Washburn University Ichabods

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The Washburn University soccer team will be in St. Louis Saturday for a 1 p.m. Elite Eight matchup against Missouri-St. Louis.

Aubrey Tanksley, Washburn

"We are all looking forward to (Saturday) and another chance we get to continue to grow together as a group,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "Our ladies have been really good about leaning into our core values, and I'm expecting that to inspire another really positive performance for us.

"UMSL is well coached and a good team. (Saturday) should offer everything that an Elite 8 matchup should offer."

Washburn, 13-3-6, is coming off a 1-0 win over No. 4-seed St. Cloud State on Sunday to become Central Region champions for the second time in program history.

Washburn has 13 clean sheets this year, which is third most in program history.

Aubrey Tanksley scored the game-winning goal from a corner taken by Bricelyn Betts, which Tanksley headed home in the 75th minute.

Washburn goalkeeper Lili Everley has the second-most shutouts in a season in Washburn history, with 11.

The Tritons(15-4-2) are the No. 7 seed from the Midwest Region, beating crosstown rival and No. 4-seeded Maryville, 2-1 to advance to the Elite Eight.

UMSL leads the all-time series with Washburn, 3-1.

The two teams met earlier this season, with the Tritons taking a 3-0 decision in St. Louis.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn University women's basketball rode a fourth-quarter comeback to knock off Nebraska Kearney 71-65 Thursday night in Lee Arena in the Ichabods' MIAA opener.

Senior Yibari Nwidadah (32) celebrates a big basket late in the game in Washburn's come-from-behind 71-65 MIAA win over Nebraska-Kearney. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

While happy overall with the Ichabods' start to the season, Washburn coach Lora Westling has lamented the Ichabods' penchant for making things tougher than they need to be at times.

That bugaboo showed up again Thursday night, with the Ichabods trailing much of the game, but Washburn played its best when it needed it the most, taking control down the stretch.

"We've just got to settle in earlier and that's been a struggle,'' Westling said. "They'll respond and we'll put up a fight, we're not going to get kicked down, but we'd like to be a little more aggressive to start the fight.

"But I was really proud of our team down the stretch and I thought we got some big plays and especially some big stops. Our seniors didn't quit, they showed great resilience, and that's why you love to have seniors on your team.''

"We do definitely make it harder than we need to,'' WU senior Payton Sterk said. "but I think we do make it count when it's important and I think we were really good at dialing in our energy and really focusing in that second half and that's what won the game.''  

The Ichabods (5-2 overall, 1-0 MIAA) jumped out to an early 7-0 lead while holding the Lopers (4-5, 0-1) scoreless until the 6:22 mark.

A hoop from Britany Kogbara made it 11-4 Washburn with 3:37 left in the opening quarter, but Nebraska Kearney finished the quarter on an 11-3 run, including the final seven points to lead 15-14. 

Early in the second quarter Madelyn Amekporfor scored to put Washburn back in front, but the Lopers scored the next eight points as they held the Ichabods to 27.8-percent shooting from the floor in the quarter and Kearney held a 33-26 lead at the break.  

The deficit for Washburn reached nine points midway through the third quarter, but a bucket by senior Yibari Nwidadah started a 7-0 run to pull the Ichabods within two. 

Nebraska-Kearney led 49-47 going into the fourth stanza, but Washburn finally broke through to tie the game at 53 on a Kogbara basket.

Payton Sterk drove for a layup to put the Ichabods in front 58-56 with 5:48 to go.

The Lopers rallied to go back up by four, but Washburn answered with six in a row, the final four from senior Gabi Giovannetti.

An old fashioned three-point play by Nwidadah in the final minute put the Ichabods in front for good and the Ichabods held on to win, 71-65. 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn's volleyball season came to an end Friday night with a 3-0 loss to No. 6 Concordia-St. Paul in the NCAA Central Region semifinals.

The Ichabods end the season with a 27-5 record after going 13-3 in the MIAA and winning a share of the MIAA regular-season championship.

Washburn's outstanding 2025 volleyball season ended Friday with a 3-0 loss to Concordia-St. Paul in an NCAA Central Region semifinal. [File photo/TSN]

The Golden Bears (28-5), the No. 2 seed in the region, took control late in the first set and went up 1-0 in the match with a 25-21 win. Sixth-seeded Washburn (27-5) led early in the second set before falling by the same score, 25-21. The Ichabods led deep into the third set but were unable to extend the match, falling 26-24.

Early in the first set it was back-and-forth with eight ties in the first 16 points.

Concordia-St. Paul created some space with three straight points to lead 15-12.

Shortly after Keilah Rivers knocked down a kill that pulled the Ichabods within one point at 17-16. Washburn stayed within two points until the Golden Bears secured the final two points of the set to win 25-21. Both teams hit over .270 in the set to open the match.

After CSP got the first point in the second, Washburn's Brooklyn Morrisey slashed a kill that started a 6-0 run.

Washburn held the lead until the Golden Bears won five straight points to go in front by one, 13-12. The deficit grew to as many as four points but the Ichabods hung around, pulling back within two at 23-21 on a Brynne Topolski kill off an assist from Sydney Conner. 

Once again the final two points went to Concordia-St. Paul to win the set.

Washburn jumped in front 7-4 in the third after Austin Broadie connected on a kill. The lead grew to seven points at 14-7 after a six-point burst that began with Morrisey taking a pass from Corinna McMullen to the floor for a kill.

The Golden Bears won six of the next eight points to pull within three at 16-13. The Ichabods recovered, going on a 6-4 run to lead 22-17 after Broadie and Bella Limback combined for a block.

CSP won four straight points, forcing two Washburn timeouts. The Ichabods still were able to reach match point at 24-23 after an attacking error, but the next three points went to the Golden Bears as they closed out the match.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

No. 6 seed Washburn started hot and stayed hot Thursday morning to pull off a 3-0 sweep over No. 3 seed Wayne State College in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Central Regional in Kearney, Neb.

No. 6 seed Washburn advanced to the second round of the NCAA volleyball tournament with a 3-0 sweep over No. 3 seed Wayne State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

The Ichabods will face No. 2 seed Concordia-St. Paul in the regional semifinals at 4 p.m. on Friday.  

Friday marked the second straight season that Washburn defeated the region's No. 3 seed as the No. 6 seed in the tournament.

Washburn (27-4) won the opening set, 25-16. The Ichabods kept rolling in a 25-14 second-set win before closing out the match with a come-from-behind 25-22 win over the Wildcats (27-5).

From point one the Ichabods led, quickly building a 5-1 lead after Keilah Rivers slashed a kill. Wayne State battled to tie the set at 11, but Washburn responded by winning six of the next eight points to go in front 17-13 after a Brynne Topolski kill. Another kill by Topolski started what would become an 8-1 run to end the first set.  

The momentum carried over into the second set with Washburn in front 8-1 after an ace by Rivers. A 5-0 run shortly after put the lead into double-figures at 13-3. Autumn Gibbs served an ace that made it 18-7 as the Ichabods continued to roll. Brooklyn Morrisey finished off the set at 25-14 with a kill on a dish by Sydney Conner.  

The Wildcats found some life early in the third set, jumping out to a 7-3 lead that grew to 13-6 after four straight points. Kills by Emery Keebaugh and Austin Broadie started a 5-0 rally for the Ichabods but the Ichabods were met by four points in a row from Wayne State.

 Washburn trailed by as many as six more than midway through the set but would battle all the way back and tie things up at 20 after Keebaugh slashed another kill. From that point it was all Washburn as they finished the match on a 5-2 run with back-to-back kills by Broadie to move on. 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The NCAA Volleyball Tournament begins for No. 7-ranked Washburn volleyball at 11 a.m. Thursday in Kearney, Neb., with the Ichabods facing off with No. 4-ranked Wayne State in a Central Region quarterfinal.

No. 7-ranked Washburn volleyball will open its NCAA Tournament bid at 11 a.m. Thursday against No. 4 Wayne State. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn is making its 19th appearance in the NCAA Tournament as the No. 6 seed in the Central Region and will face the No. 3 seeded Wildcats.

Wayne State College enters the tournament with a 27-4 record on the year after going 19-1 in the NSIC regular season. The Wildcats fell 3-1 to No. 11 St. Cloud State last time out in the semifinal round of the NSIC Tournament on Nov. 21.

The Ichabods head into the national tournament with a 26-4 record overall after posting a 13-3 mark inside the MIAA. Washburn dropped a 3-0 decision to Nebraska-Kearney in the MIAA Tournament championship on Nov. 22.

Washburn remains No. 7 in the most recent AVCA poll released on Nov. 24. The Ichabods received 886 total points in the poll.

MIAA Player of the Year Austin Broadie leads Washburn with 326 kills (3.23 per set) while hitting .312, third best on the team. She has started all 30 matches and also has racked up 67 blocks with 64 digs. The senior has 16 double-digit kill matches and ranks fifth in the MIAA. She is fifth among conference players in points per set and kills per set.

Bella Limback is slashing a team-high .457 with 202 kills (2.04 per set) while starting all 30 matches. She has also added 115 blocks (1.16 per set), also a team high, and served 13 aces. She has hit over .400 in 20 matches this season with four double-digit kill efforts. She is second in the nation and MIAA in hitting percentage. She is also is fifth in the MIAA in blocks per set and 31st in the nation.

Corinna McMullen has started all 30 matches this season and leads Washburn with 631 assists (6.36 per set). She has also chipped in 30 service aces, tied for the most on the team, while ranking second on the team with 265 digs (2.65 per set). The senior has delivered 17 matches of 20-plus assists with 12 double-doubles. She ranks eighth in the conference in assists per set.

