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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights seniors Harvey Davis and Isiah Johnson and junior Nate Pewe have received recognition on the 2020-21 All-United Kansas Conference boys basketball team, selected by UKC coaches.
Davis and Johnson were both named to the All-UKC second team while Pewe received honorable mention.
Shawnee Heights junior Nate Pewe (1) received All-United Kansas Conference honorable mention while senior Harvey Davis (23) was a second-team All-UKC pick. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN)
Isiah Johnson
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
One MIAA foe down, another coming up for the Washburn men's basketball team.
The Ichabods rode a stifling defensive effort to their second rout of MIAA rival Missouri Western in a week, taking a 72-46 win over the Griffons Saturday night to advance to Sunday's 7:45 semifinal game against conference foe Northwest Missouri in the NCAA Central Regional at Wachs Arena in Aberdeen, S.D.
Washburn had dropped both regular-season games to Western, but rolled to a 101-72 win over the Griffons in the MIAA Tournament semifinals and turned in another dominating performance Saturday, holding Missouri Western to 28 percent shooting on the night.
“I thought our defense was really, really good, probably about as good as it's been all year,'' Washburn coach Brett Ballard said in a post-game press conference. “I thought that we did a pretty good job neutralizing the downhill drives for them and tried to contain the ball as much as we could. I thought our rotations were good. Our rebounding was good.
"They missed some looks that we were fortunate didn’t go in, but for the most part we were able to challenge everything. It was just a complete effort.''
Washburn, which improved to 20-6, trailed only two times in the game for a total of 35 seconds (2-0 and 21-20) and overcame a first-half dry spell of more than six minutes to take a 27-21 halftime lead.
Washburn used an 11-0 run at the end of the first half and start of the second to open up a 31-21 advantage with 18:57 left and the Ichabods would go on to lead by as many as 26 points as the Ichabods notched their first NCAA Tournament win since 2012.
Washburn 6-9 junior Jonny Clausing had 14 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks in the Ichabods' 72-46 win over Missouri Western Saturday night. [NSU Athletic Communications}
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Charger's Trevion Alexander shoots for 13 points against Maize at the 5A championship game in Emporia.(Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN)
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EMPORIA -- Topeka West coach Rick Bloomquist kept waiting Saturday night for his team to flash the form that had resulted in 21 victories in the 2020-21 season, including the last 15 in a row.
But it wasn't meant to be, with Maize dominating the middle two quarters on the way to claiming its first Class 5A state title with a decisive 55-43 win at White Auditorium.
Topeka West, which finished the season 21-3, took a slim 12-10 first-quarter lead over the 23-2 Eagles, but the Chargers went through the entire second quarter without a field goal and managed just three free throws as Maize took a 22-15 halftime advantage.
The Eagles followed that up with a 22-17 third-quarter advantage to go in front 44-32 and the Chargers were unable to mount a serious threat the rest of the way.
"We were never in sync,'' Bloomquist said. "We played out of our personality, out of character. I haven't even seen practice days like that I feel bad for the kids because they didn't do it on purpose.
"It wasn't done in a selfish way. We just got caught up in the environment and caught up in the situation. We wanted to put them away in the first quarter and I kept trying to tell them you're not going to win the game in the first quarter, you're not going to win in the second quarter, you win the game at the end. We got a little continuity there in the fourth quarter, but by that time it was too late.''
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By JOANNA CHADWICK
Special to TopSports.news
WICHITA -- The Class 6A girls championship matchup was what many had predicted long before Saturday’s game at Koch Arena -- Topeka High vs. Shawnee Mission Northwest.
“All year we felt like us and Topeka were the two best teams, and we were hoping we’d be able to see them and play them in the state championship game,” SM Northwest coach Tyler Stewart said.
It was the Cougars that came away with the 61-54 victory and finished their season 23-0.
“The last three years have been a rollercoaster, definitely,” Topeka coach Hannah Alexander said. “It hurts right now. I’m super proud of the girls and how they handled themselves.
“A few shots go our way, it’s a different outcome.”
Topeka High junior NiJaree Canady scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the Trojans' 61-54 loss to Shawnee Mission Northwest. [Photo by Jeff Jacobsen/Action Images Phtography]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West junior basketball standout Elijah Brooks was convinced the Chargers could have won Friday night's Class 5A state semifinal game against De Soto even if he hadn't been able to play.
Fortunately, West didn't have to cross that bridge, with the 6-foot-3 Brooks bouncing back from a knee inury in the fourth quarter of the Hays quarterfinal victory to not only play, but star as the 21-2 Chargers punched their ticket to Saturday's 6 p.m. championship game against 22-2 Maize with a 61-57 win over the Wildcats.
"I was happy I got to play, but at the same time I knew my guys could pull out the W even if I wasn't able to play,'' Brooks said. "They were going to play their heart out regardless if I played or not.
"The support that we have for each other, we know that we're going to keep fighting regardless of what happens.''
Elijah Brooks drives to the basket for 2 of his game-high 24 points in Friday night's 61-57 Topeka West 5A semifinal win over De Soto. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
