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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's basketball teams hit the road for the first time in MIAA play, facing Central Oklahoma in 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. contests Thursday.
The Ichabod men will be looking to climb above .500 in the MIAA and overall, with Washburn currently 4-4 overall and 1-1 in the MIAA.
Washburn will be facing a Centralk Oklahoma men's team that is 5-2 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
The Ichabods are coming off a 79-77 win over Nebraska-Kearney while the Bronchos are coming off a 79-60 road win over Pittsburg State.
Washburn junior Jalen Lewis drives the ball earlier this season against Fort Hays State. Lewis leads the Ichabods with a 13.3 scoring average. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Junior Jalen Lewis leads Washburn with a 13.3 scoring average and has hit 14 3-pointers while freshman Michael Keegan averages 12.4 points and a team-high five rebounds per game.
Sophomore Connor Deffebaugh is averaging 9.8 points and a team-high 2.1 assists and hit the game-winning shot in last Saturday's win over Nebraska-Kearney.
Deffebaugh had a career-high 19 points against UNK while Keegan recorded a career-high 18 points.
Isaiah Wade leads four players in double figures for Central Oklahoma with an 18-point average and also averages seven rebounds.
Camryn Givens averages 15.3 points and 6.4 rebounds while Jaden Wells averages 12.3 points and Callen Haydon 12.1 points.
The Washburn women's basketball team is 1-6 overall and 0-2 in the MIAA on the season and will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak after falling to No. 21 Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday, 49-43.
Central Oklahoma is 5-3 and split the conference-opening week, falling to Missouri Southern, 81-74, before rolling to a 96-76 victory at Pittsburg State.
Senior Hunter Bentley averages a team-high 10.1 points for Washburn and averages 3.7 rebounds.
Mackenzie Gamble averages 7.4 points and has hit at least one 3-pointer in every game this season to give her a season total of 13 treys.
Central Oklahoma is led by Kelsey Johnson, who has already won the MIAA Player of the Week award twice this season and averages a double-double with 19.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per game..
Alayzha Knapp averages 10.0 points and 4.1 rebounds for the Bronchos.
Washburn will continue its road trip with a women's/men's twinbill at Newman on Saturday.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights' boys basketball team didn't have a memorable shooting night, particularly from 3-point range, and the T-Birds had trouble keeping Topeka High off the boards at times Wednesday night.
But Ken Darting's T-Birds got enough big plays from enough players to post a 62-54 non-league win at Topeka High, improving to 2-0 on the season.
"We had kids that came in and hit a three or got a big rebound,'' Darting said. "We had freshmen and sophomores playing with a four-point lead and two minutes to go in the game.
"This is a big step for everybody and everybody was picking up everybody that was having a bad game. That's what makes it so fun.''
Shawnee Heights senior Nathan Pewe (1) and the T-Birds celebrate Wednesday's 62-54 win at Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Shawnee Heights hit just two of 16 3-point attempts on the night and were out-rebounded, 30-23, but the T-Birds got at least eight points from five different players, including multiple underclassmen in the win.
Topeka High, which fell to 0-3, jumped out in front 7-1, 8-2, 10-4 and 12-6 out of the gate, but 6-foot-2 sophomore Jayden Holly gave Shawnee Heights a huge lift off the bench, scoring eight points in the first quarter, including a shot at the buzzer to cut the Trojans' lead to 15-14 at the end of the quarter.
Heights rallied to take a 24-17 advantage with 5:14 left in the first half, but Topeka High was still within four points (31-27) at halftime.
After falling behind by seven early in the third quarter Topeka High battled back to tie the game at 36 with 4:52 left in the third quarter and was within a point at the start of the fourth quarter after a 3-pointer from sophomore Isaiah Lyons.
Sophomore BJ Canady put High in front 47-46 at the start of the fourth quarter but a huge 3-pointer off the bench from sophomore Jayden Moore put the T-Birds back in front, 49-47.
Lyons' fourth 3-pointer gave the Trojans a 50-49 advantage with five minutes remaining, but Shawnee Heights outscored High 13-4 the rest of the way to build its biggest lead of the night.
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Topeka High football coach Carlos Kelly told TopSports.news after a 28-20 win over Emporia back in September, “Tylan Alejos needs to be Tylan Alejos and magic will happen.”
That ended up being the truth.
The Topeka High senior surpassed 1,300 rushing yards on the year and had 1,605 all-purpose yards while finding his way into the end zone 18 times.
His statistical and self-effort earned him first-team All-Centennial League honors as a running back and honorable mention at defensive back. He also cracked the TopSports.news Top 22 list.
“Pretty cool for me and my team,'' Alejoas said. "Late nights, hard work and the constant grind paid off. I’m glad that I was able to earn these awards for my team.''
Topeka High senior Tylan Alejos (7) is congratulated after scoring a touchdown against Highland Park during his senior football season. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka High has had its fair share of historical running backs in the last decade, most notably Ky Thomas.
Thomas ran for 7,703 rushing yards and 95 touchdowns in his career and is now the leading rusher for Minnesota. The Gatorade Athlete of the Year in Kansas created a path for greatness for Topeka High’s future backfield.
“He set the blueprint down,'' Alejos said. "I pick and choose what I could follow from him. He’s one of the greatest to ever do it. He taught me a lot on how to be a great player.''
