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By KYLE MANTHE
Special to TopSports.news
Class 5A No. 8-ranked Topeka West boys led 3-1 over Seaman on Friday night and it was the only lead of the game for the home team as the Vikings were able to pick up a key United Kansas Conference road victory while winning nearly wire-to-wire, 48-40.
Senior Aron Davis scored a game-high 14 points in Seaman's 48-40 UKC road victory at Topeka West Friday night. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
Seaman senior Kaeden Bonner scored 13 points in Seaman's 48-40 UKC win at Topeka West despite missing time with an injury. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/TSN]
“We have struggled over here and have struggled against them everywhere we play them, so to come into their place and get a win was outstanding for our guys and hopefully something that we can build on,” said Seaman coach Craig Cox.
The defensive slugfest of a game was the exact opposite of the first time the two teams matched up this year, a 74-64 win for the Chargers at Seaman on Dec. 6 in a game that senior starter Aron Davis did not play for the Vikings.
“He was a big factor defensively with a number of blocked shots and rebounds and his ability to score brought a lot for us that we didn’t have last time,” Cox said.
With the win Seaman moved to 9-7 on the year and 6-6 in the UKC while Topeka West fell to 12-5 and 9-4 with a second straight loss.
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By KYLE MANTHE
Special to TopSports.news
In early December Seaman and Topeka West's girls squared off the second game of the season in a game that ended 60-26 in favor of the Vikings on their home floor. It was a nearly identical outcome in the second part of the home-and-home as Class 5A No. 1 Seaman (15-1 overall, 11-1 in the United Kansas Conference) won 60-28 over the Chargers (5-12, 4-9).
Junior Taylin Stallbaumer scored a game-high 23 points with four 3-pointers in Seaman's 60-28 UKC win at Topeka West. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
Seaman junior Anna Becker, who had 12 points, drives to the hoop in Friday's 60-28 UKC win over Topeka West. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/TSN]
“I thought the third quarter was big because we got back to being patient. That was one thing that we stressed,” said Seaman coach Matt Tinsley. “I just felt like we were calm, cool and collected, the game wasn’t sped up for us, and we were taking shots that we wanted to shoot.”
The top-ranked Vikings showed why they have that distinction with an 18-0 run to end the third quarter and put the game out of reach.
Many of those points, including buzzer-beating 3-pointers at the end of the first and second quarters, were from junior Taylin Stallbaumer, who had 23 points on the night.
“This team is very unselfish. Taylin, Anna (Becker), Maddie (Gragg), any one of those three can get us 20 any night and they recognize that. Tonight was Taylin’s night, and they fed her the ball and that’s what’s special about this team is that they play unselfishly,” Tinsley said.
Topeka West will be at home next week, taking on De Soto on Tuesday, while Seaman will be on the road against Leavenworth as the Vikings look for a 10-game winning streak in the final weeks of the regular season.
“We are on a good run here and we just have to continue to build on it and understand that we aren’t where we want to be yet and obviously we can still get better,” Tinsley said.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Over the course of a long basketball season, even the most successful teams are likely to have nights where they're not at their best and have to find a way, and a will, to win.
Friday was one of those nights for the Centennial League-leading Washburn Rural boys, who stared defeat in the face, particularly at the end of regulation, to escape with a 43-39 overtime league win over Hayden at Rural.
Washburn Rural senior Jack Bachelor celebrates Friday's 43-39 overtime Centennial League win over Hayden at Rural. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior JC Heim (25) attempts to block a shot from Hayden's Joe Otting in the Junior Blues' 43-39 overtime win over the Wildcats. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"That's what we said in the locker room afterwards, that sometimes you've got to win ugly,'' Rural coach Alex Hutchins said. "Sometimes there's nights where easy shots aren't falling and you've got to find a way to get it done.
"We were proud of the way they kind of locked down and found a way.''
Washburn Rural, which improved to 13-4 overall and 6-1 in the league, led by a slight margin for most of the night, but missed opportunities to put the Wildcats away until opening the extra session with a 7-0 run and getting four free throws from senior Jack Bachelor over the final 33.5 seconds to clinch the Junior Blues' sixth straight victory.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After a experiencing a slow start Tuesday at Junction City, No. 6-ranked (Class 6A) Washburn Rural reversed the script Friday night, jumping out to a 20-5 first-quarter advantage on the way to a 55-29 home Centennial League win over No. 8-ranked (4A) Hayden.
Senior Brooklyn DeLeye goes up for two of her game-high 18 points in Friday's 55-29 Centennial League win over Hayden at Rural. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Chloe Carlgren draws a foul in the first quarter of Rural's 55-39 Centennial League win over Hayden Friday night. Carlgren scored 13 points for Rural. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
With the win, Washburn Rural improved to 12-4 overall and a perfect 7-0 in the Centennial League, protecting its two-game lead in the league race.
Hayden and Rural were tied at 3-3 after a 3-pointer from the Wildcats' Brylee Meier, but the Junior Blues went on a 15-0 run, including three 3-pointers and a traditional three-point play, to take command at 18-3 and was still on top by 15 at the end of the quarter after a hoop from senior Chloe Carlgren.
"I thought we had more energy tonight and I thought in the first half our defensive intensity was really pretty good,'' Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick said. "We kind of had an idea of what they might do and what we could do against it.
"I thought we had a lot of energy, more intensity, and I thought everybody contributed. Outside shots, when they go in, everything loooks good.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Coming off a 34-point MIAA win at Newman on Wednesday, the Washburn University men return to Lee Arena on Saturday for the first time in two weeks to host to nationally-ranked Central Oklahoma at 3 p.m.
The Ichabods are 11-11 overall and 8-8 in the MIAA after shooting down the Newman Jets 95-61 last time out while the Bronchos are 21-2 overall and sit atop of the MIAA standings with a 15-2 record.
Sophomore Andrew Orr leads Washburn with a 13.9 scoring average entering Saturday's 3 p.m. MIAA home game against Central Oklahoma. [File photo/TSN]
Central Oklahoma, ranked No 4 in one national poll and No. 6 in another, has not played since a 66-51 win over Fort Hays State on Feb. 4 in Edmond, Okla.
UCO won the first meeting with the Ichabods this season, taking a 72-57 decision on Dec. 31 in Edmond.
Sophomore Andrew Orr leads the Ichabods with a 13.9 scoring average while averaging 14.6 points in MIAA contests. Orr recorded his second double-double of the season against Newman when he had 14 points and 10 rebounds. He is third on the team in rebounds at 5.9 per game.
Tyler Nelson is averaging 12.2 points and has reached double digits in eight of his last nine games, averaging 15.7 points over that span.
