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Starting introductions
For the first time since the 2004 MIAA Postseason Tournament, the Washburn Ichabods enter Kansas City as the No. 1 seed and will take on Emporia State in the 199th all-time meeting of the Turnpike Tussle. The co-MIAA Champion Ichabods (21-7) swept the season series winning 67-48 in Topeka on Jan. 14 while taking a 68-60 win in Emporia on Feb. 22. The Ichabods and Hornets (9-17) have met four times in the MIAA Tournament with the Hornets winning last season in Kansas City in a 67-61 win over the No. 3-seeded Ichabods. Washburn is 29-15 all-time in the MIAA Tournament, 16-3 in the first round, 9-7 in the semifinals and 4-5 in championship games. As the No. 1 seed, the Ichabods are 18-3 in MIAA Postseason play and 7-6 in tournament games played in Kansas City. As the No. 1 seed in the tournament games played in Kansas City, the Ichabods are 4-2. The winner of the Washburn/Emporia State game will face the winner of the Missouri Southern/Fort Hays State game on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Game Quick Facts . . .
Game No. 29 - Washburn (21-7, 15-5 MIAA) vs Emporia State  (9-17, 5-15 MIAA)
Game Notes: Washburn | Emporia State
Date: March 2, 2012
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Kansas City,Mo.
Arena: Municipal Auditorium
Radio: AM 580 WIBW
Online Audio: Through wusports.com (free)
Online Video: Through America One
Live Stats: Through theMIAA.com
Washburn Head Coach: Bob Chipman (Kansas State, 1973) - 717-295, 33rd season
Emporia State Head Coach: Shaun Vandiver (Colorado, 2002) - 9-17, 1st season
Series History / Streak: Series tied 99-99 / WU has won the last two
Last Meeting: WU won 68-60 on Feb. 22, 2012 in Emporia

Ichabods on 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. Should the Ichabods advance, Saturday's semifinals game would be on KTPK 106.9 FM and Sunday's championship game would be played on AM 580 WIBW.

The coaches
Washburn Ichabod head basketball coach Bob Chipman is in his 33rd season at the helm of the Ichabod basketball program. Chipman is 716-295 (.707) overall and he has 476 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 home record of 417-77 (.840) record going 364-66 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 12 conference regular season titles (10 MIAA), 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and the 1987 NAIA National Championship. Chipman 48-22 against Emporia State.
Emporia State head coach Shaun Vandiver is 9-17 in his first year at ESU. The former NBA round draft pick spent the last ten years as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I level, most recently at Boise State University. As a player he led Hutchinson CC's to the 1988 NJCAA National Championship before earning first team all-Big 8 honors at Colorado.

Last time out for the Ichabods • WU 107, Lincoln 69 • 2/27/12
TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabods clinched a share of their 10th MIAA regular season championship with a 107-69 win over the Lincoln Blue Tigers. Washburn will now open posteason play at the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City will be the No. 1 seed taking on No. 8-seeded Emporia State at noon on Friday, March 2.
The Ichabods used a 13-0 run over a 2:40 time period of the first half turning a 14-12 lead into a 27-12 lead and then after trading buckets, Washburn would then go on a 19-3 run over a nearly six-minute period pushing the lead to 50-23 with 2:06 to play in the half. Each team hit one more field goal in the half as the Ichabods took a 51-25 lead into the break.
Coming out of the break, the Ichabods kept the scoring going ripping off an 11-2 run over the first 2:53 of the second half pushing the lead to 35 at 62-27 with 16:52 remaining in the game as the Blue Tigers never got closer than 27 the rest of the game.
Will McNeill led the Ichabods with 22 points pacing six Ichabods in double figures while collecting three steals giving him 158 for his career setting a Washburn record. Jared Henry had a career high 18 points on 7 of 8 shooting from the field hitting 4 of 5 3-point attempts and Joseph Smith scored a career high with 15 points. Zack Riggins scored 14 points on 7 of 7 shooting from the floor and Kyle Wiggins and Alex North each scored 10 points.
The Ichabods led 51-25 at the half while scoring 56 more point in the second half for the win.
Washburn shot a season-high 68 percent from the field hitting 43 of 63 attempts while connecting on 10 of 18 3-point attempts.

Final notes for the Lincoln game
• The Ichabods have won ten MIAA championships and 21 overall in school history after clinching a share of the conference crown today. The Ichabods won MIAA titles in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and now 2012.
• Will McNeill set a school record upping his steals total to 158 swipes breaking Jordan Canfield's (1992-97) previous record with 156.