Taylor Rottinghaus leads the Ichabods with 430 digs (4.26 per set). She has chipped in 112 assists while serving 30 aces as well, tied for the most on the team. The junior has five matches making at least 20 digs. She ranks seventh in the MIAA in digs per set and in total digs.

Delaney Miller leads Wayne State with 387 kills (3.83 kills per set) while hitting .292. She has played in 30 matches making 14 starts and is adding 50 digs with 22 blocks.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

 Washburn University women's basketball begins MIAA action at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Lee Arena, hosting Nebraska-Kearney.

 

Senior Payton Sterk (20) is averaging a team-high 14.3 points with 16- 3-pointers for Washburn, which opens MIAA play at home Thursday against Nebraska-Kearney. [File photo/TSN]

 

Senior Yibari Nwidadah is averaging 12.2 points and a team-high 6.7  rebounds for Washburn, which opens MIAA play at home Thursday against Nebraska-Kearney. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn is 4-2 on the season after being 2-4 at this point a year ago, but Ichabod coach Lora Westling knows there's still plenty of room for improvement for her team.

 

"Honesty, I just feel like we're making it a little harder than it needs to be right now,'' Westling said. "But that's part of the process, defining roles and having a little more consistency.

 

"I was proud of how we responded on Saturday (after a Friday loss) but we've got to figure out how to come out on top in those close games that we've lost.'' 

 

Washburn senior Yibari Nwidadah agreed.

 

"I think in our two losses there were definitely controllables, so we know what we need to work on to continue to be successful and continue on an upward trajectory,'' Nwidadah said. 

 

Nebraska-Kearney is 4-4 on the year and 0-0 in the MIAA after defeating Wayne State 69-59 last Saturday.

 

Senior Payton Sterk leads the Ichabods with a 14.3 scoring average while starting every game and playing a team-high 29.0 minutes per game. Sterk is averaging 2.2 steals and has made 16 3-pointers, which both also lead the team. She has scored 14-plus points in four games this season. Sterk ranks third in the MIAA and 34th nationally in 3-pointers, fifth in the MIAA in three-point percentage and fourth in steals.

Nwidadah averages 12.2 points in just 22.8 minutes per game and leads the team with 6.7 rebounds a game while also shooting 53.4 percent from the floor. She is first in the MIAA in field goal percentage. 

Senior Gabi Giovannetti averages 10.7 points and is shooting a team-high 44.4 percent from deep with 12 3-pointers, second most on the team. She also averages 4.5 rebounds and is second in the MIAA and 38th nationally in 3-point percentage and eighth in the conference in triples per game. 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The ultimate goal for Washburn University basketball this season is to make another run at an NCAA Division II championship after reaching the national semifinals a year ago.

But the immediate goal for Brett Ballard's Ichabods is to successfully defend their MIAA regular-season title, a quest that begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Lee Arena against Nebraska-Kearney.

Brett Ballard's 8-0 Washburn Ichabods will open MIAA play Thursday at home against Nebraska-Kearney. [File photo/TSN] 

"I told our guys I don't know that the people outside of our circle appreciate it as much as we do, but winning the conference is a big, big deal for us,'' Ballard said. "It was a huge deal last year and we're going to fight like heck to do it again this year.

"If you can win this conference, that's a memory these guys will have forever, so a new season kind of starts (Thursday) and we need to try to take care of business at home.''

Washburn is 8-0 after topping the 100-point mark for the second game in a row in a 115-30 win over Ottawa last Saturday in Lee Arena, setting several school records in the process.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The Washburn University soccer team will be back in the state of Minnesota to take on No. 3-seed St. Cloud State in a 1 p.m. NCAA Sweet Sixteen matchup on Sunday afternoon.

Lili Everley, Washburn University

Leah Henke, Washburn University

"I'm very thankful that our team has earned the chance to continue to grow and get better in a Sweet Sixteen matchup versus a well-coached SCSU team," Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "I am confident that the character in this group is going to keep us focused on our mentality and performance as we get the opportunity to compete in the elements that national tournament games in Minnesota provide."

Washburn is coming off a 4-2 penalty shootout win over No. 1-seed Minnesota State last Sunday, where the Ichabods scored first in the opening 15 minutes, and the Mavericks equalized in the 60th minute.

Washburn has 12 clean sheets this year, which is third most in program history.

Freshman goalkeeper Lili Everley broke her season high in saves with eight in a 2-0 win over No. 5 seed Missouri Western in the Ichabods' NCAA opener, then broke it again with nine saves on Sunday, with four in overtime to keep the match all square and force PKs. Everley also recorded a save in PKs.

Leah Henke has scored 11 goals in her freshman season, which is tied for fourth in Washburn history for most goals in a single season, and second most by an Ichabod freshman.

Defenders Shaye Taylor and Rilyn Snyder played all 110 minutes against Minnesota State and are 17th and 18th in program history in minutes played in a single season.

Both players scored their first-ever collegiate goals this year, both were off free kicks.

St. Cloud State is 16-2-5 on the season, coming off a 3-0 win over No. 6-seed Pittsburg State 3-0 and a 2-1 victory in overtime over the No. 7 seed Central Missouri.

Sunday will be the first meeting between Washburn and St. Cloud State.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The Washburn University soccer team won the NCAA Central Region Championship Sunday with a 1-0 win over St. Cloud State in St. Joseph, Minn., and is advancing to the Elite Eight.

Washburn celebrates its NCAA Central Region championship in the snow Sunday in St. Joseph, Minn. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

"I thought our defensive organization was really good, thought we were hard to break down, and we believe that we will always have a chance to score a goal," Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "It's fun playing in these different environments that you don't usually play in. I'm proud of the team and how we attacked today with confidence and were so tough in the elements -- true warriors!"

"I think our grit plays a big part in it,'' Washburn senior Belle Kennedy said. "We don't take anything for granted, we accept all conditions, and any challenges we face."

Washburn, now 13-3-6, had shots in the opening two minutes by Grace Peterson and Kate Hinck that were saved.

In the last minute of the half, the Ichabods had three shots saved by the Huskies' goalie.

Washburn outshot St. Cloud, 8-1, and had five corners to just one by the Huskies in the opening 45 minutes.

It was a back-and-forth start to the second half, with both teams having a shot on goal in the opening 10 minutes.

Washburn would have a header by Peterson in the 68th minute put into the side netting.

The Ichabods finally got the breakthrough goal in the 75th minute from senior Aubrey Tanksley, who headed home a corner by Bricelyn Betts.

Tanksley's goal was her first of the season and seventh of her Washburn career while Betts recorded her third assist of the year.

Washburn was able to close out the match from there to win the region championship and move on to the Elite Eight for the second time in school history.

The Ichabods recorded their 13th clean sheet of the year.

Washburn outshot St. Cloud State, 12-5, and took seven corners in the match.

Freshman goalkeeper Lili Everley now has 10 shutouts on the season.

Washburn will take on the Midwest Region Champion, Missouri-St. Louis, in the Elite Eight on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four. The site and game time have yet to be confirmed.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The No. 2-ranked Washburn Ichabods left no doubt in a record-setting performance on Saturday afternoon, rolling to a 115-30 victory over Ottawa in Lee Arena as the Ichabods improved to 8-0 on the season.

Sophomore Dillon Claussen scored a game-high 20 points on 7 of 11 shooting from the field in Saturday's 115-30 Washburn win over Ottawa. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Junior Jeremiah Jones scored 18 points on 8 of 10 shooting and grabbed six rebounds in Washburn's 115-30 win over Ottawa Saturday in Lee Arena. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Washburn dominated in most every phase of the game, shooting 58 percent from the field, forcing 33 turnovers and outscoring the Braves 64-10 in the paint.

"I thought we respected the opponent and we were able to take their confidence away early, which is what you want to do against a team that you feel like you're probably a little more talented than,'' Washburn coach Brett Ballard said.

"I'm really happy with how we came out, business-like, and the respect level was there and then we took their confidence, so all three phases were good.''

The Ichabods will remain in Lee Arena next week to open their MIAA schedule, hosting Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday and Fort Hays State on Saturday.

After a brief 3-2 Ottawa lead, the Braves' only advantage of the day, Washburn went on a 19-0 run to take control.

By halftime the Ichabods had turned 23 Ottawa turnovers into 30 points, taking a huge 60-17 advantage into the break behind 52 percent shooting from the field and an 8-of-17 mark from 3-point range.

The second half was even more overwhelming as Washburn opened the period with a 26-0 run that ballooned the margin to 86 points, the team's largest lead of the day.

The Ichabods shot 66 percent in the final 20 minutes and registered 14 more steals and 30 additional points off turnovers.

Sophomore Dillon Claussen finished with 20 points, six rebounds, five steals, and two blocks while going 7 of 11 from the field.

Ichabod junior newcomer Jeremiah Jones added 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting, pulled down six rebounds and said he continues to feel more and more at ease in the Washburn system.

"It's definitely a stepping stone every game,'' Jones said. "No matter the competition I feel like the chemistry goes up every single game, our defensive intensity goes up every single game and I'm starting to get comfortable with the team.''

Junior Jack Bachelor scored 16 points with four 3-pointers in Washburn's 115-30 win over Ottawa Saturday in Lee Arena. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN] 

Junior Jack Bachelor recorded 14 points with four 3-pointers and six assists as the Ichabods drilled 13 three-pointers on the afternoon.

Sophomore Tyson Ruud slams home a dunk in Washburn's 115-30 win over Ottawa Saturday in Lee Arena. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Sophomore Tyson Ruud came off the bench to score 13 points and grab a game-high seven rebounds while Marcus Glock hit three threes and also finished with 13 points. 

