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TOPEKA, Kan. -- Will McNeill scored a career-high 35 points as the Washburn Ichabods led from start to finish picking up a 78-68 win over No. 25-ranked Central Missouri in Lee Arena on Wednesday night. The win was the fourth-straight for the ichabods and sixth in their last seven games. Washburn will host Southwest Baptist at 3:30 p.m. in Lee Arena on Saturday wrapping up a three-game home stretch.

Washburn (17-6, 11-4 MIAA) scored the first points points of the game and the Mules hit a 3-pointer cutting the lead to one just just minutes into the game and the Ichabods would then go on to push its lead to as many as seven at 15-8 after a jumper by Martin Mitchell with 12:44 to play in the first half. The Mules cut the lead back to one two different times the remainder of the half before the Ichabods would go on a 19-7 run over the next 5:49 pushing their lead to 13 at 39-26 capped by a Bobby Chipman jumper. During the run, McNeill scored nine of the Ichabods' points and Jeff Reid added back to back 3-pointers from nearly the same spot infront of the Central bench . The Ichabods went on to lead by eight at the break at 39-31.

In the second half the Mules (16-5, 12-4 MIAA) cut the score to single digits twice. The first at 42-33 with 18:55 remaining in the game and the second after a pair of free throws by Alex Dean, but a McNeill jumper pushed the Ichabod lead back to 11 and the Mules did not get closer than 10 the rest of the game.

McNeill scored 22 of his 35 points in the second half connecting on 16 of 18 free throw attempts in the game while going 9 of 18 from the field. He is the first Ichabods to go over 30 points in a game since Logan Stutz scored 30 against Missouri Western on Jan. 29, 2011. He also uppped his career scoring total to 958 points including 464 this season. Reid, making his second start of the season, scored 12 points for the second straight game and Mitchell added 12 as well. McNeill collected a game-high nine rebounds as well with six coming on the offensive end.

Dominique Long scored 17 to lead the Mules while Will Kirksey scored 11.

Washburn finished the game 24 of 56 from the floor while the Mules were 19 of 43. Each team hit 24 free throws and each team also hit six 3-pointers. The Ichabods forced 20 Mule turnovers leading to 30 points for Washburn.

The Ichabods swept the regular season with the Mules for the first time since the 2002-03 season in the 10-point win.