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Created: 20 December 2021

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

Even Washburn Unversity men's basketball coach Brett Ballard doesn't know exactly how, but the Ichabods found a way to pull out a 67-65 MIAA road win over Central Missouri Friday in Warrensburg, Mo.

Connon Deffebaugh converted a follow shot with two seconds left to cap a furious late comeback by Washburn, which trailed 63-55 with just 2:12 remaining.

"I don't know how we won this game,'' Ballard told KTPK Radio in his postgame interview. "Somehow we found a way.

"UCM kind of got rattled there at the end. Our last three minutes we were pretty turned up and I'm proud of the way our guys finished the game.''

Connor Deffebaugh scored the game-winning basket with two seconds remaining, giving Washburn a come-from-behind 67-65 MIAA victory at Central Missouri Friday. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

The Ichabods, who struggled most of the second half after leading 29-25 at the half, improved to 7-6 and 4-3 in the MIAA.

Jeremy Harrell hit two free throws to cut the Mules' lead to six and then Jalen Lewis connected on a 3-pointer the Ichabods' deficit to 63-60 with 1:47 remaining after back to back turnovers by Central Missouri (6-4, 3-3).

Harrell hit two more free throws to pull Washburn within a point (63-62) and then after Central Missouri missed at the other end Lewis canned another 3-pointer to put the Ichabods up 65-63 with 40 seconds remaining.

The Mules scored tied the score at 65 with 24 seconds left, but missed a free throw prevented Central Missouri from taking the lead and gave Washburn a chance to pull out the win.

Harrell, who paced the Ichabods with 17 points, missed a shot in the lane with two seconds to play, but Deffebaugh followed it up for the game-winner.

The Mules had a long desperation attempt at the buzzer that missed off the back of the rim
 
Harrell was one of four double-figure scoers for Washburn and also pulled down five rebounds. 

Tyler Geiman notched a double double with 14 points and 10 rebounds (his 11th career double-double) and added four assists while Lewis finished with 13 points and Tyler Nelsom scored 11 in his season debut.

Jonny Clausing, coming off a foot injury, also saw his first action of the season, scoring two points with two rebounds in 11 minutes.
 
Ja'Cor Nelson scored a game-high 23 points for the Mules while Gaven Pinkley added 18 points.

Washburn struggled from 3-point range, hitting just five of 26 attempts, committed 20 turnovers and was just 12 of 22 from the free throw line.

"We'll take (wins) any way, pretty, ugly, I don't care,'' Ballard said. "Winning here is not easy.''

Central Missouri also struggled on offense, hitting 25 of 61 shots from the field and going nine of 17 from the free throw line.

The Mules also struggled against Washburn's pressure in the late going that helped turned the tide for the Ichabods.

Washburn will be back at Lee Arena next Thursday to host defending national champion Northwest Missouri.

WASHBURN MEN 67, CENTRAL MISSOURI 65 

Washburn 29 38 -- 67 

Central Missouri 25 40 -- 65 

WASHBURN (7-6, 4-3) 

Harrell 6-15 5-6 17, Geiman 5-12 2-4 14, Lewis 5-10 0-1 13, Deffebaugh 3-5 0-3 6, Keegan 2-3 0-0 4, Nelson 3-9 5-7 11, Clausing 1-1 0-1 2, Ellis 0-0 0-0 0, Braun 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 25-57 12-22 67. 

CENTRAL MISSOURI (6-4, 3-3) 

Nelson 9-15 4-9 23, Pinkley 7-13 0-0 18, Todd 3-10 3-4 9, Hunter 2-7 0-0 5, Okeke 2-6 0-0 4, Sides 1-6 2-2 4, Fritz 1-1 0-1 2, Gilbert 0-1 0-1 0, Mayle 0-2 0-0 0, Rogers 0-0 0-0 0.Totals 25-61 9-17 65. 

3-point goals -- Washburn 5-26 (Lewis 3-6, Geiman 2-5, Harrell 0-6, Nelson 0-5, Deffebaugh 0-2, Braun 0-2), Central Missouri 6-25 (Pinkley 4-8, Nelson 1-3, Hunter 1-3, Todd 0-5, Sides 0-3, Okeke 0-2, Gilbert 0-1). Rebounds -- Washburn 45 (Geiman 10), Central Missouri 36 (Nelson10). Assists -- Washburn 14 (Geiman 4), Central Missouri 13 (Hunter 5). Turnovers -- Washburn 20, Central Missouri 16. Total fouls -- Washburn 18, Central Missouri 17. Fouled out -- Nelson. Technical fouls -- Hunter 2, Obeke.

Details

Created: 31 December 2021

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

Washburn's 1-7 start to the 2021-2022 women's basketball season is starting to look more and more like just a bad memory.

The Ichabods picked up their fourth straight win Friday in Warrensburg, Mo., taking a 66-59 win over Central Missouri to improve to 5-7 overall and 3-3 in the MIAA.

"I think we just got into a much better flow,'' WU senior Hunter Bentley told KTPK Radio after the game. "We've been talking a lot more, communicating better and we've been able to read each other better, so it's just been helping us flow a lot better on offense and when we can score then it's easier to set our defense and to get stops.'' 