Senior Sam Ungashick had eight points (two 3s), six assists, and five steals as Washburn's bench accounted for 49 points.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn closed out the month of November with a double-digit victory in Saturday's final game of the St. Mary's Thanksgiving Classic, knocking off Texas A&M-Kingsville, 62-48.

Senior Gabi Giovannetti scored a game-high 20 points on Saturday as Washburn improved to 4-2 with a 62-48 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville. [File photo/TSN]

Next up is Washburn's MIAA conference opener at 5:30 p.m. next Thursday against Nebraska-Kearney in Lee Arena.

For a second straight game Washburn (4-2) got out to a quick start, leading 9-5 with 4:08 left in the first quarter after Aniah Wayne came off the bench to knock down a 3-pointer.

The Javelinas (0-4) went on a 10-2 run from that point to go in front and lead 15-13 after one.

Payton Sterk put the Ichabods back in front hitting a trey to begin the second quarter. It was the start of a 15-2 run that took up much of the second quarter.

The final 11 points of the run came from Gabi Giovannetti, with her second connection from deep putting Washburn up 28-17. Kingsville scored the final five points of the quarter to cut its halftime deficit to 28-22.

The Ichabods established the paint early in the third quarter with back-to-back buckets by Yibari Nwidadah that started an 8-0 start to the half.

Sterk moved the offense to the outside, knocking down 3-pointers on three straight possessions to balloon the Washburn lead to 17 with 4:32 left in the third. A 5-0 run to end the quarter for a Washburn offense that shot 8 of 16 in the frame put the Ichabods in front 52-31 with 10 to play.

Midway through the fourth another 3-pointer by Sterk made it a 25-point game with the Ichabods in front. 61-36. The Javelinas picked up the pace in the final five minutes but never got closer than the 14-point final score.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The No. 2-ranked Washburn Ichabods will host the Ottawa Braves at 2 p.m. on Saturday in Lee Arena in their final tuneup up before opening MIAA play next week. 

Washburn is 7-0 after rolling to a 105-51 win over Friends on Tuesday while Ottawa is 5-3 this season after dropping an 84-69 decision to McPherson in its last outing.

Former Washburn Rural star Jack Bachelor is averaging a team-high 17.4 points and 5.0 assists for 7-0 Washburn men's basketball. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN

After facing an NAIA foe for the second straight game on Saturday, Washburn will open its MIAA season next Thursday against Nebraska-Kearney and next Saturday against Fort Hays State, with both games in Lee Arena.

"The good thing about this week is we're able to focus a little bit more on ourselves and it's a little more self-scouting than it is on the opponent,'' Washburn coach Brett Ballard said. "We've got to respect those guys, but this has been good to hopefully use this practice time to tighten things up.''

"We look at every day as you're getting better or you're getting worse,'' junior Jack Bachelor said. "So taking steps in practice, taking steps in games and just working together and keep getting better as a team and individually is our goal because we know this MIAA conference is the best in the country, so there's going to be no off nights.'' 

Washburn's players also got the chance to take a short Thanksgiving break from Wednesday afternoon until returning to practice on Friday.

"This is a little bit of a time for them to re-charge,'' Ballard said. "It's a quick break, but a little bit of a re-charge for the players.'' 

Both Bachelor and sophomore Dillon Claussen have cracked double figures in all seven games this season and sneior Bryson Smith has scored no fewer than 12 points in each of the last six games, including 22 points in a win over Rockhurst.

Bachelor is averaging a team-high 17.4 points and 5.0 assists while shooting 88.9 percent from the free throw line.

Claussen is averaging 16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds. 

Claussen led the way with 19 points against Friends, shooting 9 of 11 from the field while adding six rebounds, two steals, and a block. Bachelor followed with 16 points, six assists, five steals, and three rebounds, while hitting four 3-pointers, and Smith added 14 points, three assists, and three steals.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

After a fast start, Washburn University women's basketball couldn't overcome a second-half cold stretch as the Ichabods fell 53-49 in overtime to St. Mary's University in Day 1 of the St. Mary's Thanksgiving Classic in San Antonio.

 

 

Washburn senior Payton Sterk (20) scored a game-high 21 points in Friday's 53-49 loss to St. Mary's in the Thanksgiving Classic in San Antonio. [File photo/TSN]

  

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn University women's basketball will hit the floor Friday and Saturday in San Antonio, Texas, competing in the St. Mary's Thanksgiving Classic.

 

Senior Gabi Giovannetti notched her first collegiate double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in last Saturday's 66-44 Washburn win over MSU Denver. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

 

The 3-1 Ichabods will face St. Mary's at 6 p.m. on Friday and Texas A&M-Kingsville at 2 p.m. on Saturday in Bill Greehey Arena.

 

St. Mary's enters the week with a 3-0 record while Texas A&M University-Kingsville enters the tournament 0-2 on the year. 

 

Senior Yibari Nwidadah is averaging a team-high 13.8 points and 7.0 rebounds for Washburn in just 21.0 minutes per game on the season. Nwidadah has started every game and is shooting 63.9 percent from the floor. 

 

Senior Payton Sterk is also scoring in double figures for the Ichabods at 11.8 points per game and has hit seven 3-pointers.

 

Junior Britany Kogbara has provided a spark off the bench for the Ichabods, averaging 10.8 points and 4.3 points a game while shooting 64.5 percent from the field.

 

Senior Gabi Giovannetti is averaging 10.0 points and 5.3 rebounds with a team-high eight triples after recording her first career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in last Saturday's 66-44 win over Metropolitan State of Denver.

 

Sterk finished with 14 points while Kogbara had 12 points and five rebounds in Saturday's win.

 

Allie Garcia leads St. Mary's with an 11.7 scoring average while Christin Callens averages 10.3 points and Raynne averages a team-high 10 rebounds.

 

Justine Aguilar leads Texas A&M-Kingsville with a 9.5 scoring average.

 

Washburn will begin MIAA play next Thursday, hosting Nebraska-Kearney in a 5:30 p.m. contest in Lee Arena.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Tuesday's non-conference home game against NAIA foe Friends was definitely one that No. 2-ranked Washburn University was expected to win, and probably by a sizeable margin.

Sophomore Dillon Claussen scored a game-high 19 points on 9 of 11 shooting from the field in Tuesday's 105-51 win over Friends. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Junior Jack Bachelor scored 16 points with four 3-pointers, six assists and five steals in Tuesday's 105-51 win over Friends. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

But with the start of MIAA looming next week, Brett Ballard's Ichabods still had plenty of things they wanted to work on against the Falcons.

And it's safe to say the 7-0 Ichabods reached most all of those objectives in a 105-51 rout over the Falcons at Lee Arena.

"I thought we approached this thing with the right mindset and were pretty professional about how we executed tonight,'' Ballard said. "A lot of positives, and I thought that there were some things that we'd emphasized in practice this last week that stuck and we were able to accomplish a lot of the things that we had worked on.''  

Washburn delivered its highest point output of the early season with its 105-point outburst while five Ichabods cracked double figures.

The Ichabods controlled all 40 minutes, building a 25-point halftime lead (46-21) before exploding for 59 more points in the second half.

Washburn forced 20 Falcon turnovers, turning those mistakes into 29 points, while surrendering only five of its own.

Washburn piled up 66 points in the paint, 33 second-chance points and 25 fast-break points.

The Ichabods shot 52.5 percent for the game (42 for 80), while holding Friends to just 28.3 percent shooting overall and hammering the Falcons on the glass as well with a 52-35 rebounding advantage, grabbing 21 offensive rebounds.

Sophomore Dillon Claussen led the way with 19 points, hitting 9 of 11 shots while adding six rebounds, two steals, and a block, while junior Jack Bachelor had 16 points, six assists, five steals and three rebounds, while hitting four 3-pointers.

"I felt like we did what was expected of us,'' Claussen said. "We were supposed to win that game, but like coach has been saying the past couple of games, we have a ton to work on and our ceiling is way higher than we're at right now.''

"I thought we came out and played with good energy,'' Bachelor said. "Defense was a big emphasis in this game and I thought we guarded well. I thought we played hard, played together and shared the ball. I thought it was a successful night for sure.'' 

Bryson Smith added 14 points, three assists, and three steals, while Tyson Ruud came off the bench to tie his career-high with 13 points and freshman Amalachi Wilkins had 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds off the bench, reaching double figures for the second straight game.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn University volleyball is heading to the NCAA Tournament for the 19th time in program history as the Ichabods earned the No. 6 seed in the Central Region.

Washburn heads to Kearney, Neb. on the campus of the No. 1 seed in the region and host of the eight-team tournament, Nebraska-Kearney.

Washburn's volleyball team reacts to being installed as the No. 6 Central Region seed for the NCAA Tournament in Kearney, Neb. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

The No. 7-ranked Ichabods will face the third seed and No. 4 nationally-ranked Wayne State College at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, in a regional quarterfinal. 

The Ichabods are 26-4 on the year and finished 13-3 in the MIAA regular season, finishing tied for first with Nebraska-Kearney and Missouri Western to earn a share of the regular-season championship.  

Washburn is coming off a runnerup finish Saturday in the MIAA Tournament, dropping a 3-0 decision to No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

No. 2-ranked Washburn University men's basketball returns to Lee Arena on Tuesday night to face Friends at 7 p.m. in the Ichabods' final game before the Thanksgiving break.

Washburn is 6-0 after a 90-54 win over William Jewell on Saturday in Liberty, Mo., with the 36-point win one shy of the largest win in the series history with the Cardinals.

 

Brett Ballard climbed to No. 2 on Washburn's career win list with Saturday's 90-54 road win at William Jewell. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]  

 In the win over William Jewell, Ichabod coach Brett Ballard moved into second place on the all-time win chart at Washburn, passing Glenn Cafer with his 173rd win on the Ichabod bench. Ballard is 173-79 in his ninth season, while Cafer was 172-145 in 12 seasons at Washburn.

