Washburn women's basketball made a splashing debut inside the new Lee Arena on Friday night, cruising to a 70-47 win over Southwest Baptist in the opening day of the Washburn Classic.
Washburn senior Yibari Nwidadah led the way with 19 points and eight rebounds as the Ichabods rolled to a 23-point win over Southwest Baptist Friday night. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods will wrap up the tournament on Saturday, facing Metropolitan State of Denver at 4 p.m.
The first seven points in Friday game came from 2-1 Washburn, starting with a 3-pointer by Payton Sterk on the first possession.
Washburn held the Bearcats (1-2) scoreless until the 5:49 mark in the first quarter.
After Southwest Baptist got within five Washburn scored 10 points in a row, going up 22-7 after Aniah Wayne knocked down a trey. Behind an 8 of 14 shooting effort the Ichabods built a 22-10 lead after one.
A layup by senior Yibari Nwidadah with 2:29 to go before half put Washburn up 37-18, its largest lead of the game to that point. The Bearcats finished the half on a 7-2 run to go into the break down by 14.
Out of the break the Ichabods quickly pushed the lead back up to 19 with Britany Kogbara scoring on the inside. Washburn's defense stepped up in the third, holding Southwest Baptist to just 4 of 14 shooting in the quarter. Nwidadah got a buzzer-beating and-one conversion to go, wrapping up the quarter by extending the Ichabod lead to 20 at 54-34 with her free throw.
The first nine points in the fourth came by Washburn, with the lead reaching 30 points after Gabi Giovannetti drilled a 3-pointer on an assist by Brooke Gomez with 5:50 to play.
All 14 Ichabods logged action on the night as the Ichabods eased into the 23-point win.
Rossville defensive back Cale Horak cradled the ball just inches above the muddy turf. Then he rolled on his side, his uniform more brown than white, and held the ball aloft to show his teammates and the Rossville contingent that traveled to Jackson Heights that the Bulldawgs were heading to the state championship.
Rossville celebrates Friday's 21-18 Class 1A semifinal victory at Jackson Heights. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Rossville shut down Jackson Heights in the second half and clawed back to win 21-18 Friday to punch the school’s ticket to the Class 1A state championship game next Friday at Hutchinson Community College, where they will face undefeated Sterling.
Rossville will make its first trip back to the state championship since winning back-to-back Class 2A titles in Salina in 2020 and 2021 under coach Derick Hammes. Prior to that, Hammes guided the Bulldawgs to three straight 3A championships, 2014-2016, in Hutchinson.
“It never gets old, I say,” Hammes said. “It’ll be back in Hutch and we’ve got good memories there, and our folks will travel well. And the bottom line is this group of kids, they have done a great job of the buy in and trusting the process. They just deserved a chance.”
The center of the rain-soaked field at Jackson Heights was a brown paste, and the treacherous portion of the field expanded as the night wore on. The muck caked the competitors jerseys and pants and made holding onto the ball and finding footing difficult. Jackson Heights was limited almost exclusively to quarterback runs, and senior Drake Mellies put forth a valiant effort. He rushed for 168 yards on 29 carries, even though Rossville knew he was coming.
“They weren’t great,” Hammes said of the field conditions. “I’m sure we probably both would have liked a better playing surface. But you’ve got to play the hand you’re dealt and both of us did.”
Rossville senior quarterback Canann Mitchell ran for a TD and threw for two scores in the Bulldawgs' 21-18 Class 1A sub-state win over Jackson Heights. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Rossville quarterback Canann Mitchell dashed through the mud for a 51-yard score five plays into the game to put Rossville up 6-0. But Mellies answered immediately with a 60-yard bolt for a score.
But that was all Jackson Heights could manage early. The Cobras ran just three plays in the first quarter due to Rossville’s clock-chewing attack. A 16-play drive which lasted almost nine minutes culminated with a 10-yard pass from Mitchell to Cael Horgan. The Bulldawgs ran the exact same play for a two-point conversion to put Rossville back on top 14-6.
Jackson Heights responded with its own 12-play drive that finished with Mellies plowing in from a yard out.
The Cobras then forced Rossville into the only punt of the game. Jackson Heights marched down the field and Mellies scored his third touchdown of the half to give the home team an 18-14 halftime edge.
The game turned, however, on the opening possession of the second half. Jackson Heights moved to midfield, where Mellies broke free for a 62-yard touchdown run. But the play was brought back on a holding call. Two plays later, the Cobras committed the game’s first turnover, a fumble recovered by Rossville’s Cameron Miller.
Rossville seized the opening, driving five plays to the Jackson Heights 20-yard line. That’s where Mitchell found Horgan for another scoring pass to put Rossville up 21-18.
