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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 1-ranked Washburn University Ichabods are on the road this weekend for two MIAA contests, beginning at Arkansas-Fort Smith on Thursday night (7:30 p.m. start) for only the second meeting in program history against the Lions.
Washburn sophomore point guard Jack Bachelor leads the MIAA and is sixth in the nation in assist to turnover ratio. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods improved to 22-0 and 13-0 in the MIAA with an 83-60 home win over Central Missouri last Saturday. The Lions enter the contest 9-13 overall and 3-10 in the MIAA after a 59-53 loss at Fort Hays State.
Thursday's meeting with the Lions will be the only one between the two schools this season in the regular season. The contest with the Lions will also be only the second in program history between Washburn and Arkansas-Fort Smith, with the Ichabods winning the lone meeting on Nov. 12, 2011 in an 87-66 decision in Bartlesville, Okla.
The Ichabods are one of two undefeated teams remaining in the NCAA Division II ranks, joining No. 2 Daemen (20-0).
Senior Andrew Orr became the 28th member of the Ichabod 1,000 point club with a free throw at Fort Hays State earlier this season. Orr now has 1,197 career points, sitting in 17th all-time. Next on the chart is Jemi Johnson in 16th with 1,215 career points from 1992-95.
Orr is 14th in the nation in field goal percentage at 63.1, leading the MIAA.
Senior Michael Keegan has 949 career points in 118 career games as an Ichabod and he has moved past Bobby Chipman into fifth place on the career blocks chart with 95. Keegan is also fourth all-time in steals with 149 and he went over the 200-assist mark earlier this season.
Keegan is eighth in the nation and leading the MIAA in steals with 58 and he is ranked ninth in steals per game at 2.64 per game.
Sophomore Washburn Rural product Jack Bachelor is sixth in the nation and leads the MIAA in assist to turnover radio at 3.47, is 14th in total assists at 125 and 12th in assists per game with 5.7. In his last nine games Bachelor has had 70 assists and 11 turnovers -- a 6.4 to 1 ratio.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball will go south for the first time in conference play this season beginning with the first ever meeting between the Ichabods and new MIAA foe Arkansas-Fort Smith at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday evening.
Junior Yibari Nwidadah leads Washburn with 16.5 points and 7.1 rebounds a game entering Thursday's MIAA contest at Arkansas-Fort Smith. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn is 13-10 on the year, equaling its win total for the 2023-2024 season, and 7-6 in the MIAA after defeating Central Missouri 75-61 last Saturday. Last time out Arkansas-Fort Smith (13-9, 7-6) lost its fourth straight game, 82-62 to No. 8 Fort Hays State in Hays.
Yibari Nwidadah is averaging 16.5 points and 7.1 rebounds while ranking second in the nation with a 65.7 percent field goal percentage. The junior Olathe North product has started all 21 games she has played in, logging 26.9 minutes per game. She has shot at or above 50.0 percent in all but three games and has four double-doubles.
With 203 career offensive rebounds Nwidadah is seventh in program history. She needs 14 offensive boards to move up to sixth. In overall rebounds she is 15th in Washburn history with 541. Her career field goal percentage of .585 is the second best in program history. In scoring she ranks 35th with 852 career points.
Junior Payton Sterk, a Colorado Springs native, is averaging 16.2 points while starting all 23 contests and playing a team-high 30.7 minutes per game. She is shooting a team-high 39.5 percent from 3-point range while drilling a team-high 49 3-pointers.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West's boys got back on the winning track Tuesday night, snapping a four-game losing streak against state-ranked teams with a 77-57 United Kansas Conference road romp past Lansing.
Senior Kamoni Ford was one of five double-figure scorers for Topeka West in Tuesday's 77-57 win over Lansing. [File photo/TSN]
The Chargers, who improved to 9-6 overall and 8-4 in the UKC, had five players crack double figures and seven players score at least seven points.
Seniors Kamoni Ford and Jalen Foy and junior Keimani Paul led the Chargers with 12 points apiece while junior Malakyah Duncan added 11 points and senior Javian Chambers 10.
Topeka West trailed 19-17 at the end of the opening quarter and led by just a 34-31 advantage at the half before breaking open the game with a 28-16 third quarter.
The Chargers then outscored the Lions 15-10 over the final eight minutes to finish off the 20-point win.
Topeka West will travel to Leavenworth on Friday for a UKC contest.
West girls pick up fourth win
Topeka West notched its fourth win overall and second United Kansas Conference victory Tuesday night, posting a 56-40 conference win at Lansing.
With the win the Chargers improved to 4-11 and 2-9 in the UKC.
West will travel to Leavenworth on Friday.
Silver Lake girls improve to 13-2
Defending Class 3A champion Silver Lake, currently ranked No. 6 by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Assocation, improved to 13-2 Tuesday night with a 61-36 home romp past Marysville.
The Eagles took control with a 22-13 opening quarter and put the game out of reach with a 19-4 second quarter, opening up a huge 41-17 halftime advantage and cruising the rest of the way.
Six Silver Lake players scored eight or more points, led by Karys Deiter with 13 points and Kailyn Hanni with 12 points.
Jaylie Whitehead and Taylor Zordel scored nine points apiece and Ella Bolan and Savannah Wende had eight each.
The Eagles will host St. Marys on Thursday.
Junior Dayne Johnson led Silver Lake with 16 points in Tuesday's 54-50 win over Marysville. [File photo/TSN]
Eagle boys top Bulldogs, 64-50
Four Silver Lake players cracked double figures Tuesday night as the Eagles posted a 64-50 home win over Marysville.