 

Freshman Amalachi Wilkins led the Ichabods off the bench against William Jewell with 13 points on five of five shooting with four boards and two steals in 16 minutes of play. 

Friends is 5-2 on the season after defeating York, Neb., 77-55, last time out on the road.

 

The Falcons have the distinction of being the only team to defeat the Ichabods in a home opener in Lee Arena.

 

Friends topped the Ichabods, 89-88, on Nov. 16, 1990. Since then the Ichabods have won 36 consecutive home openers and Washburn is 40-1 overall in home openers after last Wednesday's 85-81 win over Rockhurst.

 

The Ichabods are fifth in scoring margin in the NCAA D2 ranks at plus 27.2 and fourth in field goal percentage at 54.4 percent.

 

Topekan Jack Bachelor is fifth in the nation in 3-pointers made with 18 while leading the MIAA and Dillon Claussen is eighth in the nation in double-doubles with two. Claussen is also 11th in the nation in field goal percentage at 73.3 and 17th in total rebounds with 45.

 

Jeremiah Jones is second in the nation in total steals with 19 and is ranked 13th in steals per game at 3.17 per contest.

 

Brady Christiansen (1) is set to play in his 100th career game for Washburn Tuesday night against Friends. [File photo/TSN]

Bachelor will be making his 50th consecutive start on Tuesday against Friends while Brady Christiansen will play in his 100th game as an Ichabod.

Washburn has a 17-game home court winning streak, which is tied for the fifth-longest in the D-II ranks.

By RICK PETERSON

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Washburn University soccer advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen Sunday after outlasting top seed Minnesota State 4-2 in penalty kicks in Mankato, Minn.

Washburn soccer celebrates after Sunday's 4-2 penalty kick win over top seed Minnesota State in Mankato, Minn. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

"We have talked about the character in the team all year long, in overtime and the shootout, our character got to show a little bit,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "We get another chance to grow together, continue to train together, and to play in meaningful games together.''

The Ichabods would come out controlling the match with their pressing style of soccer and would open the scoring in the 12th minute of the match, with MIAA freshman of the year Leah Henke converting after a save from the Mavericks' goalie after a shot by Grace Peterson.

Both teams took seven shots in the half, and both goalies had two saves at the break.

The Ichabods would come out with four shots in the opening 12 minutes of the second half, looking for a crucial second goal, but in the 60th minute, the Mavericks would find the equalizer through Maille Mathis, tying things up at 1-1.

The last 30 minutes of the match were back and forth between the teams. The Ichabods would take 13 shots in the second half while Minnesota State took six, and both had three shots on goal.

In the two 10-minute periods of overtime, the Mavericks would be in control, but could not find the back of the net as Washburn freshman goalkeeper Lili Everley would make four saves over the two OT periods to force penalty kicks. 

Washburn went up 1-0 in PKs on a conversion from Shaye Taylor, but Minnesota State pulled even on a shot from Maddix Archer.

Both keepers came up with saves before Lakin Rold put WU up 2-1.

After a Maverick miss, Mackinly Rohn put the Ichabods in front 3-1.

Courtney Kovacs converted for Minnesota State to cut the Maverick deficit to 3-2 but Washburn freshman Kate Hinck found the back of the net to end the match.

With the win, Washburn advances to the Sweet Sixteen for the second time in school history. 

The Ichabods are now 2-2 in penalty kicks in the NCAA tournament.

Everley made nine saves, breaking her season/career high that she previously set on Friday in a 2-0 win over Missouri Western.

Henke scored her 11th goal of the season, moving into a tie for fourth with Khloe Schuckman, who scored 11 goals during the 2023 campaign when the Ichabods were NCAA finalists. 

Washburn will take on the Huskies of St. Cloud State in the Sweet Sixteen at 1 p.m. Sunday in St. Joseph, Minn.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

 Washburn Ichabod soccer will square off with tournament host and No. 1 Central Region seed Minnesota State at 1 p.m. Sunday in Mankato, Minn.

Leah Henke, Washburn University
Kate Hinck, Washburn University

The Ichabods are 12-3-5 while Minnesota State is 18-1-3.

No. 4 seed Washburn is coming off a 2-0 first-round win over No. 5-seed Missouri Western while Minnesota State advanced with a 2-0 win over No. 8 Harding.

Freshman Leah Henke had a goal, her 10th of the season, and an assist in Friday's win while freshman Kate Hinck had Washburn's first goal of the game, her sixth of the season.

Sophomore Sam Searcey had the assist on Henke's goal against the Griffons and has five goals and four assists on the season.

The Ichabod defense recorded its 12th clean sheet of the year while freshman goalkeeper Lili Everley made a career-high eight saves in the match.

Defenders Rilyn Snyder and Shaye Taylor played all 90 minutes against Missouri Western and are one-two in minutes played for the Ichabods this season.

Minnesota State enters Sunday's match on a five-match unbeaten strea.

The Mavericks won the NSIC regular-season and conference tournament titles. They have three players tied for the team lead in goals with five apiece.

Sunday will be the first meeting between Minnesota State and Washburn.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The No. 2-rankded Washburn Ichabods rolled past William Jewell 90-54 Saturday in a dominant performance, improving to 6-0 on the season.

 

Freshman Amalachi Wilkins came off the bench to lead a balanced Washburn attack with 13 points in the Ichabods' 90-54 road win at William Jewell. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Washburn returns to action on Tuesday in Lee Arena, hosting Friends in a 7 p.m. contest.

 

Washburn's defense set the tone early Saturday, turning turnovers into transition points in an 11–2 start, highlighted by fast-break finishes from Bryson Smith and Dillon Claussen.

 

After Jewell briefly closed within eight, the Ichabods countered with a decisive 9-0 run midway through the first half, fueled by 3-pointers from Smith and Jack Bachelor and a tip-in from Amalachi Wilkins.

 

Washburn outscored Jewell 30-6 in the paint in the opening frame and carried a 40-25 lead into halftime.

 

The Ichabods blew the game wide open early in the second half, using an 18-0 surge to push the margin past 30.

 

Claussen threw down a dunk, Smith converted at the rim, and reserve guard Sam Ungashick added back-to-back transition buckets during the stretch.

 

Washburn's bench outscored Jewell's 38-25 overall, and the lead eventually swelled to 40 with just over a minute remaining.

 

Wilkins led the Ichabods off the bench with 13 points on 5 of 5 shooting with four boards and two steals in 16 minutes of play.

 

Wilkins led a balanced scoring attack with Claussen adding 12 points, five rebounds and three assists, Smith scoring 12 points with four assists and three steals and Bachelor contributing 12 points and a team-high five assists.

 

Brady Christiansen scoring 10 points with eight rebounds while shooting 5 of 7 from the field and Marcus Glock chipped in seven points and three assists off the bench.

 

Washburn dominated every major statistical category, winning points off turnovers, 35–6, points in the paint, 52–16, second-chance points, 15–3, and fastbreak points, 22–5.

 

The Ichabods also controlled the glass with a 44-19 rebounding advantage.

 
 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn University women's basketball turned a tight first half into a commanding victory Saturday at Lee Arena, riding a dominant third-quarter burst to a 66-44 win over Metropolitan State Denver in the wrapup of the Washburn Classic.

Senior Gabi Giovannetti notched her first collegiate double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday's 66-44 Washburn win over MSU Denver. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

The Ichabods moved to 3-1 on the season with their third straight win, using a balanced offensive effort and the dominant third-quarter stretch.

After taking a 33-23 lead into halftime, the Ichabods blew the game open with an 18-0 run in the third stanza, outscoring the Roadrunners 25-7 in the quarter.

"We had a nice run there,'' Washburn coach Lora Westling said. "I thought Nia McKenzie had some unbelievably impactful minutes off the ball defending and getting us in sytem. She's plus-29 on the day in 17 minutes and I thought she was the steady hand we kind of needed.

"What's really special with this team is how high the ceiling could be. They want to get better every day, we got good momentum going and hopefully here comes the fun part.'' 

Washburn shot a blistering 66.7 percent (10 of 15) in the third while holding MSU Denver to just 2 of 13.

By the end of the quarter, the Ichabods had extended their advantage to 58-30, their largest lead of the game at 28 points.

Senior Gabi Giovannetti led all scorers with 17 points, including a pair of momentum-changing treys in the third quarter, and added 10 rebounds and three steals, recording her first collegiate double-double in the process.

Senior Payton Sterk finished with 14 points, connecting twice from long range, and Britany Kogbara delivered 12 points and five rebounds off the bench.

Senior Yibari Nwidadah added seven points and eight boards and was named to the all-tournament team along with Giovannetti.

"We're still building our character,'' Giovannetti said. "We've got a new point guard mixing in, so we're just trying to stay as sharp as we can, just to get to a championship level of play.

"We wanted to come out this weekend and defend our homecourt, especially with it being new, and there's just a lot of motivators.'' 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

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.

By RICK PETERSON

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

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.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The No. 2-ranked Washburn Ichabods will be back on the road Saturday as they travel to Liberty, Mo. to face the William Jewell Cardinals at 3 p.m.

Bryson Smith scored 22 points, including the go-ahead basket, in Washburn's 85-81 win over Rockhurst Wednesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Washburn enters the game 5-0 after topping Rockhurst 85-81 on Wednesday in Lee Arena.

William Jewell is coming off a 77-72 win over Emporia State on Wednesday and is 2-1 this season.

With Wednesday's win over the Hawks, the Ichabods improved to 40-1 all-time in their home openers, including 35 straight wins.

