- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball will play its first road game of the season on Monday, opening MIAA play with a 5:30 p.m. tilt at Northeastern State in Tahlequah, Okla.
The Ichabods posted a 12-point victory over Haskell Indian Nations University on Wednesday to improve to 3-2 on the young season. Northeastern State defeated Haskell, 81-58, on Friday and is now 3-1.
Junior Aubree Dewey (3) leads 3-2 Washburn with a 9.8 scoring average and 3.4 assists per game entering Monday's MIAA opener at Northeastern State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Freshman Natalia Figueroa, a native of Madrid, Spain, is averaging 8.8 points for Washburn, including 13 points in last Wednesday's 63-51 win over Haskell. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
This is NSU's best start to the season since 2017-18 when it also began the season 3-1.
Washburn swept the regular-season series last year against Northeastern State, winning 61-50 at NSU and then picking up a 71-49 decision at Lee Arena.
The Riverhawks were 7-21 (5-17 MIAA) last season while Washburn was 14-16 (11-11 MIAA).
In this season's MIAA Coaches Preseason Poll, Washburn was picked 10th and Northeastern State 12th.
Junior Aubree Dewey leads the Ichabods with a 9.8 scoring average to go with a 41.7 field goal percentage, 4.0 rebounds per game and a team-high 3.4 assists per game.
Freshman Natalia Figueroa averages 8.8 points and is coming off a 13-point game against Haskell.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn guard Levi Braun missed three of his first four shots, including a pair of 3-point attempts, over the opening 2:55 of Saturday's non-conference finale against Ottawa.
Former Hayden standout Levi Braun led the way with a game-high 21 points, including six 3-pointers, in Washburn's 96-63 win over Ottawa on Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But that was the last time the 6-foot-4 sophomore Hayden product would miss, hitting 7 of 10 shots on the day, including 6 of 8 3-pointers, while tying his career-high with a game-high 21 points in 19 minutes of action to lead the way as Washburn snapped a brief two-game losing streak with a 96-63 romp at Lee Arena.
"I try not to let that (early misses) play any part in my mental process,'' Braun said. "If I'm open I shoot. I try to free myself up for shots and I have faith I'm going to make those shots so missing my first couple is not really going to faze me at all.''
The Ichabods, who evened their record at 3-3, never trailed in the game, jumping out to a 17-5 lead over the first six-plus minutes of the game while hitting 7 of 12 shots and 3 of 6 shots from 3-point range.
Braun led the charge with eight points and a pair of 3s en route to his big day.
Washburn would go on to lead by as many as 18 points midway through the first half before an 8-0 run by the Braves, who played the game as an exhibition, trimmed the lead back to 10 at 39-29 with 2:38 to play in the half.
The Ichabods answered with a 9-3 run of their own to close out the half with a 16-point lead at 48-32.
Washburn would lead by 35 points with under a minute to play in the second half after hitting 16 of 27 shots from the field at a 60 percent clip as well as a 14 of 17 performance at the free throw line.
Connor Deffebaugh scored 17 points, including a 7 of 9 performance at the free throw line, in Washburn's 96-63 win over Ottawa on Saturday at Lee Arena. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
![Sophomore Andrew Orr scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds off the bench in Saturday's 96-63 win over Ottawa. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]](/images/aa-images/AndrewOrrdunk.jpg)
Sophomore Andrew Orr scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds off the bench in Saturday's 96-63 win over Ottawa. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Junior Connor Deffebaugh backed Braun with 17 points and sophomores Andrew Orr and Jayden Hibbitt added 13 a piece off the bench. Freshman Brady Christiansen and Orr both grabbed nine rebounds.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's men's basketball team will be aiming to snap a two-game losing streak when the Ichabods host Ottawa on Saturday in a 2 p.m. non-conference game at Lee Arena.
Washburn will be looking to snap a brief two-game losing streak on Saturday when the 2-3 Ichabods host Ottawa in a 2 p.m. contest. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Ichabods are 2-3 this season after a 78-63 loss at Oklahoma Baptist on Tuesday, while Ottawa is 4-4 after an 87-85 overtime KCAC win over McPherson on Tuesday.
The Ichabods have won the last 23 meetings in the series and Washburn is 30-5 against the Braves in Topeka. Ottawa's last win came on Dec. 29, 1959 in an 85-68 win in Ottawa.
ball.
