• It's a battle of top-five and undefeated teams on Thursday night as the No. 5 Washburn Ichabods travel to Maryville, Mo. to take on the No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri Bearcats. The game time ha been moved to 6 p.m. on Thursday night as the women's game between the two schools is postponed with COVID-19 protocols on the Bearcats' team.
• The Ichabods (7-0, 7-0 MIAA), who remained No. 5 in the latest NABC Coaches Poll, defeated Northeastern State on the road 85-84 in overtime in their last action on Jan. 2.
• The Bearcats are 5-0 overall coming off an 84-69 win at Pittsburg State on Jan. 2 last time out.
• It will be the first of two scheduled regular season games between the two schools as the Bearcats will visit Washburn on Feb. 20.
• The Ichabods lead the all-time series 60-48, but have lost the last 11 games to the Bearcats. Washburn is 23-24 in games played in Maryville.
• The 2020-21 season marks the 116th season of Ichabod basketball.
  • Tyler Geiman leads the team in scoring (17.3 ppg), assists (6.6 apg - which leads the MIAA and is fourth the NCAA), rebounds (6.7 rpg) and steals (2.0 spg) … Geiman is also moving up the career scoring chart sitting at 966 points as an Ichabod.
• Jalen Lewis is averaging 12.1 ppg hitting 19 of 36 3-point attempts this season (52.8 percent).
• Drew Maschoff is averaging 12.0 ppg adding 5.7 rpg and 3.7 apg.
• Jonny Clausing is scoring 10.6 ppg with 4.3 rpg and a team-high 1.3 bkpg.
• 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 69-31 in his fourth season as the Ichabods' head coach and 102-61 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 0-7 against Northwest Missouri.
 
NORTHWEST MISSOURI HEAD COACH BEN MCCOLLUM
• is 277-76 in his 12th season as the Bearcats' head coach.
• he is a 2003 graduate of Northwest Missouri.
• named the 20th head coach in Bearcat history.
• played for Northwest going 51-12 in two seasons including a 29-3 mark during a run to the NCAA Elite Eight during the 2001-02 season.
• is 16-6 against the Ichabods.

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
WASHBURN 85 (7-0)
NORTHEASTERN STATE 84 (1-6)
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The No. 5-ranked Washburn Ichabods overcame a sluggish first half and 26 fouls rallying from a 12-point deficit in an 85-84 overtime win at Northeastern State.
With the Ichabods (7-0, 7-0 MIAA) trailing 55-43 with 11:15 to play in the game, Washburn's Tyler Geiman scored eight-straight points kicking off a 17-2 run pushing the Ichabods 60-57 with 7:18 to play. Northeastern (1-7, 1-7 MIAA) went back in front by four at 67-63 with 3:37 to play, but a 3-pointer by Levi Braun and a lay up by Jonny Clausing put the Ichabods back on top with 2:55 to play at 68-67.
After six-straight points by the RiverHawks pushing their lead to five at 73-68 with 1:13 to play, Geiman hit a jumper and Rathen Carter scored four points including a 3-pointer from the corner with 16 seconds left to give the Ichabods a 74-73 lead. NSU had a chance to take the lead with five seconds to play but hit only 1 of 2 free throws to sending the game into overtime.
In the extra frame, NSU scored first and Jace Williams tied the score with a jumper with 4:09 to play. After a jumper by the RiverHawks stretched its lead back to two at 78-76. Williams hit a pair of three throws with 2:13 to go and Geiman put the Ichabods up 80-78 with 1:44 remaining.
NSU hit a free throw to cut the lead to 80-79 and two free throws by Geiman with 33 seconds to play. A jumper by NSU cut the lead to one, then the Ichabods Jalen Lewis hit two free throws with 11 seconds to play and Tyler Nelson hit one free throw with 2 seconds to play as the Ichabods led 85-81. A 3-pointer at the buzzer cut the margin to one as the Ichabods remain perfect on the season.
The Ichabods trailed at the break for the first time this season 30-26 after struggling from the field going 10 of 30 overall and 1 of 9 from 3-point range while the RiverHawks were 10 of 25 from the field hitting 5 of 13 from deep. The Ichabods had a nine-point deficit at 22-13 and never led in the opening frame as Geiman scored 10 points to lead the Ichabods in the first half.
Behind Geiman's career-high 29 points (19 in the second half) followed by Clausing's 15 points. Geiman added a team-high nine rebounds adding six assists and three steals playing 43 minutes. Williams had nine points.
Brad Davis had a 22 points with eight assists to lead the RiverHawks.