Junior guard Jack Bachelor, a Washburn Rural product, leads the nation in 3-pointers made with 16 and sophomore Dillon Claussen is eighth in the nation in double-doubles with two. Claussen is also 13th in the nation in field goal percentage at 78.4 and eighth in total rebounds with 40.

Jeremiah Jones leads the nation in total steals with 18 and is ranked 13th in steals per game at 3.60 per contest.

Justice Sutton leads William Jewell in scoring with a 17.7 scoring average.

Isaac Patterson is scoring 14.7 points per game with a team-high 7.0 rebounding average and Kyle Scharbrough is scoring 12.7 points a game.

The Ichabods lead the William Jewell series 14-7 after winning 81-73 last season in Topeka.

The Ichabods have lost their last two games played in Liberty, with their last win coming on Dec. 1, 1988 in a 76-58 win.

Washburn turned a five-point deficit with 2:29 to play into Wednesday's four-point win over Rockhurst.

The Ichabods outscored the Hawks 11-2 to end the game, led by Smith's driving layup with 51 seconds remaining to give the Ichabods a 81-79 lead.

After a key defensive stop, Tyson Ruud hit a free throw to extend the WU lead to three and Sam Ungashick came up with a steal in the final seconds and sank two free throws with three seconds left to seal the win.

Smith led the Ichabods with 22 points, four rebounds and five assists. Bachelor added 17 points and three assists and Claussen scored 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Ruud came off the bench for 13 points and six rebounds.

Washburn returns home to face Friends on Tuesday and will host Ottawa next Saturday.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Senior star Yibari Nwidadah and the 1-1 Washburn women will host the Washburn Classic Friday and Saturday in the new Lee Arena. [File photo/TSN]

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn University soccer will face MIAA foe Missouri Western at 10 a.m. Friday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Mankato, Minn.

Washburn soccer will open its NCAA Tournament bid at 10 a.m. Friday in Mankato, Minn. against Missouri Western. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

The 11-3-5 Ichabods are the No. 4 seed in the Central Region while 12-2-7 Missouri Western is the No. 5 seed. 

"I'm very proud of this year's team and the journey that we have been on to earn the chance to compete on the national stage tomorrow,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "I'm excited for the ladies to execute our brand of soccer and continue to grow within our game model as we compete for a national championship.

"Missouri Western is a good team and well coached and it should be a really high-level college soccer game.''

Washburn enters the match after failing to win their past two matches, both against rival Emporia State, with a scoreless draw on Senior Day and a 3-2 loss in the first round of the MIAA Tournament.

Washburn and Missouri Western met earlier this year in St. Joseph, Mo., where the match ended in a 0-0 draw.

Washburn's defense has been its focal point, allowing just three goals during the MIAA regular season and scoring 20 during that span. The Ichabods allowed only 60 shots on goal all season, while they put 125 shots on goal.

Defenders Rilyn Snyder and Shaye Taylor are one-two in minutes played this season while senior Belle Kennedy anchors the Ichabods from the heart of the midfield.

The Washburn Rural alum earned MIAA Defensive Player of the Year and All-MIAA first-team honors.

Washburn is led in goals and points by freshman Leah Henke, who has nine goals on the year and has added an assist.

Sophomore Sam Searcey has five goals and four assists while freshman Kate Hinck has also found the back of the net five times this year and junior Mackinly Rohn has three goals and an assist. Hinck and Rohn are both former Washburn Rural stars.

The Griffons are coming off an MIAA Tournament title, which booked their place in the NCAA Tournament.

Washburn leads the all-time series with Western, 16-12-1. The Ichabods have won five of the last eight matches with the Griffons.

The Washburn-Missouri Western winner will advance to a 1 p.m. match on Sunday to face the winner between No. 1 seed Minnesota State-Mankato and No. 8 seed Harding. 

By RICK PETERSON

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By RICK PETERSON

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Postseason play begins for the No. 7-ranked Washburn University volleyball team on Thursday in St. Joseph, Mo. as the Ichabods open their bid in the MIAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed, taking on sixth-seeded Central Missouri in the quarterfinal round at 2:30 p.m. in the Civic Arena.

 

Washburn will open its postseason on Thursday in the MIAA Tournament against Central Missouri in St. Joseph, Mo. [File photo/TSN]

 

Washburn wrapped up its regular season with a 24-3 record overall and a 13-3 mark in the MIAA while Central Missouri enters the match 20-7 record overall and 11-5 in the MIAA.

 

The Ichabods are one of six teams in the field with at least 20 victories and Washburn coach Chris Herron said all six are capable of challenging for the championship.

 

"I think any of the six teams could be the champion,'' Herron said.  

 

No. 2 seed Missouri Western (21-6, 13-3) will open the quarterfinals at 12 p.m. Thursday against No. 7 Pittsburg State (12-14, 6-10) while No. 1 Nebraska-Kearney (26-3, 13-3) will face No. 8 Fort Hays State (16-12, 5-11) at 5 o'clock and No. 4 Central Oklahoma (26-4, 12-4) will close out the day with a 7:30 match against No. 5 Emporia State (21-6, 12-4).

 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

No. 2-ranked Washburn University men's basketball used a furious late-game rally Wednesday night to remain unbeaten with an 85-81 win over Rockhurst in the debut of the newly renovated Lee Arena.

Sophomore Tyson Ruud slams home a dunk in Washburn's 85-81 win over Rockhurst Wednesday night in Lee Arena. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN] 

The Ichabods turned a five-point deficit with 2:29 to play into the four-point win, improving to 5-0 on the season.

"I think when you have the year we had last year and you play really well early and you're ranked where you're ranked, I think the expectations are high and I think our guys felt a little bit of pressure and pressed a little bit in that game,'' Washburn coach Brett Ballard said.

"That happens, but I was proud of how we responded when we could have caved and handled those last couple of minutes. Ultimately, this is really good for us to play in these type of games and it's good for us if we can really learn from it.'' 

Washburn, which led for the bulk of the game, pushed its lead to a game-high 15 at 62-47 midway through the second half, but Rockhurst responded with its best stretch of the night, using an 11-0 run to quickly close the gap.

The Hawks (2-1) hit three 3-pointers in less than four minutes to take a 79-74 lead, but from that point on the Ichabods outscored the Hawks 11-2 the rest of the game.

Bryson Smith scored 22 points, including the go-ahead basket, in Washburn's 85-81 win over Rockhurst Wednesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Senior Bryson Smith's driving layup with 51 seconds remaining gave Ichabods an 81-79 lead.

Then, after a key defensive stop, sophomore Tyson Ruud stepped to the free throw line and hit one of two free throws to extend the Washburn edge to three.

The Hawks came up empty on the following trip, and when senior Sam Ungashick came up with a steal in the final seconds and sank two free throws with three seconds left, the Ichabods' comeback was sealed.

Smith led the Ichabods with 22 points, including 19 in the second half, on 7 of 11 shooting and a 7 of 9 showing at the free throw line.

"Coach Ballard kind of got on me at halftime and the first half I wasn't playing a good game and I felt like I had to turn it up as a senior and a leader on the team to make winning plays at the end,'' Smith said.

Jack Bachelor had 17 points with four assists as Washburn rallied for an 85-81 win over Rockhurst Wednesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Sophomore Dillon Claussen had 12 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in Wednesday's 85-81 Washburn win over Rockhurst. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Junior Jack Bachelor added 17 points and four assists while Ruud came off the bench for a career-high 13 points and six rebounds and Dillon Claussen scored 12 points, with five rebounds and four assists.

Ruud has been hampered by injuries in his first two seasons at Washburn, but is now living up to the potential he showed out of Basehor-Linwood.

"It's so good to be healthy,'' Ruud said. "My prayers have been answered and it feels amazing to be out there finally.''

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Kamble Haverkamp 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

It's been a long wait, but Washburn University's basketball teams will finally get the opportunity to officially christen the newly-renovated Lee Arena this week as the Ichabods tip off the home portion of the 2025-2026 basketball season.

After seventh months of waiting, Lee Arena will be rocking Wednesday night when Washburn's men's basketball team hosts Rockhurst in a 7 p.m. contest. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

The Ichabod men will host Rockhurst at 7 p.m. Wednesday while the WU women will host back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday in the Washburn Invitational.

The $8 million dollar, seven-month-long renovation of Lee, which opened in 1984 and is the home for the Ichabod basketball and volleyball teams, necessitated major schedule changes, including the nationally-ranked WU volleyball team playing all of its regular-season matches in Whiting Fieldhouse.

But now its time to reap the rewards the new state of the art facility will provide.

"My office looks into the gym, so for the last six months every day you see it,'' Washburn men's basketball coach Brett Ballard said. "That's good and bad because it just feels like at first nothing's happening and then it's all come together.

"It looks amazing. I've always felt like we had a great atmosphere in Lee Arena, and I think this will just enhance it. I know our guys are really appreciative and excited about it. We're just ready to get that opportunity to play out there.''   

Lee, which had not been used since the Washburn men captured the NCAA Division II regional championship in late March, features a new court and scoreboards, a new seating system and updated technology.

Both Washburn basketball teams will make their debuts in the newly-renovated Lee Arena this week. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

"You just walk down there and I don't know if you can feel energy in a place, but you can feel it in there,'' Washburn women's coach Lora Westling said. "It's fresh, it's clean, it's sharp and I just can't imagine a better venue in Division II in the country. We're just dying to get on it because they've done an exceptional job with the renovation.''

"I'm excited, it looks great,'' said Washburn women's senior standout Payton Sterk. "It's really going to be awesome in there.

"It was beautiful before, so it's really been cool to see what they've been doing and I'm really excited to play in it and have my family and friends and everyone be able to be in there and watch, too.''