About Emporia State
The Hornets (9-17, 5-15 MIAA) have dropped their last two games and 11 of their last 12. The Hornets lost to Washburn on Feb. 22 68-60 in Emporia and fell 73-48 in their regular season finale at Fort Hays State. ESU is led by Tola Lawal who is averaging 13.0 while Christ Sights is putting in 11.1 ppg. Troy Pierce leads the Hornets with 6.2 rebounds a game. Taylor Euler leads the team with 3.0 assists per game while putting in 7.8 ppg. ESU is averaging 62.9 ppg and allowing 68.6 ppg.
 
Series history with Emporia State
Friday's meeting will be the 199th meeting between these two schools and the series is tied at 99-99. This is the most-played series for Washburn. The two teams started the series in 1905-06, Washburn's first recorded year of basketball, and they have met every year since the 1945-46 season. This will be the 67th straight year they have played each other at least once. Washburn is 27-30 all-time in White Auditorium since home-away records were first kept beginning in 1956-57 and have won the last two played in Emporia. The Ichabods are 20-8 against the Hornets in Lee Arena. Washburn is 27-13 against ESU in MIAA games. Washburn is 3-1 against ESU in MIAA Postseason tournament games with the Hornets winning a first-round game on March 3, 2011 in Kansas City 67-61.  
 
Last meeting with Emporia State • WU 68, ESU 60 • 1/22/12
EMPORIA, Kan. -- Will McNeill scored Washburn's final 16 points en route to a 68-60 win over Emporia State sweeping the season series.
After Emporia State cut the lead to six at 58-52 with 2:12 to play in the game, McNeill picked up a steal and then scored a traditional 3-point play with 1:20 to play in the game pushing the Washburn (20-7, 14-5 MIAA) lead back to nine at 61-52. After another steal by McNeill, he was fouled and hit a pair of free throws to go up by 11 at 63-52.
Again the Hornets (9-16, 5-14 MIAA) hit another 3-pointer to cut the lead back to eight at 65-57, McNeill hit a free throw and wrapped up his scoring with a dunk with seven seconds left to record his 27th and 28th points of the game.
The Ichabods led 33-19 at the break after a quick 5-0 run by Alex North on a lay up and a 3-pointer pushed the Ichabod lead to 14 entering the locker room. Washburn held the Hornets to 6 of 25 shooting from the floor in the first half while the Ichabods connected on 13 of 28 attempts for a 46 percent clip. Jeff Reid, who hit a pair of 3-pointers, and McNeill each scored eight in first half.
McNeill led all scorers with his 28 points finishing 10 of 11 from the free throw line while Reid scored 15 and North scored nine points. McNeill led the Ichabods with eight rebounds while picking up three steals in 37 minutes of action.
Tola Lawal led ESU with 21 points of 6 of 9 shooting.
The Ichabods held a 32 to 26 advantage on the glass over ESU. Washburn finished 25 of 57 from the field for a 44 percent average. ESU finished 18 of 44 shooting a 63 percent mark in the second half hitting 12 of 19 shots from the floor.      

Last time out for Emporia State • FHSU 73, ESU 48 • 2/25/12
(Feb. 25, 2012) – (ESU Media Relations) -- The Emporia State men's basketball team was outshot .520 to .333 from the field in a 73-48 loss to Fort Hays State.
ESU jumped out to an 11-2 advantage to open the game before an 15-2 run by Fort Hays State game them the lead back. ESU would get six straight points for Troy Pierce as they tied the game back up at 21-12 before an 8-2 run by FHSU gave the Tigers a 29-23 halftime edge. The Hornets would get as close as four points in the second half before FHSU put the game away for good.
Pierce scored 16 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Hornets. Chris Sights went six for six from the free throw line and added 12 points. Antonio DiMaria was three for five from behind the three-point line adding nine points for the Hornets.

