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By KYLE MANTHE
The Washburn Review
After dropping its opening game against Topeka West on the road Washburn Rural boys basketball looked to even up its record Tuesday night against Emporia.
A 25-5 run in the first half would put the Junior Blues in control.
“It's about taking the lessons from the first game and improving on them,” said Rural coach Kevin Muff. “We took better care of the ball, better execution offensively, we did some good things.”
The 65-34 win moves Washburn Rural to 1-1 on the year and 1-1 in conference play after the home opener.
“It felt really good, home games are really important to win so getting the first one was good,” said junior Tre Morris. “After that first game we kept our heads up, we could have played better that first game but keeping our heads up brought us more momentum to here.”
After the Spartans got out to a 9-8 lead with 2:20 left in the opening quarter the Junior Blues offense picked up pace and attacked the basket, going on a 10-1 run to close the quarter with all baskets coming in the paint.
“I thought we were better about getting paint touches and just getting some shots inside,” Muff said.
Washburn Rural junior Jack Bachelor led the Junior Blues with 14 points in Tuesday's Centennial League 65-34 win over Emporia. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The run continued into the second quarter as the lead grew to as many as 17 points after a putback by senior Brock Howard.
“I thought we were really good defensively … I was proud of how we got some steals and created some offensive opportunities with that,” Muff said.
Emporia junior Parker Leeds scored four points to put an end to the run. Leeds scored seven of the Spartans nine points in the quarter.
Free throws by junior Jack Bachelor made it a 37-19 game heading into the break.
Both teams were held scoreless in the third quarter until Leeds knocked down a free throw with 5:19 left in the quarter. After being quiet Washburn Rural’s pace and scoring picked up to close the quarter, including two 3--pointers by Morris.
The Junior Blues' defense remained active, holding the Spartans to just seven points in the quarter and expanding the lead to 24 points.
“It was our zone more than anything. When we go zone we got five or six stops but we couldn’t score,” Muff said.
Washburn Rural emptied its bench for most of the fourth quarter, trading baskets with Emporia for most of the quarter and growing the lead late to ease into the 31-point victory.
“You want to start taking steps towards being better. We are very young as far as experience. Jack Bachelor is the only starter we have back, we got a lot of new faces out there learning to play together and its going to take some time,” Muff said.
Bachelor did pace Washburn Rural with 14 points while Morris added 13, including three triples, and Quincey Kidd added nine.
For Emporia, Leeds led the way with 16 points while Ortega chipped in with eight.
Washburn Rural will be back home Friday against Highland Park.
WASHBURN RURAL BOYS 65, EMPORIA 34
Washburn Rural 18 19 13 15 -- 65
Emporia 10 9 7 8 -- 34
Washburn Rural (1-1, 1-1) -- Kidd 3 3-3 9, Morris 5 0-0 13, Bowen 2 0-1 5, Hirschi 0 0-0 0, J. Heim 1 0-0 2, Bachelor 5 2-2 14, Durst 2 1-1 5, J.C. Heim 2 2-2 6, Ross 1 0-0 2, Howard 2 0-0 4, Hanks 1 3-4 5. Totals 22-44 11-13 65.
Emporia (0-2, 0-2) -- Stewart 1 3-4 5, Leeds 6 1-2 16, Templeton 0 0-0 0, Rech 1 1-2 3, Hess 1 0-0 2, Seeley 0 0-0 0, Cooper 0 0-0 0, Ortega 3 1-3 8, Peters 0 0-0 0, Rios 0 0-0 0. Totals 12-36 6-11 34.
3-point goals – Washburn Rural 6 (Morris 3, Bachelor 2, Bowen 1), Emporia 4 (Leeds 3, Ortega 1). Turnovers – Washburn Rural 10, Emporia 16. Total fouls – Washburn Rural 16, Emporia 16. Fouled out – None.
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By KYLE MANTHE
The Washburn Review
After opening the season with a commanding 54-14 win over Topeka West on the road, the No. 2-ranked Washburn Rural girls basketball team played its first game in front of home fans on Tuesday against Emporia.
After a slow start, the team kept its energy high and undefeated season intact, pulling away in the second half with a 52-41 victory.
“I thought our effort was really good. Even our first game our effort was really solid by every single person, even the people who didn’t play they had a lot of energy and helped us on the bench,” said Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick.
Neither team could buy a basket early on until the Spartans capitalized on a turnover, taking a 2-0 lead with 4:24 in the first. The Junior Blues only managed six points in the opening quarter, through Emporia did not fare much better, scoring only seven.
“Our offense is just too stagnant right now,'' Bordewick said. "I think we are still trying to figure some things out. Emporia’s defense had a lot to do with that too.''
The Spartans countered the size of Washburn Rural with outside shooting, knocking down four 3-pointers in the second quarter and growing the lead to 19-12 with 3:32 left after the second straight by senior Gracie Gilpin.
The deficit was erased in a minute's time as senior Emma Krueger scored five in a row for the Junior Blues and sophomore Zoe Canfield capped off the run with a transition 3-pointer to take a 20-19 lead with a minute before half which is how the score would stay.
