Opening Tip
• The Washburn Ichabods will wrap up the non-conference slate and the 2018 calendar by playing host to Avila on Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. in Lee Arena.
• The Ichabods are 8-2 this season and 2-0 in the MIAA after splitting a pair of games at the Las Vegas Hoopla Invitational on Dec. 17 and Dec. 18.
• Washburn lost to No. 13-ranked West Texas A&M 98-93 in overtime and then topped Indianapolis 97-81.
• Avila enters the game 1-10 this season and will take on Central Missouri in an exhibition game on Dec. 29, the day before facing the Ichabods.
• The Eagles have also played exhibition games against NCAA Division II opponents with William Jewell (lost 92-90 in OT on Dec. 10), Newman (lost 92-73 on Dec. 17) and Maryville (lost 71-70 on Dec. 19).
• The Eagles'lone win came in an 84-73 over Sterling on Dec. 5.
• Javion Blake leads the Ichabods in scoring at 19.3 ppg which is fifth in the MIAA rankings.
• David Salach is averaging 10.5 ppg and 5.9 rpg … his rebounding total is 17th in the MIAA.
• Jalen Lewis is averaging 9.6 ppg off the bench and his 19th in the MIAA in 3-point field goals made per game.
• Will McKee is averaging 9.1 ppg while pulling down 7.5 rebounds per game which is fourth in the MIAA.
• Tyas Martin is scoring 8.0 ppg while Tyler Geiman is scoring 9.0 ppg as well as dishing out 5.4 assists per game, which is second in the MIAA.
• Javion Blake has scored 1,392 career points placing him eighth all-time at Washburn … … next on the chart is Dan Buie in seventh who scored 1,484 points in two seasons at Washburn after averaging 24.7 ppg in 60 career games … Blake's 160 career 3-point field goals is eighth on the all-time chart … he has played 2,994 career minutes and with six more he'll become the sixth to reach at least 3,000 career minutes.
• David Salach has 95 career blocks which is fourth all-time at Washburn … he needs two more to pass Dan Buie for third and six more to pass Ewan Auguste for second … Salach leads the MIAA in blocks at 1.9 per contest.
Coaches
Washburn Ichabod head coach Brett Ballard …
• is 30-12 in his second season as the Ichabods' head coach and 62-42 overall in his fourth 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 3-2 against Avila and 1-0 against the Eagles while at Washburn.
Avila head coach Bill Sloan …
• is 19-50 in his third season as the Eagles' head coach.
• is 0-0 against Washburn.
About Avila
• Avila enters the game 1-10 this season and will take on Central Missouri in an exhibition game on Dec. 29, the day before facing the Ichabods.
• Shandon Boone leads the team in scoring at 22.3 per game hitting 36 of 97 3-pointers and 61 of 70 free throws this season.
• The Eagles have also played exhibition games against NCAA Division II opponents with William Jewell (lost 92-90 in OT on Dec. 10), Newman (lost 92-73 on Dec. 17) and Maryville (lost 71-70 on Dec. 19).
• The Eagles'lone win came in an 84-73 over Sterling on Dec. 5.
Series history with Avila
• The Dec. 30 meeting will be the ninth all-time between the two schools.
• Washburn has won all eight previous meetings.
• Washburn topped Avila on Dec. 30, 2017 in the last meeting in a 79-61 win.
Last Meeting with Avila
Washburn 79, Avila 61 -- Dec. 30, 2017
TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods wrapped up non-conference play winning their eighth-straight game with a 79-61 victory over Avila on Saturday in Lee Arena.
Washburn led from start to finish in the game as the Ichabods (10-3) held the Eagles to 7 of 22 shooting in the first half. Washburn jumped out to a 13-3 lead after back to back lay ups by Will McKee and Isaac Clark.
After the Eagles cut the lead to six at 17-11, Washburn scored the next 17 of the game to go up 34-11 with just under four to play as they would go on to take a 39-21 lead into the break. Washburn shot 46 percent from the field hitting 16 of 35 in the frame.
In the second half, the Eagles cut the lead back to 11 at 48-37 with 14:43 to go before the Ichabods used a 13-2 run over the next 4:40 to build a 22-point lead stretching it to as many as 29 before Avila scored 12 of the next 13 to end the game.
Tyas Martin led the Ichabods with 17 points adding six rebounds. Brady Skeens had 16 with eight rebounds adding three blocks and three assists. Javion Blake scored 13 and Jace Williams and Isaac Clark each scored 10. Randall Smith had seven assists.
Avila was led by Tajh Downs who had 17 points with six rebounds and nine turnovers.
Overall Washburn forced 23 turnovers leading to 31 points for the Ichabods and the Washburn bench outscored the Eagle bench 38 to 9 and 46 to 20 in the paint.
Last time out for the Ichabods
Washburn 97, Indianapolis 81 -- Dec. 18, 2018
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The Washburn Ichabods picked up a win in the second game of the Las Vegas Hoopla Classic as Javion Blake and David Salach formed a one-two punch leading Washburn to a 97-81 win over the University of Indianapolis.
Washburn rallied from a five point deficit with 17:29 to play as the Greyhounds scored the first six points of the second half going up 55-50. After an Ichabod timeout, Blake scored the next five for Washburn tying the score at 55 with 16:16 to go.
UINDY (6-3) pushed its lead back to five again, and after back to back 3's by Devyn Wilson and will McKee tying the score, a layup by David Salach put Washburn up for good at 63-61 with 13:53 remaining.
Washburn (8-2) stretched its lead out to as many as 16 in the game picking up the win.
In a back and forth first half which saw 13 lead changes and four ties, the Greyhounds took a 49-48 lead into the break. Both teams shot well as the Ichabods were 18 of 33 from the field and the Greyhounds were 18 of 34. Salach scored the final seven points for Washburn in the first half scoring 14 in the opening frame.
Blake's 26 points was a game high as he was 9 of 15 from the field hitting 3 of 6 3-pointers adding five assists. Salach was 9 of 16 adding four rebounds and three blocks giving him 95 as he passed Bobby Chipman moving into fourth all-time at Washburn. Wilson finished with 13 and five rebounds. All five Greyhound starters reached double figures led by CJ Hardaway's 17 points.
Washburn shot 56 percent in the second half (19 of 34) while holding UINDY to 10 of 29 shooting. UINDY did have a 42 to 31 advantage on the glass turning 16 offensive rebounds into 11 second change points. Washburn forced 14 turnovers leading to 24 points for the Ichabods and the WU bench outscored the Greyhounds 30 to 10.
Ichabod basketball history
• The Ichabods are 1,570-1,070-2 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 591-275 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 438-87 (.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 return to MIAA play on Jan. 5 at Emporia State starting a three-game road trip also heading to Missouri Western on Jan. 9 and Northwest Missouri on Jan. 12 before returning home to face Nebraska-Kearney Jan. 16 and Fort Hays State on Jan.19.
