• The No. 8-ranked Washburn Ichabods return home for the first time in nearly a month as they will open a quick two-game homestand hosting Missouri Southern on Jan. 14.
• The Ichabods (8-1, 8-1 MIAA), slipped from No. 5 to No. 8 in the latest NABC Coaches Poll, fell for the first time this season in a 74-67 loss at then No. 22-ranked Missouri Western last time out.
• The Lions (4-4, 4-4 MIAA), who have dropped their last two and four of the last five, lost at Pittsburg State last Saturday 83-67.
• It will be the first of two scheduled regular season games between the two schools as the Ichabods will travel to Joplin to face the Lions on Feb. 25 for the second match up.
• The Ichabods 48-35 and will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak to the Lions. Overall the Lions have won 9 of the last 10 contests including the last four games played in Lee Arena.
• The Ichabods (81.2 ppg) and the Lions (77.8) are the third-ranked and fourth-ranked scoring teams in the MIAA. Washburn is fourth in scoring defense at 71.8 ppg while the Lions are 13th allowing 78.8 ppg.
• The 2020-21 season marks the 116th season of Ichabod basketball.
  • Tyler Geiman leads the team in scoring (18.6 ppg), assists (5.9 apg - which leads the MIAA and is fifth in the NCAA), rebounds (7.3 rpg - 10th in the MIAA) and steals (1.9 spg - fifth in the MIAA).
• Jonny Clausing is scoring 11.6 ppg with 4.1 rpg and a team-high 1.3 bkpg.
• Jalen Lewis is averaging 11.6 ppg hitting 22 of 41 3-point attempts this season (53.7 percent).
• Drew Maschoff is averaging 10.0 ppg adding 5.5 rpg and 3.4 apg.
  • The Ichabods have hit at least one 3-pointer in 500-straight games after hitting six at Missouri Western … their last game without one was on Dec. 30, 2003 at Missouri Western … overall the Ichabods have connected on at least one 3-pointer in 863 of the last 864 games.
• The Ichabod bench has outscored their opponents bench in seven of nine games this season … the Washburn bench is averaging 26.0 ppg compared to 18.7 for its opponents bench per game.
• Tyler Geiman became the 26th member of Washburn's 1,000-point club at Missouri Western … his career total is 1,012 which is 22nd all-time on the Ichabod chart … up next is Ichabod athletics Hall of Fame member Shannon Kruger who sits 21st with 1,014 career points.
• Washburn is 46 of 71 from the free throw line in the last five minutes of games (65 percent) compared to its opponents connecting on 52 of 64 attempts (82 percent).
• Tyler Geiman passed Ichabod athletics Hall of Fame member Jordan Canfield (1992-97) for seventh on the Ichabod all-time start chart at 97 games with his start at Missouri Western.
• The 2020-21 Washburn Ichabod basketball season will be one for the record books as the 22-game schedule will consist of only games against MIAA opponents as regional crossovers and non-conference matchups have been scrapped thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• From a 16-13 team last season, Washburn returns four starters and 91 percent of its scoring, 86 percent of its rebounding, 94 percent of assists and 89 percent of minutes played a year ago while adding a returner from the 2018-19 season who returns from an injury. WASHBURN ICHABOD HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD
• is 70-32 in his fourth season as the Ichabods' head coach and 103-62 overall in his seventh 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 1-4 against Missouri Southern.
 
MISSOURI SOUTHERN HEAD COACH JEFF BOSCHEE
• is in his seventh season as the head coach at Missouri Southern going 128-65.
• 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 8-1 against the Ichabods.

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
MISSOURI WESTERN 74 (8-1)
WASHBURN 67 (8-1)
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The No. 5 Washburn Ichabods shot a season-low 29 percent from the field as they fell at the No. 22 Missouri Western 74-67 going nearly 10 minutes in the second half without a field goal. 
The Ichabods entered the game shooting 42 percent from 3-point range averaging 10 3-pointers a game, but was limited to 6 of 31 shooting from deep for a 19 percent average.
After the Ichabods took a 51-49 lead after four-straight points by Tyler Geiman, who became the 26th Ichabod to go over the 1,000-point mark in his career, the Griffons went on a 16-1 run going 6 of 8 from the field during the spurt while the Ichabods went cold going 0-6 from the field and 0-3 from deep as the Griffons (8-1, 8-1 MIAA) pushed the lead to 65-52 with 3:40 to play.