Horgan stood out as the only receiver who seemed comfortable with the footing and with the wet ball. He produced two touchdown catches, a two-point conversion, and 80 yards on five receptions.
“It was slippery. Really slippery,” Horgan said. “I was just keeping my feet under me, not trying to go too fast on the cut. Just make sure I’m staying stable.”
Rossville’s defense locked in after intermission. Following the fumble, it forced the Cobras to turn the ball over on downs on Jackson Heights’ next two possessions.
With the field water-logged and sticky, it was up to Mitchell to try to burn the remaining 4:38. He struggled to set his feet to throw and was repeatedly sacked for losses in the second half. But he marched the ball to the Jackson Heights 35 and used up more than three minutes before finally giving the ball back to Jackson Heights one more time.
Mellies broke containment for a couple of long runs to move the ball into Rossville territory. But with no timeouts remaining and the clock rapidly expiring, the Jackson Heights quarterback lofted the pass over the middle that Horak intercepted at the 23-yard line to thwart the comeback.
“I thought both teams played extremely hard. (The Cobras) are a very good team,” Hammes said. “We had to dig deep to get it done against those guys. I think the difference for us was that we settled in at halftime. Defensively, we did a much better job in the second half and we contained them.
“There was an adjustment or two (on defense), but it was honestly getting the kids on the right page to do what we were needing to do. And the tackling I thought was better as well.”
A year ago, Rossville advanced to the sub-state round before losing to Centralia. They reached the semifinal by pulling off an improbably comeback over Jackson Heights. Hammes knew the Cobras remembered that painful loss.
“We knew that we would get their best shot,” Hammes said. “The only thing that we talked about was just making sure that we handle the emotion of the game because we knew that they would bring it and that they would certainly be ready for us.”
Hayden entered Friday's Class 3A state semifinal against Santa Fe Trail without injured senior Kade Mitchell, one of its top players on offense, defense and special teams.
But Mitchell's teammates quickly picked up the slack, none more than junior Mason Becker, as Hayden rolled to its third straight state title game appearance with a 46-0 home romp past previously-unbeaten Santa Trail.
Hayden's seniors celebrate the Wildcats' Class 3A sub-state championship after Friday's 46-0 win over Santa Fe Trail. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Taking over for Mitchell at halfback, Becker rushed for 201 yards on 14 carries, including touchdown runs of 53 and 65 yards, while also kicking a 25-yard field and three of three extra points and completing a 2-point conversion pass, as Hayden reeled off its 12th straight victory.
Hayden junior Mason Becker ran for 201 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Friday's 46-0 Class 3A semifinal victory over Santa Fe Trail. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"Kade's a good player, he's a competitor out there, but Mason's grown into it,'' Hayden coach Bill Arnold said. "He's got some speed and he does a really, really good job of reading the blocks in front of him, probably better than anybody else on the team, honestly.
"I'm proud of them. We've got some good players out here that are in a situation where they've got seniors in front of them with the experience. They're all getting better and we've still got some room for growth, so we hope this next week we get some good practices in.''
Becker played running back earlier in his carrier, which helped make filling in for Mitchell an easy transition.
"I like it,'' Becker said. "I don't care. I can play anywhere, it doesn't matter to me.''
Hayden senior Jackson McGivern (36) scored the game's first touchdown in Friday's 46-0 win over Santa Fe Trail. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
After recovering Santa Fe Trail's onsides kick attempt to open the game, Hayden scored the only touchdown it would need on a 10-yard run from senior Jackson McGivern just 1:46 in the first quarter.
Hayden senior Makhi Kidd (5) celebrates his 28-yard TD reception from Connor Hanika in Friday's 46-0 win over Santa Fe Trail. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
An interception from senior Logan Saenz set up a one-play Wildcat scoring drive, a 28-yard TD strike from senior quarterback Connor Hanika to senior Makhi Kidd followed by a 2-point conversion to put Hayden in front 14-0.
After taking over on downs after Santa Fe Trail made a rare drive into Hayden territory, Becker burst loose for his 53-yard TD two plays later and hit junior Daniel Moore for a 2-point conversion and the rout was on.
"That was a big momentum switch,'' Becker said. "I saw the seam and I just went and scored.''
Hayden forced a Santa Fe Trail punt on the Chargers' next possession and senior Jude Krentz scored from a yard out (Becker kick) to cap the Wildcats' 29-point first-quarter onslaught with 10 seconds remaining.
The Wildcats tacked on Becker's 25-yard field goal with 38 seconds left in the half to put Hayden in command 32-0 at the break.