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

After opening the 2025-2026 season with four straight win on the road, No. 2-ranked Washburn University men's basketball will open its home slate at 7 p.m. Wednesday, facing Rockhurst in the newly renovated Lee Arena.

Junior Jack Bachelor (14) is averaging 19.3 points and 5.0 assists for 4-0 Washburn. [File photo/TSN]

Sophomore Dillon Claussen is averaging 18.0 points and 8.8 rebounds with a pair of double-doubles for Washburn. [File photo/TSN]

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Jack Bachelor 

JACK BACHELOR, Washburn University

A junior guard, Bachelor scored 23 points on 7 of 13 shooting with three 3-pointers and 6 of 6 free throws in an 95-63 win over Minnesota State-Moorhead and had 14 points with five assists and three 3s in an 88-57 in over Winona State as No. 2-ranked Washburn went 2-0 in the Central Regional Challenge at Pittsburg to improve to 4-0 on the season.

Mason Becker 

MASON BECKER, Hayden

Becker, a junior, scored a 71-yard touchdown on a pass reception from Connor Hanika, rushed for 78 yards on 9 carries, went 5 of 5 on extra-point attempts to improve his season PAT streak to 61 and averaged 44.5 yards on two punts as Hayden improved to 11-0 with an 43-29 home Class 3A state quarterfinal win over Jefferson West.

 Autumn Gibbs

AUTUMN GIBBS, Washburn University 

A junior volleyball player, Gibbs came up big in Friday's 3-1 home MIAA win over Central Oklahoma. After Washburn, now No. 7-ranked, dropped a 25-23 first-set decision, Gibbs jump-started her team with six straight service points, including three aces, at the end of the second set to give WU a 25-22 win before it closed out the match with 25-19 and 25-16 wins. Washburn took a 3-0 win over Arkansas-Fort Smith the following day to earn a share of the MIAA regular-season championship.

By RICK PETERSON

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Mason Becker 

MASON BECKER, Hayden

Becker, a junior, carried the ball 14 times for 201 yards, including touchdown runs of 53 and 65 yards, as Hayden football earned its third straight trip to the Class 3A state championship game with a 46-0 home win over Santa Fe Trail. Becker also kicked a 25-yard field goal, went 3 of 3 on extra-point kicks to remain perfect on the season and passed for a 2-point conversion as the Wildcats improved to 12-0.

Austin Broadie

AUSTIN BROADIE, Washburn University

A fifth-year senior volleyball standout out of Wichita Trinity, Broadie was named the MIAA Player of the Year after helping lead the Ichabods to a 24-3 regular-season record and a share of the conference title. Broadie finished the regular season with 298 kills on .330 hitting while also contributing 54 blocks. Broadie had 15 matches with double-digit kills and two matches with 20-plus kills.

Leah Henke

LEAH HENKE, Washburn University

The MIAA Freshman of the Year, Henke had two goals and an assist on the weekend as Washburn University soccer advanced to the NCAA Soccer Sweet 16 with a pair of Central Region wins in Mankato, Minn. Henke, a Bishop Carroll product, had a goal and an assist in Friday's 2-0 win over Missouri Western and scored her 11th goal of the season in Sunday's 4-2 win in penalty kicks over top seed Minnesota State.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn Ichabod football closed out its 2025 season on Saturday with a come-from-behind 29-24 MIAA victory at Missouri Southern.

The Ichabods finished 3-8 overall and 2-7 in the MIAA, powered by a pair of late scoring drives, a defensive touchdown and two huge defensive stops on fourth down in the Lion redzone.

Sophomore cornerback Josh Grant returned a fumble 83 yards for a touchdown, helping spark Washburn's season-ending 29-24 MIAA win at Missouri Southern. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

"I don't care how you win a game in the MIAA,'' Washburn coach Zach Watkins told KTPK Radio. "It's tough to win and I'm so happy for these guys and these seniors and where this program's going moving forward.

"But to win the way we won it. We've lost that game all year (four losses between three and seven points), so to win it that way is hugely impressive and I'm proud of these guys.''

Washburn made the most of its opportunities despite being outgained 442-345, finishing four for four in the red zone and scoring 13 points off turnover, including the play of the game, an 83-yard fumble return touchdown by Josh Grant that flipped momentum early in the second half.

Washburn opened the scoring late in the first quarter when Keller Hurla capped an 80-yard drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Henry Mohrmann with 32 seconds left in the quarter.

Missouri Southern responded quickly with a 54-yard touchdown pass and added a field goal to take a 10-6 lead midway through the second quarter.

Logan Madden then engineered a 64-yard Washburn scoring drive, hitting former Washburn Rural standout Ty Weber on a 16-yard scoring strike to put WU back in front, 13-10.

The Ichabods added a 26-yard field goal from Aidan Battle just before halftime for a 16-10 advantage.

Early in the third quarter, Missouri Southern drove inside the Washburn red zone before the Ichabod defense provided a massive turning point.

Keith Guidry forced a fumble that Grant scooped up and returned 83 yards for a touchdown, extending the Washburn lead to 23-10.

The Lions answered with consecutive touchdown drives to take a 24-23 lead late in the third quarter.

Trailing in the fourth, Washburn delivered its best drive of the day.

Starting at its own 18, Madden guided a 12-play, 82-yard march, featuring steady runs from Cam Robinson and efficient short passes.

Madden finished the drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Mohrmann -- his second of the game -- with 4:16 remaining.

The Ichabod defense held from there, posting a fourth-down stop in the red zone to secure the victory. On a 4th and 2 from the Ichabod 9, the Lion running back was tackled by Washburn Rural product JC Heim and forced a fumble and Kamble Haverkamp recovered the ball at the Ichabod 7, ending the play.

Two kneel downs later, the Ichabods picked up the win.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Logan Madden threw for 186 yards and two touchdowns in Washburn's 29-24 MIAA win at Missouri Southern. [File photo/TSN]

Madden finished 21 of 26 passing for 186 yards and two touchdowns while Hurla added a 4-for-5 passing performance and a touchdown, along with 49 rushing yards.

Robinson led the ground attack with 82 yards on 17 carries.

 

Trey Harmison caught six passes for 72 yards and Nathan Lewis Jr. added five receptions for 32 yards.

Sophomore linebacker JC Heim registered 12 tackles and forced a fumble in Washburn's 29-24 MIAA road win at Missouri Southern Saturday. [File photo/TSN]

Defensively, JC Heim led Washburn with 12 tackles, while Jordan Finnesy and Jaren Heim added eight stops apiece.

Grant recorded the game-changing fumble return touchdown and had five tackles and Haverkamp added an interception.

Washburn totaled 147 rushing yards on 35 attempts and completed 25 of 31 passes for 198 yards. The Ichabods converted 7 of 12 third downs and 4 for 4 red zone chances while forcing two turnovers and scoring on both.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The No. 2-ranked Washburn Ichabods improved to 4–0 on the season Saturday with an 88-57 rout over Winona State in Pittsburg in their final game of the Central Regional Challenge.

Junior Jack Bachelor scored 14 points with five assists and three 3-pointers in Saturday's 88-57 win over Winona State in the Central Regional Challenge. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn returns to a renovated Lee Arena for its home opener against Rockhurst on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

After falling behind 2–0 on the opening possession, Washburn responded with a 10-0 run midway through the first half, sparked by threes from Bryson Smith and Jermiah Jones and a fastbreak layup from Dillon Claussen.

That surge flipped the momentum and gave Washburn a lead it would hold for the final 37 minutes.

The Ichabods shot 50 percent in the opening half and knocked down eight triples to build a 41-26 advantage at the break.

The second half was more of the same as Washburn opened with back-to-back transition buckets from Smith and Brady Christiansen, then extended the margin with a 7-0 spurt capped by a Marcus Glock 3-pointer.

The lead ballooned to 33 points in the final minutes, the Ichabods' largest cushion of the night.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn junior Mackinly Rohn (24) and the Ichabod soccer team will compete in their third straight NCAA Tournament on Friday. [File photo/TSN]

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn women's basketball picked up its first win of the 2025-2026 season on Saturday afternoon, riding a late comeback to knock off No. 18-ranked Southwest Minnesota State 63-59 in the Ichabods' final game of the Central Region Challenge in Edmond, Okla.

Britany Kogbara

The Ichabods will return to action inside of renovated Lee Arena against Southwest Baptist at 7 p.m. next Friday at 7 p.m.  

Now 1-1 on the young season, Washburn led early Saturday thanks to points in the paint from Yibari Nwidadah and Britany Kogbara. The Ichabod lead reached six points at 15-9 after a driving basket by Brooke Gomez as WU led the Mustangs (2-2) 17-12 after the opening quarter.  

Kogbara got the first basket of the second quarter but after that Southwest Minnesota State took over, scoring the next nine points to lead by two. The deficit reached double figures at 33-22 as the Mustangs connected on five 3-pointers in the quarter. Washburn battled through the hot shooting with five more points from Kogbara in the final 90 seconds to give her 15 in the half and cut the Southwest Minnesota State lead to 35-29 at the break.  

After the first two points of the half went to Southwest Minnesota State the next 10 points went to the Ichabods as they tied the game with a bucket by Nwidadah and went in front on a pair of free throws by Payton Sterk. Southwest Minnesota State answered right back, going in front by five to end the third quarter leading 47-42.  

The Mustangs' lead reached nine with under eight minutes to play. At the 5:36 mark Sterk drilled a 3-pointer to make it 53-49 and start the Ichabod rally. Washburn got within three in the final three minutes and finally came all the way back to tie it up at 59 after Madelyn Amekporfor hit a jumper at the 1:53 mark. She followed with a fastbreak layup to put Washburn in front. The Ichabods forced three straight turnovers and sank free throws on the other end in the final minute to take the four-point win.  

