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TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabods used an 11-0 run over the first 3:31 of the second half  to open a 17-point lead and they would never look back in a 79-67 win over Fort Hays State. The win gives the Ichabods their first regular season series sweep over the Tigers since ever as MIAA foes. Washburn will be back in action on Wednesday when they will host Central Missouri at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Arena.

The Tigers led only once in the game as 12-11 with 13:37 remaining in the opening stanza on a layup by Matt Simmons and the lead lasted until Jeff Reid connected on a 3-pointer at the 11:05 mark putting Washburn (16-6, 10-4 MIAA) up for good as the Tigers (14-6, 8-6 MIAA) would not get closer than two the rest of the half. Washburn would stretch the lead to as many as 15 in the frame on another Reid 3-pointer en route to a season-high 12 points.

Both teams used hot shooting in the first half as the Ichabods were 57 percent from the field in the first half while the Tigers were 54 percent from the floor as Washburn took a six-point, 41-35 lead into the break at halftime. Washburn jumped out to a 6-0 lead holding the Tigers without a score until the 16:51 mark of the game.

Washburn used the big run to open the second half pushing itself out to a 17-point lead at 52-35 after a lay up by Zack Riggins. Washburn pushed the lead to 18 in the second half after an ally-oop dunk from Reid to Joseph Smith with 11:49 remaining puttng the Ichabods up 58-40. Fort Hays State cut the lead to 11 three different times in the second half but Washburn kept the Tigers in a double-digit deficit the rest of the way.

Will McNeill led the Ichabods with 26 points on 9 of 13 shooting from the field while adding a team-high eight rebounds. He scored 17 in the first half going 6 of 6 from the floor. Reid scored 12 points on 5 of 7 shooting from the field. Bobby Chipman had eight points with a career-high four blocks and six rebounds and Jared Henry added eight points as well. Martin Mitchell had a career-high six assists.

The Ichabods finished the game 32 of 60 from the field hitting 53 percent of their shots and they limited the Tigers to 8 of 29 shooting in the second half leading to a 22 of 55 performance from the field for a 40 percent clip. The Ichabods were 6 of 14 from the 3-point line while the Tigers were 9 of 22. The Tigers held a 14 of 20 advantage from the free throw line while the Ichabods were 9 of 11.

Washburn held a 37 to 28 advantage on the glass collecting 11 offensive rebounds leading to 17 second chance points. The Ichabods held the Tigers to only one second chance point in the game. The Ichabods also outscored the Tigers 44 to 24 in the paint.