Washburn came back with an 8-0 run after a pair of Griffon technical to trim the lead back to five at 65-50. The Griffons would go 9 of 10 from the free throw line the rest of the way to secure the win.
Geiman led the Ichabods with 20 points taking game-high honors recording his first double double of the season and the seventh of his career adding 12 rebounds. Jalen Lewis and Tyler Nelson each had 12 points. Will McKee had eight off the bench with 10 rebounds and Drew Maschoff had nine rebounds. Washburn's second leading scorer Jonny Clausing played only 41 seconds after going down with an injury to start the game.
Q. Mays led the Griffons with 17 points off the bench.
Washburn finished 19 of 64 from the field for a 29 percent average and went 8 of 33 in the second half. From the free throw line the Ichabods were 23 of 29 going 16 of 20 in the second half. Missouri Western was 20 of 59 from the field and 7 of 22 from deep hitting 27 of 35 free throws in a game that had 47 fouls called including two technical on the Griffons. Washburn also outrebounded the Griffons 52 to 42 in the game. The Griffons turned 15 Ichabod turnovers into 16 points.
  • The Lions are 4-4 (4-4 MIAA) this season after losing at Pittsburg State on Saturday 83-67 … the Lions have lost four of their last five after starting the season with three straight road wins at Central Oklahoma, Newman and Central Missouri.
• The Lions were picked No. 2 in the MIAA Presason Coaches Poll.
• Cam Martin leads the Lions in scoring at 25.8 ppg with a game-high 8.9 rebounds per game … he has scored at least 30 points in three-straight games with 30 at Rogers State, 33 at Missouri Western and 33 at Pittsburg State.
• Stan Scot is scoring 13.9 ppg and Winston Dessesow is scoring 12.8 ppg.
  • Thursday's meeting will be 84th between these two schools in a series that dates back to 1968-69.
• Washburn leads the all-time series 48-35.
• The Ichabods have lost nine of the last 10 in the series.
• Washburn is 29-12 against the Lions in home games and 18-20 in road contests.
• 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 Lee Arena, the Ichabods are 22-8.
• 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.
  Feb. 6, 2020 -- TOPEKA, KAN. – The Washburn Ichabods dropped a high-scoring affair in a 91-87 loss to No. 19-ranked Missouri Southern on Thursday night in Lee Arena.
The Ichabods led 47-34 at the break after shooting 52 percent from the field while the Lions hit 52 percent of their shots as well in the opening stanza, but the Ichabods hit seven 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes to take the 13-point lead into the break. Drew Maschoff led the Ichabods in the half scoring 17 points hitting 6 of 7 shots and 3 of 4 from distance.
After the Ichabods went up 15 to start the second half on a jumper by Tyler Geiman, the Lions would go on a 23-2 run including an 18-0 spurt taking a 59-53 lead as the Ichabods were 0 of 7 during the dry spell. Washburn cut into the lead to two at 87-85 with 25 seconds to play and 98-87 with nine seconds left but the Lions hit all four of their free throws to keep the lead and pick up the win improving to 17-4 overall and 10-2 in the MIAA. Washburn drops to 12-9 and 7-5 in league play.
Maschoff finished with 20 points as did Geiman to lead the Ichabods. Johnny Clausing had 18, one off his career high adding seven rebounds. Geiman finished with seven assists. Jalen Lewis scored 17 points.
Missouri Southern was led by Cam Martin's 40 points.
The Ichabods shot 47 percent from the field while the Lions hit 59 percent of their shots in the second half finishing at 55 percent for the game. The Lions were 23 of 26 at the free throw line while the Ichabods were 19 of 28 overall. Washburn held a 32 to 30 advantage on the glass turning 15 offensive rebounds into 14 points.
  •  The Ichabods are 1610-1091-2 all-time in the 116th 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 628-288 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 458-94 (.848) all-time in Lee Arena.
•  The 2020-21 season marks the 37th season of play in Lee Arena.
•  The Ichabods are 36-1 all-time in home openers.
•  The Ichabods recorded a school-best 28-game winning streak from Nov. 19, 1993 to Feb. 8, 1995 in Lee Arena.
  • Washburn will play host to Pittsburg State  on Jan. 16 at 3 p.m. in Lee Arena. Washburn returns to the road for three games starting with Emporia State on Jan. 24 and Newman on Jan. 28 wrapping up the trip with Central Oklahoma on Jan. 30.