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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The red-hot Washburn University men's basketball team will be looking for its sixth straight win and a regular-season sweep over Missouri Western when the Ichabods begin a three-game road trip at 7:30 p.m. Wednesay at Western.
Sophomore Andrew Orr is averaging a team-high 13.1 points per game for Washburn, which plays at Missouri Western Wednesday. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods are 10-9 overall and 7-6 in the MIAA after winning their fifth-straight game in a 66-56 decision over Northeastern State last Saturday at Lee Arena.
The Griffons (8-12, 4-10) lost their sixth game in a row last Saturday at Nebraska-Kearney, 85-75. WU won the first meeting between the two teams on Dec. 17 in Topeka, 76-51.
Washburn has won the last five in the series with the Griffons after losing the previous four in a row.
Seaman Andrew Orr leads the Ichabods in scoring at 13.1 points per game while averaging 13.6 ppg in MIAA contests. Orr has reached double figures in 13 of 19 games this season. He is third on the team in rebounds at 5.9 per game.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's women's basketball kicks off a three-game road swing with a 5:30 p.m. Wednesday night MIAA game at Missouri Western on Wednesday.
Washburn won back-to-back games at home last week with victories over Rogers State and Northeastern State to improve to 9-10 overall and 5-8 in the MIAA.
Junior point guard Aubree Dewey leads Washburn in scoring, assists and minutes played entering Wednesday's MIAA game at Missouri Western. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Missouri Western (18-5, 12-3 MIAA) saw its 11-game win streak come to an end on Saturday with a 91-55 loss at Nebraska-Kearney.
The Griffons won the first matchup against WU earlier this season, taking a 57-44 decision on Dec. 17 at Lee Arena.
At the beginning of this week the Griffons are tied for third in the MIAA standings and the Ichabods are sitting in eighth.
Washburn is second in the league and ranks 20th in Division II for fewest points allowed per game, holding opponents to 56.2 points a game.
WU has limited opponents to 49 or fewer points in four games, including the Ichabods' 61-49 win over the RiverHawks last Saturday.
Junior point guard Aubree Dewey leads Washburn with 10.3 points, 3.7 assists and 32.5 minutes per game while also averaging 4.1 rebounds.
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'By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
PIPER (10-4, 7-3) at SEAMAN (11-1, 7-1)
Seaman junior Taylin Stallbaumer is congratulated by her teammates after hitting the game-winning 3-pointer in Saturday's 46-43 win over Emporia in the Glaciers Edge Tournament. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
Seaman, top-ranked in Class 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, captured the tournament championship in last week's Glacier's Edge Tournament, taking a 46-43 win over tournament host Emporia on junior Taylin Stallbaumer's buzzer-beating 3-pointer in Saturday's championship game. Freshman Maddie Gragg scored 16 points and Stallbaumer 15 against Emporia while sophomore Anna Becker was named the tournament Most Valuable Player. Piper has posted three straight wins, including a 62-50 win over De Soto in the Pirates' last game. Seaman beat Piper 63-35 in an earlier meeting.
Sophomore Amelia Ramsey (center) has led Highland Park's girls to an 8-3 record and the Meadowlark Conference lead this winter. [File photo/TSN]
KC-WASHINGTON (3-7, 2-4) at HIGHLAND PARK (8-3, 4-0)
League-leading Highland Park will return to Meadowlawk Conference play after a 75-7 non-league romp past Kansas City-East, Mo. last Friday. Washington is coming off a 67-18 win over Kansas City-Northeast, Mo. Sophomore Amelia Ramsey leads Highland Park, which has not had a Meadowlark Conference game closer than 16 points. The Scots have won their last three games.
LANSING (3-9, 2-7) at TOPEKA WEST (3-10, 2-8)
Topeka West finished sixth in last week's Firebird Classic at Free State, posting a 1-2 record. The Chargers took a 46-40 consolation win over Great Bend last Friday before dropping a 59-53 decision to Wichita Northwest in Saturday's consolation final. Lansing is coming off a 49-45 win over Jefferson West.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
PIPER (10-4, 7-3) at SEAMAN (7-5, 4-4)
Senior Kaeden Bonner (right) and the Seaman boys basketball team will be looking for their fifth straight victory in Tuesday night's United Kansas Conference home game against Piper. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman has posted four straight victories, including a 68-41 United Kansas Conference victory over Lansing last Friday. Piper is coming off a 62-56 UKC loss to De Soto. Tuesday night will be the second game of the season between Seaman and Piper, with the Pirates taking a 61-48 win over the Vikings in the earlier meeting.
Senior Bo Aldridge and the Highland Park boys ran their winning streak to 11 games with a pair of non-league victories last week. [File photo/TSN]
KC-WASHINGTON (5-7, 3-2) at HIGHLAND PARK (11-0, 4-0)
Highland Park, the top-ranked team in the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association Class 5A state rankings, continued its dominating season with a pair of non-league victories last week The Scots took a 76-45 win over state-ranked Eudora on Tuesday and then rolled to an 82-21 victory over Kansas City-East, Mo. on Friday. The league-leading Scots return to Meadowlark Conference play against KC-Washington.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University men's basketball coach Brett Ballard has spent most of his life in a gym.
Washburn Rural sophomore Kaden Ballard (front) has been a key contributor for the 9-4 Junior Blues this winter. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn men's basketball coach Brett Ballard has done his best to stay in the background as his son, Kaden, embarks on his high school career at Washburn Rural. [File photo/TSN]
But Ballard is adjusting to something new this winter, sitting in the stands as a fan.
Ballard's sophomore son, Kaden, has played a key role off the bench for the 9-4 Washburn Rural boys, with Brett in the stands for every game when the Ichabods' schedule doesn't conflict.
When Ballard is on hand to watch Kaden and Alex Hutchins' Junior Blues, he's careful to replace his coach's hat with his dad's hat, something he admits can be harder than you might think.
"I think it gives you perspective on what the parents of these kids I have been coaching have been going through all these years,'' Ballard said. "I think it just for sure gives you perspective on patience, and what your kid's going through, and you see that in a different way.
"It's hard having no control, and when it's your own kid, those emotions, they bubble up.''
Ballard says he tries his best to keep those emotions to himself .
"I don't say too much,'' he said. "The only thing I'll say to him, and very, very rarely, is just something on the defensive end and making sure he's playing hard and competing, but the coaches do a great job. He doesn't need me, he needs to listen to his coaches and he has a great group out there that are doing a good job with him.
"So I try to keep my mouth shut and just support his teammates and support the team.''