The Ichabods in the MIAA Tournament
• The Ichabods are 29-15 all-time in the MIAA Championship Tournament.
• The Ichabods are 16-3 in the first round, 9-7 in the semifinals and 4-5 in championship games. In games played in Kansas City, the Ichabods are 9-7.
• In first round games played in Kansas City, the Ichabods are 6-1. In semifinal games played in Municipal the Ichabods are 3-3 and in championship games in Kansas City the Ichabods are 0-3.
• The Ichabods have never been No. 5 seed.
• As the No. 1 seed, the Ichabods are 18-3, at No. 2 they are 4-3, at No. 3 they are 0-1, at No. 4 they are 2-3, at No. 6 the Ichabods are 3-3, at No. 7 they are 0-1 and as the No. 8 seed they are 2-1.
• Head coach Bob Chipman has won more MIAA Tournament games than any other coach. He has won 29 games going 29-15 recording a .659 winning percentage. This season he is making his 20th appearance on the Ichabod bench in the tournament, which is tied with Missouri Western's Tom Smith for the most appearance as a head coach in the MIAA Tournament.
• Bob Chipman's four tournament titles is tied for the most all-time along with Tom Smith, Steve Tappmeyer and Ron Shumate (Southeast Missouri). Kim Anderson has won three titles and Robert Corn and Lynn Nance (UCM/SBU) have each won two.
• Overall, here's how the Ichabods have fared against MIAA opponents in the conference tournament by round and in Kansas City.
Team    Quarters    Semis    Finals    In KC   Overall
UCM     4-0         1-1      —         3-1     5-1
ESU     3-1         —        —         2-1     3-1
FHSU    —           —        —         —       0-0
MSSU    1-0         2-1      0-1       1-1     3-2
MWSU    —           2-2      1-2       1-1     3-4    
NWMSU   2-1         0-2      1-1       0-2     3-4
PSU     1-0         2-0      1-0       1-0     4-0
SBU     1-0         1-1      1-0       —       3-1
TSU     2-0         1-0      —         —       3-0
--- vs former members
MS&T    1-1         —        —         1-0     1-1
UMSL    1-0         —        —         —       1-0
SEMO    —           —        —         —       —
UNO     —           —        0-1       0-1     0-1
Totals  16-3        9-7      4-5       9-6     29-15

Bod tweets . . . 140-character or less notes on the ichabods
• Washburn is second in the MIAA in scoring defense at 63.1 ppg #TenaciousD
• Washburn leads the MIAA in defensive field goal percentage at .398 #PressureD
• Washburn is tied for first in the MIAA in free throw percentage at .747 (440-589) #AntiShaq
• The Ichabods are second (8.8) in the MIAA in steals per game #GoodHands
• Washburn is leading the MIAA in turnover margin (+3.9) #TakingCareOfTheRock
• Washburn is second in the MIAA in offensive rebounds at 13.0 rpg #SecondChances
• Washburn is second in the league in rebounding margin at +5.0 #boards
• Will McNeill is second in the MIAA in scoring and 13th in rebounding (19.9 ppg/5.5 rpg) #HeIsAGuardPeople
• Alex North is 19th in the MIAA in rebounding at 4.8 per game #GlassMan
• Bobby Chipman is 11th in the MIAA in rebounding at 5.8 rpg #Boards
• Will McNeill is fourth in the MIAA in FG % at .480 (191 of 398) #SelectiveShooting
• Will McNeill is seventh in the MIAA in FT percentage .817 (156 of  191) #LineTime
• Will McNeill leads the MIAA in steals at 2.5 per game #QuickHands
• Bobby Chipman is eighth in the MIAA in blocked shots with 0.9 per #RejectionCity
• Martin Mitchell is seventh in the MIAA in assists with 3.8 per game #DishingTheBall• In Washburn's wins the Ichabods are -109 in turnovers, the losses they are +1 compared to their opponents #GoodHandsTeam
• Washburn is 21-0 when outscoring its opponent #UselessNote
• The Ichabods are 31 of 125 (.248) from 3-point range in their seven losses #Ouch
• Washburn is shooting 119 of 325 (.366) from 3-point range in the wins #MuchBetter
• Opponents are 49 of 135 (.363) from 3-point range in Washburn's losses #DefendTheLongBall
• Opponents have attempted 72 more free throws (230) than the Ichabods (158) making 50 more (169 to 119) in Washburn losses #FTDisparity
• Will McNeill (19.6 ppg) is the only Ichabod averaging double figures in the WU losses #NeedScoringHelp
• Will McNeill's 156 free throw makes this season is third on the junior class record chart #GettingToTheLine
• Will McNeill's 191 free throw attempts this season is tied for fourth on the junior class record chart #GettingToTheLine
• Dan Buie (1996-97) owns both the junior class free throw makes (249) and attempts (371) #ReallyGettingToTheLine

