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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 1-ranked Washburn University men's basketball continues its four-game road trip on Saturday, traveling to Northwest Missouri for a 3:30 p.m. contest.
Washburn, 15-0 overall and 5-0 in the MIAA, is one of four remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division II after starting the trip with an 87-75 win at Missouri Western on Wednesday.
Dillon Claussen, Washburn University
The Bearcats are 9-7 overall and 2-3 in the MIAA after falling at home to Central Missouri last time out, 76-72.
The Ichabods have the No. 2-ranked scoring offense in the MIAA (89.4 points per game) and the No. 2-ranked scoring defense (61.5-point average).
Washburn leads NCAA Division II in scoring margin at plus 27.9 points per game and is fifth in field goal percentage at 51.9 percent.
Washburn has not been out-rebounded in a game and has only been tied twice (Lubbock Christian and Emporia State).
Junior Jeremiah Jones is first the nation in total steals with 50 and is ranked second in steals per game at 3.33.
Sophomore Dillon Claussen is fifth in the nation in field goal percentage at 66.9.
Ichabod sophomore Marcus Glock played his freshman season at Northwest Missouri where he started 19 of 28 games, averaging 9.1 points while hitting a team-high 51 3-pointers and averaging 13.5 points in two games against Washburn.
Junior Jack Bachelor is 17th in the nation in total assists with 75 and second in assist to turnover ration at 3.57 to 1.
Claussen scored 16 of his 18 points in the first half in Wednesday's win over Missouri Western, going 6 of 10 for the game and adding eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
Senior Sam Ungashick provided a big lift off the bench with a season-high 18 points on 7 of 10 shooting and Bachelor added 16 points and senior Brady Christiansen contributed 13 points and nine rebounds.
The Ichabods' 15-game winning streak is second in the nation behind Daemen, which has won its last 16.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn senior Yibari Nwidadah recorded a double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds in Thursday's loss to Missouri Western, Nwidadah's second straight double-double. [File photo/TSN]Washburn, now 10-4 overall and 3-2 in the MIAA, had its four-game winning streak snapped in Wednesday's 75-67 road loss to Missouri Western, while Northwest Missouri, which has dropped three straight games, is 9-6 overall and 2-3 in the MIAA after a 66-61 loss to Central Missouri.
Senior Yibari Nwidadah, who had 23 points and 13 rebounds against the Griffons, averages a team-high 13.4 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Ichabods while shooting 58.5 percent from the floor, which also leads the team.
With 266 career offensive rebounds Nwidadah ranks third in program history and ranks eighth in overall rebounding with 718 career boards. Nwidadah's career field goal percentage of .581 is the second best in program history and she is 13th in school history with 1,166 career points and 11th in program history with 69 career blocked shots.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
FRIDAY'S GAMES
Connor Hanika, Hayden
HAYDEN (3-6, 0-1) at WASHBURN RURAL (6-2, 1-0)
Washburn Rural opened defense of its Centennial League championship Tuesday with a 50-45 road win over Junction City, imporoving to 6-2 on the season. Senior Kieffer O'Connor led the Junior Blues with 16 points while senior Simon Rowley added 11. Hayden will be looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking 59-56 home Centennial League loss to Emporia. Senior Connor Hanika scored a game-high 22 points for the Wildcats while junior Carter Compton added 12 points.
Bryson McComas, Topeka High
MANHATTAN (6-1, 0-0) at TOPEKA HIGH (4-3, 0-0)
Topeka High climbed above the .500 level with a 66-65 nailbiter on the road Tuesday night at Lawrence. Friday's game will be the Centennial League opener for both Topeka High and Manhattan. The Indians are coming off a 62-59 overtime win over Hays, stretching its winning streak to six games.
ATCHISON (8-0, 3-0) at HIGHLAND PARK (2-4, 2-0)
Atchison and Highland Park will square off in a game that could go a long ways to deciding the Meadowlark Conference championship. The Scots improved to 2-0 in league play with a 60-32 home win over Kansas City-Schlagle Tuesday night as junior JoJo Kingcannon scored 21 points, going 8 of 11 from the floor with three 3-pointers. Atchison is coming off an 87-32 Meadowlark win over KC-Wyandotte.
