Opening Tip
• The Washburn Ichabods return to action in Lee Arena on Thursday night when they will host the University of Saint Mary at 7 p.m.
• The Ichabods are 4-1 coming off a 94-56 win over Eastern New Mexico on Nov. 24.
• USM is 2-5 after topping Sterling on Tuesday 81-72.
• Javion Blake leads the Ichabods in scoring at 20.4 ppg which which is sixth in the MIAA rankings.
• Also averaging double figures for the Ichabods is Tyas Martin at 12.0 ppg.
• David Salach is averaging 9.4 ppg and 8.2 rpg … his rebounding total is fourth in the MIAA.
• Javion Blake has scored 1,301 career points placing him 10th all-time at Washburn … Blake's 149 career 3-point field goals is tied for ninth on the all-time chart.
• David Salach has 88 career blocks which is fifth all-time at Washburn after a career-high six rejections against Rockhurst … he needs seven more to pass Bobby Chipman for fourth on the all-time chart … Salach leads the MIAA in blocks at 2.4 per contest.
• Tyler Geiman is scoring 9.0 ppg with 4.2 assists per game … his assist total is tied for seventh in the MIAA.
• Thursday's game with Saint Mary is an exhibition game for the Spires.
 
 Coaches
Washburn Ichabod head coach Brett Ballard …
• is 26-11 in his second season as the Ichabods' head coach and 59-41 overall in his third year as a head coach.
• was named the Washburn Ichabod men's basketball head coach on April 6, 2017 after spending the 2014-15 to 2016-17 seasons as an assistant coach with the Wake Forest basketball program after working under head coach Danny Manning 2014-17 seasons and at the University of Tulsa during the 2012-14 seasons.
• he helped Wake Forest to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2009-10 season following the 2016-17 season.
• while at Tulsa, the Golden Hurricane played in the postseason both years, including earning a No. 13 seed in the 2014 NCAA Tournament. Tulsa also participated in the 2013 CBI, finishing that season with a winning record of 17-16 overall.
• before joining Manning at Tulsa, Ballard spent two seasons as the head basketball coach at Baker University going 33-30 overall, including a 21-12 mark in his final season at the helm in 2011-12.
• prior to taking over the head coaching position at Baker, Ballard spent seven years on Bill Self's staff at Kansas, his alma mater.
• he played two years for the Jayhawks under head coach Roy Williams from 2000-02 after transferring from Hutchinson Community College in his hometown of Hutchinson, Kan. In his two seasons as a Jayhawk, the team reached the 2001 NCAA Sweet Sixteen and appeared in the 2002 NCAA Final Four in Atlanta.
• he earned his bachelor's degree in secondary education from Kansas in 2003 earning an Academic All-Big 12 selection as a senior for his efforts in the classroom.
• is 1-1 against Saint Mary with both games while coaching at Baker.
 
Saint Mary head coach Troy Brown …
• is 79-50 in his fifth season as the Spires' head coach.
• led the Spires to a 22-10 record in 2016-17.
• was a three-year assistant coach starting in 2011-12 before taking over as interim head coach during the 2014-15 season.
• is 0-1 against the Ichabods.
 
 About Saint Mary
• Saint Mary is 2-5 this season after beating Sterling on Tuesday night 81-72 at home.
• Tevin Kileen scored 25 to lead the Spires to the win over Sterling adding four assists.
• Raylon Howard leads the team in scoring at 13.6 ppg.
 
 Series history with Saint Mary
• Washburn leads the all-time series 2-0.
• The Ichabods won the only meetings which were both played in Topeka in a 73-50 on Nov. 19, 2009 and a 78-54 win over the Spires on Nov. 28, 2015.
 
 Last Meeting with Saint Mary
Washburn 78, Saint Mary 54 -- Nov. 28, 2015
TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabods used a 16-0 run over a five minute stretch to turn a one-point deficit into a 24-point win over Saint Mary as they wrapped up non-conference play with a 78-54 win over the Spires.
With the Ichabods (4-1) trailing 13-12, Washburn ripped off a 16-0 run putting itself up 26-13 with 7:23 to play in the first half as the Spires (4-2) were held without a field goal for 6:05 as the Ichabods took a 36-24 lead into the halftime break. Washburn shot 41 percent in the first half while holding the Spires to 35 percent shooting.
A 19-4 run in the second half over a 5:23 stretch put the game away as the Ichabods hit all seven field goal attempts during the stretch holding the Spires to 1 of 8 shooting. In the second half overall, Washburn shot 53 percent in the frame while the Spires were limited to 31 percent as Washburn rolled to the win.
The Ichabods were led by Brady Skeens who recorded his first career double double with 12 points and 11 rebounds and Randall Smith had 12 points. Robert Christopher just missed a double double with 10 points and nine rebounds which were both career highs. Cameron Wiggins had nine points and Javion Blake had eight points, seven assists and four steals for Washburn.
Grant Greenberg led the Spires with 18 points.
Washburn had a 49 to 28 advantage on the glass turning 14 offensive rebounds into 18 second chance points. The Ichabods also outscored the Spires 50 to 18 in the paint and had a 16 to 6 in fast break points.
 
 Last time out for the Ichabods
Washburn 94, Eastern New Mexico 56 -- Nov. 24, 2018
TOPEKA, Kan. –Washburn forced 24 turnovers by Eastern New Mexico turning those into 32 points as the Ichabods rolled to a 94-56 win over the Greyhounds.
After leading by eight at the half at 32-24, the Ichabods jumped out on a 17-6 run to open the second half pushing the 48-31 with 16:28 to play in the game as Washburn would go on to stretch the lead out to as many as 40 in the win.
Will McKee led the Ichabods with a career-high 18 points adding eight rebounds with three blocks and three assists. He led four Ichabods (4-1) in double figures as Javion Blake scored 16, Tyas Martin had 14 and Jalen Lewis scored 13 off the bench. Tyler Geiman had six points, seven assists and six rebounds with two steals.
Washburn shot a blistering 59 percent in the second half hitting 20 of 34 shots overall en route to a 46 percent clip for the game finishing 31 of 67 overall and 14 of 30 from 3-point range. Eastern New Mexico (1-4) finished 31 percent from the field and was led by Zach Parker who had 16 points.
Washburn outscored the Greyhounds by 30 in the second half at 62-32. The Ichabods also outscored the Greyhounds 34 to 24 in the paint and 16-0 in fast break points.
 
 Ichabod basketball history
• The Ichabods are 1,565-1,069-2 all-time in the 115th year in the program's history.
• Washburn is the 10th-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 587-274 since joining the conference and the NCAA.
• The Ichabods have recorded 27 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 435-87 (.848) all-time in Lee Arena.
• The 2018-19 season marks the 34th 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 open MIAA play on Dec. 6 with Southwest Baptist and Central Missouri on Dec. 8 before leaving for Las Vegas Dec. 17 and 18 for non-conference games with West Texas A&M and Indianapolis. Washburn will wrap up the fist semester with Avila on Dec. 30 and then return to MIAA play on Jan. 5 at Emporia State.