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By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
The Class 4A No. 3-ranked Hayden Lady Wildcats entered Emporia rolling hot, getting off to a 9-0 start to the season and looked to continue that streak Friday against against the Lady Spartans.
Senior Millie Ramsey led undefeated Hayden in Friday's 56-16 Centennial League win over Emporia. [File photo/TSN]
![Senior Brylee Meier scored 14 points in Friday's 56-16 Hayden win over Emporia. {File photo/TSN]](/images/BryleeMeier2025TH-1.jpg)
Senior Brylee Meier scored 14 points in Friday's 56-16 Hayden win over Emporia. {File photo/TSN]
The Wildcats would get off to a big start led by their starting five, featuring four seniors and one freshman.
Hayden would take an 18-7 lead after the first quarter and went on to build a 37-7 halftime advantage over its Centennial League rival, led by seniors Milie Ramsey and Brylee Meier.
It would be all Wildcats from there on out as Hayden would roll to a 56-16 win over the Lady Spartans, which had three freshmen in its starting five.
“They are a very improving team, so it was nice that we came out and didn’t overlook them because we beat them big already this year and its natural for you to kind of take it easy,'' Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said. "But we didn’t and I was proud of our girls for that.”
The Wildcats got big nights again from both of their 6-foot seniors, with Ramsey leading all scorers with 17 points and Meier add another 14 points.
“It’s big, we’re a pretty balanced team and having them to go in the paint and their ability to shoot the ball is obviously big strengths for us,” Reynoldson said.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
With Highland Park waiting in the wings after a win in Friday's first semifinal, the quest for Topeka West was clear, to secure an all-city Topeka Invitational Tournament championship game for the first time in 21 seasons.
Junior Keimani Paul led a balanced Topeka West attack with 16 points in the Chargers' 71-59 Topeka Invitational semifinal victory over Olathe East. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Kamoni Ford scored 15 points with three 3-pointers in Friday's 71-59 Topeka Invitational semifinal win over Olathe East. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
And the Chargers went out and took care of their part with their sixth straight win, a 71-59 romp over Olathe East at Topeka High.
"We've been waiting for this one for a long time,'' West junior Keimani Paul said. "We've been wanting to play them (the Scots) for the last two years and we're hungry for this one. We're going to go get it.''
With the win Topeka West will put its 8-2 record on the line against the 10-0 Scots in a 2:30 p.m. championship game, the first city final since West topped Seaman in the 2004 championship game.
Olathe East (6-4) built early 4-0 and 7-3 leads before the Chargers rallied to take a 26-18 advantage at the end of the opening quarter and never trailed again.
"We went out knowing we wanted to win this game because we wanted to play HP and we saw that they just won, so we were hungry all through it,'' Paul said.
West built its lead to 14 points (46-32) by the end of the first half and led by 18 early in the third quarter (50-32) and 62-45 after three quarters.
The Chargers went on to go in front by 20 points (69-49) with 5:10 remaining before Olathe East made up some ground in garbage time.
"The guys came out and they executed well,'' West coach Christian Ulsaker said. "The same thing I said yesterday against Lansing, when you take a way a team's favorite two options on offense it makes it very difficult for them offensively and I think our guys attacked the rim super hard.
"Even if we didn't finish at times they attacked the rim hard on offense and we were able to draw some fouls and finally knocked down the free throws compared to last night.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Fans have grown accustomed to Highland Park's boys basketball team running up and down the court with numerous dunks and highlight-film plays.
Senior Mikey Williams scored a game-high 17 points Friday as Highland Park advanced to its third straight Topeka Invitational championship game with a 52-41 semifinal win over Lawrence. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Highland Park senior Ja'Corey Robinson scored 13 points Friday in the Scots' 52-41 semifinal win over Lawrence in the Topeka Invitational Tournament. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But Friday night was more about getting the job done at a slower, grind-it-out pace, with the 10-0 and top-ranked (Class 5A) Scots advancing to the Topeka Invitational Tournament championship game for the third straight season with a 52-41 semifinal win over Lawrence at Topeka High.
"When it comes down to it, we're going to see games like we've had over the last couple of nights,'' said Scots coach Mike Williams, whose team took a 12-point win over Shawnee Mission North in Thursday's opening round. "Over the last couple of years I can count on two fingers the single-digit games that we've gotten in the regular season.
