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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn senior Payton Sterk is coming off a season-high 31-point performance with seven 3-pointers in last Saturday's win at Rogers State. [File photo/TSN] - Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Junior Jeremiah Jones (22) is one steal away from tying Washburn's single-season record entering Wednesday's game against Pittsburg State. [File photo/TSN]Washburn is 26-1 overall, 16-1 MIAA, clinched the regular-season conference title and will be the No. 1-seed in the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. and will have its opening game in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 5, at 6 p.m. against the winner of the No. 8/No. 9 game.
Pittsburg State is 15-12, 9-8 MIAA, after falling to Fort Hays State 65-56 on last Saturday in its home finale.
Wedneday's game is the only regular-season meeting between the Ichabods and the Gorillas this season. With a win over the Gorillas, Washburn will record its 28th consecutive home win, tying the 28-game streak from Nov. 19, 1993 to Feb. 8, 1995.
The Ichabods have the No. 1-ranked scoring offense in the MIAA, putting up 86.9 points per game, and also have the No. 1-ranked scoring defense, allowing 62.2 points a game.
The Ichabods have recorded 32 20-win seasons in program history and six under Ichabod coach Brett Ballard in his nine seasons, receiving four NCAA postseason berths and coaching the 2024-25 squad to only the program's second 30-win season in school history.
Washburn is second in NCAA Division II in scoring margin at plus 24.7 points per game and is ranked third in field goal percentage at 51.3 percent.
Junior Jeremiah Jones leads the nation in total steals with 81 and is ranked third in steals per game at 3.00. Jones has pulled within one steal of tying the Washburn single-season steals record of 82 set by Will McNeill during the 2012-13 season.
Senior Sam Ungashick has scored 953 collegiate points with 594 coming at Washburn after scoring 359 in his lone season at Benedictine as a freshman before joining the Ichabods.
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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Just 24 hours after the Chargers outlasted rival Topeka High in a grueling battle at The Dungeon, Topeka West withstood a challenge Tuesday from Turner 72-54 to draw within one game of a United Kansas Conference crown.
Malakyah Duncan scored a game-high 16 points to help lead Topeka West to a 72-54 Senior Night win over Turner. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Keimani Paul scored 13 points to help lead Topeka West to a 72-54 Senior Night win over Turner. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Golden Bears didn’t go down willingly. They led 21-20 early in the second period and stayed within reach the entire first half. An 8-0 run to start the third quarter gave the Chargers some breathing room.
As the Chargers slowly built a lead Tuesday, Topeka West coach Christian Ulsaker went deeper into his bench to rest his starters and allow others to get minutes. Coming off the bench on Senior Nigh, regular junior starter Prince Lassiter scored 12 points and junior J.J. Doby added eight.
“Second game in as many days, I thought we started fast last night,” Ulsaker said. “So, trying to replicate that two nights in a row might be a little bit challenging with how high intensity the game last night was. I’m just proud of our boys for just battling, getting the win.”
The Chargers, ranked fourth in the final ranking of Class 5A teams by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, improved to 18-3, 13-2 in the United Kansas Conference. A win Friday at Lansing would guarantee that they will at least share the crown, if not win it outright.
Ulsaker started all five of his seniors Tuesday and saw them combine for 48 points. Leading the seniors was Malakyah Duncan with 16 and Keimani Paul with 13. Gad Munganga added eight, Jay’Veon Traylor at six and Trey Ware tossed in five.
“It was good to honor the seniors tonight. (Senior Night) is fun to see and it’s also sad at the same time.” said Ulsaker, who came to Topeka West from Wabaunsee two seasons ago. “These guys have been in the program for four years, I’ve had the great opportunity of coaching them for two. I can’t tell you how great of a class this is. You have certain groups and senior groups that you just wish you could have more, and this is definitely one of them.”
After the game, Duncan reflected on his career at Topeka West.
“I feel good. I’m ready for sub-state, hopefully make it to state,” Duncan said. “I have great confidence in my team. We are balanced, talented. I think we can take it all the way. We’ve got the potential to do something this team has never done, to win state for the first time in history. We’ve just got to go do it.”
TOPEKA WEST BOYS 72, TURNER 54
Turner 16 12 14 12 -- 54
Topeka West 20 16 18 18 -- 72
Turner (4-18, 0-15) – Marshall 4-8 0-0 9, Scott 1-3 0-0 2, McBride 1-4 1-2 3, McGee 6-11 2-2 14, Bryant 2-3 0-0 5, Hamilton 5-9 1-2 13, Thomas 3-4 0-0 6, Solido 0-1 0-0 0, Ramanis 0-0 2-2 2, Springer 0-0 0-0 0, King 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-43 6-8 54.
Topeka West (18-3, 13-2) – Munganga 2-6 4-4 8, Ware 2-6 0-0 5, Traylor 2-5 2-4 6, Duncan 7-12 1-1 16, Paul 5-8 2-2 13, Phillips 1-2 0-2 2, Lassiter 5-6 2-5 12, Doby 3-3 1-2 8, Fox 1-5 0-0 2, Lloyd 0-1 0-0 0, Emerson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-54 12-20 72.
3-point goals – Turner 4 (Hamilton 2, Marshall, Bryant), Topeka West 4 (Ware, Duncan , Paul, Doby). Total fouls – Turner 14, Topeka West 10. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.