Three . . . Dot . . . Thoughts . . .
Will McNeill leads the MIAA in free throw makes (156) and attempts (191) and no one has more than 111 makes and three have 128 attempts … Will McNeill currently sits at 1,052 points in his junior season, 15th on the all-time Washburn scoring chart … against Lincoln, McNeill passed Travis Robbins (1,050) and next on the chart is Ron Ford who is in 14th after scoring 1,055 points from 1962-66 … Washburn's win over Emporia State gave them its 20th of the season and the 25th in school history … it is head coach Bob Chipman's 23rd 20-win season in 33 seasons at Washburn … the Ichabods have lost five-straight overtime games … Washburn's last overtime win was on Dec. 4, 2007 in a 71-68 win over Central Oklahoma in Lee Arena … Will McNeill also needs only five steals to set the Washburn single-season record of 73 set by Bobby Sumler during the 1986-87 season as he enters the Lincoln game with 69 … Bobby Chipman's 53 career blocks is 11th on the all-time chart needing one more to move into the top 10 all-time …  Will McNeill's 558 points is fifth on the Washburn junior class chart … the junior class scoring record is 833 set by Gary Carrier during the 1983-84 season after averaging 25.2 points per game in 33 appearances … Jeff Reid's 31 3-pointers this season is eighth on the WU sophomore chart as are his 82 3-point attempts … Jeff Reid is scoring 12.0 ppg in the last five games since becoming a starting hitting 11 of 28 3-point attempts …in the last five games Washburn is averaging 80.4 ppg while allowing 68.4.

Ichabod Player Notes
#4  • Jared Henry  • G • 6-1 • 170 • So. • Scored a career-high 18 points in 8 minutes against Lincoln
#5  • Jeff Reid  • G • 6-6 • 190 • So. • Averaged 10.5 ppg in two games against ESU hitting 5 of 11 3's
#10  • Will McNeill  • G • 6-1 • 190 • Jr. • Needs 4 steals for single season record
#11  • Kyle Wiggins  • G • 6-2 • 165 • Fr. • Averaged 5.5 ppg against Emporia State this season
#12  • Martin Mitchell  • G • 6-0 • 185 • Jr. • 26 assists and 8 turnovers in the last four games
#14  • Christian Ulsaker  • F • 6-5 • 190 • Fr. • Scored two points in first meeting against ESU
#15  • Mitch Allen  • G • 5-9 • 165 • Jr. • Has hit 30 career 3-pointers (30 of 88 attempts)
#20  • Bobby Chipman  • F • 6-8 • 210 • Jr. • 21 blocked shots tied for 13th on WU single season chart
#21  • Joseph Smith  • F • 6-9 • 235 • Jr. • Career-high 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting against Lincoln last game
#22  • Alex North  • F • 6-6 • 210 • So. • Career-high seven assists against Lincoln in last game
#24  • Zack Riggins  • F • 6-6 • 230 • RS-Jr. • Career-high 14 points on 7 of 7 shooting from the field against LU

All-MIAA Honors
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Washburn's WIll McNeill was a unanimous first team all-MIAA selection for the MIAA tri-champion Ichabods on the all-conference teams which were announced today by the MIAA. McNeill was also selected as a member of the MIAA's all-Defensive team. Also earning all-conference honors were Bobby Chipman and Martin Mitchell who were named honorable mention all-conference.
McNeill led the Ichabods with a 19.9 ppg scoring average while finishing second on the team with 5.5 rebounds per game. His 2.5 steals per game led the MIAA. He is tied for sixth in the MIAA in offensive rebounds at 2.3 and 13th in the league in rebounding at 5.5 per contest. McNeill is fourth in the league in field goal percentage at .480 hitting 191 of 398 shots while coming in seventh in free throw percentage at .817 after connecting on 156 of 191 attempts - both tops in the league for makes and attempts. This season McNeill snapped the Washburn record for steals in a career and needs five more to set the school single season record. McNeill was also named to the MIAA's all-Defensive team as a sophomore. McNeill is the 15th Ichabod to receive first team all-MIAA honors and is the second Ichabod to be named to the all-defensive team joining himself following the 2009-10 season as a sophomore.
Chipman has averaged 7.3 points per game this season to go with 5.8 rebounds per game, which is 11th in the MIAA this season. Chipman also ranks eighth in the MIAA in blocked shots at 0.9 per game swatting 26 attempts this season.
Mitchell is 28th in the MIAA in scoring this season at 10.3 points per game and is seventh in assists per game at 3.8 per contest. He is also tied for 12th in steals per game at 1.2 and fifth in assist to turnover ratio at 1.9. Mitchell is shooting 49 percent from the field hitting 109 of 222 attempts.

Ichabod Basketball HIstory
Washburn is 1,425-981 (.590 in 2,406 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 476-211 since joining the NCAA Division II ranks, which is the most since the 1989-90 season in the MIAA. The Ichabods have won ten MIAA championships and 21 overall in school history. The Ichabods won MIAA titles in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2012.

Home sweet home . . . the Ichabods in Lee Arena
The Ichabods are 364-66 (.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
The winner of the Washburn/Emporia State game will face the winner of the Missouri Southern/Fort Hays State game on Saturday at 6 p.m.