Opening Tip

• The Washburn Ichabods return to the court opening a four-game homestand with Northwest Missouri on Saturday on Schendel Court at Lee Arena at 7 p.m.

• Washburn (11-2, 4-2 MIAA) is coming off its second loss of the season, a 77-63 loss at Central Missouri, last time out on Monday.

• Northwest Missouri enters the game with a 9-5 record and a 4-1 MIAA mark in conference play after a 73-69 overtime win over Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday night.

• The Ichabods received votes for the second straight week in the NABC Top 25 Division II Coaches Poll.

 Bod Notes

• The Washburn Ichabods have won 510 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 have scored 536 points in the first half and 536 points in the second half of games this season.

• The Ichabods are playing only their fourth game on Schendel Court since Nov. 26.

• The Ichabods are 7-0 in home games this season.

• Junior Alex North needs 13 points to reach 500 for his career.

• Junior Jeff Reid went over the 600-point plateau as he now has 603 in his third season at Washburn.

• Junior Kyle Wiggins needs 29 points to reach 600 for his Washburn career entering the Northwest Missouri game with 571.

• 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 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 751-306 overall.

• has 510 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 435-79 going 384-68 in Lee Arena.

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

• his 751 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.

Northwest Missouri head coach Ben McCollum

• is 94-63 in his fifth season as the Bearcats' head coach.

• he is a 2003 graduate of Northwest Missouri.

• named the 20th head coach in Bearcat history.

• played for Northwest going 51-12 in two seasons including a 29-3 mark during a run to the NCAA Elite Eight during the 2001-02 season. 

 Ichabod Player Notes

#3 • Jeff Reid • Second on the team with 28 offensive rebounds.

#4 • Andy Wilson • Has gone 8 of 11 from the free throw line this season going 6 of 7 in the last four games from the charity stripe.

#5 • Korey Fisher • Season-high nine field goal attempts at Central Missouri last time out.

#11 • Kyle Wiggins • Double figure points in the last 12 games.

#13 • Chris Deanes • Second on the team with 13 steals.

#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 • Six of 16 field goals this season have been from 3-point range.

#22 • Alex North • No fewer than six rebounds in each of the last 12 games averaging 9.1 per contest this season.

#24 • Stephon Drane • Team-high seven blocks this season.

#31 • Leon Flowers • Has hit 19 of 21 free throws this season for a 91 percent average.

#32 • Dalton Abel • scored first three points of the season hitting a 3-pointer against Missouri Southern.

#34 • Jeremy Lickteig • scored four points in six minutes adding three rebounds with two offensive boards against the Griffons.

#42 • Colton Anderson • has at least one rebound in each of the last four games played.

 Last Time Out For The Ichabods

Central Missouri 77, Washburn 63 • Jan. 6, 2014

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- A slow start coupled with cold second half shooting was too much for the Ichabods to overcome in a 77-63 loss at Central Missouri.

The Ichabods (11-2, 4-2 MIAA) trailed 42-31 at the break after falling down 8-0 to start the game. The Mules (12-2, 4-1 MIAA) shot 16 of 30 in the first half taking advantage of seven Ichabod turnovers leading to nine points. Kyle Wiggins scored 10 in the first half while North added seven.

The Ichabods went nearly six minutes between the first and second halves without a score as the Mules would lead by as many as 18 in the second half.

Washburn cut the lead down to 11 at 74-63 with 2:06 left but would get no closer the rest of the way.

North led the Ichabods with a game-high 16 points while pulling down seven rebounds. Wiggins 10 points. 

The Ichabods finished 37 percent from the field after going 9 of 29 in the second half going 1 of 9 from behind the 3-point line hitting 3 of 14 for the game.

Washburn was outrebounded 40-37. The Mules also had 16 offensive rebounds turning it into 18 second chance points.

The Ichabods will be back in action on Saturday when they will take on Northwest Missouri on Saturday in Lee Arena at 7 p.m. beginning a four-game homestand.

 Central Missouri Leftovers

• The loss dropped the Ichabods to 46-48 all-time against the Mules.

• The loss snapped a two-game winning streak over the Mules.

• Washburn improved to 20-22 in games played in St. Joseph against the Griffons.

• The three 3-point field goals by Korey Fisher was a personal career-high

• Leon Flowers recorded a career-high six rebounds while going 6 of 6 from the free throw line - both career highs.

   
 About Northwest Missouri

• Senior post Dillon Starzl is averaging a team-best 16.1 points per game while hitting 70 percent of his free throws and securing a team-best 5.6 rebounds per game.

• Senior DeShaun Cooper (13.2 points, 4.4 assists & 3.2 rebounds pg) and sophomore Conner Crooker (12.3 points, 2.3 assists & 3.0 rebounds pg) with 6-8 junior post Grant Cozad (11.3 points & 3.9 rebounds) also are averaging double figures.

 Series History With Northwest Missouri

• Saturday's meeting will be the 95th between the two schools and Washburn holds a 59-36 lead in the series. 

• Washburn has won eight of the last 13 including the last four of the last seven in the series. 

• The teams split the regular season series during the 2012-13 season. 

• The series dates back to the 1940-41 season and they have played each other every year since WU joined the MIAA in 1989-90. 

• The Ichabods are 21-8 against the Bearcats in Lee Arena and have won five of the last six at home. 

