TOPEKA (KSNT) — Washburn men’s and women’s basketball welcomed Rogers State to Topeka Thursday for an MIAA double meet.
For the first time this season, Washburn swept his opponent. Ichabod’s men won 78-67, while the women won 60-53.
Men summary:
Going three-game hitting streak, Ichabod’s men looked to keep the momentum going against a Rogers State team that had given up a 17-point halftime lead earlier in the season.
Thursday’s game opened like a dog fight, with both teams trading buckets beforehand. A triple by Rogers State tied the game at 12 midway through the first half.
A 19-5 run by the Ichabods opened up a 14-point lead for Washburn. The two schools traded buckets for the remainder of the first half. The ‘Bods took a 38-25 lead at halftime.
The two teams matched buckets early in the second half, with Washburn leading 53–42 with 12 minutes left. The Hillcats then went on a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to just two points.
Washburn and Rogers State traded field goals, matching that two-point lead four different times. Then, the Ichabods went on a 13-5 run to push the lead back up to ten.
Free throws helped Washburn hold the lead the rest of the game, holding on to a 78-67 win.
Andrew Orr led the team with 20 points. Michael Keegan added 16. Tyler Nelson had 13 and Levi Braun had 11.
The win marks a four-game hitting streak for the Ichabods, after starting the conference at 2-6. Washburn now sits at .500: 9-9 overall and 6-6 in conference play.
Women’s Summary:
The women entered Thursday’s contest having lost four consecutive games. The last time these two schools played, the Ichabods pulled off a 55-45 victory.
Thursday’s game started out as a defensive battle, but slowly turned into an offensive affair. The two schools were tied at 8 after the first quarter.
The second quarter remained defensive until the end. The Ichabods finished on a 7-0 run to go up 23-15 at the half. Aubree Dewey hit a 3 near mid court as time expired to give Ichabod even more momentum in the locker room.
The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair. Rogers State cut the deficit to just three, then Washburn extended the lead to 11. The two schools tied in the period. Then, the Ichabods pulled out an eight-point lead entering the fourth quarter.
The fourth was very similar to the third. Both teams brought down big shots. The Hillcats cut the deficit to three with 16 seconds to play, but free throws and a layup by Dewey held off Rogers State, helping Washburn hold on to a 60-53 win.
Yiibari Nwidadah led the Ichabods off the bench with a performance of 13 points and 13 rebounds. Macy Doebele provided 12 points off the bench and Dewey finished with seven points and nine assists.
The win ends a four-game losing streak for the Washburn women. The Ichabods now hold an 8-10 record, 4-8 in conference play.
Both the Washburn men and women will host the Northeast State on Saturday.
