TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabod men's basketball team opened MIAA play with 68-56 win over Southwest Baptist leading from start to finish. Washburn will be back in action on Saturday when they will play host to Missouri Southern.

The Ichabods (4-5, 1-0 MIAA) were led by Kyle Wiggins who scored 16 of his game-high 24 points in the first half as he finished 8 of 11 from the field and 3 of 5 from 3-point range hitting all five free throw attempts in the win. Wiggins scored 13 of the Ichabods first 27 points in the first 14 minutes of the game.

Washburn led by as many as 16 in the first half as the Ichabods shot a blistering 63 percent from the field hitting 6 of 9 3-point attempts as the Ichabods took a 41-25 lead into the break.

In the second half, the Bearcats (3-5, 0-1 MIAA) opened the frame with a 10-4 run over the first 8:22 of the half as the Ichabods were 2 of 7 from the field during the run as the Bearcats cut the lead to 10 at 45-35 with 12:28 left to play. A pair of free throws by Alex North, who finished with 13 points, and a 3-pointer by Turon Parker, stretched the Ichabod lead back out to 15 points with 10:12 to play. 

SBU twice cut the lead to nine and once to seven at 55-48 with 5:27 to go, but a free throw and a jumper by North and then back to back lay ups by Wiggins and Algie Key put Washburn up by 12 and the Bearcats would not get closer than 11 the rest of the way.

The win was the fourth in a row over the Bearcats and dropped Southwest Baptist to 20-3 against the Ichabods in MIAA games played in Topeka.

Washburn's David Salach had a career-high 10 rebounds and three blocks in his first start as an Ichabod. The Ichabods held a 32 to 26 advantage on the glass in the game recording eight blocks in the contest. Menas Stephens had 14 points to lead SBU.