• Since the 1956-57 season, Washburn is 20-20 in Maryville and since joining the MIAA during the 1990-91 season, the Ichabods are 11-10 on the road. 

• In the MIAA Tournament, the Ichabods are 3-4 against Northwest last meeting in the 2008 semifinals with the Bearcats winning 50-49. 

• In the NCAA Tournament, the Ichabods are 2-1 against the Bearcats after winning in the first round of the NCAA tournament in 2012 in Wichita Falls. 

• The Ichabods won a regional final contest against the Bearcats in Topeka on March 10, 2001 advancing to the Elite Eight in Bakersfield, Calif., after a 67-61 win.

• Bob Chipman is 36-20 against the Bearcats.

 Last Time Out for Northwest Missouri

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Northwest Missouri State men's basketball team erased a second-half deficit to beat the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers in overtime, 73-68, on Thursday evening at the Sports & Health Center in Kearney, Neb. The win moves Northwest to 9-5 overall and 4-1 in MIAA play. UNK drops to 4-8 overall and 2-5 in league action.

Bryston Williams led all scorers with 20 points, including going 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Conner Crooker had 15 points followed by DeShaun Cooper with 14 and Dillon Starzl with 11. The Bearcats had 17 assists, led by Cooper with six dimes. Northwest shot 47.4 percent (27-for-57) from the field and hit eight free throws, six coming in the second half and overtime. 

In the first half the two teams battled evenly, playing to a 30-28 halftime advantage for Northwest. Neither team was able to maintain any leads as the game was tied at seven different points in the first 20 minutes. 

Down late in the second half, Williams hit a pair of big three pointers to bring the Bearcats back to even with UNK. The Lopers had a chance to take the last shot of regulation but never got a shot off as the Bearcat defense forced a turnover.

In overtime, Northwest never trailed, leading by as many as five on Williams' fourth three pointer of the game. Free throws by Grand Cozad and Tyler Funk put the game out of reach as Northwest held on for the overtime victory.

 Last Meeting With Northwest Missouri

Feb. 16, 2013 -- MARYVILLE, Mo. -- The No. 25-ranked Washburn Ichabods dropped a heartbreaker falling 63-61 at Northwest Missouri. Washburn returns home on Thursday to face Nebraska-Kearney. 

The Ichabods and the Bearcats were tied at 54 with 1:52 to play in the game after Will McNeill hit a jumper to tie the score leading to a Washburn timeout. The Bearcats' De'Angelo Hailey hit a pair of free throws with 1:25 to play putting Northwest back up two and they would go up four after they converted a layup. The Bearcats extended their lead to six with 18 seconds left after another pair of Hailey free throws. 

The Ichabods' Martin Mitchell hit a 3-pointer from the corner cutting the lead in half with 15 seconds to play. The Bearcats were fouled and hit one of two free throws with 14 seconds to play.

Leon Flowers hit a 3-pointer of his own with 11 seconds to play pulling Washburn within one at 61-60. The Bearcats' Hailey went back to the line and hit both free throws with five seconds remaining. On the inbounds play, McNeill was fouled and went to the line with four seconds to play and hit the first one making the score 63-61. McNeill intentionally missed the second and Mitchell's shot after McNeill rebounded rimmed out and Joseph Smith's tip at the buzzer fell off the side wrapping up the win for the Bearcats.

The Ichabods (16-6, 9-5 MIAA) led 32-25 at the break after the Bearcats turned a double digit deficit into the seven-point difference after De'Angelo Hailey hit a buzzer beater from halfcourt with no time remaining on the clock. 

Washburn was 13 of 24 in the first half shooting 54 percent while the Bearcats almost shot the same hitting 53 percent connecting on 10 of 19 shots. Washburn did have a 12 to 10 advantage on the glass turning nine offensive rebounds into seven second chance points.

The Ichabods were led by McNeill's 23 adding six rebounds. Wiggins had 11 points and Mitchell finished with 10. Bobby Chipman had six points and a team-high nine rebounds before fouling out.

The Bearcats were led by Hailey's 19 points while Connor Crooker had 16 and Grant Cozad had 11. None of the Bearcat starters reached double figures as the Northwest bench outscored the Ichabods 46 to 9.

After shooting 54 percent in the first half the Ichabods cooled off to 38 percent in the second half hitting 25 of 56 overall for a 45 percent average. Northwest finished 21 of 42 from the field overall. At the free throw line, the Bearcats were 18 of 27 compared to 7 of 10 for the Ichabods.

 Ichabods in the national rankings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Ichabods fell out of the rankings after the loss to Missouri Southern but did receive votes in the NABC top 25 coaches poll which was released this week in the Jan. 7 poll. 

 Ichabod basketball history

• The Ichabods are 1461-976-4 (.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 510-225.

• The Ichabods have recorded 25 20-win seasons and they have one 30-win seasons after going 35-4 during the 1986-87 NAIA Championship season.

• Washburn has won 21 conference championships including 10 MIAA titles.

• Washburn has received 12 NCAA Tournament bids going to three Elite Eight's appearing in the 2001 NCAA National Championship game.

 Home sweet home

• The Ichabods are 384-68 (.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 continue its four game homestand after a week off facing Pittsburg State on Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.