>The Washburn Ichabods will continue their two-game MIAA-opening weekend road trip at No. 15-ranked Missouri Southern on Saturday.
>Washburn (4-3, 1-0 MIAA) snapped a two-game losing streak with a come-from-behind win at Pittsburg State in its conference lid-lifter with a 66-59 win.
>The Lions (6-1, 1-0 MIAA) topped Pittsburg State on Tuesday in Joplin 95-64.
>The Lions and Ichabods both lost to Truman this season … Truman topped the Lions 71-68 on Nov. 21 and beat the Ichabods 62-60 on Nov. 30.
>The game is a rematch of the NCAA Central Regional Quarterfinal match-up which the Lions won 101-100 in Maryville.
>The Ichabods were tabbed third in both the MIAA Preseason Coaches and Preseason Media Polls for the second year in a row which were released on Oct. 9 at the MIAA Basketball Media Day in Kansas City.
  >Tyler Geiman leads the Ichabods in scoring at 13.6 ppg as well as assists (5.7) and minutes (37.0) and he is fourth in rebounds (5.6).
>Jalen Lewis is scoring 11.1 ppg and Drew Maschoff and Jonny Clausing each are scoring 10.3 ppg and 10.1 respectively. Clausing leads the team in rebounding at 9.1 per game.
>Jonny Clausing leads the team in blocks at 2.9 per game which is also seventh in the latest national rankings.
>Tyler Nelson is the Ichabods' leading scorer off the bench at 6.3 ppg scoring 14, 14 and six and 10 in his four games.
>Jace Williams made his season debut after completing the football season. He played six minutes.
>The Ichabods are currently 13th in the MIAA in field goal percentage at .413 (185 of 448) - leading only Pittsburg State at .403 -  and ranked third in field goal defense at .396 (165 of 417).
>Missouri Southern is ranked second in the MIAA in both field goal percentage (.498) and field goal defense (.395).
>Tyler Geiman is third in the MIAA in assists (5.7 apg) and is first in minutes per game at 37.0.
>Keven Biggs tied a career-high with three 3-pointers at Pitt State last time out.
>Johnny Clausing's 14 field goal attempts against Pitt State was a career high.
  WASHBURN ICHABOD HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD
> is 50-21 in his third season as the Ichabods' head coach and 83-51 overall in his fifth year as a head coach.
> has led the Ichabods to two NCAA postseason appearances in both seasons at Washburn.
> 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 1-2 against Missouri Southern.
 
MISSOURI SOUTHERN HEAD COACH JEFF BOSCHEE
>  is in his fifth season as the head coach at Missouri Southern and has gone 107-54.
>  served four seasons as an assistant and associate head coach.
>  was named the head coach of the Lions on July 1, 2014.
>  spent three years at the Barstow School in Kansas City where in 2010 his team went 22-4.
>  was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 1999-2000 and was a third team All-Big 12 pick his senior season. He helped lead the Jayhawks to a Final Four appearance in 2002 and previously held the conference record for three pointers made in a career with 338.
>  holds the Kansas record for three's made in a career and is second all-time in games started.
>  is 5-1 against Washburn.
  WASHBURN 66 (4-3, 1-0 MIAA)
WASHBURN 60 (4-3, 0-2 MIAA)
DEC. 6, 2019
PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods used a 23-8 run over the final 9:27 of the game holding Pittsburg State to 3 of 11 shooting rallying for a 66-59 win in their MIAA opener at Pittsburg State on Thursday night. 
To start the game the Ichabods were cold from the field not hitting their first field goal until 5:06 into the game. Washburn came back and cut the lead to 19-17 with 8:22 using an 11-2 run hitting all three pointers during the stretch but the Gorillas came back with a 13-5 run over their own pushing the lead back to 12. Pitt State led by 12 occasions last in the first half before a layup by Connor Deffebaugh before the first half horn sounded sent the Ichabods to the locker room with a 40-32 deficit.
After missing their first five shots from 3-point range, the Ichabods hit the final four of the half and was 13 of 28 overall while the Gorillas were 14 of 29 overall from the field.
In the second half, the Ichabods chipped away at the Gorilla lead to trim margin to three at 50-47 with 8:30 to play in the game and a 3-pointer by Geiman knotted the score at 50 with 7:42 to play.
Drew Maschoff hit a 3-pointer with 5:43 to go giving the Ichabods their first lead of the game at 55-54, but the lead was short-lived for 26 seconds as the Gorillas came back with a bucket of their own at 56-55.
