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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Topeka High girls basketball team started a new era with a young lineup and, despite some growing pains, were encouraged by what they saw in a 44-40 loss to Wamego at Topeka High Thursday.
Topeka High coach Britney Redmond gives instructions to her team during Thursday's 44-40 loss to Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka High senior Ladaysha Baird fights for a loose ball in Thursday's 44-40 loss to Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Trojans played just one player – Ladaysha Baird – who was older than a sophomore. Baird is one of two holdovers from last year’s team that went 16-6 and came just short of a trip to the 6A state tournament.
The young Trojans fell behind by 12 in the second period, but they didn’t wilt. They struck back after halftime, outscoring the Lady Raiders 12-2 in the third period. Topeka High claimed the lead 29-28 early in the fourth and kept it close the rest of the way.
“I think we have the youngest team in the state of Kansas. We didn’t play our best and still only lost by four,” said Topeka High coach Brittney Redmond. “I know the identity of this team and I told them ‘Hey, second half, things are going to go our way.’ ”
The Trojans were led in scoring by freshman Ahsieryrhajh Rayton with 16. In all, Topeka High played three freshmen and three sophomores in addition to Baird.
“There were a lot of nerves. I don’t think they knew what to expect today,” Redmond said. “I think they exceeded my expectations. I’m extremely proud of this group. I know this is only just the beginning.”
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Topeka High boys basketball team used a balanced attack to open its season with a 58-38 victory over Wamego at Topeka High Thursday night.
Da'Mykel Hales led a balanced Topeka High attack with 14 points in Thursday's 58-38 season-opening win over Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Isaiah Lyons scored 10 points as Topeka High opened the season with a 58-38 win over Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Against a team that handed them a season-opening 62-47 defeat a year ago, Topeka High got off to a hot start. The Trojans jumped out to a 17-12 advantage, which they stretched to 28-21 at halftime.
After leading 38-28 after three quarters, the Trojans slammed the door on the Raiders, outscoring the visitors 20-10 in the final period.
The Trojans return several players from a team that won just three games a year ago.
“Getting this first win really boosts our confidence a lot,” said senior guard Isaiah Lyons. “We’re ready to turn this program around. Coming in, we had a lot of talk about us being the underdog. But we’re here to prove that we’re going to win.”
Four players recorded at least eight points for Topeka High, and all seven who played tallied at least four points. The Trojans were paced by Da’Mykel Hales with 14, Miguel Villegas with 12 and Lyons with 10.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's defense kept the Vikings in Thursday night's season-opener against Lansing until the offense heated up.
And when that happened in a 20-point third quarter, Seaman took control on the way to a 58-49 United Kansas Conference win at Seaman.
Seaman sophomore KaeVon Bonner (13), who scored a game-high 28 points, is congratulated by his teammates after a dunk early in the fourth quarter gave the Vikings an 18-point lead. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman (1-0, 1-0) had trouble getting untracked on the offensive end early on, with Lansing (0-1, 0-1) leading by as many as eight points early in the second quarter.
But Seaman never lost contact and was within two points, 26-24, at the half and ended the third quarter with a 16-6 run to take a 44-36 lead into the fourth.
"We were fortunate that we were pretty darn good defensively, even though they did hit five 3-pointers, to be in a two-point ballgame as sluggish as we were offensively,'' Seaman coach Craig Cox said. "I felt good about that and then we put it all together and really looked how we'd hoped we'd look in that third quarter.''
The Vikings then opened the fourth quarter with 10 straight points, including the final eight by sophomore KaeVon Bonner, to open up a commanding 54-36 advantage with 5:19 left.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's girls basketball team entered Thursday's season-opener as a big favorite over United Kansas Conference foe Lansing, but there were definitely still some things Viking coach Matt Tinsley wanted his team to accomplish.
Seaman senior Taylin Stallbaumer led all scorers with 21 points, including three 3-pointers, in the Vikings' 82-11 season-opening win over Lansing. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Junior Anna Becker (23) scored 20 points in Seaman's 82-11 season-opening win over Lansing. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And for the most part, the Vikings achieved those objectives and then some, rolling to an 82-11 home rout over the Lions.
"I wanted the girls to continue to share the basketball,'' Tinsley said. "I thought they did a good job of finding the open girl to shoot it and I thought we were focused, we were sharp.
"I told the girls after the game it looked like the only thing that was on their mind for 32 minutes was basketball and that's how we wanted it to be.''
Lansing (0-1, 0-1) was actually down by just a point at 7-6 after two 3-pointers in the opening three minutes, but the Lions managed just five points the rest of the night as Seaman (1-0, 1-0) turned in a dominating performance.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University soccer heads to Ashland, Ohio for Friday's 2 p.m. (Central time) round three NCAA Tournament game against rival Emporia State.
Washburn junior Khloe Schuckman (11) leads the Ichabods with nine goals entering Friday's third round of the NCAA tournaent against Emporia State. [File photo/TSN]
Friday's game will be the fourth meeting of the season between the No. 1 seeded (Central Region) Ichabods and No. 2 Hornets.
All three previous WU-ESU games have been decided by a single goal, with the Hornets holding a 2-1 edge.
Washburn advanced to the third round with a 3-2 overtime win over Central Missouri while Emporia State with a 2-1 win No. 6 seed Bemidji State.
After hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Topeka the Ichabods are in Ashland, Ohio, the site of No. 1 seed Ashland University from the Midwest Region, where the third and fourth rounds will be played.
From the Midwest Region Ashland and No. 3 Grand Valley State are on the other side of the bracket and will play at 5 p.m. on Friday following the Washburn-Emporia State game.
The two winners will face each other on Sunday at 2 p.m.
