in the quarter.
The Griffons' offense picked up in the fourth quarter, scoring the first 10 points to make it a single-digit game with 6:38 remaining.
But Ichabod junior Britany Kogbara got a pair of shots to fall over the next few possessions to push the lead back into double digits. Missouri Western knocked down a 3-pointer with 3:06 remaining, but that was the last time it would get on the scoreboard as the Ichabods finished the game on a 6-0 run to put away a 16-point win.
The hot start helped Washburn shoot 40.7 percent for the game along with 8 of 17 (47.1) attempts from 3-point range. The Ichabods were also 19 of 22 at the free throw line.
Hayden girls roll past city rival Highland Park, 69-24
By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
In a battle of former Centennial League foes, the Hayden Wildcats rolled to a 69-24 home win over Highland Park Scots Thursday night at the Bueltel Activity Center.
Hayden sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein scored a game-high 20 points in Thursday's 69-24 Wildcat win over city rival Highland Park. [File photo/TSN]
The Wildcats, ranked No. 9 in Class 4A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, would get things started with sophomore standout Hailey Schmidtlein finding the basket to score the first of her game-high 20 points.
But the lead would not last long as Highland Park’s Zayah Kincaid would hit the first of her three 3-pointers to take a 3-2 lead.
The Lady Scots would hold the lead for a few minutes before Schmidtlein would find the basket again with a 3-pointer to put Hayden up 5-3 and the Wildcats wouldn’t look back as they would go on a 13-0 run before Kincaid would find the basket again to make it 18-5.
The Wildcats would answer with a 14-0 run to make it 32-5 before the Scots' Koralee Jones would get to the free throw line. The Wildcats would take a 39-9 lead into halftime.
Hayden sophomore Blakely Walter would get her team going early in the third quarter with a 3-pointer and Kincaid would match with her own 3-ball.
Hayden junior Emberly Connell would get going in the third as she would score 7 of her 11 points in the quarter. Connell, who mainly played junior varsity last season, has seen her minutes increase this year as Wildcat coach Carvel Reynoldson is trying to replace the four seniors he graduated a year ago.
“Well, if you watch her, she's always really talking and communicating on defense and she's a really good rebounder,'' Reynoldson said. "Sometimes the ball finds people like that, the hustle players, and she shows in practice that she can put the ball in the hole. So we're really not that surprised.”
“It’s always encouraging when your teammates have faith that you’re able to put the ball in the basket. I like how they have the same faith in me that I do as them,” Connell said.
The Wildcats would end the third quarter with a 57-19 lead and force a running clock in the fourth quarter.