Junior Dayne Johnson led the Eagles with 16 points, followed by Brody Deiter with 15 points, Jared Johnson with 11 points and Aemon Coffman with 10.
Silver Lake, now 11-4, led 16-12 at the end of the first quarter and took control with a 21-6 second quarter.
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By NICHOLAS GAINEY
Special to TopSports.news
A strong showing on the defensive end led to offensive opportunities as the Washburn Rural boys picked up a 74-45 win over Centennial League rival Manhattan on Tuesday night at Rural.
Junior John Hoytal led Washburn Rural with 18 points in Tuesday's 74-45 Centennial League win over Manhattan. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The Junior Blues set the tone early, starting the game with an 8-0 run. Junior Simon Rowley earned the first points of the evening, snagging his first of a team-high seven rebounds and finishing with a putback layup. The run also saw a layup from junior John Hoytal before senior Kaden Ballard knocked down a mid-range jumper to give the hosts the 8-0 lead.
After a pair of free throws by the Indians, Washburn Rural answered with layups from Rowley and senior Amare Jones to stretch the lead to 12-2.
Sam Spiegel gave Manhattan its first field goal of the evening, but a floater from Hoytal forced an Indian timeout with 2:03 to play in the first quarter. The Junior Blues forced eight turnovers by Manhattan in the first period on their way to an 18-6 lead, with Hoytal scoring seven points in the opening frame.
The Indians found the first points of the second quarter with a layup from Vince Doering, but Hoytal answered with a 3-pointer.
While the Manhattan offense took better care of the ball in the second period, Washburn Rural kept its foot on the gas, jumping out to a 36-17 halftime lead.
Jones helped the hosts’ effort with six consecutive points late in the half.
After allowing an 8-0 run to start the game, Manhattan found an 8-0 run of its own to open the second half, cutting the Junior Blue lead to 36-25.
The hosts answered with a 3-pointer from junior Draden Chooncharoen and a layup from Ballard, but a jumper from Landon Knopp and a layup from Doering kept the Indians within striking distance.
Midway through the third quarter, a pair of big plays shifted the momentum in favor of the Junior Blues.
Ballard finished a difficult layup along with a foul, hitting the free throw to complete the 3-point play. Jones then knocked down a 3-pointer from the left wing to extend the lead to 47-31.
The visitors continued to battle into the fourth quarter, with Noah McFadden completing a 3-point play to start the period.
Hoytal answered with a 3-point play of his own, before the Indians found two consecutive baskets to cut the lead to 14.
Washburn Rural closed the game with an 18-3 run to secure the win, with much of the scoring coming off the bench.
Freshman Brooks Ballard hit a pair of 3-pointers, with the first coming off an assist from older brother Kaden with 3:49 to play in the contest.
Junior Simon Rowley scored 14 points Tuesday as Washburn Rural improved to 11-4 with a 74-45 win over Manhattan. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Senior Amare Jones scored 14 points in Washburn Rural's 74-45 Centennial League win over Manhattan. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Hoytal led the Junior Blues with 18 points on 6-8 shooting while adding five rebounds. Rowley and Jones added 14 points each.
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By NICHOLAS GAINEY
Special to TopSports.news
Maddie Vickery may have two full seasons of high school basketball left, but Manhattan residents got an early glimpse of the Kansas State commit as the Washburn Rural girls knocked off the Manhattan Indians 58-28 on Tuesday night at Washburn Rural.
Sophomore Maddie Vickery scored a game-high 27 points in Washburn Rural's 58-28 win over Manhattan Tuesday night. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Both offenses were slow to develop, with the Indians (10-5 overall, 3-2 Cetennial League) grabbing the first lead with a pair of free throws from Bailey Busch.
After the teams traded layups at each end, Ella Hirschi knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Junior Blues (11-4, 4-1) a 5-4 lead.
Senior Kate Hinck had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds in Tuesday's 58-28 win over Manhattan. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Despite the initial slow start, the Washburn Rural offense took off in the later stages of the first quarter, with a pair of layups from senior guard Kate Hinck giving the Junior Blues a 11-6 advantage. Hirschi added a pair of 3-pointers to grab a quick nine points off the bench, with the hosts leading 19-10 after eight minutes of play.
While Hirschi led the dance in the first quarter, the second quarter belonged to Vickery. The sophomore tallied 16 of her 20 first-half points in the frame, knocking down four 3-pointers and going a perfect 4-4 from the line.
The Junior Blue defense held the Indians to nine points in the period, taking a 40-19 lead into the locker room.
Manhattan came out of the gate quickly, grabbing the first four points of the second half with layups from Kat Ball and Delaney Larson, cutting the Washburn Rural lead to 40-23. The Junior Blues answered with a 12-2 run, featuring a pair of layups from Hinck and six points from Vickery.
With the contest in hand for Washburn Rural, the fourth quarter was played with a running clock, with the hosts securing the 58-28 victory.
Vickery led the Junior Blues with 27 points on 7-17 shooting, going 9-10 from the charity stripe. Hinck added 12 points on 5-10 shooting while pulling down 11 rebounds to complete the double-double.
Washburn Rural out-rebounded Manhattan by a 30-19 margin.
Busch led the Indians with 8 points, with Ball chipping in 7 points. Jelena Depusoir led Manhattan with six rebounds.
Even though the hosts endured an early dry spell, Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick was pleased to see his team taking advantage of the defense and getting high-quality shots from behind the arc.
“I thought we recognized (Manhattan was) backing off,” Bordewick said. “I just thought we were taking what the defense was giving us and doing a good job of finishing plays.”