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Seaman's girls basketball team posted its second straight lopsided Centennial League decision Tuesday night in a 52-17 win over Topeka West at Seaman.
Topeka West led 8-6 at the end of the first quarter, but Seaman flipped a switch in the second quarter with the Vikings establishing their presence from mid-range instead of forcing shots on the outside of the arc, like they did in the first quarter.
Lady Vike guards Taylin Stallbaumer and Anna Becker were the catalysts in the second quarter for Seaman, which ended the first half on a 21-2 run.
Anna Becker
Taylin Stallbaumer
Becker, a freshman, scored a game-high 17 points to lead Seaman while Stallbaumer, a sophomore, added 13.
Topeka West had a difficult time finding quality shots against Seaman’s full-court press defense. Carstyn Anderson and Jaycee Schumann were leading the charge of prodding the ball free and forcing the Chargers to make unorthodox passes that wound up being turnovers.
It didn’t get easier driving the ball in the paint for the Chargers, with 6-foot-1 Seaman center Brooklyn Gormley established her post presence.
Seaman’s starters were phenomenal on Tuesday night, but the contributions by the bench did not go unnoticed.
Jaida Stallbaumer, Lindsey Smith and Lauren Stuewe played a pivotal part in the victory. The trio shot 67 percent from the field and 75 percentfrom the free throw line.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Two games, two lopsided victories for Topeka High's girls basketball team.
After opening the season with a 22-point victory over Manhattan last Friday night, the Trojans rolled to an 82-24 Centennial League decision over Junction City Tuesday night at High.
Kiki Smith
Junior Kiki Smith led an extremely balanced attack for Topeka High against the Blue Jays with a game-high 19 points.
Sophomores Ladaysha Baird and Ayana Leesman scored 17 and 13 points, respectively, off the bench for the Trojans while senior Talayah Thomas added 10 points.
The Trojans put the Blue Jays away early, opening up a 30-5 lead at the end of the first quarter and taking a 50-20 lead to the locker room at halftime.
JUNCTION CITY BOYS 80, TOPEKA HIGH 53 -- Junction City improved to 2-0 on the season in the Centennial League and overall, while Topeka High is still looking for its first victory after Tuesday's 80-53 loss.
The Trojans face a quick turnaround, hosting 1-0 Shawnee Heights in a 7:30 p.m. non-league game Wednesday night.
ROSSVILLE GIRLS 54, BISHOP WARD 24 -- Sophomore Kinsey Perine scored 16 points to pace three Bulldawgs in double figures as Rossville's girls basketball team opened its season with a 54-24 victory over Bishop Ward Tuesday night.
Kinsey Perine
Joining Perine in double figures for the Bulldawgs were senior Caylee Douglas and freshman Shyanne Haehn with 10 points apiece.
Rossville opened up an 11-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and then put the game away with a 22-5 second quarter, taking a commanding 33-11 advantage.
Rossville outscored the Cyclones 21-13 in the second half.
BISHOP WARD BOYS 74, ROSSVILLE 44 -- Bishop Ward had four players crack double figures as the Cyclones rolled to a 74-44 win over Rossville.
Rossville was within six points (25-19) at halftime, but the Cyclones erupted for 33 points in the third quarter to open up a commanding 58-35 advantage.
Junior Kade Perine and freshman Brock Bush both scored 11 points for the Bulldawgs, with Perine connecting on nine of 11 free throw attempts and Bush canning a pair of 3-pointers.
SILVER LAKE GIRLS 60, COUNCIL GROVE 42 -- Silver Lake improved to 60-42 with a decisive 60-42 win over Council Grove, with multiple players filling up the stat sheet for the Eagles.
Taylor Ross
Mariah Farmer
Junior Taylor Ross scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds while junior Mariah Famer also scored 16 points.
Sophomore MaKenzie McDaniel scored 14 points and grabbed 16 rebounds while sophomore McKinley Kruger had 4 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists and sophomore Kaylee Deiter had 3 points and 9 rebounds.
COUNCIL GROVE BOYS 63, SILVER LAKE 46 -- Four players scored between 17 and 13 points for Council Grove as the Braves recorded a 63-46 win over Silver Lake.
Silver Lake was within five points after the first quarter (15-10) and trailed 28-18 at the half. The Eagles were still within 11 (41-30) at the start of the fourth quarter were unable to make a run as the Braves helped a 22-16 scoring edge the rest of the way.
Junior Kamryn Kaniper paced Silver Lake with 13 points while senior Luke Womack added 10 points and junior Troy Heiman nine.
Kellen Marshall led Council Grove with 17 points while Koen Hula added 16, Hunter Brintle 15 and Gavin Mills 13 for the Braves.
CAIR PARAVEL BOYS 91, CHRIST PREP 37 -- Cair Paravel's boys improved to 3-1 on the season with a 91-37 road romp at Christ Prep Tuesday night.
CHRIST PREP GIRLS 44, CAIR PARAVEL 40 -- Senior Jaley Barkley scored 18 points and Allison Schwartz added 10 for Cair Paravel Latin, but it wasn't quite enough for the Lions to get over the top, with Christ Prep taking the 44-40 decision.
