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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

As a four-year member of the Topeka High boys basketball program, senior Jalen Aldridge has had an up-close look at the Trojans' recent struggles, including a 1-19 record a year ago and nine total victories over the previous three seasons.

Senior Jalen Aldridge led Topeka High with 15 points in Friday's 69-62 Topeka Invitational Tournament win over Lansing. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

And Aldridge and his Trojan teammates are savoring every moment of what has been a dramatic turnaround this season, including a 69-62 win over Lansing on Friday at Highland Park that put High in the Topeka Invitational championship game for the first time since 2019.

"We had a hard time during the years and it's a blessing to be going to the championship,'' Aldridge said. "It comes in practice. You've got to work hard and you've got to get everybody involved and nobody's left out over here.

"We do our best and work hard to get to where we need to be.''  

The 8-5 Trojans have already posted their highest win total since the 2019-2020 season and will be looking for their first Topeka Invitational title since 1998 when they square off with USD 501 rival Topeka West at 7 p.m. Monday in the tournament championship game. West earned its second straight trip to the Topeka Invitational final with an 86-64 win over Wichita Northwest in the first semifinal.

"We wanted to hold up our part of the bargain,'' first-year Topeka High coach Robbie Sanders said of the all-city matchup. "This is the Topeka Invitational Tournament and usually its an out-of-town team, so when we had the opportunity to face off against Topeka West in the championship we had to hold up our end of the bargain.''  

After knocking off Shawnee Mission East in overtime in the opening round of the tournament on Thursday, Topeka High played another nailbiter against Lansing in a game that included 23 lead changes and 11 ties.

Topeka High led 13-11 at the end of the first quarter, trailed the 4-6 Lions 26-25 at the half and led 50-48 at the end of the third quarter.

Freshman Jaxon Luarks scored 11 points, including the go-ahead basket in the closing seconds as Topeka High took a 69-62 victory over Lansing Friday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

The game continued to go back and forth through the bulk of the fourth quarter, with Topeka High trailing 62-61 with less than a minute remaining before freshman Jaxon Luarks converted a follow shot with 42 seconds left to put the Trojans ahead to stay as High scored the final eight points.

Senior Bryson McComas (4) celebrates a big play in Topeka High's 69-62 Topeka Invitational win over Lansing. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Aldridge led the Trojans with 15 points while fellow seniors Elisha Guest and Bryson McComas added 12 apiece and Luarks scored 11.

"We're growing up, and we're getting contributions off the bench from the young players,'' Sanders said. "First of all, hats off to Lansing. That's a well-coached team and that was a tough game, but I'm just proud of the guys.'' 

Junior Mekhi Stephens led Lansing with a game-high 23 points (four 3-pointers) while junior Deacon Manthe added 13 for the Lions.

TOPEKA HIGH 69, LANSING 62

Topeka High 13 12 25 19 -- 69

Lansing          11 15 22 14 -- 62

Topeka High (8-5) – Aldridge 4-7 5-6 15, Guest 5-14 0-0 12, McComas 4-16 3-5 12, McFadden 3-7 1-1 9, Redmond 1-3 4-4 6, Ross 1-5 0-0 2, Carter 0-0 0-0 0, Luarks 5-8 1-1 11, Campbell 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 24-62 14-17 69.

Lansing (4-7) – Mehki Stephens 7-13 5-8 23, Heim 0-1 0-0 0, Manthe 6-8 1-2 13, Anderson 2-3 0-0 4, Wilson 4-8 1-1 9, Mattingly 0-0 1-2 1, Mason Stephens 1-2 0-0 3, Bolden 4-9 0-0 9. Totals 24-44 8-13 62.

3-point goals – Topeka High 7 (Aldridge 2, Guest 2, McFadden 2, McComas), Lansing 6 (Mehki Stephens 4, Mason Stephens, Bolden). Total fouls – Topeka High 17, Lansing 16. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.

TOPEKA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

RESULTS FRIDAY

Topeka West 86, Wichita Northwest 64

Topeka High 69, Lansing 62

St. Thomas Aquinas 68, Highland Park 47

SM East 60, SM North 52 

GAMES MONDAY

(All games in Ken Darting Gym)

3:30 p.m. -- Third place: Wichita NW vs. Lansing.

5 -- Seventh place: Highland Park vs. SM North.

7 -- Championship: Topeka West vs. Topeka High.

Note: St. Thomas Aquinas and SM East will play the fifth-place game Monday at SM East.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Due to forecasted weather this weekend Washburn University's women's basketball's game with Missouri Western has been moved up to 4 p.m. Friday in Lee Arena.