"So we've found pockets to get a few more games that are kind of challenging us in a different way and we're seeing different things show up for our guys. Some things aren't as good at times, but it's OK. It's not the end of the world if we get out there and make a mistake or two. That allows us as coaches to do our job.''
Highland Park, which has won 19 Topeka Invitational titles, trailed just once, at 2-1, in the game, but the Lions (2-6) were able to stay within single-digits most of the night before the Scots closed out the 11-point victory to earn a berth in Saturday's 2:30 p.m. championship game against city rival Topeka West.
The Scots led 8-5 after a slow-paced opening quarter and led 22-12 at the half after senior Mikey Williams scored three straight points to end the second quarter.
Highland Park went up 13 points (29-16) with 5:42 left in the third quarter on a 3-pointer from senior Da'Mykel Hales but Lawrence got within six late in the third before Scot senior Ja'Corey Robinson hit a follow shot at the buzzer to put Hi Park up 33-25 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Lawrence got no closer, with Highland Park leading by as many as 14 points (43-29) midway through the final quarter.
Williams scored a game-high 17 points to lead three Scots in double figures, with Robinson adding 13 points and Hales 11 with three 3-pointers.
Lawrence got a team-high 11 points from freshman Joey Dooley while senior Aden Ramirez added nine points.
Scot coach Mike Williams wasn't surprised to get a test from Lawrence, which has advanced to the Topeka Invitational championship game nine times since 2010 with four titles and a championship-game loss to the Scots in 2023.
"They've got pride,'' Williams said of the Lions. "Highland Park and Lawrence is a traditional matchup in the TIT. They know that, the fans know that, their school knows that.
"The coaches have pride and they're going to get their kids out there and compete, and when you get in tournament play, records are out the window. I'm just happy our guys were able to get a challenge and overcome.''
HIGHLAND PARK 52, LAWRENCE 41
Lawrence 5 7 13 16 -- 41
Highland Park 8 14 11 19 -- 52
Lawrence (2-6) – Johnson 1-4 0-0 3, Ramirez 2-5 4-4 9, Foster 3-3 0-2 6, Roman Nose 3-8 1-2 7, Dooley 4-8 1-1 11, Becker 0-0 0-0 0, Simar 1-2 0-2 2, Doleman 1-2 0-0 3. Totals: 15-32 6-12 41.
Highland Park (10-0) – Wilson 2-5 0-0 5, Hales 4-7 0-0 11, Kelley 2-4 0-0 4, Williams 6-13 5-8 17, Robinson 4-7 4-6 13, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Kingcannon 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 19-38 9-14 52.
3-point goals – Lawrence 5 (Dooley 2, Johnson, Ramirez, Doleman), Highland Park 5 (Hales 3, Wilson, Robinson). Total fouls – Lawrence 13, Highland Park 14. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.
Lansing pulls away late to top Topeka High
For the second straight night Topeka High put itself in a position to post its first win of the season.
But after Topeka High took a six-point lead at 55-49 with 4:10 left, Lansing scored the final 14 points of the night to take a 63-55 win on Friday on the Trojans' home court.
High fell to 0-10 on the season while Lansing improved to 2-8.
"I told the guys, this one's on me,'' Topeka High coach Geo Lyons said. "I knew we were playing at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, no band, no student section. It was like a middle school basketball game and I didn't have my team ready to go and that's what it came down to.
"And once a team already has it on and then you try to turn it on, it's hard to play catchup. We put so much energy into trying to get back into the basketball game and even taking the lead that we just didn't have it down the stretch and really that came down to we were mentally tired.''
Topeka High led 16-10 after one quarter but the Lions rallied to take a 31-29 advantage at the half.
The Trojans led 45-43 at the start of the final period and held a lead until Lansing went in front to stay with 2:14 remaining.
Junior Jalen Aldridge led Topeka High with 19 points while junior Octavian McFadded added 16 points.
Junior Jesse Wilson came off the bench to lead Lansing with a game-high 21 points.
LANSING 63, TOPEKA HIGH 55
Topeka High 16 15 14 10 -- 55
Lansing 10 19 14 20 -- 63
Topeka High (0-10) – Guest 3-9 0-0 9, McFadden 7-10 0-0 16, Aldridge 7-14 2-3 17, Campbell 1-2 0-0 2, McComas 3-6 3-6 9, Redmond 0-5 0-0 0, Wilkerson 0-3 0-0 0, Trotter 0-0 0-0 0, Carter 0-3 0-0 0, Dingle 0-1 0-0 0, Mallory 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 22-56 5-9 55.
