Opening Tip
•     The Washburn Ichabods return home to finish out the regular season with four home games beginning with a Valentine's Day date with Emporia State on Tuesday in Lee Arena.
•     Washburn is 15-9 and 7-8 in the MIAA after falling 74-68 to No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri on Saturday in Maryville.
•     The Hornets are 12-12 this season overall and 8-7 in the MIAA.
•     The Ichabods lead the all-time series with Emporia State 108-102 and have won three of the last four overall.
•     Washburn has won the last five meetings played in Lee Arena … Washburn's last loss to the Hornets at home came on Feb. 23, 2011 in a 73-68 defeat.
•     The Hornets won the first meeting this season in Emporia hitting a half court buzzer beater 76-75 after the Ichabods had taken the lead after being down by 21 late in the first half on Jan. 7 in Emporia.
•     The Ichabods are in a four-way tie for eighth in the MIAA standings with Southwest Baptist, Lincoln and Lindenwood, teams who Washburn beat earlier this season … teams who finish five through eight in the final standings host a first-round MIAA Tournament game on Feb. 27.
•     Emporia State is in a two-way tie for sixth with Missouri Southern.
•     Fort Hays State and Central Oklahoma are tied for fourth in the standings.
•     Overall, there are eight teams within two losses of each other with four games to be played.
•     The Ichabods are fourth in the nation in blocks at 5.5 per game and fourth in total blocks at 133 and Brady Skeens is fourth in the nation with 3.3 blocks per game and fourth in total blocks with 78.
•     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 a career-record of 803-352 at Washburn and became only the 17th coach to reach that milestone in the win against Central Oklahoma … next on the coaching win list is Eddie Sutton with 806.
•     In Washburn's 15 wins this season, the Ichabods are shooting 52 percent from the field and holding opponents to 38 percent … in the nine losses Washburn is shooting 45 percent while opponents are shooting 46 percent from the field … opponents have hit 32 more 3-pointers than the Ichabods this season in Washburn's nine losses (92 to 58) and are outshooting Washburn 44 percent to 33 percent from deep.
•     In the nine losses opponents are averaging 10.2 made 3-pointers per game and Washburn is hitting 6.4 3-pointers per game.
•     In the nine losses, opponents have attempted 36 more free throws (228 to 192) and have made 53 more free throws (182 to 129).
•     Brady Skeens leads the Ichabods in scoring and is ranked 13th in the MIAA in scoring at 13.4 ppg and Cameron Wiggins is 17th at 12.8 ppg.
•     Brady Skeens leads the league in rebounding at 10.7 rpg, field goal percentage at 66.5 percent (137 of 206) and blocks at 3.3 per game … he is also ranked tied for sixth in assists with 3.4 per game and 13th in minutes at 32.1 per game … Skeens is ranked fourth in the nation in field goal percentage, fourth in blocked shots and fourth in total blocks.
•     Randall Smith's 3.4 assists per game is tied or sixth in the MIAA and Javion Blake is ranked 14th at 3.0 per game.
•     Brady Skeens' 151 career blocks are the most in school after passing Ewan Auguste (100) on the all-time chart against Newman … he has broke his own school record of 61 set last season as a sophomore … this season he has 78 so far in 24 games.
•     This past week, Washburn broke the team single season block total recording its 133rd against Northwest Missouri passing the previous record of 125 set in 2003-04.
 
Single Season Washburn Record Watch
Name                          Record                                      Current Stats                     Record Name/Stats
Brady Skeens                 FG Percentage                            .665 (137-206)                 Tom Meier (.670 - 276-412)
Brady Skeens                 Blocks                                        78 total                              Old record - Skeens (61)
Brady Skeens                 Block Average                             3.3                                   Skeens (2.2)
 
Single Season Washburn Record Watch By Class
Name                          Record (Class)                            Current Stats                     Record Name/Stats
Brady Skeens                 Blocks (Jr.)                                   78 total                              Old record - Dan Buie (50)
Brady Skeens                 FG Percentage (Jr.)                       .665 (137-206)                 Tom Meier (.670 - 276-412)
Brady Skeens                 Total Rebounds (Jr.)                     256                                  Dan Buie (304)
Brady Skeens                 Rebound Average (Jr.)                  10.7                                 Gregg Gibb (11.5)
Cameron Wiggins 3-point FG% (Jr.)                                  .477 (60-136)                   Eric Carter (.488 - 62-127)
 
Single Season Washburn Team Record Watch
Record                    Current Stats                    Record Name/Stats
Blocks                      133                                 125 (2003-04)
Block average             5.5                                  3.9 (2003-04/2004-05)
 
 
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 803-352 overall.
•      has 564 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 564.
•      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 468-96 going 417-85 in Lee Arena.
•      is third in all-time coaching victories in active NCAA Division II coaches.
•      his 803 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.
 
