Opening Tip

• The Washburn Ichabods will open MIAA play at Southwest Baptist on Thursday in Bolivar, Mo.

• Washburn is 7-0 this season after topping Tabor in its last game on Nov. 26 in a 102-70 win.

• The Bearcats are 5-2 this season entering a non-conference match up with Missouri Baptist on Dec. 3. 

• Both the Bearcats and the Ichabods have reached the century mark twice this season.

• Washburn has received votes in each of the last three top 25 coaches polls. The newest NABC poll will come out on Dec. 3.

• The Ichabods are 13-10 in MIAA openers while going 3-0 against the Bearcats in their first MIAA game of the season since joining the league prior to the 1990-91 season.

 Bod Notes

• After defeating Tabor in their regular season finale it marked the first time an Ichabod team had gone undefeated in non-conference play since the 2003-04 season when the Ichabods went 8-0 against non-MIAA competition during the regular season.

• The Ichabods have won their last 28 regular season non-conference home games with their win over Tabor.

• Washburn's last regular season loss in Lee Arena in non-conference action was against Central Oklahoma 83-67 on Nov. 29, 2005.

• The Washburn Ichabods have won 506 games since becoming a member of the NCAA Division II ranks prior to the start of the 1989-89 season - which is the most by any member of the MIAA during that stretch.

• Washburn will continue the road trip at Missouri Southern on Dec. 7.

• Ichabod junior Christian Ulsaker will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a broken bone in his shooting hand in practice. He was averaging career-bests of 13.0 ppg and 3.8 rpg. He will apply for a medical redshirt as he played in only four games.

 Ichabods on Radio

Washburn games will be broadcast on AM 580 WIBW radio with Mark Elliott and Jake Lebahn calling the action. The game will also be streamed live on the wusports.com website by following the listen live links on the men's basketball schedule page.

 The Coaches

Washburn Ichabod head basketball coach Bob Chipman 

• is in his 35th season at the helm of the Ichabods.

• a 1973 graduate of Kansas State earning both his undergraduate and master's degree in Manhattan.

• is 747-304 overall.

• has 506 wins since the Ichabods joined the MIAA, the most of any conference school since the 1989-90 season.

• has led the Ichabods to 12 MIAA regular season titles and a MIAA-coaching tops of five postseason MIAA tournament championships.

• has led the Ichabods to 12 NCAA National Tournament appearances.

• in home games, he is 433-79 going 382-68 in Lee Arena.

• is second in all-time coaching victories in active NCAA Division II coaches.

• his 747 coaching wins is 22nd in all-time NCAA coaches at all levels.

• led the Ichabods to the 1987 NAIA National Championship and a 2001 NCAA National game, which was later vacated by Kentucky Wesleyan. 

• Chipman played for legendary coach Jack Hartman earning two letters.

Southwest Baptist head coach Jeff Guiot

• is in his tenth season on the Bearcat bench.

• he has won three MIAA regular season titles, and compiled a 171-103 (.656) record at SBU. 

• overall he is 389-196 overall in his 20th season as a head coach.

 Ichabod Player Notes

#3 • Jeff Reid • has hit 8 of 13 3-pointers in the last three games averaging 15.1 points per contest.

#4 • Andy Wilson • averaging 6.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in the last three games.

#5 • Korey Fisher • had a career-high seven rebounds against Tabor last time out.

#11 • Kyle Wiggins • has reached double figures in six of seven games this season. 

#13 • Chris Deanes • averaging 6.1 points and 3.0 assists per game in the last three

#14 • Christian Ulsaker • will miss the rest of the season with a wrist injury and will apply for a medical redshirt playing in only four games.

#15 • Evan Robinson • has two rebounds this season.

#21 • Chris Davis • returned to action against Tabor with a rebound and an assist.

#22 • Alex North • tied a career-high with 21 points against Tabor adding seven rebounds and six assists.

#24 • Stephon Drane • double figures in last five games averaging 14.2 ppg.

#31 • Leon Flowers • had a career-high 10 points against Tabor adding a career-high four assists.

#32 • Dalton Abel • recorded two rebounds in each of the last two games.

#34 • Jeremy Lickteig • a perfect 4 of 4 from the free throw line against Tabor.

#42 • Colton Anderson • has scored in each of the last five games averaging 1.8 ppg.

 Last Time Out For The Ichabods

Washburn 102, Tabor 80 • Nov. 26, 2013

TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabods hit reached the century mark for the second time in the last four games as they wrapped the exhibition slate with a perfect 7-0 record after topping Tabor 102-80. 

The Ichabods jumped out to a lead as many as 24 points in the first half at 55-31 with 36 seconds to play in the frame as they took a 55-34 lead into the break. Tabor led by one at 9-8 before the Ichabods used a 15-2 run over the next 5:44 to push out to a 23-11 lead. Washburn was aided by hitting 5 of 10 3-pointers in the first half as well.

In the second half the Bluejays trailed by as many as 34 with 5:32 to play in the game and they did not get within 26 points in the second half as the Ichabods cruised to the win.