Krentz scored his second touchdown of the night on a 15-yard run midway through the third quarter before Becker ended the scoring on his 65-yard TD with 5:05 remaining, forcing a running clock the rest of the way.
Senior Julion Daniels led 11-1 Santa Fe Trail with 59 rushing yards on 14 attempts while junior Trevin Cox, one of three quarterbacks used by the Chargers, passed for 104 yards.
Santa Fe Trail starting quarterback Rigley Sleichter did not return after being injured in the first half.
With Friday's win Hayden advances to face 12-0 Andale, a 41-7 winner over Rock Creek, in the 3A championship game for the second straight season.
No. 3 seed Washburn University won a second straight 3-1 match Friday in St. Joseph, Mo., knocking off No. 7-seeded Pittsburg State to advance to the MIAA Championship match.
No. 3 seed Washburn volleyball is headed to the championship match in the MIAA Tournament after a 3-1 win over Pittsburg State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods will face top seed and No. 3 nationally-ranked Nebraska Kearney at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Just like in the quarterfinals, Washburn (26-3) won the opening set, this time 25-19, before falling in the second, 25-22. But the Ichabods bounced back to defeat the 14-15 Gorillas, 25-22, 25-20 to close out the match and earn their first MIAA Championship match appearance since 2022.
A 5-0 run early in the first set was capped by a kill from Keilah Rivers to put Washburn up 10-3.
The lead grew to double-digits in the middle of a four-point burst that included three more kills by Rivers.
Pittsburg State went on a 5-0 run late in the set to pull within four points at 23-19. Washburn closed out the set with two points in a row as Rivers slashed her sixth kill of the set to end it.
The Gorillas bounced back quickly, jumping out to a 7-2 lead in the second.
The Ichabods kept it close and got within one point after a 5-1 run and kill by Austin Broadie.
Both sides traded runs, first with six for Pittsburg State followed by five in a row for Washburn. After pulling within one point and holding off set point once the Ichabods fell 25-22 as the match was evened.
In the third set the Gorillas got off to a quick start again, leading 11-7.
The deficit for Washburn grew to as many as six before the Ichabods won seven straight points, going in front 18-17 on a kill by Broadie on a dish from Autumn Gibbs.
The Ichabods created separation, winning five of six points to lead 23-19 after Emery Keebaugh and Bella Limback combined for a block. Shortly after Limback closed out the set with a kill to win 25-22.
The Ichabods built an 8-4 lead to begin the fourth set after Sydney Conner set up Brynne Topolski for a kill.
Washburn University soccer coach Davy Phillips became the school's all-time wins leader on Friday in Mankato, Minn. as the Ichabods advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 2-0 victory over Missouri Western.
Davy Phillips became Washburn soccer's career wins leader on Friday with a 2-0 NCAA Central Region win over Missouri Western. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Freshman standouts Kate Hinck and Leah Henke scored Washburn's goals, one in each half, as the Ichabods improved to 12-3-5 and advanced to Sunday's 1 p.m. game to face No. 1 seed and regional host Minnesota State-Mankato.
Phillips picked up Washburn win No. 91 to take over the top spot on the school's career victory list.
"I thought they played really, really well,'' Phillips said. "I thought the girls brought a terrific mentality and put on a really good performance today. Really happy with what they could do on the field today."
The opening 10 minutes were controlled by the Griffons, who attempted two shots on goal in that span.
Freshman Kate Hinck scored the only goal Washburn would need in Friday's 2-0 Central Region win over Missouri Western. [File photo/TSN]
It would be a back-and-forth game until the 33rd minute when Hinck took a pass from fellow freshman Henke and found the back of the net to give Washburn a 1-0 halftime advantage. Freshman goalkeeper Lili Everley made four saves in the opening 45 minutes.
Washburn would start the second half with three shots in the opening five minutes, with two of them being on goal.
Freshman Leah Henke scored her 10th goal of the season in Friday's 2-0 Washburn Central Region win over Missouri Western. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods would continue to apply pressure and broke through again in the 65th minute with Henke scoring off an assist from sophomore Sam Searcey.
Washburn, which battled Western to an 0-0 tie in the regular season, out-shot the Griffons 15-14, and both teams had eight shots on goal.
Everley made a career-high eight saves in the match.
Henke scored her 10th goal of the season, putting her fifth in Washburn history for most goals in a single season, and second-most by a freshman in a single season behind Jessica Mainz's 13 goals in 2005.
Hinck, the former Wasburn Rural star, recorded her sixth goal of her freshman campaign, tying her for 18th for the most goals for WU in a single season.
No. 3 seed Washburn volleyball is headed to the championship match in the MIAA Tournament after a 3-1 win over Pittsburg State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics] 
