Opening Tip
•   The Washburn Ichabod men's basketball team looks to return to its winning ways as they travel to Kearney, Neb., to take on the Lopers on  Dec. 10 with a 7:30 p.m. tip scheduled from the Health and Sports Center.
•   Washburn is 8-1 this season after dropping its MIAA opener at Fort Hays State 89-82 on Dec. 7.
•   The Lopers are 7-3 on the year and 2-1 in the MIAA after beating Emporia State 69-59 on Dec. 8.
•   Trey Lansman leads four Lopers in double figures at 17.7 points per game.
•   Brady Skeens was named the MIAA Player of the Week and he ranks second in the nation in blocked shots.
•   The Ichabods as a team lead the nation in blocks.
•   This season will be Bob Chipman's last season on the bench at Washburn … Chipman announced prior to the start of the season this year would be his last … Chipman has recorded a career-record of 796-344 at Washburn needing only four wins to reach 800 for his career becoming only the 14th coach to reach that milestone.
•   The Ichabods trail the all-time series with Nebraska-Kearney 17-20 and have lost the last five games to the Lopers.
•   The Lopes won the lone meeting last season on Dec. 5, 2015 in Kearney.
•   The Ichabods are making their third-consecutive trip to face the Lopers in Kearney.
•   Cameron Wiggins is ranked ninth in the MIAA in scoring at 16.6 ppg, Brady Skeens is 20th at 13.7 ppg and Javion Blake is 26th at 12.1 ppg.
•   Wiggins' 3-point field goal percentage of 53 percent (34 of 64) is fourth in the MIAA and his 3.8 made 3-pointers per game is first in the MIAA.
•   Brady Skeens leads the league in rebounding at 11.7 rpg, field goal percentage at 68 percent (54 of 79) and blocks at 3.9 per game.
•   Randall Smith's 4.8 assists per game is third in the MIAA this season.
•   Brady Skeens' 103 career blocks are the most in school after passing Ewan Auguste (100) on the all-time chart last time out against Newman.
•   David Salach is 21st in the MIAA in rebounding at 5.1 per game and second in the league in blocks at 1.6 per game.
•   The Ichabods received votes in this week's NABC Division II Top 25 poll and was ranked 15th in the D2SIDA/Media Poll.
 
  Ichabods on Radio
Washburn games will be broadcast on KTPK 106.9 FM radio with Jake Lebahn and Dan Lucero calling the action. 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 38th and final season at the helm of the Ichabods.
•   a 1973 graduate of Kansas State earning both his undergraduate and master's degree in Manhattan.
•   is 796-344 overall.
•   has 557 wins since the Ichabods joined the MIAA, the most of any conference school since the 1989-90 season.
•   is the MIAA's all-time winningest coach by victories with 557.
•   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 465-92 going 414-81 in Lee Arena.
•   is third in all-time coaching victories in active NCAA Division II coaches.
•   his 796 coaching wins is 17th 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.
 
Nebraska-Kearney head coach Kevin Lofton
•   is in his 12th year as head coach at Nebraska-Kearney after being promoted from co-head coach two seasons ago.
•   has recorded a 183-140 (.555) mark at UNK.
•   is 5-2 against Washburn.
 