“We were getting back into it at the start and then we just started clicking,'' Washburn Rural junior Brooklyn DeLeye said. "We had everyone back this game and we just kind of had that team chemistry that we had last year as well.''.
In the third quarter Washburn Rural limited Emporia to three field goals, although all three were triples off the hands of Gilpin. DeLeye scored six in the quarter in her season debut, part of her team-high 18 points.
“It felt great, I mean just playing with those girls is amazing. But, at the start I was kind of slow, just trying to get back into things and then once I kind of figured out what was going on I did alright,” DeLeye said.
Turnovers from the Junior Blues held the offense down, with 15 in the game, as the Spartans were able to tie the game at 32 after three quarters.
“We just have to be more efficient and smarter with our possessions. But there’s some good ideas with what they are doing,” Bordewick said.
In the fourth quarter Washburn Rural’s offense started off with a corner 3-pointer by DeLeye off a pass from Canfield. Two straight and-one baskets, first by Krueger and then by sophomore Jada Ingram broke the game open and grew the lead to double-digits.
Washburn Rural senior Emma Krueger goes up for a shot in Tuesday's 52-41 Centennial League win over Emporia. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Emporia was unable to connect from deep down the stretch.
“I thought we played to win rather than playing not to lose, which is an improvement over last year in a lot of areas,” Bordewick said.
Krueger joined her DeLeye in double figures with 12 and Canfield added nine points.
For the Spartans Gilpin had a game-high 21 points including five 3-pointers, while sophomore Addie Kirmer added 10 points.
The win moved Washburn Rural to 2-0 on the year as well as 2-0 in Centennial league play.
Washburn Rural will be back at home Friday Dec. 10 against Highland Park.
WASHBURN RURAL GIRLS 52, EMPORIA 41
Emporia 7 12 13 9 -- 41
Washburn Rural 6 14 12 20 -- 52
Washburn Rural (2-0, 2-0) -- Bagshaw 0 0-0 0, Lutz 2 0-0 4, Krueger 4 4-5 12, Carlgren 2 0-0 4, Canfield 2 4-4 9, Brogan 0 0-0 0, Ingram 2 0-2 4, DeLeye 8 1-3 18. Totals 20-43 10-16 52.
Emporia (1-1, 1-1) -- Gilpin 5 6-8 21, Kirmer 3 2-2 10, Peak 0 0-0 0, Stewart 1 0-0 3, Baker 1 2-2 5, Herfkens 0 0-1 0, Gutierrez 0 0-0 0, T. Baker 0 0-0 0, Garcia 0 0-0 0, Snyder 1 0-2 2. Totals 11-40 10-15 41.
3-point goals – Washburn Rural 2 (Canfield, DeLeye), Emporia 9 (Gilpin 5, Kirmer 2, Stewart, Baker). Turnovers – Washburn Rural 15, Emporia 14. Total fouls – Washburn Rural 13, Emporia 20. Fouled out – None.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For the first three quarters, Tuesday wasn't one of Highland Park guard Juan'Tario Roberts' better games.
But the senior star came to life when Highland Park needed him the most, scoring 17 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Scots outlasted Hayden for a 60-51 OT Centennial League win at Highland Park.
"Really my coaches just kept coaching me up and just kept telling me to keep going, keep shooting and not to worry about the missed shots,'' Roberts said. "Basically it was just sticking through and toughing it out.
"I can never stop shooting just because I'm having a bad game.''
Highland Park senior Juan'Tario Roberts scored a game-high 23 points, including 10 in overtime, as the Scots took a 60-51 win over Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Roberts scored six points in the first half but did not score in the third quarter before catching fire the rest of the way as Highland Park improved to 2-0 overall and in the Centennial League.
Roberts scored seven points in the fourth quarter and 10 of Highland Park's 11 points in overtime as the Scots outscored the Wildcats (0-1, 0-1) 11-2 in the extra session.
Tuesday's game remained close throughout, with Hayden leading 17-16 at the end of the opening quarter and Highland Park rallying late for a 28-23 halftime advantage.
Highland Park led by seven early in the third quarter but Highland Park rallied to take a 37-36 lead at the start of the fourth quarter on a free throw from sophomore Jacob Padilla.
There were three ties in the fourth quarter, including a 49-all deadlock at the end of regulation.
There was one last tie at 51 before Highland Park ran off the final nine points of the overtime.
In addition to Roberts' 23 points Highland Park got 18 points and four 3-pointers from junior Jahmir Kingcannon and 11 points and 11 rebounds from junior Ketraleus Aldridge.
Senior Trent Duffey led a balanced Hayden attack with 12 points while junior Joe Otting had 10, Padilla nine, senior Peyton Barlett eight and junior Jaker Muller seven points
The overtime loss put a damper on Dwayne Paul's debut as Hayden's head coach, but Paul as very happy with the effort his Wildcats put out.
"I'm proud of the way we battled,'' Paul said. "We fought back from some adversity and that's a very good Highland Park team. We had a chance at the end (of regulation) to win it and it could have gone either way.
"If we play that hard every game, the shots will fall.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's girls basketball team didn't play nearly as clean or as crisp as coach Carvel Reynoldson would have liked Tuesday night, but that often happens in a season-opener.