Lansing (2-8) – Stephens 8-18 0-2 18, Heim 1-4 0-0 2, Zimmerman 0-7 1-2 1, Mattingly 2-6 4-5 8, Boden 5-8 0-0 13, Anderson 0-0 0-0 0, Wilson 6-9 9-14 21. Totals: 22-52 14-23 63.
3-point goals – Topeka High 6 (Guest 3, McFadden 2, Aldridge), Lansing 5 (Boden 3, Stephens 2). Total fouls – Topeka High 22, Lansing 8. Fouled out – McComas. Technical fouls – none.
TOPEKA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
RESULTS FRIDAY
Wichita SE 69, SM North 66
Lansing 63, Topeka High 55
Highland Park 52, Lawrence 41
Topeka West 71, Olathe East 59
GAMES SATURDAY
10 a.m. -- Topeka High vs. SM North (seventh place).
11:30 -- Wichita SE vs. Lansing (fifth place).
1 p.m. -- Lawrence vs. Olathe East (third place).
2:30 -- Highland Park vs. Topeka West (championship).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball will put its three-game winning streak on the line Saturday as the Ichabods head to St. Joseph, Mo. for a 1:30 p.m. contest against Missouri Western.
MIAA player of the week Yibari Nwidadah leads Washburn in scoring and rebounding and leads the nation in field goal percentage. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods are11-8 on the year and 5-4 in the MIAA after beginning their road swing with a 71-60 win over Northwest Missouri on Wednesday.
Missouri Western fell to 11-6 overall and 6-3 in the MIAA with a 68-62 overtime battle to Central Missouri at home on Wednesday.
Saturday's contest against Missouri Western will be the 106th all-time meeting between the two teams.
Washburn opened up the 2025 calendar year inside Lee Arena with an 88-73 win over Missouri Western, snapping the Griffons' seven-game winning streak.
Junior Yibari Nwidadah leads Washburn with a 17.8 scoring average and 7.5 rebounds while also shooting a team-high 67.0 percent from the field. Nwidadah has started all 17 games she has played in, logging 27.5 minutes per game. She has shot at or above 50.0 percent in all but one game and has four double-doubles.
The Olathe North product has the best field goal percentage in the nation while ranking second in the MIAA in points per game and eighth in rebounds. She has 15-plus points in 12 games this year. She was named the MIAA Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week on Monday for the first time in her career.
With 194 career offensive rebounds Nwidadah is seventh in program history. She needs 23 offensive boards to move up to sixth. In overall rebounds she is 15th in Washburn history with 519. Her career field goal percentage of .585 is the best in program history. In scoring she ranks 38th with 807 career points.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High sophomore girls basketball standout Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton and Shawnee Heights junior bowler Henry Schattilly have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2024-2025 school year.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Rayton and Schattilly over the past week:
Sophomore Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton has been named the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency female Rising Star of the week. [File photo/TSN]
AHSIEYRHUAJH RAYTON, Topeka High
Rayton scored 34 points last Friday in an 80-33 Centennial League home win over Junction City and had 19 points in a 53-45 non-league win over previously-unbeaten Highland Park on Tuesday in a matchup between USD 501 rivals.
Rayton, a 5-foot-6 guard, has helped lead Topeka High get off to a 5-3 record this season, with the Trojans already equaling their victory total for the entire 2023-2024 campaign.
Shawnee Heights junior Henry Schattilly, a Class 5A state medalist for the state-champion T-Birds last season, has been named the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency male Rising Star of the Week. [File photo/TSN]
HENRY SCHATTILLY, Topeka West
Schattilly bowled a perfect 300 game in a meet at Lawrence on Tuesday and won individual titles in that meet and the Shawnee Heights quadrangular on Wednesday, leading defending Class 5A state champion Heights to team titles in both events.
Schattilly bowled his 300 in his second game at Lawrence to take individual honors with a 693 series while helping the T-Birds win the team title by a 2,703-2,342 margin over Free State. Schattilly won his second individual championship in as many days on Wednesday at Gage Bowl, rolling a 643 series to claim top honors as the T-Birds finished first as a team by a 2,479-2,306 margin over Piper.