Last Time Out For The Ichabods
Fort Hays State 89, Washburn 82 -- Dec. 7, 2016
HAYS, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabods jumped out to a 16-0 lead 4:19 into the game, but Fort Hays State responded with a run of its own later in the half and would hold off the Ichabods down the stretch rallying for an 89-82 win.
The Washburn Ichabods (8-1, 0-1 MIAA) hit their first three 3-pointers jumping out to a 9-0 lead and stretched the lead out to 27-9 with 9:09 to play in the first half as the Ichabods hit 11 of their first 16 shots from the field including 5 of their first seven from 3-point range.
The Tigers (6-3, 2-1 MIAA) chipped away cutting the lead to 11 at 29-18 with 7:32 to play after back-to-back 3-pointers of their own. After trading 3-pointers, the Tigers hit another one from deep and after a turnover cut the lead to nine at 32-23 with 5:40 to play in the half. Another 3-pointer by the Tigers cut the lead to six at 32-26 with 4:59 to play in the frame.
The 21-5 run which brought the Tigers back saw them hit 7 of 10 shots from the field including all four 3-point attempts while the Ichabods were 2 of 9 from the field with three turnovers.
Overall from the runs from the two teams included a 27-9 run by the Tigers the final 10:07 of the game and a 21-2 run the first six minutes of the game.
Washburn took a 36-34 lead into the break after the Tigers tied the score at 34 with 21 seconds, but a jumper off the glass by Isaac Clark put the Ichabods up two as Washburn hit 14 of 31 shots for a 45 percent average and the Tigers were 11 of 26 for a 42 percent average.
The Tigers jumped out to a 49-45 lead with 14:53 to play in the game however Washburn came back to take the lead at 56-55 with 12:06 to play before the Tigers retaking the lead back at 57-56 leading to Washburn going back in front 58-57 after a lay up by Emeka Ogbonna.
With the score tied at 67, the Ichabods came up empty on their next possession and Rob Davis converted a 3-point play to put the Tigers up 70-67 with 4:40 to go in the game.
FHSU went up four with four minutes to play, before a bucket by Brady Skeens cut the lead in half at 72-70 with 3:45 to play.
Following an Ichabod timeout, the Tigers hit a pair of free throws going up four with 3:15 left. Washburn hit one of two free throws and a long jumper by the Tigers stretched the lead to five with 2:36 to play. Washburn came up empty on its next trip down the court. The Tigers were fouled on their next possession but missed the front end of a one and one.
Cameron Wiggins hit a lay up with 1:42 left to cut the lead to three, but the Tigers hit both free throws going back up five with 1:40 to go.
Skeens hit one free throw with 1:33 left to cut the lead to three, but a lane violation on the Ichabods pushed the lead back to four. The Tigers then would hit a 3-pointer from the corner to back up seven with 1:11 to play.
A 3-pointer by Wiggins on Skeens' career-high eighth assist pulled the Ichabods back within four at 81-77.
A pair of free throws by the Tigers again pushed FHSU up six with 47 seconds to play. Washburn cut the lead back to four at 83-79 after a lay up by Randall Smith.
Washburn fouled and the Tigers hit both free throws going up six and Washburn would miss its next attempt and the Tigers ran out the clock for the six-point win.
Washburn had five players in double figures led by Wiggins' 21 points followed by Skeens' fifth double double of his season and 15th of his career with 19 points and 12 rebounds adding a career-high eight assists and five blocks. Ogbonna, making his first start of the season, scored 11 points as did Smith. Javion Blake scored 10 points.
Washburn shot 50 percent in the second half and finished 48 percent for the game going 30 of 63 from the field. Washburn was 13 of 20 from the free throw line in the game.
The Tigers were led by Aaron Nicholson's 22 points and Hadley Gillum's 22 points and 10 rebounds. The Tigers were 26 of 58 in the game and hit 25 of 26 free throws shooting six more and hitting 12 more in the game than the Ichabods.
 
About Nebraska-Kearney
•   Neb.-Kearney is 7-3 on the year and 2-1 in the MIAA. They had won four straight before falling at Missouri Southern on Saturday before rebounding to beat Emporia State on Dec. 8 69-59.
•   Trey Lansman leads four Lopers in double figures at 17.7 points per game.
 
Series History with Nebraska-Kearney
•   Saturday's meeting will be the 38th in the series and the Lopers lead 20-17 and have won the last five games.
•   The Ichabods have won 11 of the last 17 meetings.
•   All-time in games in Kearney, the Ichabods are 5-15.
•   Washburn has lost the last three meetings in Kearney.
•   Washburn's last win in Kearney came on Jan. 12, 2013 in a 72-56 victory.
•   Washburn leads 11-5 in games played in Topeka..
 