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn volleyball celebrates Saturday after earning a share of the MIAA regular-season championship in Whiting Fieldhouse. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Washburn volleyball poses for a team picture after earning a share of the MIAA regular-season title Saturday at Whiting Fieldhouse. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The outlook for a victory by No. 8-ranked Washburn volleyball over No. 7 Central Oklahoma didn't look particularly promising late in the second set Friday night in Whiting Fieldhouse.

Washburn celebrates one of three service aces from junior Autumn Gibbs (1) late in the second set that sparked the No. 8-ranked Ichabods to a 3-1 win over No. 7 Central Oklahoma. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Washburn junior Autumn Gibbs (right) celebrates her set-ending ace that gave the Ichabods a 25-22 win in the second set in Friday's 3-1 win over Central Oklahoma. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

After dropping a 25-23 first-set decision to the Bronchos and trailing most of the second set, six straight service points from junior Autumn Gibbs, with three aces including the final two points of the set, turned the tide as the Ichabods went on to post a 3-1 win to keep its MIAA regular-season championship hopes alive.

"Autumn turned the entire match around,'' Washburn coach Chris Herron said. "We were down and she goes six in a row, so it completely turned the match around.''

"I feel confident being able to serve aggressively because I know my teammates have got my back and I feel like I can go out there and no matter how I perform they're going to have my back,'' Gibbs said.

"I had a run like that at MSU and that was pretty exciting, but it's awesome when it happens because it doesn't happen often. This is a huge win and we're super excited. We've got another one tomorrow, but it's a great win.''   

 After rallying for the 25-22 second-set win, Washburn (23-3 overall, 12-3 MIAA) closed out the win with 25-19 and 25-16 wins over the Bronchos (26-4, 12-4).

Washburn will close out its regular season with a 2 p.m. home match against Arkansas-Fort Smith Saturday and the Ichabods can earn a share of the MIAA regular-season championship with a win.  

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The No. 2-ranked Washburn University men's basketball team put together an outstanding offensive performance on Friday night in its first of two games in the Central Region Challenge at Pittsburg State, shooting 61.4 percent from the field and scoring 53 second-half points in a 95-63 win over Minnesota State-Moorhead.

 

Junior Jack Bachelor led the way with 23 points Friday as No. 2 ranked Washburn improved to 3-0 with a 95-63 win over MSU-Moorhead. [File photo/TSN]

 

The 3-0 Ichabods took control early with balanced scoring and a surge midway through the first half, then broke the game wide open after halftime with an 18-6 burst that pushed the margin to over 20.

 

After trailing 5–0 in the opening minutes, Washburn responded with an 8-2 run, capped by a Bryson Smith fast-break layup. 

 

Washburn Rural product Jack Bachelor provided a spark throughout the period, scoring 13 first-half points, highlighted by a pair of transition layups and 6-for-6 shooting at the free throw line.

 

A late stretch in which Washburn scored 11 of 13 points gave the Ichabods a 42-33 halftime lead.

 

Washburn shot 46.9 percent in the opening half while scoring 26 points in the paint, turning eight Moorhead turnovers into nine fast-break points.

 

The Ichabods came out firing in the second half, putting together a 7–0 run in the first 70 seconds thanks to a Brady Christiansen corner 3-pointer and a pair of fastbreak scores from Bachelor and Smith.

 

That stretch ballooned the lead to 49-33 and forced an early MSU-Moorhead timeout.

 

Another 9-2 run, capped by a step-back Smith three and a transition layup from Bachelor, extended the margin to 61–38.

 

The Washburn advantage reached 32 points with 6:20 left as the Ichabods continued to pile up transition points and dominate the paint.

 

The second-half numbers were staggering as Washburn shot 80 percent from the field (20 of 25) and 70 percent from three (7 of 10) while scoring 53 points on just 25 shot attempts.

 

At one point in the second half the Ichabods were 18 of 19 from the field.

 

Bachelor led the way with 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-6 from deep and a perfect 6-for-6 at the line.

 

Smith delivered a highly efficient 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting with a pair of threes. Christiansen added 11 points and seven rebounds, while Dillon Claussen was a force inside with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and three blocks.

 

Jeremiah Jones added 11 points, five assists and two steals.

 

For the game, Washburn shot 35-of-57 overall (61.4 percent), 9-of-17 from three (52.9 percent) and 16-of-24 at the line while scoring 52 points in the paint, 22 points off turnovers, 20 fast-break points and 27 points from the bench.

 

Moorhead was held to 40 percent shooting and outrebounded 38–26.

 

Washburn will face Winona State on Saturday in Pittsburg.

 

Ichabod women drop 73-61 in Central Region Crossover

  

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

There's no doubt that the 2025 season has been a tough one for the Washburn University football team, with the 2-8 Ichabods suffering four one-possession losses, including a pair of three-point defeats and an overtime heartbreaker.

Senior Jordan Finnesy (1) is one of 15 Washburn seniors who will play their final collegiate game for the Ichabods Saturday at Missouri Southern. [File photo/TSN]

But Washburn will have the opportunity to finish off the season on a high note in Saturday's 1 p.m. MIAA contest at Missouri Southern. 

"We want to do whatever we can this week to get that win,'' said Washburn standout senior safety Jordan Finnesy. "Not just for the seniors but for the guys who will be going through the offseason. It just leaves a better taste in your mouth and gives you a little bit of momentum going into the offseason and then into next season.

"So it would be big to get a win this week and go out that way.''   

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn University women's basketball will head to Edmond, Okla. to tip off the 2025-26 season Friday and Saturday in the Central Region Crossover.

 

The Ichabods will face St. Cloud State at 5 p.m. on Friday and will take on No. 18-ranked Southwest Minnesota State at 1 p.m. on Saturday, with both games on the campus of Central Oklahoma.

 

Senior Yibari Nwidadah averaged 16.8 points and 8.0 rebounds last season for Washburn, earning second-team All-MIAA honors. [File photo/TSN]

Senior Payton Sterk averaged 15.7 points with 62 3-pointers last season for 18-13 Washburn, earning second-team All-MIAA recognition. [File photo/TSN]

WU coach Lora Westling, whose team went 18-13 last season and returns all five starters, said the Ichabod coaches and players are excited to get the season under way.

 

"It's time,'' Westling said. "We get those three scrimmage dates to break it up, but it's hard to simulate actual game play. Our players have been working hard, it's just we've got to figure out who we are and you can't do that until you compete.''

 

Ichabod standout senior guard Payton Sterk agreed that it's time to face off against another team.

 

"We've only played each other for however long it's been, so we're really excited to play someone else and use what we've been working on against someone else,'' Sterk said. "Both of these teams we're playing this weekend beat us last year, so we'd all like to get some revenge and want to be able to beat them and show that we've gotten better.''  

 

Westling admits that she hasn't always been pleased with her team's practices over the past four weeks, but understands that some of that is because of the high hopes for this year's team.

 

"I think part of that is because my expectations are so high for this team, which they should be,'' Westling said. "They're capable of doing some really special things. We have great people, we have talented players, so it's going to be very hard to please me this year and I think they've earned that.

  

"You want higher expectations and I think we've gotten better out of every scrimmage situation we've had, but the bar's high for this group.''

 

Sterk said the Washburn players also have extremely high hopes for the season.

 

"We have a unique opportunity this year and I think that having everyone basically returning and then adding key people, I think we all expect a lot and I think we all know that we should do a lot,'' Sterk said. "I think everyone on our team expects greatness and is striving for greatness.'' 

 

Washburn finished fifth in the MIAA regular season last winter with an 11-8 record and advanced to the MIAA Tournament semifinals. The Ichabods were picked to finish second in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll and were tabbed third by the media. Washburn received votes in the first WBCA Poll of the year.

 

Washburn is 41-15 all-time in season openers after falling 82-72 to Southwest Minnesota State last season. 

Washburn returns 10 letter-winners from last season's roster while adding four new faces in the form of three transfers and one freshman.

The experienced Ichabod roster consists of four seniors, four juniors, five sophomores and one freshman. 

Yibari Nwidadah is back for year four with the Ichabods as a senior, earning All-MIAA second-team and MIAA All-defensive team recognition as a junior after starting in 29 games and logging 28.4 minutes per game.

Nwidadah led Washburn in scoring with 16.8 points per game on 62.6 percent shooting from the floor while averaging 8.0 rebounds. The Olathe North product had 12 scoring efforts of 20-plus points and had eight double-doubles on the year. She finished first in the MIAA and third nationally in field goal percentage.

Sterk also earned All-MIAA second-team honors as a junior and was named the MIAA co-newcomer of the Year. Sterk  started in all 31 contests, logging a team-high 31.1 minutes per game while averaging 15.7 points on 41.5 percent shooting overall. She led the team with 62 3-pointers while also shooting a team-best 38.0 percent from deep.

The Colorado Springs, Colo. native grabbed 3.4 rebounds per game and averaged 2.3 assists, second most on the team. She had 10 20-plus scoring games, including three 30-plus point games. She finished second in the MIAA with 84.6 percent shooting at the free throw line and was third in the MIAA and 25th in the nation in 3-point percentage. She was also eighth in the conference in points per game.

Gabi Giovannetti enters her senior season with Washburn after being one of two players to start in all 31 games last season. She logged 27.3 minutes per game and was third on the team with an 11.6 scoring average on 41.7 percent shooting from the floor and 32.0 percent from deep with 47 made 3s, second most on the team. The Bishop Miege product also averaged 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals. Giovannetti delivered 18 double-digit scoring efforts and finished 11th in the MIAA in total 3-pointers made. 

