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Trojan boys open Robbie Sanders era with dominating 82-54 romp past Wamego
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Topeka High graduate Robbie Sanders, a longtime assistant at Topeka High and Shawnee Heights, recorded his first victory as a head coach Thursday as his alma mater ran away from guest Wamego, 82-54.
Former Topeka High star Robbie Sanders notched his first win as a head coach Thursday night, with the Trojans rolling to an 82-54 win over Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Trojans demonstrated some firepower they didn’t have a year ago when they won just one game against 19 losses. Thursday, Topeka High exploded out of the gate for 26 first-quarter points, then put up another 26 in the second period to lead 52-29 at the half.
“I’ve been waiting my whole life for this moment. I’m just so happy and proud to lead these guys in this program,” Sanders said. “I was emotional. I feel like I put a lot of work in over the years, and I’ve prepared for this moment. But my emotions… I struggled. I saw my dad. I saw my mom up there, and I almost lost it. I had to go back in the office and sit down for a little while.
“But I knew the guys were ready. I knew we would play pretty well, but they surprised the heck out of me by how hard they competed tonight.”
In the locker room, Sanders was presented the game ball by Topeka High administrators in recognition of his first victory. And he had some familiar faces – the Shawnee Heights team – in the stands behind him. Sanders even paused at halftime to shake the hands of the T-Birds in attendance and thank them for being there.
“That’s my family. I love those guys at Shawnee Heights, coach (Ken) Darting and all the players, and I was really happy to see them,” Sanders said. “It feels a little weird not coaching them anymore. But I love the guys that I got right now.”
Senior Bryson McComas scored a game-high 24 points Thursday as Topeka High opened its season with an 82-54 win over Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sanders started five seniors who combined for 69 of the Trojans’ 82 points. Bryson McComas led the team with 24 points, with Elisha Guest and Jalen Aldridge tossing in 16 and 15, respectively.
“These seniors believed. They never gave up,” Sanders said. “Any of them could have tried to quit, transfer, go somewhere else and see greener pastures. They believed in each other. They believed in me.”
No. 2-ranked Washburn men to host Ottawa in final tuneup for start of MIAA play
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.
Ichabod women drop 53-49 OT decision to St. Mary's in Thanksgiving Classic
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The first seven points of the game came from Washburn (3-2) as five were scored by senior Payton Sterk.
The Rattlers (4-0) did not get on the board until the 6:45 mark in the opening frame. A layup inside from Britany Kogbara pushed the Washburn lead to nine points and a triple by Aniah Wayne made it 17-7 with 1:47 left in the first quarter. St. Mary's made it a single digit game trailing 17-9 after one.
The Rattlers scored the first five points of the second quarter, pulling within two and eventually tying the game at 19 at the 4:35 mark. The Ichabods shot just 3 of 12 from the field in the quarter as St. Mary's went in front, 23-21. Sterk hit a layup in the final seconds of the half to tie the game at 23.
Brooke Gomez connected from deep to open the second half for Washburn. Both teams traded baskets throughout much of the third quarter, with both shooting exactly 3 of 11 in the 10-minute period. Sterk finished the scoring in the quarter with a 3-pointer to put Washburn up 34-31 heading into the fourth.
With four points to start the quarter the Ichabod lead grew to seven after Madelyn Amekporfor hit a pair of free throws with 8:08 to play. St. Mary's began to chip away from that point, tying the game with 3:34 to play and going in front 43-41 on the next possession. The Rattlers led by two into the final minute until Sterk hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 45. Yibari Nwidadah made a block on the ensuing defensive possession, but the final Washburn offensive possession came up empty, resulting in overtime.
Neither team scored until the Rattlers got a free throw with 3:01 left in the extra period. Sterk scored a layup to put the Ichabods in front 47-46 at the 2:39 mark, but the next seven points came from the home team as St. Mary's took control.