Last Meeting with Nebraska-Kearney
(Dec. 5, 2015) KEARNEY, Neb. -- A 9-0 run to start the second half wasn't enough as Nebraska-Kearney hit 13 3-pointers and eight in the second half in an 82-76 win.
After trailing by five at the half, Washburn (5-2, 1-1 MIAA) scored nine straight over the first 4:05 of the half taking a 45-41 lead.
The Lopers (4-3, 1-1 MIAA) came back with a 14-5 run of their own to regain the lead at 55-50 with 10:26 to play in the game.
After a Brady Skeens layup pulling the Ichabods with one at 59-58 with 9:05 to go, the Lopers hit back to back 3's by Trey Lansman to go up seven at 65-58 with 6:53 to play.
Washburn used a 10-3 run to go up 70-68 with 4:07 to play as the Ichabods hit all eight free throw attempts.
Washburn took a 73-70 lead on a Randall Smith 3-pointer with 3:15 to go before outscoring the Ichabods 12-3 the remainder of the game for the win.
The Lopers started out on fire hitting their first three 3-pointers jumping out to a 9-2 lead and would go on to lead 13-4 with 15:50 to play in the frame. Starting out UNK hit 5 of 6 3-pointers before finishing 5 of 11 in the half. Washburn was 3 of 8 from three as they trailed 41-36 entering the break.
Javion Blake led the Ichabods 22 points hitting 12 of 15 free throws and Cameron Wiggins hit for 21 hitting three 3-pointers. Brady Skeens recorded his second double double with 13 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and four assists.
Connor Beranek had 23 off the bench to lead the Lopes and Trey Lansman had 22.
Washburn finished 25 of 53 from the field hitting 6 of 16 3-pointers and the Lopers were 27 of 62 hitting 13 of 26 3-pointers in the win.
 
Last Time Out For The Lopers
Nebraska-Kearney 69, Emporia State 59, -- Dec. 8, 2016
KEARNEY, Neb. -- The Nebraska-Kearney men's basketball team blocked nine shots and junior forward Trey Lansman joined the 1,000-career point club as the Lopers beat Emporia State, 69-59, Thursday night at the Health & Sports Center.
Beginning a seven-game home stand, UNK improves to 7-3 (2-1) while the Hornets fall to 3-6 (0-1).
Leading from start to finish, the Lopers held Emporia to 38% shooting and managed a plus eight rebounding margin, 41-33.
Tallying two points in a loss at Missouri Southern State last Saturday, Lansman had eight points by the 15:49 mark tonight. A three-point play pushed his career total to 1,001, making him the just 42nd Loper with four figures in points. He finished with a team-high 16 on 6 of 12 shooting and a 3 of 3 effort from the line.
Lansman  and Kearney got out to a 12-6 lead and then was up 35-28 at the break. UNK started to pull away midway through the second half and another Harlan High Cyclone, forward Kyle Juhl, was a big reason why. The true freshman hit a three and then turned a Lansman steal into a layup and a 49-36 Loper lead. Emporia didn't get closer than 11 points the rest of the way and trailed by as many as 17.
In 18 minutes, Juhl had eight rebounds (three offensive), five points, two blocks and a steal. Not to be outdone, Lansman had eight boards (all defensive), three steals and a team-best three swats.
The nine team blocks are the most since last year's nine in the season-opener vs. Southern Nazarene (Okla.). Forward Carter Burns and guard Yashua Trent had two blocks apiece to round out the party.
Trent , the MIAA's second best shooter at 63%, made 6 of 8 field goals to score 15 while also handing out a team-best six dimes. Next, junior guards Ty Danielson and Lane Rohrich combined for 19 points and seven rebounds with Lincoln freshman reserve Sam Morris at five points and two boards.
Emporia saw starters Brian Morton (15) and Jawan Emery (10) score in double figures.
 
 Ichabod basketball history
•   The Ichabods are 1,528-1,050-2 (.592) all-time in the 112th 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 556-262 since joining the conference and the NCAA.
•   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 414-81 (.848) all-time in Lee Arena.
•   The 2016-17 season marks the 32nd 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 wrap up the 2016 calendar year with MIAA contests against Lindenwood on Dec. 17 and Lincoln on Dec. 19 in Lee Arena.