Alex North led five Ichabods in double figures with 21 points on 9 of 10 shooting from the field. He also added seven rebounds and six assists. Jeff Reid scored 20 points on 8 of 11 shooting while hitting 4 of 5 3-point attempts recording a game-high nine rebounds. Stephon Drane scored 12 while Kyle Wiggins chipped in 11 with six assists and Leon Flowers scored 10.

D.J. Biggs scored 23 to lead the Bluejays.

Washburn recorded a season-high 39 field goals finishing the game with a 53 percent shooting clip hitting 39 of 74 shots. The Ichabods were 22 of 39 in the first half for a 56 percent average. Washburn held the Bluejays to a 40 percent average on the night going 28 of 70. Washburn added a season-high 24 assists as well and they forced 15 turnovers leading to 20 Ichabod points. The Ichabods also outscored the Bluejays in the paint 56 to 38 and held a slight 43 to 39 advantage on the glass.

 About Southwest Baptist

• Southwest Baptist is 5-2 entering a Dec. 3 contest against Missouri Baptist.

• The Bearcats are averaging 92.4 points per game while allowing 83.0 ppg.

• SBU has hit 73 of 186 3-pointers on the season and they are shooting 224 of 433 from the field overall for a 52 percent average.

• Desi Barmore is scoring 19.4 ppg and has hit 34 of 44 free throw attempts while averaging 6.3 rebounds per game.

• Rashaad Brown-Peterson is scoring at a 17.6 ppg average. He scored 40 against Missouri S&T earlier this season.

• Preston Guiot is scoring 12.8 ppg with 7.0 assists per game. 

• Menas Stephens leads the team with 6.4 rebounds per game entering Tuesday's contest.

 Series History With Southwest Baptist

• Thursday's meeting will be the 49th between Washburn and Southwest Baptist. 

• The Ichabods lead the all-time series 32-16. 

• Washburn has won 21 of the last 28 games. 

• Washburn is 27-11 against SBU in MIAA games. 

• The Ichabods have won the last seven games played in Topeka and have gone 3-1 against the Bearcats in the MIAA Tournament.  

• In Bolivar, the Ichabods are 10-12. 

• The two team have not met in the MIAA tournament since Feb. 25, 1995 when the Ichabods won 91-80 in a first round game played in Topeka.

 Last Meeting With Southwest Baptist

Dec. 6, 2012 -- TOPEKA, Kan. -- The No. 2-ranked Washburn Ichabods opened MIAA play with a 91-70 win over Southwest Baptist improving to 7-0 on the season. 

The Ichabods never trailed against the Bearcats (2-6, 0-1 MIAA) as Washburn took a 40-34 lead into the break despite being outshot by Southwest Baptist 48 percent to 41 percent. Southwest Baptist was 14 of 29 from the field including 6 of 14 from 3-point range but they had 10 first half turnovers leading to 15 Ichabod points. SBU also did not attempt a free throw in the frame and the Ichabods were 7 of 10 from the charity stripe.

In the second half, the Bearcats cut the Ichabod lead to 40-38 out of the break and Washburn built the lead back to eight and again SBU trimmed the Washburn lead back to four with 15:04 to play on a 3-pointer. The Ichabods stretched the lead back to nine at 52-43 with 14:02 left to play on a pair of Bobby Chipman free throws but once again the Bearcats fought back getting within five at 54-49 with 11:32 to play.

Then a Chipman tip would start off a 20-4 run by the Ichabods over the next 4:01 in the game turning a five-point margin into a 74-53 lead with 7:31 to go in the game and SBU did not get closer than 17 the rest of the game as Washburn led by as many as 25 at 88-63 with 2:13 to play before taking the 91-70 win.

Will McNeill led the Ichabods with 29 points adding a career-high 14 rebounds with seven of them coming on the offensive end. He also added four steals and two assists going 11 of 12 from the free throw line in the win. McNeill also went over the 1,300-point mark in his career at Washburn. Chipman scored 16 adding six rebounds and Martin Mitchell had 14 points tying his career-high with seven assists. Jared Henry scored 10 off the bench.

SBU was led by Preston Guiot who scored 13 with eight assists and one turnover.

Washburn held a 44 to 27 advantage on the glass with 20 offensive rebounds leading to 24 second chance points. Washburn also forced 18 SBU turnovers giving the Ichabods 27 points of Bearcat miscues. 

 Ichabods in the national rankings

The Ichabods received votes in the first two regular season NABC Top 25 coaches polls of the season. The next poll will be released on Dec. 3. The Ichabods have been in the top 25 a total of 98 times since joining the NCAA ranks and they have been voted in the top 10 a total of 51 times since the 1989-90 season. 

 Ichabod Basketball History

• The Ichabods are 1457-975-4 (.591) all-time in the 109th year in the program's history.

• Washburn is the eighth-winningest program in NCAA Division II history by victories.

• Washburn is the winningest MIAA program since the 1989-90 season with an overall record of 506-224.

 Home sweet home

• The Ichabods are 382-68 (.848) all-time in Lee Arena.

• The 2013-14 season marks the 29th season of play in Lee Arena.

• 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 remain on the road as they will face Missouri Southern on Dec. 7 before taking the next 12 days off for finals returning to action against Lincoln on Dec. 19 and then Lindenwood on Dec. 22 in a Sunday afternoon contest.