Opening Tip

• The No. 22-ranked Washburn Ichabods return to action on Saturday at Missouri Southern when they will face the Lions in a 3 p.m. tip.

• Washburn is 8-0  overall and 1-0 in MIAA play after topping Southwest Baptist in its conference opener 89-87 on the road on Dec. 5.

• The Lions enter the game with a 6-1 record and a 1-0 conference mark after beating Nebraska-Kearney last time out 99-79 and have won their last four games and six of seven overall. 

• The Lions have gone over 100 points three times and have hit 99 points two more times as they enter the game averaging 88.7 ppg.

• The Ichabods have lost six in a row on the road to the Lions with their last win coming in Joplin on Jan. 21, 2006 in a 60-56 win.

 Bod Notes

• The Washburn Ichabods have won 507 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.

• The Ichabods will be off until Dec. 19 when they will host Lincoln on at 7:30 p.m. and then finish off the pre-holiday break with Lindenwood on Sunday, Dec. 22 with a 3 p.m. start.

• 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.

• 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.

 Ichabods on Radio

Washburn games will be broadcast on KTPK 106.9 FM 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 748-304 overall.

• has 507 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 748 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.

Missouri Southern head coach Robert Corn

• In his 25th season as head coach at Missouri Southern, he has guided the Lions to 20 MIAA Postseason Tournament  berths (15 straight) and four trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament.  

• Holds a career record of 393-300 (.559) at Southern, and is the winningest head coach in Lions basketball history. 

• A 1978 graduate of Southern, he has led Southern to eight 20-win seasons. 

• His 1999-2000 team went 30-3 and advanced to the NCAA-II Elite Eight semifinals. 

• He is fifth on the all-time MIAA wins list and third among active MIAA coaches. 

• Has been named the MIAA Coach of the Year three times.

 Ichabod Player Notes

#3 • Jeff Reid • reached double figures in the last five games hitting 13 of 20 3-point attempts.

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

#5 • Korey Fisher • career-high 13 points on 5 of 8 shooting against Southwest Baptist including the go-ahead stickback.

#11 • Kyle Wiggins • at least one 3-pointer in five games this season. 

#13 • Chris Deanes • has gone 9 of 19 from the field in the last four games averaging 6.5 ppg.

#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 • career-high eight points on 3 of 4 shooting including 2 of 3 3-pointers against Southwest Baptist.

#22 • Alex North • back-to-back career high games with 21 against Tabor and 25 against Southwest Baptist going 17 of 26 from the field and 5 of 7 from 3-point range adding 7.5 rebounds per game.

#24 • Stephon Drane • has gone 12 of 22 from the field in the last three games averaging 9.1 ppg.

#31 • Leon Flowers • is 5 of 8 from the field in the last two games averaging 7.0 ppg with 2.0 assists per game.

#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 played averaging 1.8 ppg.

 Last Time Out For The Ichabods

Washburn 89, Southwest Baptist 87 • Dec. 5, 2013

BOLIVAR, Mo. – Korey Fisher's putback with 11 seconds to play put Washburn up for good in an 89-87 win over Southwest Baptist in their MIAA opener as the Ichabods improved to 8-0 on the season.

SBU took an 82-81 lead off a 3-pointer with 3:10 remaining and then Alex North went to the line and connected on one of two to tie the score at 82. The Bearcats came up empty on their next possession and a jumper in the lane by Jeff Reid put Washburn up 84-82 with under two minutes to play.

SBU tied in on their next possession with a driving lay up with 1:35 to go in the game. A turnover by the Ichabods followed with 1:13 to play with the score knotted at 84 and then took the lead with 61 seconds to play forcing an Ichabod timeout with 56.4 to play. Kyle Wiggins hit a fade away jumper from 16 to tie the score back at 86 with 42.8 left.

With 25 seconds left, North gained the rebound, but was whistled for traveling returning the ball to the Bearcats. SBU turned it over and Fisher followed up a Wiggins miss with 11.4 left putting Washburn up 88-86. SBU was then fouled going to goal and went to the line with 4.4 left.

Rashaad Brown-Peterson then missed the first free throw and tried to miss the second, but banked in the free throw. SBU called a timeout. Washburn got the ball into North and went to the line shooting two with 3.1 remaining.

SBU inbounded the ball from under the WU basket and their attempt from halfcourt sailed to the right of the goal ending the game.

In the first half, Washburn trailed by as many as nine with 15:45 remaining at 16-9 before chipping away at the Bearcat lead. Washburn finished the half on a 13-4 run over the final 2:30 of the half as Alex North hit back-to-back-to back 3-pointers pushing the Ichabods to a 49-44 lead at the break.

North led the Ichabods with 25 points pacing four Ichabods in double figures. He finished 8 of 16 from the field with eight rebounds and three assists. Kyle Wiggins scored 15, Jeff Reid scored 14 with nine rebounds and FIsher finished with 13. 

The Ichabods finished 31 of 61 from the field for the game, but struggled from the free throw line going 20 of 36 overall. SBU finished 32 of 61 overall and 14 of 22 from the free throw line. Washburn had a 38 to 34 advantage on the glass limiting the Bearcats to eight offensive rebounds.