Emporia State head coach Shaun Vandiver
•     is 76-89 in his sixth season at Emporia State.
•     was a first round draft pick by the Golden State Warriors in 1991 he spent ten years as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I level.
•     led Hutchinson CC to the 1988 NJCAA National Championship before earning first-team All-Big 8 honors at Colorado.
•     is 4-7 against Washburn.
 
Last Time Out For The Ichabods
#1 Northwest Missouri 75, Washburn 68 -- Feb. 11, 2017
MARYVILLE, Mo. -- The Washburn Ichabods were tied at the half with undefeated and No. 1-ranked and fought down the stretch but came up short in a 74-68 loss in Bearcat Arena on Saturday afternoon.
After the score was tied at the half at 31, in 20 minutes of neither team leading the other by more than four points. Cameron Wiggins scored 11 in the first half to lead the Ichabods as Washburn outrebounded the Bearcats 20 to 17.
In the second half, Washburn held a two-point lead at 45-43 after a 3-pointer by David Salach with 14:03 to play, but the Bearcats scored 9 of the next 11 points to take a five-point lead at 52-47.
Washburn cut the lead back to one at 52-51 after a dunk by Brady Skeens with 10:32 to play. Northwest would go on a 13-7 run over the next 5:52 to go up seven at 65-58 with 4:40 to play in the game.
After another dunk by Skeens pulling Washburn within five at 3:43, the Bearcats outscored the Ichabods 9-8 down the stretch going 5 of 8 from the free throw line.
Javion Blake led the Ichabods with 18 points and Wiggins finished with 17 followed by Skeens' 16 points and Salach's 14 points. Skeens led the Ichabods with nine rebounds adding four blocks.
Washburn outrebounded the Bearcats 37 to 35 in the game and outshot the Bearcats 44 percent to 42 percent. Washburn was 24 of 55 from the field, 5 of 20 from 3-point range and 15 of 23 from the free throw line. The Bearcats were 25 of 59 from the field, 7 of 20 from 3 and 17 of 22 from the free throw line.
 
About Emporia State
•     The Hornets are 12-12 this season and 8-7 in the MIAA.
•     The Hornets are ranked second in the MIAA in offensive rebounds.
•     Brandon Hall averages 13.7 points per game to rank 12th in the MIAA and dishes 4.3 assists per game to rank fifth in the league.
•     Josh Pedersen is first in the MIAA in free throw percentage hitting 92.8 percent of his attempts (64-69).
•     Garin Vandiver leads the team in rebounding at 5.2 per game.
•     The Hornets are coming off a 73-67 win over Missouri Western last time out on Feb. 11.
•     As a team, the Hornets are scoring 73.9 ppg and allowing 74.1 ppg.     
 
Series History with Emporia State
•     The meeting on Tuesday will be the 211th meeting between these two schools and the Ichabods lead at 108-102. This is the most-played series for Washburn. Emporia State lists the all-time record at 105-103 in favor of the Ichabods.
•     The Ichabods have won eight of the last 12 meetings in the series and three of the last four overall.
•     The two teams started the series in 1905-06, Washburn's first recorded year of basketball, and they have met every year since the 1945-46 season.
•     This will be the 72nd-straight year they have played each other at least once.
•     The Ichabods are 24-8 against the Hornets in Lee Arena.
•     Washburn is 31-17 against ESU in MIAA games.
•     Washburn is 4-1 against ESU in MIAA Postseason tournament games.
 
