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Created: 29 January 2022

 By ISAAC DEER

TopSports.news

The Washburn Rural Junior Blues topped themselves yet again.

Friday night Washburn Rural 's girls earned a big win over previously-undefeated and Class 6A No. 3-ranked Derby and on Saturday Rural defeated 6A's No. 1-ranked team, previously undefeated, Shawnee Mission West, 47-38.

“I stayed up a little late last night,” said Lady Blues coach Kevin Bordewick. “We never played a team like (Shawnee Mission West). They are really good. They run their offense a little unique, what they did on offense was new to us, and we haven’t run into a zone that lengthy.”

Washburn Rural’s continuous hot starts in the tournament were a big key to the Junior Blues becoming the champions. Rural never trailed in the scoring column in any quarter of any game in the tournament.

Washburn Rural poses for a team picture after winning the championship in the Lady Firebirds Winter Classic at Lawrence Free State. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]

Lady Blues senior guard Emma Krueger had an unforgettable weekend in Lawrence.

Krueger’s defense against the best players in the state of Kansas boosted the Lady Blues past Leavenworth, Derby and Shawnee Mission West and Krueger’s efforts earned her the Lady Firebirds Winter Classic Most Valuable Player honor.

Senior Emma Krueger was named the most valuable player in the Lady Firebirds Winter Classic after helping lead Washburn Rural to the tournament championship. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]

“This MVP award means a lot to me,” Krueger stated. “It means I’m doing my job well and doing all of the little things for (Rural). I think it’s important to make other people look good. If I do my job, work my butt off on defense, get boards, it helps everyone else.”

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Created: 29 January 2022

By KYLE MANTHE

The Washburn Review

Winners of six of the last seven games, Washburn men’s basketball wrapped up its four-game homestand Saturday with a matchup against No. 9-ranked University of Central Oklahoma.

The Ichabods did not let up as they took control early and led for 38:20 en route to a 96-86 MIAA victory, the highest point total for the team this season.   

“We got some confidence right now which is great to see, and we are playing as well as we have played all year so we are going in the right direction,” Washburn coach Brett Ballard said. “All of our goals are still ahead of us, everything we wanted to accomplish is still there.”

The win moved Washburn to 13-7 on the season and 10-4 in MIAA play and Saturday was the team's seventh win in the last eight games.

The Ichabods began the game shooting 11 of 19 from the field in the first 10 minutes.

Sophomore Connor Deffebaugh scored seven early points, the last of which coming off a steal gave Washburn a 26-16 lead at the 10:20 mark in the first half.

The Bronchos were making baskets but the Ichabods kept responding, with 3-pointers from senior Jeremy Harrell and junior Jalen Lewis helping WU maintaining a three-possession lead.

Jalen Lewis scored a team-high 23 points as Washburn knocked off No. 9-ranked Central Oklahoma 96-86 on Saturday at Lee Arena. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]

Lewis continued to roll, knocking down two jumpers in the final five minutes until the lead grew to double digits at the 1:06 mark after junior forward Jonny Clausing converted a three-point play. A late three by Harrell made it a 48-33 game at halftime.

“I thought we were great in the first half especially, our defensive effort was really good, that is a hard team to guard,” Ballard said. “That was as good defensively as we have been all year and then offensively the thing that’s good for us now is we can just come at you with so many guys.”

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Created: 30 January 2022

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

There were a lot of tense moments in Saturday's Capital City Classic championship tilt between Topeka High and Wichita Heights, with the Trojans having to fight back after letting a 17-point lead get away while the game included 10 lead changes and was a one-point contest with less than three minutes left.

Topeka High junior standout Kiki Smith said she cherished every minute of it, especially after the No. 4-ranked Trojans escaped with a 65-57 win over the Falcons at Topeka High.

"I love games like that,'' Smith said. "Games like that are so fun -- the intensity, the crowd, everything about is just so fun.''

Topeka High celebrates at the end of Saturday's 65-57 win over Wichita Heights in the championship game of the Capital City Classic. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

The Trojans, who improved to a perfect 12-0 on the season, looked like they might run away with the win after doubling up the 9-3 Falcons 14-7 in the first quarter and going in front 24-7 with 4:35 left in the first half.

Topeka High was still up 31-22 at the half, but the Falcons opened the second half with an 11-0 run to take a 33-31 lead midway through the third quarter/

Trojan senior standout Tae Thomas scored High's first points of the third quarter on a 3-pointer at the 3:34 mark, the first of five straight lead changes before the Trojans took a slim 40-39 advantage into the fourth quarter.

A 5-0 mini-run -- two points by Smith and three by Thomas -- gave the Trojans 45-39 advantage with 5:20 remaining and High held on the rest of the way.

"This group never quits, they never stop and they always persevere,'' Topeka High coach Hannah Alexander said. "Their team chemistry is thick and they mess up, but do something phenomenal to get it right back.