Madelyn Amekporfor returns for her junior season after playing in 30 games and making 29 starts last season and logging 26.7 minutes per game. She averaged 7.8 points on 47.0 percent shooting from the floor while grabbing 5.2 rebounds per game, second most on the team. Defensively the Andover product averaged a team-high 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks and had nine games with 10-plus points and seven games with either three steals or blocks. 

Sophomore Brooke Gomez played in all 31 games and made 30 starts as a freshman, averaging 4.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and a team-high 2.7 assists. The Northglenn, Colo. native had five games with 5-plus assists, tops on the team. 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

After an impressive start to the 2025-2026 season with a pair of double-digit wins in Florida, No. 2-ranked Washburn University men's basketball will end a layoff of nearly two weeks when it plays back-to-back games in the Central Regional Challenge Friday and Saturday at Pittsburg State.

Sophomore Dillon Claussen is averaging 22.5 points and 12.5 rebounds through Washburn's first two games entering this weekend's Central Regional Challenge in Pittsburg. [File photo/TSN]

The Ichabods will face Minnesota State-Moorhead at 7 p.m. Friday before taking on Winona State at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Both WU foes advanced to the NCAA Central Regional Tournament last season, with the Ichabods taking a 93-65 win over the Dragons in the NCAA Central Regional Championship in Lee Arena to advance to the NCAA Elite Eight.

Washburn opened the current season in impressive fashion in Lakeland, Florda, taking a 101-53 win over Augusta, Ga. before rallying from an 11-point deficit in the first half to take an 89-77 win over No. 3-ranked Dallas Bapist.

 

"Going 2-0 was definitely the goal,'' said Washburn 6-foot-8 sophomore standout Dillon Claussen. "We wanted to come back 2-0 and against Dallas Baptist we got down early, but our coaches preach that it's a 40-minute fight, so we stayed with it and got the job done.

"Augusta was a litle short-handed, but DB is definitely a super good team and to be able to beat them like that is big.''

Washburn coach Brett Ballard also felt that the Florida trip was a solid showing for the Ichabods.

"Augusta was great because we got out to a great start and then didn't let our foot off the gas and got to play a lot of guys, so that was awesome,'' Ballard said. "And then Dallas Baptist, although you don't want to dig yourself a hole, it was a really good opportunity for us to see how we were going to react to that with a new team.

"I thought we didn't really ever flinch and loved how we had some guys off the bench come in and help us and then how we just responded to that challenge and rose to the moment. It's early, but I think that's a really positive sign for this team.''   

In Washburn's win over Augusta Ichabod junior newcomer Jeremiah Jones had eight steals and he followed that performance with seven steals against Dallas Baptist, setting a Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic record.

 

Washburn also set a team record at the event with 103 rebounds in two games, recording 53 against Augusta and 50 against Dallas Baptist.

Following the conclusion of the Hall of Fame Classic, Claussen, Jones and junior Jack Bachelor were named to the 10-person all-classic team.

 

Junior Jack Bachelor is averaging 20 points with eight 3-pointers and 13 assists for 2-0 and No. 2-ranked Washburn. [File photo/TSN]

Claussen is averaging 22.5 points and 12.5 rebounds to lead the Ichabods, while Bachelor is averaging 20 points with eight 3-pointers and 13 assists.

 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

No. 8-ranked Washburn University volleyball will be looking to build momentum for postseason this weekend when the Ichabods cap the regular season with a pair of home matches, hosting No. 7 Central Oklahoma at 6 p.m. on Friday and at 2 p.m. Saturday against Arkansas-Fort Smith for Senior Day.

"That's basically what you're trying to do right now,'' Washburn coach Chris Herron said. "Any momentum that you have you try to keep and then build on it.

"This weekend has huge implications all throughout the conference. You say you've played in big games, but this is truly two big games.'' 

 

No. 8-ranked Washburn volleyball will close out its regular season this weekend with a pair of matches in Whiting Fieldhouse. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn is 22-3 overall and 11-3 in the MIAA while Central Oklahoma enters the week on a six-match winning streak and is 25-3 on the year and Arkansas-Fort Smith is 13-14 overall after losing its last eight matches.

This weekend's matches are the Ichabods' final tuneup for the MIAA Tournament, which will begin on Friday, Nov. 20, in St. Joseph, Mo.

Before the match on Saturday Washburn will recognize its six seniors -- Austin Broadie, Sydney Conner, Alex Dvorak, Kali Henry, Bella Limback and Corinna McMullen.

 

Broadie is a five-year member of the Ichabods, playing in 114 total matches. She has 938 career kills, a .265 career hitting percentage and 232 total blocks in her career. 

McMullen has been with the Ichabods for four years, playing in 114 career matches. She has tallied 2,664 assists with 1,057 digs and served 153 aces. 

A four-year member of the WU program, Limback has played in 102 career matches. She has 548 career kills while hitting .327 and has made 294 career blocks. 

Conner is in year four with the Ichabods, playing in 112 total matches. She has dished out 1,866 career assists, served 74 aces and scooped 765 total digs. 

Henry is a four-year member of the Washburn program, appearing in 65 career matches with 42 total digs, 16 aces and 12 assists. 

Dvorak has been with the Ichabods for two seasons, playing in 51 career matches. She has 377 kills while hitting .396 and made 223 total blocks as an Ichabod. 

Broadie leads the Washburn offense with 273 kills (3.29 per set) while hitting .334, third best on the team. She has started all 25 matches and also has logged 52 blocks with 53 digs. The senior has 13 double-digit kill matches and is third in the MIAA in hitting percentage and third in the conference in points per set and fourth in kills per set. 

Limback is slashing a team-high .472 with 162 kills (2.00 per set) while playing and starting in all 25 matches. She has added 95 blocks (1.17 per set), also a team-high and served 12 aces. She has hit over .400 in all but eight matches this season with three double-digit kill efforts. She leads the nation in hitting percentage and is fourth in the MIAA in blocks per set.

Dvorak, sidelined for the season with a knee injury, ranks second on the team with 74 blocks (1.07 per set) while starting in all 22 matches she played in. Offensively she recorded 137 kills (1.99 per set) along with hitting .462, second best on the team. She recorded five or more blocks in nine matches. The senior ranks second in the nation and second in the MIAA in hitting percentage among qualified hitters. She is also seventh in the MIAA in blocks per set. 

McMullen has started all 25 matches this season and leads Washburn with 527 assists (6.43 per set). She has also chipped in a team-high 29 service aces while ranking second on the team with 219 digs (2.67 per set). McMullen has delivered 14 matches of 20-plus assists with 10 double-doubles. She ranks eighth in the conference in assists per set. 

Junior libero Taylor Rottinghaus leads the team with 344 digs (4.14 per set). She has chipped in 99 assists while serving 26 aces, second most on the team. Rottinghaus has three matches with at least 20 digs. She ranks seventh in the MIAA in digs per set and 11th in total digs. 

Freshman Brooklyn Morrisey has played in 10 matches, including two starts in WU's past two outings after the injury to Dvorak. She has made 18 kills (1.06 per set) while hitting .229. She has added 14 blocks and seven digs. 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Dillon Claussen probably could have started for a lot of college basketball programs accoss the country last season as a freshman.

But on a Washburn University team that was loaded with veterans, the 6-foot-8, 215-pounder knew he would have to wait his turn to crack the lineup and was perfectly content with his role off the bench while making an immediate impact for a 30-4 Ichabod team that made it all the way to the NCAA Division II semifinals.

Sophomore Dillon Claussen is averaging 22.5 points and 12.5 rebounds for 2-0 Washburn. [File photo/TSN] 

"Oh man, it was amazing,'' Claussen said. "I like to say that was probably the best freshman year I could have imagined. We went to the Final Four and I got to play with a bunch of other experienced players.

"As a senior, Andrew Orr had a lot of experience in the league so he taught me a lot and then I still got to play in the games, so I was super happy with it and it definitely taught me a lot and prepared me for this year when I have a bigger role.''

Claussen played an average of 15.4 minutes per game last season and averaged 7.4 points and 3.9 rebounds with 25 blocked shots while shooting 67.4 percent from the field and 70.2 percent from the free throw line.

And Claussen gives a lot of credit to last year's veterans for helping him adjust to the college game.

"Coming in as a freshman you don't know totally what it's like to be a college player and they'd been on top of their leagues,'' said Claussen, an Omaha, Neb. native. "Michael Keegan had been playing forever, Andrew Orr had been on the top of the (MIAA), really since his sophomore year.

"He'd had a huge role and (Jacob) Hanna was a super good player in his conference, so taking tips from all of them on and off the court they taught me how I could be a better person and player.''

Washburn coach Brett Ballard agreed that the season Claussen had playing behind Orr and with the other veterans was a big factor in his progress. 

"I think it's really beneficial when you come into a program with great leadership and maturity,'' Ballard said. "I think Dillon would have gone a lot of places and been successful later on, but I do think it just helped elevate him and accelorated that process a little bit because he got thrown in the fire with guys that showed him how to do it.

"And then he had to go against a guy like Andrew Orr every day. So I think that competition for Dillon in practice was really beneficial, too. You saw it last year. Andrew Orr was great and there were games the last month and a half where it was basically 50-50 because we just felt like Dillon had earned that right to play. That just showed you where he was at last year and he's taken some steps this year.''      

Claussen demonstrated that in Washburn's season-opening trip to Florida on Nov. 1st and 2nd while making the first-two starts of his college career.

Claussen scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in Washburn's 101-53 season-opening win over Augusta, Ga. and followed that up with 23 points and 12 rebounds in an 89-77 win over No. 3-ranked Dallas Baptist.