Last Meeting with Emporia State
Emporia State 76, Washburn 75 -- Jan. 7, 2017
EMPORIA, Kan. -- After hitting nine 3-pointers in the first half and only one the first 19:59 of the second half, ESU's Brandon Hall hit one just over the half court line for the game winner in a 76-75 victory spoiling a 21-point comeback by the Ichabods after trailing by 19 at the half.
Randall Smith hit a lay up with 3.7 seconds to play putting Washburn up 75-73, but a quick inbounds by the Hornets and a launch by Hall gave ESU the win handing the Ichabods their second-straight loss snapping a three-game winning streak over ESU.
Washburn (10-4, 2-3 MIAA) used a 28-8 run over the first 9:25 of the second half taking a 54-53 lead on a 3-pointer by Drew Pyle who finished with a career-high 17 points off the bench.
In the first half, the Ichabods led 11-7 with 16:02 to play after a bucket by David Salach, but ESU would then go on a 22-2 run pushing as the Hornets hit 6 of 7 attempts from 3-point range during the run over a 6:37 stretch. The run would increase to a 28-4 run as ESU continued to hit from deep going 8 of 10 during the run going out to a 35-15 lead.
The Ichabods rallied with a 9-0 run of their own capped by a 3-pointer by Drew Pyle from the corner bringing Washburn within 11 at 35-24 with 4:29 to play in the opening half.
Washburn trailed by 19 at the break as Emporia State shot 50 percent from the field with 9 of its 13 field goals coming from 3-point range. ESU was also 10 of 10 from the free throw line outrebounding Washburn 20 to 8 in the frame.
Following Pyle's 17 points, Smith finished with 13 and Javion Blake scored 13 as well and David Salach finished with 10.
Washburn was 26 of 54 from the field overall after shooting 65 percent from the field in the second half hitting 17 of 26 shots. Washburn was 16 of 23 from the free throw line and hit 5 of 11 from 3-point range in the second half.
 
Last Time Out For Emporia State
Emporia State 73, Missouri Western 67 -- Feb. 11, 2017
Emporia State used a 10-0 run midway through the second half to take control in a 73-67 win at Missouri Western on Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Hornets have clinched a spot in the MIAA Tournament.
The Griffons got out to an 8-2 lead at the first media time out.  Trailing 10-9 the Hornets went on a 9-0 run capped by back to back three-pointers by Josh Pedersen to take an 18-10 lead with 8:45 remaining in the half.  Missouri Western answered with three straight three-pointers of their own to retake the lead at 19-18 with 6:17 left.  The Griffons led by four with 1:05 remaining before Brian Morton hit a layup to cut the deficit to 25-23 going to the locker rooms.
A lay-up by Seth Bonifas pulled the Griffons to within 39-38 with 11:54 left in the game when the Hornets took control with a 10-0 run.  Jay Temaat had six and Brandon Hall four for the Hornets during the run as they took a 49-38 lead with 9:43 remaining.  Hall gave Emporia State a 63-54 lead on his hoop and the harm with 3:38 left in the game.  After a Bonifas layup, the Griffons scored five straight from the free throw line to cut the Hornet lead to two at 63-61 with 1:48 remaining.
Emporia State then hit four straight from the line, two by Hall and two by Garin Vandiver to go back up by six with 51.3 seconds left.  Cole Clearman hit two three-pointers around a break away layup by Hall to cut the lead back to two with 19.6 seconds left.  Pedersen stepped to the line with 19.2 seconds remaining and hit two to add to his school record streak of made free throws and give Emporia State a 71-67 lead.  Temaat then iced it with two makes of his own with 10.2 left for the final score of 73-67.
Hall led five Hornets in double figures with 21 points and dished eight assists.  Jevon Taylor had 13 points, Temaat and Vandiver each scored 11 and Pedersen hit ten for Emporia State. Temaat and Taylor each hit three three-pointers.
Next up for the Hornets will be a Tuesday Turnpike Tussle in Topeka against Washburn.  Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. in Lee Arena.
 
 Ichabod basketball history
•      The Ichabods are 1,535-1,058-2 (.592) all-time in the 112th year in the program's history.
•      Washburn is the fifth-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 564-266 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 417-85 (.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 host Southwest Baptist on Feb. 18, followed by home games with Central Oklahoma on Feb. 23 and against Northeastern State on Feb. 25 in what will be the final regular season home game for Ichabod head coach Bob Chipman.