Washburn finished 46 percent from the field hitting 29 of 63 overall for a 46 percent clip shooting 63 percent in the second half. Washburn was 20 of 30 from the free throw line hitting 7 of 8 in overtime. NSU was 19 of 22 from the free throw line in the second half and 25 of 33 for the game, but hit only 1 of 4 from the charity stripe in overtime.
Washburn was outrebounded 44 to 32. The teams combined for 50 fouls in the game with 26 being called on the Ichabods.
  • The Bearcats are 5-0 this season coming off a pair of road wins at Northeastern State on New Year's Eve (74-55) and at Pittsburg State on Jan. 2 (84-69).
• Ryan Hawkins leads the team in scoring at 22.0 ppg with 8.8 rpg and 2.0 spg.
• Trevor Hudgins is scoring 19.8 ppg with 5.6 apg and Diego Bernard is scoring 10.8 ppg with 4.8 rpg and 4.2 apg.
• The Bearcats are scoring 80.4 ppg while allowing 64.6 ppg.
• Northwest has won 25 consecutive MIAA contests
• Northwest is 104-8 in its last 112 MIAA games
• The Bearcats have compiled a record of 136-6 over the last five years.
• Northwest has posted a mark of 74-1 over the past three seasons.
• Northwest has gone 41-4 over the last four-plus seasons on the road in the MIAA.
• Northwest has won 10 straight road contests. • Thursday's meeting will be the 109th between the two schools and Washburn holds a 60-48 lead in the series.
• The Bearcats have won 13 of the last 14 meetings and the last 11 in the series with the last Ichabod win coming in Bearcat Arena on Jan. 10, 2015 in a 70-64 win over Northwest.
• The series dates back to the 1940-41 season and they have played each other every year since WU joined the MIAA in 1989-90.
• The Ichabods are 21-13 against the Bearcats in Lee Arena.
• Washburn is 23-24 in Maryville and the Ichabods are 32-24 in MIAA contests.
• In the MIAA Tournament, the Ichabods are 3-7 against Northwest after falling in the 2018 and 2019 MIAA Championship games.
• In the NCAA Tournament, the Ichabods are 2-1 against the Bearcats after winning in the first round of the NCAA tournament in 2012 in Wichita Falls.
• The Ichabods won a regional final contest against the Bearcats in Topeka on March 10, 2001 advancing to the Elite Eight in Bakersfield, Calif., after a 67-61 win.
  Feb. 27, 2020 -- MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Washburn Ichabods came up short as the No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri Bearcats outscored the Ichabods 12-2 over the final 3:30 of the game to pick up a 69-61 win on Thursday night in Bearcat Arena. 
The Ichabods led 35-26 at the half after hitting 54 percent of their shots compared to the Bearcats hitting 9 of 28 shots for a 32-pecent clip as six of their nine field goals were from deep. The Ichabods trailed by seven at 13-6 but the Bearcats finished the last seven minutes of the frame on an 18-5 run as Washburn hit 7 of 9 shots and all three 3-point attempts taking the nine-point lead into the break.
Starting the second half, the top-ranked Bearcats used an 11-5 run cutting Washburn's lead to three at 40-37 with 14:31 to play after trading baskets over the next five minutes the Bearcats would take the lead at 50-49 after a 3-pointer by Ryan Hawkins, who finished with a game high 24 points.
In a see-saw battle, the Ichabods came back to take the lead at 57-55 with 6:09 to play on Drew Maschoff's first points of the game on a 3-pointer, but Northwest scored on its next possession tying the score at 57 with 5:36 to go.
Following the media timeout at 4:45 left in the game, neither team would score until Maschoff hit a pair of free throws with 3:42 to play putting the Ichabods up 59-57. An Ichabod foul sent the Bearcats back to the line where they hit both free throws tying the score again at 59 with 3:30 left.
A turnover on Washburn's next possession led to a traditional 3-point play by the Bearcats to go up 62-59 with 2:55 to play. The Ichabods came up empty and went down five at 64-59 with 2:18 to play. A jumper by Maschoff pulled Washburn down three at 64-51 with 53 seconds to play as the Ichabods called a timeout. However, the Ichabods would be outscored the final 12 to 2 the final 3:42 of the game as the Bearcats
Geiman led the Ichabods with 13 points and Jalen Lewis score 12. Keven Biggs scored nine points with a team-high eight rebounds.
The Ichabods held the Bearcats to their second-lowest shooting performance of the season at 40 percent hitting 22 of 55 going 11 of 31 from deep. Washburn was 7 of 26 in the second half from the field hitting 3 of 12 3-point attempts.
The Ichabods held a 35-33 advantage on the glass.
  •  The Ichabods are 1609-1090-2 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 627-287 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 continues its roadtrip on Jan. 9 at Missouri Western before returning home to face Missouri Southern on Jan. 14.