But even though the Wildcats didn't shoot particularly well from either the field or the foul line and turned the ball over 20 times, Hayden achieved its biggest objective, taking a 52-38 Centennial League win over an improved Highland Park team on the Scots' home floor.
"We came out right away and I didn't think we were playing very hard and then from about a minute and a half on I thought we played really hard, we just didn't play very smart,'' Reynoldson said. "And the problem is we have a lot of young girls on the court, but they weren't the biggest culprits.
"It was the ones that should know better, but I think it was kind of a situation where we've been practicing for so long against each other and we got out there and were just a little too excited.''
Senior Macy Smith returned from a knee injury last season to score 18 points in Hayden's 52-38 season-opening win over Highland Park Tuesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Except for a 2-0 defict and a tie at 5-all, Hayden never trailed against Highland Park (0-2, 0-2) and survived some Highland Park runs along the way to lead 14-5 at the end of the first quarter, 31-21 at the half and 41-32 at the start of the third quarter.
Hayden led by 15 in the first half and by 16 midway through the third quarter, but Highland Park wouldn't got away, getting within seven points (45-38) with 3:08 remaining on a 3-pointer from senior Aisya Taylor before the Wildcats scored the final seven points.
Senior Macy Smith, who missed most of last season with an ACL injury, scored a game-high 18 points for the Wildcats while senior Carly Stuke added 13 points and freshman Brylee Meier eight points and 10 rebounds.
Senior Atiya Gonzales led Highland Park with 15 points, including three 3-pointers, while senior Taylor added 8 points with a pair of 3s.
HAYDEN GIRLS 52, HIGHLAND PARK 38
Hayden 14 17 10 11 -- 52
Highland Park 5 16 11 6 -- 38
Hayden (1-0, 1-0) -- Lenherr 0-3 0-0 0, Sandstrom 2-5 1-1 5, Anguiano 0-4 0-1 0, Smith 9-17 0-1 18, Stuke 3-14 5-7 13, Delgado 0-1 0-2 0, Huscher 1-2 0-0 3, Schmidtlein 0-2 0-0 0, Meier 3-5 2-2 8, Greco 2-5 1-2 5, Reid 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-58 9-16 52.
Highland Park (0-2, 0-2) -- Gonzales 6-12 0-0 15, Sanders 1-15 0-0 3, Taylor 3-9 0-2 8, Mitchell 0-6 0-0 0, Parker-Brown 1-2 0-0 3, Reed 2-6 0-0 5, Nunez 0-2 0-0 0, Shutts 0-0 0-0 0, Ramsey 2-10 0-0 4. Totals 15-62 0-2 38.
3-point goals -- Hayden 3 (Stuke 2, Huscher), Highland Park 8 (Gonzales 3, Taylor 2, Sanders, Parker-Brown, Reed) Total fouls -- Hayden 8, Highland Park18. Fouled out -- none.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Four Washburn University volleyball seniors have earned AVCA All-America honors, led by first-team selection Allison Maxwell.
Genna Berg and Faith Rottinghaus garnered second-team accolades and Kelsey Gordon earned honorable mention.
Allison Maxwell
Genna Berg
Faith Rottinghaus
Kelsey Gordon
Maxwell, a senior middle hitter from Jefferson City, Mo., becomes the fifth player in Washburn's history to earn AVCA All-America first team honors and the first since Marissa Cox in 2013.
Maxwell earned AVCA All-American honorable mention recognition in 2018.
Maxwell is third in the nation with a .422 hitting percentage and has 361 kills this year. She was also second in the MIAA with 1.13 blocks per set and her 3.11 kills per set ranks ninth in the league. In 21 matches this fall, she has recorded a hitting percentage of .400 or higher. She has also had seven or more kills in 32 of the 34 matches played.
Maxwell become the fifth player in Washburn history to have over 1,000 career kills and 400 total blocks.
Berg, a senior outside hitter from Blue Springs, Mo., was also named to the AVCA All-America second team in 2019. This season Berg is leading the Ichabods with 434 kills and averages 3.74 kills per set.
Berg has recorded double-figure kills in 25 of the 34 matches played and in 18 of those matches, she has had 13 or more kills. She also averages 1.69 digs per set and has seven double-doubles on the year.
Shawnee Heights product Rottinghaus, a senior libero, earned her first AVCA All-American award with a second-team selection.
Rottinghaus has had a stellar year defensively, averaging 6.59 digs per set (third in Division II) and has 764 total digs (fourth in Division II). She has had 22 matches with 20 or more digs and has a .978 reception percentage, making just eight errors in 362 total reception attempts.
Rottinghaus etched her name in Washburn's record book this fall as she became the all-time career digs leader and currently has 2,607 digs.
Gordon is also a first-time AVCA All-American award winner. Gordon, a senior opposite hitter from Emporia, is third on the team with 291 kills and fifth in the MIAA with a .356 hitting percentage. She has hit .350 or better in 18 matches this fall and has had knocked down eight or more kills in 22 contests. Gordon is also second on Washburn's squad with 90 total blocks, including 11 solo stops.
Washburn AVCA All-Americans