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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Despite playing short-handed, the Topeka West girls picked up their sixth win of the season by racing past Turner 63-30 Tuesday.
Junior Sydney VanDyke scored a game-high 25 points in Topeka West's 63-30 win over Turner Tuesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Junior Patience Allen scored 14 points in Topeka West's 63-30 win over Turner Tuesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Charger coach Angie Ketterman dug even deeper into her program for players Tuesday as two injured seniors played to be recognized on Senior Night and others missed the game entirely.
Senior Breonnah Keeling made her first appearance for the Chargers since the season opener, in which she injured her knee. Wearing a brace, she received a pass off the opening tip and laid it in to get in the scorebook in her final game.
Addaline Hall, one of the team’s most productive players all season, also started the game to be recognized on Senior Night, then promptly checked out. Keeling said Hall has an injury that may prevent her from playing the rest of the season.
“It was good to get a win, but we have so many players injured right now,” Ketterman said. “We could only play with six tonight.
“It was good to see (Keeling) back on the floor tonight. She played two minutes against Highland Park and tore her ACL. So, it was nice to get her back out there to be recognized.”
The Chargers were led by junior Sydney VanDyke’s 25 points. Fellow junior Patience Allen added 14 on 7-11 shooting.
Freshman Aniyah Perkins scored 13 points in Topeka West's 63-30 win over Turner Tuesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Kettering praised Aniyah Perkins, a freshman who stepped in and scored 13 points.
“She’s got great moves around the basket,” Kettering said of Perkins. “She’s aggressive and plays hard and she’s got a lot of speed.”
Kettering said she thought the players who played increased minutes Tuesday responded well. She expects to rely on the same mix of players in the regular-season finale Friday at Lansing.
“If we’re going to have to play these young kids (in the playoffs), it’s good to have one more game,” Kettering said. “Playing these young girls is only going to help us for the future. They’re great players. They’ve just got to get used to playing that fast-paced game.”
Allen said that although the team is digging deep for players, the Chargers expect to play hard and compete.
“We were just playing aggressive and playing as a team tonight,” Allen said. “It changes things a little bit (to be using new players), but we all practice together. I think they are a little bit nervous, but they know what they’re doing and they’re going to do good.”
TOPEKA WEST GIRLS 63, TURNER 30
Turner 8 11 9 2 -- 30
Topeka West 25 12 15 11 -- 63
Turner (3-18, 0-15) – Chavez 2-13 1-2 3, Olsen 1-6 0-0 2, Henderson 0-3 0-0 0, Benson 1-5 1-4 3, Ollie 4-11 2-6 10, Beery 1-1 0-0 2, High 0-0 0-0 0, Pollard 2-3 4-4 8. Totals 11-42 8-18 30.
Topeka West (6-16, 3-12) – Gonzales 2-15 0-0 5, VanDyke 9-13 7-13 25, Keeling 1-1 0-0 2, Hall 0-0 0-0 0, Kutina 1-7 0-0 2, Allen 7-11 0-3 14, Perkins 6-14 0-2 13, Traylor 1-4 0-0 2, Smith 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-66 7-18 63.
3-point goals – Turner 0, Topeka West 2 (Gonzales, Perkins 1). Total fouls – Turner 12, Topeka West 12. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
With Topeka High's girls trailing Washburn Rural by eight points with six remaining Tuesday night, the Trojans' chance at a victory and any shot at a Centennial League championship looked pretty bleak.
Junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, shooting over Washburn Rural's Maddie Vickery (5), came up big down the stretch in Tuesday's 59-55 Topeka High win over Washburn Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
But a 15-3 game-ending run, including the final seven points, turned things around in a hurry, with the Trojans rallying for a 59-55 win to earn at least a share of the league title while stretching their winning streak to nine games.
"Defense,'' Topeka High coach Ron Slaymaker said. "We got a couple of interceptions there at a crucial time and we got the ball back and made the free throws and wow!
"From the get go we have emphasized defense. Defense is your offense and I think it maybe finally kicked in that we can score a lot of points if we're playing really good defense and the nine in a row here that's what's kicked in, that they've really bought in. We've been shooting high percentages, but a lot of it's been interceptions and layups and stuff like that.''
With Tuesday's come-from-behind victory, the Trojans, 15-8 overall and 8-2 in the Centennial League, now have a chance to win the league title if outright if Washburn Rural beats Manhattan Friday night at Rural.
"How about that?'' Slaymaker said. "This is not your chump change league and now we're yelling for Washburn Rural on Friday and that should be a good game.''
Tuesday's Rural-Topeka High game was close throughout, with Washburn Rural (15-7, 5-4) leading by two points after each of the first three quarters.
The Junior Blues opened the fourth quarter with an 8-2 run, taking a 52-44 lead with 6:23 remaining on a hoop from senior Hallie Walker.
But the Trojans fought back to tie the game at 52 on a Trish Short free throw with 4:23 left.
Then, after a 3-pointer from Washburn Rural junior Brooklyn Rutherford, Topeka High answered with a huge 3-pointer from junior star Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton to knot the game at 55 before senior Sasha Gotru put the Trojans ahead to stay with 1:29 left and Rayton clinched the win with two free throws.
