Starting introductions
The Washburn Ichabods will continue MIAA play as they will face an undefeated team for the second straight game when they take on the Fort Hays State Tigers. Washburn (5-3, 0-1 MIAA) is coming off a 63-59 loss at Northwest Missouri while the Tigers (7-0, 1-0 MIAA) topped Lincoln 78-65 on the road on Nov. 30.

Game Quick Facts . . .
Game No. 9 - Washburn (5-3, 0-1 MIAA) at Fort Hays State (7-0, 1-0 MIAA)
Game Notes: Washburn | Fort Hays State
Date: Dec. 7, 2011
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Hays, Kan.
Arena: Gross Memorial Coliseum
Radio: AM 580 WIBW
Online Audio: Through wusports.com (free)
Online Video: Through America One
Television: None
Live Stats: Through fhsuathletics.com
Washburn Head Coach: Bob Chipman (Kansas State, 1973) - 701-291, 33rd season
Fort Hays State Head Coach: Mark Johnson (Pittsburg State, 1993) - 214-89, 11th season
Series History: Washburn leads 83-66

Ichabods on the radio
Washburn basketball games can be heard live on AM 580 WIBW. The game can also be heard on the internet at www.wusports.com by following the “Live Audio” link on the basketball schedule page. Mark Elliott will have the call on the radio with Jake Lebahn providing color commentary.

The coaches
Washburn Ichabod head basketball coach Bob Chipman is in his 33rd season at the helm of the Ichabod basketball program. Chipman is 701-291 (.707) overall and he has 460 wins since the Ichabods joined the MIAA - the most of any teams in the league since the 1991-92 season. Chipman has led the Ichabods to the MIAA Tournament 19 times collecting an all-time league-best 29 wins going 29-16 with a .675 winning percentage during tournament play. In home games, Chipman has amassed a 408-77 (.840) record going 353-65 in Lee Arena and 54-12 in Whiting Fieldhouse. Chipman is 11th amongst all NCAA II coaches in winning percentage who have coached at least 10 seasons. Among that group, he is second in all-time coaching victories in active coaches in career victories. Among all coaches who have at least 10 years experience in DII, he is 25th in winning percentage and seventh in victories. At Washburn he has led the Ichabods to 11 conference regular season titles (9 MIAA), 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and the 1987 NAIA National Championship. Chipman is 34-17 against the Bearcats.
Fort Hays State head coach Mark Johnson is 214-89 (.705) in his career, now in his 11th season. Johnson became just the third coach in FHSU history to reach 200 wins in men's basketball on February 5, 2011 with a win over Washburn in Hays. He joined Cade Suran (257) and Bill Morse (235) as the only coaches to reach 200 wins at FHSU. Johnson is the second-fastest to 200 wins among the three, as Morse reached the mark in just 241 games, while Johnson did it in 285 games. Johnson has guided the Tigers to 20 or more wins in six seasons now after a 26-7 mark last year. He is just one shy of Bill Morse for most 20-win seasons at FHSU, as Morse has seven. He is 10-2 against the Ichabods.

Last time out for the Ichabods • NWMSU 65, WU 59 • 12/03/11
MARYVILLE, Mo. -- The Washburn Ichabods dropped their MIAA falling to Northwest Missouri 65-59 in Bearcat Arena.
A Will McNeill free throw with 1:44 remaining put Washburn up 58-57 but on the Bearcats' next possession Bryston Williams recorded a traditional 3-point play to put the Ichabods back in front 60-58 with 1:06 to play in the game.
Washburn came up empty on its next possession and Kyle Haake hit a fade away 18 footer putting the Bearcats up 62-58 with 39 seconds left. The Ichabods again came up empty and were forced to foul. The Bearcats (7-0, 2-0 MIAA) hit one free throw to take a five-point lead at 63-58 with 18 seconds left.
Martin Mitchell was fouled with 12.9 seconds left sending him to line where he hit one trimming the Bearcat lead to four at 63-59. Washburn was forced to foul where the Bearcats hit both their final throws in the final eight seconds to seal the win.
The Ichabods led 37-29 at the break surviving a scoring outbreak by the Bearcat's DeAngelo Hailey who scored 17 straight points going for 18 in the first half. The Ichabods countered with 14 points in the opening half from Martin Mitchell after hitting 5 of 7 shots from the field and 2 of 3 from 3-point range. Washburn held the Bearcats to 8 of 22 from the field as Northwest went without a field for the first 9:18 of the first half. The Ichabods outrebounded the Bearcats 19 to 11 in the first half.
Mitchell led the Ichabods with 17 points while McNeill scored 16 in the loss to lead the Ichabods. Alex North finished with eight rebounds.
Washburn was 12 of 12 from the free throw line in the first half and then struggled at the other end of the court going 8 of 17 in the second half. The Ichabods were also 0 of 5 from the 3-point line in the second half after hitting three in the first half.