Buckets by Connor and two field goals by Jonny Clausing pushed the Ichabod lead to five at 61-56 with 3:11 to play as the Ichabods held the Gorillas to three points the final 2:46 of the game in the seven-point win.
Geiman led the Ichabods with 13 points adding six assists and Maschoff had 11 points. Clausing and Tyler Nelson each had 10 while Clausing added four blocks.
Antonio Givens II led the Gorillas with 16 points.
Washburn held the Gorillas to 7 of 24 shooting in the second half outscoring Pitt State by 15 as PSU was 1 of their final 9 attempts from the field. Washburn was 14 of 31 in the second half and finished 27 of 59 overall for the game.
  >The Lions are 6-1 this season and 1-0 in the MIAA after topping Pitt State in their conference opener.
>Cam Martin leads the MIAA in field goal percentage (.590), third in free throw makes (36), while ranking second in scoring (22.9). 
>Kinzer Lambert is scoring 13.1 ppg.
>As a team the Lions are averaging 89.9 ppg while allowing 62.3 ppg holding opponents to .395 shooting.
  >Saturday's meeting will be 82nd between these two schools in a series that dates back to 1968-69.
>Washburn leads the all-time series 48-33.
>Washburn is 25-18 in MIAA games against the Lions and 10-14 on the road against MSSU since joining the league in 1989-90.
>The two teams have met at least once a year since 1976-77.
>The Ichabods are 3-2 against the Lions in the MIAA Tournament.
>In games played in Topeka, the Ichabods are 29-11 overall and 22-8 in games played in Lee Arena.
>The teams have met three times in the NCAA Tournament - on March 10, 2000 when the Lions picked up a 79-73 overtime win in Joplin and on March 12, 2011 when the Lions topped the Ichabods in overtime again 82-79 in Edmond, Okla., and March 16, 2019 in Maryville, Mo. with the Lions winning 101-100.
>The 110-73 win by the Lions over the Ichabods in Joplin on Dec. 7, 2013 was the largest defeat suffered by an Ichabod team since joining the NCAA Division II ranks.
  MISSOURI SOUTHERN 101
WASHBURN 100
MARCH 16, 2019
MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Washburn Ichabods rallied from a 20-point deficit cutting the lead to one with 38 seconds to go but could not get over the hump in a 101-100 loss in the first round of the NCAA Central Regional to Missouri Southern. Washburn finishes the season 24-8.
Washburn was down 72-52 with 13:29 to go in the game before outscoring the Lions 45-29 over the final 12:20 of the game trimming the lead to 101-100 with 38 seconds to play on a lay up by Javion Blake after the Lions came up empty on a pair of free throws with 58 seconds to go. The Ichabods drew a turnover with 15 seconds to go, but after a jump ball the Ichabods were unable to get a shot off as time expired ending their season with a one-point loss.
The Lions (24-7) led by 10 at the break at 51-41 behind 27 first half points from Cam Martin who scored 46 in the game before fouling out with 5:34 to go. Washburn was led in the opening stanza by Blake with 13 after Tyas Martin scored the first seven points of the game for the Ichabods as Washburn jumped out to a 7-0 lead.
In the second half, Washburn improved from 52 percent shooting to an even warmer 63 percent hitting 24 of 38 attempts including 6 of 12 from deep while the Lions were 17 of 26 overall in the frame going 10 of 17 from deep.
Blake led the Ichabods with 24 points and Martin finished with a career-high 22 points going 10 of 13 from the field. Also reaching double digit scoring was David Salach with 16 and Jalen Lewis with 16 and Tyler Geiman had 11 with eight rebounds and six assists.
The Ichabods finished 58 percent from the field overall going 40 of 69 and hit 10 of 19 3-pointers in the game. Washburn held a 32 to 27 advantage on the glass. The Lions were 57 percent from the field overall hitting 34 of 60 shots hitting 22 of 38 3-point attempts. Inside the arc, the Lions were 12 of 22. The Ichabods outscored the Lions 54 to 24 in the paint.
  > The Ichabods are 1590-1078-2 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 610-281 since joining the conference and the NCAA.
> The Ichabods have recorded 28 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.
  > The Ichabods are 447-91  (.848) all-time in Lee Arena.
> The 2019-20 season marks the 36th 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.
  > Washburn step out of non-conference play next facing Kansas Christian on Dec. 14 in Lee Arena.