 Southwest Baptist Leftovers

• The Ichabods are 14-10 in MIAA openers while improving to 3-0 against the Bearcats in their first MIAA game of the season since joining the league prior to the 1990-91 season.

• It was the first time the Ichabods had been tied with five minutes remaining this season.

• Chris Davis had a career-high eight points with highs of three field goals made and three 3-point field goal attempts.

• The five field goals made by Korey Fisher was a career high as were his three free throws made.

• The 16 field goal attempts by Alex North was a career high and his four 3-pointers tied a career-high.

• The 16 field goal attempts by Kyle Wiggins was also a career high.

• Washburn improved to 33-16 all-time against Southwest Baptist.

 About Missouri Southern

• Missouri Southern is 6-1 and 1-0 in the MIAA after dispatching Nebraska-Kearney last time out 99-79 at home on Dec. 5.

• The Lions have won their last four games and they are averaging 88.7 ppg while allowing 69.7 ppg.

• Marquis Addison leads the team with 17.4 ppg while Cameron Cornelius is scoring 12.1. Slim Magee is averaging 12.0 ppg and Jordan Talbert is scoring 11.0 ppg with a team-high 7.9 rpg.

• The Lions are +6.6 in rebounding this season and they are shooting 52 percent from the field this year hitting 226 of 436.

• MSSU is 34 of 105 from 3-point range and 135 of 187 from the free throw line attempting six fewer shots and its opponents.

 Series History With Missouri Southern

• Saturday's meeting will be 74th between these two schools in a series that dates back to 1968-69. 

• Washburn leads the all-time series 47-26.  

• Washburn is 24-13 in MIAA games against the Lions and 9-11 on the road against MSSU since joining the league in 1989-90. 

• The Ichabods have lost six in a row on the road to the Lions with their last win coming in Joplin on Jan. 21, 2006 in a 60-56 win. 

• The two teams have met at least once a year since 1976-77. 

• The Ichabods are 3-2 against the Lions in the MIAA Tournament. 

• In games played in Topeka, the Ichabods are 29-8 overall and 22-5 in games played in Lee Arena. 

• The teams have met twice in the NCAA Tournament - on March 10, 2000 when the Lions picked up a 79-73 overtime win in Joplin and on March 12, 2011 when the Lions topped the Ichabods in overtime again 82-79 in Edmond, Okla.

 Last Meeting With Missouri Southern

Jan. 31, 2012 -- TOPEKA, Kan. -- The No. 21 Washburn Ichabods built an 11-0 lead out of the gates holding Missouri Southern Lions scoreless for the first 7:25 of the game holding on for a 62-57 win in Schendel Court at Lee Arena. 

The Ichabods (13-4, 6-3 MIAA) jumped out to an 11-0 while leading from start to finish. The Lions (9-9, 4-6 MIAA) would rally and trim the Ichabod lead to two at 22-20 with 1:20 to play in the first half after a 10-2 run over the next 5:04 of the game. Washburn pushed the lead back to four before the half, but a three-pointer prior to the half sent the Lions into the locker room down two at 22-20.

Coming out of the break, the Ichabods used a 12-4 run over a 2:43 period to push the lead to 10 at 37-27 after a pair of Bobby Chipman free throws. Washburn would go cold from the field and the Lions would do the opposite as Jordan Talbert started a Lion of of 14-6 to cut the Washburn lead to two prior to a Kyle Wiggins lay up would break the run. A jumper by the Lions followed by a Wiggins' 3-pointer pushed Washburn out to a five-point lead at 48-43 with 6:45 left and a lay up by Martin Mitchell stretched the lead to seven. 

The Lions did not go away as the cut the Ichabod lead back to 52-50 with 3:10 remaining. Will McNeill was fouled and hit a pair of free throws pushing the lead back to four and a Wiggins lay up and 3-pointer on the next two Ichabod possessions put the Ichabods up eight at 59-51 with 31 seconds remaining and the Lions would hit two 3-pointers in the final 20 seconds to keep it close, but McNeill finished out the game with two free throws with five seconds remaining to wrap up the win.

Wiggins finished with a game-high and career-high 21 points on 9 of 12 shooting from the field. Martin Mitchell scored 11 points and McNeill finished with 10 points, a career-high-tying seven assists and a career-high-tying seven steals as he reached double figure scoring for the 50th straight game. Chipman led the Ichabods with nine rebounds adding seven points and a career-high five blocks.

Marquis Addison led the Lions with 14 points.

Washburn finished 23 of 56 from the field for the game hitting 13 of 25 shots in the second half. The Lions were 17 of 48 for the game. From the free throw line the Ichabods finished 12 of 15 compared to the Lions going 18 of 24. The Lions also held a 37 to 28 advantage on the glass turning 17 offensive rebounds into 20 second chance points. Washburn forced 24 turnovers in the game leading to 25 Ichabod points. 

 Ichabods in the national rankings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Washburn Ichabod basketball team climbed into the top 25 of the NABC/Division II Coaches Poll at No. 22 in the third poll of the season. 

Washburn enters the poll for the 98th time since becoming an NCAA school prior to the 1990 season. Washburn was last ranked on Feb. 12, 2013 when they were ranked 25th.

 Ichabod Basketball History

• The Ichabods are 1458-975-4 (.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 507-224.

 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 take 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.