Senior Hunter Bentley scored 18 points and went five of five from the free throw line in Washburn's 66-59 road win at Central Missouri on Friday. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn got off to a good start Friday, jumping out to a 15-13 first-quarter advantage over the Jennies, a Final Four team a year ago.

The Jennies rallied for a 31-29 halftime lead, but the Ichabods forged a 47-47 tie at the end of the third quarter and took control down the stretch to win for the second straight time on Central Missouri's home floor.

Bentley led Washburn with 18 points while Nuria Barrientos had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds and Shae Sanchez added 10 points with a pair of 3-pointers.

Bentley moved into the No. 9 spot on Washburn's career scoring list, moving past former Ichabod standout Crystal Walker. Bentley is just seven points behind Joy Benton, who is No. 8 on the list. 

Bentley went five of five from the free throw line while Macy Doebele canned four of four charities late as the Ichabods held off the Jennies.

The Ichabods also turned in an excellent job on the defensive end, particulary on Jennies star Nija Collier, who had just four points and four rebounds and got in second-half foul trouble. Collier entered the game averaging 22.8 points and 13 rebounds.

Brooke Littrell led Central Missouri (8-5, 4-2) with a game-high 23 points while Olivia Nelson added 18, but Washburn out-shot the Jennies (51 percent to 35.1) and finished with a 35-31 rebounding edge.

Washburn was coming off a 71-50 non-conference win over Bethany on Wednesday and Bentley said it helped the Ichabods to have that game under their belts coming off the holiday break.

"I think that was definitely crucial for us,'' Bentley said. "It was really key for us to kind of get the rust off and go get a win on Wednesday.''

Washburn will be back at Lee Arena on Thursday, hosting Northwest Missouri.

WASHBURN WOMEN 66, CENTRAL MISSOURI 59

Washburn 15 14 18 19 -- 66

Central Missouri 13 18 16 12 -- 59

WASHBURN (5-7, 3-3)

Oliver 4-7 1-4 9, Bentley 6-12 5-5 18, Barrientos 5-9 1-2 11, Sanchez 4-7 0-0 10, Doebele 2-5 4-4 8, Gamble 0-1 0-0 0, Cassaday 3-3 0-0 6, Chapman 0-0 0-0 0, Sanz 0-2 0-0 0, Dewey 2-5 0-0 4. Totals 26-51 11-15 66.

CENTRAL MISSOURI (8-5, 4-2)

Nelson 5-9 8-8 18, Bovaird 2-5 0-0 6, Collier 2-10 0-0 4, Littrell 8-19 6-6 23, Hackerott 3-10 1-8 8, Van Zant 0-0 0-0 0, Vigil 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 20-57 15-22 59.

3-point shots – Washburn 3-11 (Sanchez 2-4, Bentley 1-4, Dewey 0-2, Gamble 0-1). Central Missouri 4-23 (Bovaird 2-4, Littrell 1-7, Hackerott 1-3, Vigil 0-4, Collier 0-3, Nelson 0-2). Rebounds – Washburn 35 (Barrientos 10), Central Missouri 31 (Nelson 7, Hackerott 7). Assists – Washburn 12 (Bentley 3, Dewey 3), Central Missouri 8 (Four with two). Turnovers – Washburn 17, Central Missouri 11. Total fouls – Washburn 21, Central Missouri 17. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.

Details

Created: 31 December 2021

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

It's hard for Louisville volleyball star Amaya Tillman not to think about the NCAA Final Four semifinal loss that ended a dream 2021 season for the Cardinals.

But as the days go by, the former Shawnee Heights state champion thinks more about what an incredible run the Cardinals had.

Louisville ran off 32 straight victories to advance to the Final Four before the Cardinals dropped a heartbreaking five-set decision to eventual NCAA national champion Wisconsin.

"I definitely still think about it, not as much as I did right after we lost, but when I think about it now I think back more on the experience and just how surreal it all was,'' said Tillman, a 6-foot-3 junior middle blocker. "As a kid I went to volleyball Final Fours and all the NCAA Tournament games and now that I'm in that and being there it was a great experience and I'll forever remember it. So now I don't look back on it as we lost, I just look at all the great moments with my team and being able to have that opportunity.''

Amaya Tillman

And the fact that the Cardinals came within just two wins of a perfect season while winning Atlantic Coast Conference and East regional championships was obviously a highlight.

"It was so cool,'' Tillman said. "I remember throughout the season I was like, 'Are we really going to go undefeated ?' '' Tillman said. "It was kind of unbelievable just being in that moment. Of course it would have been great to go all the way undefeated, but just being able to say that the only loss was to the national champion, that's pretty cool.''

Tillman, who has two years of eligibility remaining, was a key part of Louisville's success, earning first-team All-East Region honors while also being named to the All-ACC second team for the second straight year.

Louisville middle blocker Amaya Tillman (right), a Shawnee Heights graduate, helped lead Louisville to a 32-1 record and the NCAA Final Four this past fall. [Photo by Louisville Athletics]

Tillman, who was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, ranked among the NCAA national leaders with 149 blocks while also registering 213 kills.