Junior Connor Deffebaugh leads Washburn with a 12.0 scoring average and sophomore Andrew Orr averages 11.6 points. Deffebaugh also leads the Ichabods in assists with 4.6 per game.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: The 15 boys swimmers/divers to watch are based on performances in the 2021-2022 season. TopSports.news is still in the process of receiving preseason information from local coaches and will update information as needed.
TRUMAN BREDE, Shawnee Heights
Brede, a junior, helped Shawnee Heights earn a fifth-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay in the Class 5A-1A state meet last season. Brede was part of Shawnee Heights' winning 200 medley relay team in the United Kansas Conference meet and he finished third in the 100 backstroke and sixth in the 200 free as the T-Birds finished second as a team. Brede helped Shawnee Heights win the city title in the 200 medley relay and he finished third in the 100 backstroke. Brede received second-team All-City recognition.
JAXON COWDIN, Topeka High
A sophomore, Cowdin won the city diving championship as a freshman and finished third in the Centennial League meet. Cowdin made it to the finals in the 6A state meet, finishing 15th. Cowdin earned first-team All-City honors and All-Centennial League honorable mention last season.
CORDELL DIMICK, Washburn Rural
Dimick, a senior, was part of Washburn Rural's 200 medley relay team that finished 14th in the 2022 state meet in the B Final. Dimick helped the Junior Blues post a runner-up Centennial League finish in the 200 medley relay and he finished third in the 200 individual medley, earning second-team all-league recognition. Dimick finished third in the city meet in the 100 breaststroke and swam on Rural's runner-up 200 medley relay, receiving second-team All-City honors.
Seaman senior Adin Florence was a Centennial League champion last season for the Vikings and earned All-Centennial League and All-City first-team recognition. [File photo/TSN]
ADIN FLORENCE, Seaman
Florence, a senior, won the B Final in the 100 breaststroke in the 2022 5A-1A state meet and also competed in the 100 free at state. Florence was the Centennial League champion in the 100 breast, finished second in the 100 free and swam on the Vikings' second-place 200 free and third-place 200 medley relay teams, earning first-team All-Centennial League recognition. Florence was second in the 100 breaststroke in the city meet, third in the 100 freestyle and swam on the Vikings' third-place 200 medley and 200 free relay teams, receiving All-City first-team honors.
EVAN HOOBLER, Shawnee Heights
A sophomore, Hoobler swam on Shawnee Heights' 200 free relay team that posted a sixth-place finish in the 5A-1A state meet. Hoobler was a part of Heights' 200 free relay that finished second in the United Kansas Conference meet and he placed third in the 500 freestyle and third in the 100 breastroke in the UKC as the T-Birds finished second in the team standings. Hoobler was part of Heights' second-place 200 free relay team in the city meet and earned second-team All-City honors.
RYAN JOHNSON, Hayden
Johnson posted a second-place finish in the 500 freestyle in the 2022 city championships, helping Hayden finish fourth as a team and earning second-team All-City recognition. Johnson, a senior, competed in the 5A-1A state meet last season.
LUKE LEMKE, Washburn Rural
Lemke had a big freshman season for the Junior Blues, including a Centennial League title as part of team-champion Rural's 200 free relay team. Lemke helped Rural reach the 6A state B Final in the 200 free relay, with the Junior Blues finishing 12th. Lemke was a city champion as part of Washburn Rural's 200 free relay and earned second-team All-City honors.
- Details
By KEVIN HASKIN
TopSports.news
Giblets on turkey week:
• Wait. Giblets are organ meats, right? Oh well, as long as stuffing cooks in its rightful cavity, I’m good.
• Doubt a breakthrough will happen Saturday for KU in the battle for John Brown’s Hatchet.
• Johnny Kaw’s Scythe?
• Golden Bushel of Wheat?
• Nothing against politicians, or everything against them: the Governor’s Cup is a poorly-named prize.
• Say what you want for Floyd of Rosedale or any other contested artifact among Big Ten rivals. They all have charm.
• The mythically mighty Johnny Kaw had two pets, Wildcat and Jayhawk. They got into a tussle so fierce it started the Dust Bowl.
• Do something with that and leave the governors, their opponents and their inept political parties to send mailers with recycled lies destined for the recycle bin.
• Our in-state football rivalry could get interesting real soon, perhaps by Saturday if Jalon Daniels displays all his complete talents.
• I scratch my head at repetitive barbs lobbed by opposing fans.
• K-State supporters go to great lengths to take shots at their KU rivals when any response about football should simply be the number 13. Soon to be 14, I predict.
• KU fans go to great lengths to indicate they live rent-free in K-Stater’s heads. Yet if you truly reside rent-free, do you have to constantly remind everyone?