 

Washburn women's basketball will host Missouri Western at 4 p.m. Friday in a game that was moved up a day to due to forecasted inclement weather. [File photo/TSN]

 

Washburn improved to 13-5 overall and 6-3 in the MIAA with a 45-38 Wednesday night win over Northwest Missouri State while Missouri Western fell to 6-12, 2-7 with an 80-71 road loss at Central Missouri on Wednesday.

 

The Ichabods will be looking to avenge a 75-67 loss to the Griffons on Jan. 7 in St. Joseph, Mo.

 

Senior Yibari Nwidadah is averaging team-highs of 13.2 points and 8.1 rebounds for the Ichabods and coming off a double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds in the win over Northwest Missouri.

 

With 278 career offensive rebounds Nwidadah is third in program history and she ranks fifth in overall rebounding with with 761 career boards. 

 

Her career field goal percentage of .579 is the second best in program history and she ranks 13th among all Ichabods with 1,216 career points. 

 

Nwidadah had 23 points and 13 rebounds in the earlier loss to Missouri Western.

 

Senior Payton Sterk led all scorers with 16 points on 7-13 shooting against the Bearcats and is averaging 11.7 points with a team-high 29 3-pointers.

 

Sterk's career free throw percentage of 85.4 percent is the best for any Ichabod. 

 

Senior Gabi Giovannetti averages 10.8 points for the Ichabods with a 27 3-pointers and a team-high 1.8 steals per game.

 

Missouri Western leads the MIAA and is 14th in the nation in 3-pointers per game at 8.3. The Griffons are second in the conference in 3-point percentage and fourth in field goal percentage.

 

Mia Morel leads Missouri Western with a 14.3 scoring average along with 3.6 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game for the Ichabods.

 

Ana Olivera Dias is averaging 13.5 points and Nakiya Harris 11.5 points.

 

Washburn has a 58-49 lead in the all-time series with Missouri Western and the Ichabods are 29-18 against Missouri Western in Lee Arena. 

 

After Friday's game Washburn heads back on the road for three games, beginning with Fort Hays State on Thursday. 

 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The No. 1-ranked Washburn Ichabods men's basketball team will look for its 20th win of the season as the Ichabods play host to Missouri Western at 6 p.m. on Friday in Lee Arena in a game that has been moved up a day because of the weather forecast.

No. 1-ranked Washburn will be aiming for its 20th straight win in Friday's 6 p.m. MIAA home game against Missouri Western. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn enters the game with a 19-0 and is 9-0 in the MIAA, one of two remaining undefeated teams in Division II after topping Northwest Missouri by 50 in a 94-44 home win on Wednesday.

The Griffons are 13-7 overall and 5-4 in the conference after falling at Central Missouri 97-83 last time out.

The Ichabods defeated the Griffons on Jan. 7 in St. Joseph, 87-75.

Washburn is looking for its 32nd 20-win season in program history and their sixth under coach Brett Ballard in his ninth season on the Ichabod bench.

The Ichabods lead NCAA Division II in scoring margin at plus 28.2 points per game and are ranked third in field goal percentage at 52.3 percent.

WU is second in rebound margin (plus 12.7) and has not been out-rebounded in a game this season and has only been tied twice (Lubbock Christian and Emporia State).

The Ichabods' 19-game winning streak is the longest in D-II after Daemen lost on Jan. 21 to Gannon, ending its 20-game winning streak.

The 19-game winning streak by the Ichabods is tied for the fourth-longest in program history. 

Washburn's 50-point Wednesday win over the Bearcats was the largest in the series history.

Junior Jeremiah Jones' nine steals tied the school record with Larry Farmer set vs. Friends on Nov. 26, 1996.

Sophomore Dillon Claussen paced Washburn with 18 points on 4-of-5 shooting night and a perfect 10-for-10 at the free-throw line while junior Jack Bachelor added 14 points, including three 3-pointers.

Noah King averages a team-high 17.6 points for Missouri Western while Seaman product Ty Henry is scoring 11.5 points per game, Marko Pavlovic 11.4 and William Kiburis 10.4. 

Friday's game will be the 110th between the two schools, with Washburn leading the series, 65-44.

Washburn has won the last five in the series and 10 of the last 13. However, each time the Griffons threatened, Washburn answered, keeping Western at arm's length.

Claussen led Washburn with 18 points in the earlier Ichabod win over the Griffons and eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks.

Senior Sam Ungashick provided a big lift off the bench against Western with a season-high 18 points on 7 of 10 shooting and Bachelor added 16 points.

After Friday Washburn is back on the road for a three-game road trip starting at Fort Hays State on Jan. 29.

Washburn will then face Nebraska-Kearney on Jan. 31 and Central Missouri on Feb. 7 before returning home on Feb. 12 to host Arkansas-Fort Smith.