With every year that goes by Tillman feels better and better about her decision to attend Louisville.

"Going in as a freshman three years ago was really intimidating and I was one of my coach Dani Busboom Kelly's first commits since she was a new coach,'' Tillman said. "I just had a lot of trust in her and a lot of trust in the program and thankfully I did because my freshman year we made it to the Elite Eight, my sophomore year we made it to the Sweet 16 and then this year the Final Four, so it's been everything I ever hoped for.''

Tillman is on track to earn her bachelor's degree in May, will work on her master's during her final two seasons with the Cardinals, and said she is excited about Louisville's future.

"We have quite a few players coming back,'' Tillman said. "We lost a lot of seniors, but we're getting quite a few freshmen and we just had a big team in general. This past year we had a team of 19 and that's pretty big for a volleyball team, so just in general our team's pretty deep and I think we'll be good no matter what.''

Tillman's success at Louisville has come on the heels of an outstanding career at Shawnee Heights, which included a Class 5A state championship her sophomore season in 2016.

Tillman's T-Bird teammates included Jazz Sweet, who helped Nebraska win a national championship, Megan Cooney, who played in the Final Four for Illinois, and Faith Rottinghaus, who earned All-America honors for Washburn this past season while helping lead the Ichabods to the Division II championship match.

"I still talk to all of them and I congratulated Faith when she made it to the national championship game,'' Tillman said. "That's cool seeing Washburn do that here in Topeka.

"In high school I feel like it was just pretty obvious that we were a pretty special group and I think it's really cool now that we're older just to see everyone going on and doing great things. It all kind of ties back to high school when we played together and I'm so thankful that I had that experience in high school because I played with some of the best.''

Details

Created: 31 December 2021

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

Washburn University's MIAA basketball doubleheader at Central Missouri that was scheduled to open 2022 will now close out 2021. 

Because of expected winter weather on tap for Saturday, the Washburn-Central Missouri games were pushed up a day to be played on Friday, with the women's game scheduled for 2 p.m. and the men's game to follow at approximately 4 o'clock in Warrensburg, Mo. at the UCM Multipurpose Building.

The Ichabod women's team has won its last three games, including a 71-50 non-conference victory over Bethany College Wednesday in Lee Arena, improving to 4-7 on the season. The Ichabods are 2-3 in the MIAA and will face a Jennies team that is 8-4 this season and 4-1 in MIAA play.

The Ichabod men's team (6-6, 3-3 MIAA) dropped an 85-82 loss to Northeastern State on Dec. 20. The Mules are (6-3, 3-2 MIAA) and have won their last two games, topping Missouri Southern 87-57 on Dec. 16 and Pittsburg State 66-58 on Dec. 18 in a pair of road wins.

Senior Hunter Bentley needs 14 points to move into the No. 9 spot on Washburn's career scoring list. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN] 

WU AT CENTRAL MISSOURI WOMEN

Both the Ichabods and Jennies will take three-game win streaks into Friday's contest.

Washburn will only have had one day's rest before heading to Central Missouri while the Jennies last played on Dec. 18 at Pittsburg State and claimed a 70-61 win.

Washburn and Central Missouri have played each other 66 times since 1990 and WU leads the all-time series, 41-25. The two teams met three times last season and Washburn went 1-2, taking a 63-55 victory in the MIAA Tournament quarterfinals.

Senior Hunter Bentley leads Washburn in scoring at 11.8 points per game and averages 4.3 rebounds. The former Bishop Miege standout needs 14 points to move into the No. 9 spot on Washburn's career scoring list.

Abby Oliver averages 7.5 points and Mackenzie Gamble 6.9 points while Lauren Cassaday leads Washburn with a 5.0 rebounding average and Aubree Dewey leads WU with 25 assists.

Central Missouri's Nija Collier leads the MIAA in four categories and averages a double-double with 22.8 points and 13 rebounds per game to go with a 57.8 field goal percentage. 

Brooke Littrell (17.8-point average) and Olivia Nelson (14.4) also contribute double-figure scoring for the Jennies.

WU AT CENTRAL MISSOURI MEN

Washburn is expected to be closer to full strength than it has been all season for Friday's game, as both Johnny Clausing and Tyler Nelson could see their first action of the season against the Mules.

The Ichabods lead the all-time series with the Mules 54-52 and have won the last three overall, including a 70-68 win on Feb. 13, 2021 in Warrensburg.

Junior Jalen Lewis leads Washburn in scoring at 14.3 points per game while hitting 25 of 66 3-pointers.

Freshman Michael Keegan is averaging 11.2 points and leads the Ichabods with a 6.3 rebounding average.

After missing multiple games with an ankle injury, senior Tyler Geiman is averaging 10.4 points and 6.4 assists in five games this season.

Gavin Pinkley leads the Mules with a 12.8 scoring average while Ja'Cor Nelson averages 10.9 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds.

Washburn will return to Lee Arena next Thursday to host defending national champion Northwest Missouri.