About Fort Hays State
The Tigers were ranked No. 24 in the NABC preseason poll and received votes in the latest coaches poll from Nov. 29. The Tigers are 7-0 overall and 1-0 after defeating Lincoln last time out in their conference opener. Karron McKenzie leads the team averaging 16.3 ppg and Tyrone Phillips is scoring 14.4 per contest and Kendrick Morese is also averaging double figures at 11.3 ppg. Matt Simmons is averaging 8.4 ppg and a team-high 11.7 rebounds per game. The Tigers are +6.3 in rebound margin this season and outscoring their opponents 78.5 to 60.1 this season.
 
Series history with Fort Hays State
Wednesday's meeting will be the 150th in the series history and Washburn leads 83-66. The series is the third-most played for Washburn behind Emporia State (196) and Pittsburg State (165). Washburn is 15-5 against the Tigers in Lee Arena. Fort Hays State is 4-2 against WU in overtime games. The Ichabods have lost their last seven games in Gross Memorial Coliseum and have not won in Hays since an 84-75 victory on Nov. 28, 1998 prior to the Tigers joining the MIAA. The Tigers have won the last five meetings and eight of the last nine overall. The teams have never met in the MIAA Tournament.
 
Last time out for Fort Hays State • FHSU 78, LU 65
(Nov. 30, 2011) – (FHSU Sports Information) Fort Hays State moved to 7-0 and 1-0 in the MIAA with a 78-65 win at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., on Wednesday night (Nov. 30). The Tigers never trailed in the 13-point win. Lincoln cut the lead to three early in the second half, but the Tigers weathered the storm to pick up the win in the MIAA opener.
Karron McKenzie and Matt Simmons each produced their second double-doubles of the year in points and rebounds. McKenzie finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and an 8-of-9 effort at the free-throw line. Simmons had 14 points and 12 rebounds, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and 2-of-3 at the free-throw line. Both did an excellent job distributing the ball, McKenzie with six assists and Simmons with five.
Omar McDade and Tyrone Phillips also reached double figures in scoring, both with 11 points.
The Tigers shot a red-hot 68.2 percent from the field in the second half to put the Blue Tigers away. They finished at 52.8 percent for the game.
Trent Littlejohn led Lincoln with 23 points, which included four 3-point shots. James Edmond had 12 and Terrell Williams added 11. Lincoln shot 41.0 percent from the field for the game. The Blue Tigers moved to 0-5 overall and 0-1 in the MIAA.

Last meeting with FHSU • #13 FHSU 94, WU 73
HAYS, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabods had their six-game winning streak snapped running into a buzz-saw from a hot shooting No. 13-ranked Fort Hays State team in a 94-73 loss to the Tigers. The Ichabods will be back in action on Wednesday at Central Missouri.
The Ichabods (13-6, 10-5 MIAA) trailed by nine at the break 49-40 and pulled within seven at 62-55 after a pair of free throws by Mitch Allen with 14:18 to go in the game, but the Tigers (19-3, 13-3 MIAA) used a 17-5 run over the next seven minutes pushing their lead to 79-59 with 7:17 to go. The Tigers would go on to lead by as many as 26 in the second half before takeing the 21-point win.
Logan Stutz led the Ichabods with 18 points going 6 of 7 from the field and De'Andre Washington scored 16 adding five rebounds while hitting 4 of 8 3-point field goal attempts.
Dominique Jones led four Tigers in double figures scoring 28 points hitting 8 of 11 from the field overall and 6 of 8 attempts from 3-point range. Corbin Kuntzsch scored 14, Dijon Smith scored 12 and Matt Simmons scored 11.
The Tigers hit 31 of 55 shots from the field for a 56 percent average while shooting 59 percent from 3-point range connecting on 13 of 22 shots from long range. Washburn still shot 50 percent from the field hitting 25 of 50 attempts while going 8 of 22 from 3-point range. The Tigers also hit 19 of 22 free throw attempts for an 86 percent average while the Ichabods were 15 of 26 from the line for a 58 percent average. The Tigers outrebounded the Ichabods 32 to 24. The Tigers finished with five turnovers while Washburn coughed the ball up seven times. The Tigers recorded 27 assists on their 31 baskets in the game and Washburn tallied 15.  