"I love their no-quit mentality and just their tougness. You can't coach that.''

Wichita Heights got within a point (51-50) with 3:29 left, but Topeka High used an 11-1 run to put the Falcons away.

"We knew they were going to come out with a lot of energy,'' Smith said of Heights' second-half rally. "They were down at half and we knew exactly what they were going to do.

"We came out slow but I'm really happy with the way we responded after seeing the way they came out and how we responded to that.''

Topeka High's Kiki Smith (23) and DayShauna Wiley go to the floor to battle Wichita Heights' Zyanna Walker for a loose ball in Saturday's Capital City Classic championship game at Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Topeka High senior Tae Thomas (15) battles Wichita Heights' Mya Mayberry for the ball in Saturday's Capital City Classic championship game. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Smith led Topeka High with 20 points, including a seven of eight performance at the free throw line, while also grabbing nine rebounds and coming up with multiple steals.

Thomas was right behind with 19 points and junior Adisyn Caryl added 10 points and nine rebounds and came up big down the stretch.

Louisville signee Zyanna Walker scored a game-high 23 points to lead Wichita Heights while senior Cayanna Stanley added 12 points.

Smith and Thomas earned all-tournament honors for Topeka High while Walker and Stanley represented Wichita Heights on the all-tournament team.

SEAMAN GIRLS 61, SHAWNEE MISSION EAST 32 -- Having dropped a 22-point semifinal decision to Wichita Heights Friday night, Seaman coach Matt Tinsley was eager to see how his Vikings would bounce back in Saturday's Capital City Classic third-place game against Shawnee Mission East.

Tinsley couldn't have been any happier with his team's response, with the Vikings posting a wire-to-wire 61-32 win and forcing a running clock in the fourth quarter.

"The last three minutes of last night's game, we were down 20, and I said that we needed to set the momentum for (this) game,'' Tinsley said. "Our quote before today's game was, 'You're going to get knocked down. Are you going to have the courage to get back up again?'

"I thought the girls did that today. I'm really proud of my team for stepping up to the challenge.''

Seaman, which improved to 8-4, roared out to a 19-4 first-quarter advantage and took a huge 34-11 lead to the locker room at halftime.

The Vikings continued to roll in the second half, outscoring the Lancers 23-9 in the third quarter to push their lead to 57-20 and force a running clock throughout the fourth quarter.

Sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer was named to the Capital City Classic all-tournament team after helping lead Seaman to a third-place finish. [File photo/TSN] 

Sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer, who was named to the all-tournament team, led the Vikings with a game-high 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and also grabbed seven rebounds.

Junior Jaycee Schumann joined Stallbaumer in double figures with 11 points, including three 3-pointers, while freshman Ava Esser had nine points. 

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Created: 29 January 2022

By KYLE MANTHE

The Washburn Review

After holding Newman to just 30 points on Wednesday, Washburn women’s basketball gave up 93 to the University of Central Oklahoma on Saturday but was able to come out on top for a fourth straight win.

“Every time we play Central Oklahoma we score,'' Washburn coach Ron McHenry said. "I’m not saying they don’t guard, but they allow do some things that we are comfortable with.

“We just never shut down, we just kept banging.”

The 98-93 win at Lee Arena was the most points that the Ichabods have scored this season, topping the previous high of 79.

“I think we feel really good, and are feeling really confident how each other are playing, getting the ball to each other, feeding whoever is going that night and really just going back to defense,” Ichabod sophomore Macy Doebele said.

Washburn sophomore Macy Doebele (left), scored 18 points, including the basket to send the game to overtime, in the Ichabods' 98-93 MIAA win over Central Oklahoma Saturday. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]

A fourth straight win moved Washburn to 9-9 on the season and 7-5 in conference play.

After a slow offensive game Wednesday, Washburn’s offense looked completely different early on, scoring 23 in the first quarter, including hitting four of five shots from deep.

Seniors Hunter Bentley and Shae Sanchez led the charge, combining for 15 points in the quarter, matching the total of the Bronchos.

“In the first quarter if they have a hard time getting good shots off, so we can start and set the tone like that, it’s hard for them to get into their offense and then it helps us because it makes it a little easier for us to get transition buckets,” Bentley said.  

Strong rebounding and quick passing from the Ichabods extended the lead to as many as 15 points in the second quarter after a jumper by freshman Mackenzie Gamble.

Central Oklahoma began to press Washburn fullcourt, forcing nine turnovers in the second quarter and allowing the Bronchos to pull as close as one before the Ichabods made it a 39-37 game at the break.

Both teams offenses came out hot in the third quarter, first Washburn beginning with an 8-2 run followed by a 9-2 run from the Bronchos to pull within one before taking the lead at the 5:09 mark of the third.

“When UCO wants to run up and down they don’t necessarily want to guard. So we knew that if we could score with them, our defense would be good enough to keep them to a number where we could win,” Bentley said.

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