LEAVENWORTH (2-4, 1-3) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (3-4, 2-3)
Shawnee Heights will be looking to bounce back from a tough 51-50 United Kansas Conference home loss to De Soto Tuesday night. Junior Cam Ross led the T-Birds with 12 points. Leavenworth is coming off a 74-47 UKC home loss to Topeka West on Tuesday.
Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake
HOLTON (1-7, 1-5) at SILVER LAKE (6-2, 4-0)
Silver Lake posted a 73-61 Big East League victory at St. Marys on Tuesday while Holton picked up its first win of the season, a 57-53 league decision over Riley County. Holton is coached by former Topeka West assistant coach Marco Hunter. Silver Lake is ranked No. 6 in Class 3A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
FRIDAY'S GAMES
HAYDEN (7-2, 1-0 Centennial) at WASHBURN RURAL (5-2, 1-0 Centennial)
Both defending champion Hayden and perennial Class 6A contender Washburn Rural won their Centennial League openers on Tuesday. The Wildcats took a 53-37 home win over Emporia as sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein scored 14 points and sophomore Blakely Walter 10. The Junior Blues went on the road to beat Junction City, 68-32. Hayden is ranked No. 7 in Class 4A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association and Rural is No. 10 in 6A. Washburn Rural will be playing its third game of the week, dropping a 50-35 non-league decision to Olathe North on Monday.
Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, Topeka High
MANHATTAN (5-2, 0-0 Centennial) at TOPEKA HIGH (3-4, 0-0 Centennial)
Topeka High picked up its third straight win on Tuesday, taking a 65-41 non-league road win at Lawrence as junior Ahysieyrhuajh Rayton scored 29 points, senior Keimara Marshall 15 and senior Trish Short 13. High sophomore Hailey Caryl contributed 8 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists against the Lions. Manhattan is coming off its second loss of the season, dropping a 58-45 non-league decision to Hays.
ATCHISON (3-6, 3-0 Meadowlark) at HIGHLAND PARK (2-4, 1-1 Meadowlark)
Highland Park picked up a Meadowlark Conference forfeit win over Kansas City-Schlagle on Tuesday while Atchison edged KC-Wyandotte in a conference contest, 42-41. Highland Park played Wyandotte earlier in the season, with the Bulldogs taking a 68-52 victory over the Scots.
Pearmella Carter, Shawnee Heights
LEAVENWORTH (4-2, 1-2 UKC) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (5-3, 4-1 UKC)
Shawnee Heights stretched its winning streak to four games on Tuesday, with the T-Birds taking a 64-46 home United Kansas Conference win over De Soto. Junior Pearmella Carter led Heights with 19 points while juniors Sami Baum and Imani McGlory scoring 15 and 13 points, respectively. Leavenworth is coming off a 49-35 home UKC win over Topeka West.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman senior star KaeVon Bonner reached the 1,000-point milestone for his career Wednesday night, leading the No. 5 ranked Vikings to a 60-57 non-league road win at St. James Academy.
Seaman senior KaeVon Bonner scored a game-high 27 points in Wednesday's 60-57 Viking win at St. James Academy, reaching the 1,000-point career scoring milestone. [File photo/TSN]
Bonner, a four-year starters and multi-time TopSports.news All-City and All-United Kansas Conference first-team pick, scored a game-high 27 points as Seaman improved to 5-1 on the season while making its 2026 debut.
The Vikings jumped out to a 17-10 first-quarter lead over the Thunder (5-2) and led 32-26 at the half.
Seaman used a 16-11 third quarter to boost its advantage to 48-37 and held on for the win despite St. James' 20-12 scoring edge over the final eight minutes.
Seniors Griffin Zuniga and Landon Wiltz added 12 and 11 points for the Vikings, who posted their third straight victory.
Grady Ogden scored 20 points and Emmitt Peters 16 for St. James.
Seaman will be back on the road Friday, traveling to Lansing for a United Kansas Conference matchup.
Thunder snaps Lady Vikes' winning streak
St. James Academy dominated the final three quarters of Wednesday's home non-league contest against No. 9-ranked Seaman, rolling to a 54-33 victory while snapping the Vikings' four-game win streak.
Seaman, now 4-2 on the season, led 15-11 at the end of the first quarter, but St. James used a 9-1 second quarter to take a 20-16 halftime advantage.
The Thunder then took control with a 20-9 third-quarter scoring edge and closed out the win with a 14-8 fourth quarter, improving to 5-3 on the season.
Seaman will return to UKC play on Friday, traveling to Lansing.