Bod tweets . . . 140-character or less notes on the ichabods
• The Ichabods are 12-10 in MIAA openers while going 3-2 against the Bearcats in conference openers #gamequickfacts
• Washburn starters are outscoring its opponents starters by seven each game #goodstart
• Ichabods averaging 81.2 ppg in wins, 61.7 ppg in losses #scoremore
• Ichbods are +6 in rebounds in their three losses #stillhittingtheboards
• Washburn is allowing 27.5 ppg in the 1st half of games, 38.4 in the 2nd half #keepthepeddledown
• In Washburn's wins the Ichabods are -30 in turnovers, the losses they are +9 compared to their opponents #goodhandsteam
• The Ichabods are 5 of 51 from 3-point range in their three losses #shoot
• Washburn is +12 in ppg in the paint compared to its opponents #gettheballinside
• Will McNeill is the only Ichabod averaging double figures (18.0 ppg) in the WU losses
• The game against the Tigers will be Bob Chipman's 993rd game on the Ichabod bench recording a 701-292 record #winningformula

Ichabod Player Notes
#1  • Dejuan Lofton  • G • 5-11 • 185 • Jr. • Two of 4 from field (2-2 from 3's) in last two games played
#4  • Jared Henry  • G • 6-1 • 170 • So. • Three of 3 from the field in the last two games played (3.5 ppg)
#5  • Jeff Reid  • G • 6-6 • 190 • So. • Has hit all four free throw attempts this season
#10  • Will McNeill  • G • 6-1 • 190 • Jr. • 11 of 24 from the field in the last two games (17.0 ppg).
#11  • Kyle Wiggins  • G • 6-2 • 165 • Fr. • Seven rebounds against UNO was a career high (6 defensive)
#12  • Martin Mitchell  • G • 6-0 • 185 • Jr. • Ten of 19 from the field in the last two games 13.0 ppg)
#14  • Christian Ulsaker  • F • 6-5 • 190 • Fr. • Five of 8 from the field in last three games (4.0 ppg)
#15  • Mitch Allen  • G • 5-9 • 165 • Jr. • All 11 field goal attempts this season have been from 3-point range
#20  • Bobby Chipman  • F • 6-8 • 210 • Jr. • Career-high 33 minutes against NWMSU last time out
#21  • Joseph Smith  • F • 6-9 • 235 • Jr. • Tied season-high with 6 points last time out hitting 2 FGs, 2 FTs
#22  • Alex North  • F • 6-6 • 210 • So. • Six offensive rebounds against NWMSU last time out
#24  • Zack Riggins  • F • 6-6 • 230 • RS-Jr. • 7 of 12 from the field in the last two games (8.5 ppg)

Ichabod Basketball HIstory
Washburn is 1,409-977 (.590 in 2,386 games) in its 106th season of intercollegiate action. The Ichabods are the 10th-winningest team in NCAA Division II history and the 26th winningest team this decade. The Ichabods are 459-206 since joining the NCAA Division II ranks, which is the most since the 1989-90 season in the MIAA.

Home sweet home . . . the Ichabods in Lee Arena
The Ichabods are 354-65 (.848) all-time in Lee Arena - the 28th season of play. The Ichabods recorded a school-best 28-game winning streak from Nov. 19, 1993 to Feb. 8, 1995 in Lee Arena.

Up Next
Washburn will finally get a conference game when they will face Truman on Dec. 10. Prior to starting line ups head coach Bob Chipman will be presented with a game ball and a commemorative ring for his 700th win recorded in the Ichabods' last home game recorded against Newman on Nov. 25. Washburn will then take a week off for finals returning to the court on Dec. 17 when they will play host to Missouri Western at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Arena.