•The (NABC/RV)/(No. 25/D2SIDA) Washburn Ichabods will continue 2021 postseason play in the semifinals of the MIAA Basketball Championship Tournament presented by Citizen's Bank & Trust when they will face Missouri Western on the campus of Northwest Missouri at 7:30 p.m. in Maryville.
•Washburn (17-6, 16-6 MIAA) after rolling Rogers State 78-59 in Topeka on Wednesday night breaking their MIAA Tournament record hitting 13 3-pointers and setting a school MIAA Tournament record with 34 attempts as well.
•Missouri Western, the No. 3 seed in the tournament, rallied from a 10-point deficit with 8:33 to go and a four-point deficit with 20 seconds to go completing the comeback in overtime in an 84-76 win over Lincoln.
•The Griffons swept the two regular season meetings with the Ichabods winning 74-67 in St. Joseph on Jan. 9 and 81-77 in Topeka on Feb. 18.
•This season the Griffons are shooting 34 percent from 3-point range connecting on 191 of 571 attempts … in their two wins over the Ichabods this season Missouri Western has hit 18 of 43 attempts for a 42 percent average.
•Overall the Ichabods have lost the last four meetings to the Griffons including an MIAA Tournament quarterfinals game in Kansas City last year in a 72-70 loss.
•The Ichabods are 39-23 all-time in the MIAA Championship Tournament.
•The Ichabods are 2-2 in first round games (when the tournament was 12 teams) … 20-7 in the quarterfinals, 12-7 in the semifinals and 5-7 in championship games.
•In games played in Kansas City, the Ichabods are 16-13.
•In MIAA Tournament games played in Lee Arena, the Ichabods are 22-5.
•As the No. 2 seed, the Ichabods are 7-4 overall in the tournament.
•The Ichabods have never played a conference tournament game in Maryville.
•The Ichabods are 3-7 against Missouri Western in the conference tournament.
•The Ichabods lead the all-time series with Missouri Western 55-42 and will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak to the Griffons … the longest losing streak to Missouri Western has been four games from Jan. 2, 2002 to Jan. 29, 2003 and Feb. 8, 1995 to Feb. 10, 1996 and the current one they are on.
•The Ichabods are 1-2 against the Griffons in neutral site games with all of them coming in Kansas City during the conference tournament.
•The Ichabods are second in the MIAA in scoring at 81.8 ppg and the Griffons are fifth averaging 79.6 ppg.
•The Ichabods are ranked second in the league in field goal percentage at 49 percent and Missouri Western is 13th at 43 percent … defensively the Ichabods are second in opponent field goal percentage at 44 percent while the Griffons are sixth at 46 percent.
•The 2020-21 season marks the 116th season of Ichabod basketball. •Tyler Geiman leads the team in scoring (21.1 ppg - 3rd in the MIAA), assists (6.2 apg - 1st in the MIAA and is 3rd in the NCAA), rebounds (6.6 rpg - 10th in the MIAA), steals (1.6 spg - 6th in the MIAA) and minutes (36.0 mpg - 2nd in the MIAA) … he also ranks 11th in the MIAA in field goal percentage (.536).
•Jalen Lewis is averaging 12.6 ppg hitting 58 of 117 3-point attempts this season (49 percent) … he is tied for fifth in the MIAA in 3-pointers per game at 2.5 and second in 3-point field goal percentage.
•Tyler Nelson is scoring 11.6 ppg averaging recording back to back career-high last week scoring 24 points against Northeastern State and then 25 against Missouri Southern … he has reached double figures in nine-straight games averaging 15.7.
•Jonny Clausing returned to action at Central Missouri after missing the previous seven games with an injury …he is scoring 9.6 ppg with 4.2 rpg and 1.0 bkpg … he also leads the MIAA in field goal percentage at 61 percent.
•Levi Braun is averaging 7.2 ppg this season … 50 of his 53 field goals this season have been from 3 and he has attempted 10 shots inside the 3-point line … Braun's 50 3-pointers is fourth on the Ichabod freshman chart and his 105 attempts are fifth … the Ichabod freshman 3-point record is 58 set by Jalen Lewis during the 2018-19 season.
•Jace Williams is averaging 5.6 ppg with 4.1 rpg recording 22 blocks tallying his first career double double at Washburn with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Rogers State.
•Connor Deffebaugh is scoring 5.7 ppg with 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
•Rathen Carter is scoring 4.6 ppg with 2.5 rpg.
•Will McKee is scoring 3.3 ppg with 4.4 rpg.
•Tyler Geiman became the 26th member of Washburn's 1,000-point club at Missouri Western … his career total is 1,330 in 111 career games, which is 10th all-time on the Ichabod chart … he passed Greg "Buzz" Wilson against Rogers State … next on the career scoring chart is Ron Berkholtz, who scored 1,342 points from 1965-69.
•Jalen Lewis is currently 31st on the Ichabod all-time scoring chart with 944 career points.
•Tyler Geiman became the first Ichabod to have at least 1,000 points, 500 assists, 500 rebounds and 100 steals going over that mark against Missouri Western … he became the 12th Ichabod to reach at least 1,000 points and 500 rebounds … he was the seventh Ichabod to reach at least 1,000 points and 100 steals … he was also the 10th Ichabod to reach at least 1,000 points and 200 assists and now the first Ichabod to reach at least 1,000 points and 500 assists in a career … if that's not enough he recorded the first triple double in Washburn history with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against Northeastern State on Feb. 23.
•Washburn is 81 of 120 from the free throw line in the last five minutes of games (68 percent) compared to its opponents connecting on 120 of 158 attempts (76 percent).
•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. WASHBURN ICHABOD HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD
•is 79-37 in his fourth season as the Ichabods' head coach and 112-67 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 4-4 against Missouri Western.
 
MISSOURI WESTERN HEAD COACH WILL MARTIN
•is 14-9 in his first season as the Griffons head coach after serving two seasons as an assistant coach.
•Martin, a Franklin, Tennessee native, also had three stops at NCAA Division I institutions before his arrival to St. Joseph.
•Most recently, Martin served assistant men's basketball coach and the director of athletic admissions at Martin Methodist College (NAIA).
•Prior to his tenure at Martin Methodist, Martin served as the director of basketball operations at the University of San Francisco under head coach Rex Walters.
•As a graduate student, Martin served as a graduate assistant and video coordinator for men's basketball at the University of Tulsa from 2013-2015.
•As an undergraduate, Martin served as a men's basketball manager at the University of Kentucky under head coach John Calipari. During Martin's tenure with the Wildcats, the team reached the Elite 8 on three occasions, the Final Four on two occasions and Martin served as the head manager of the 2012 National Championship team.
•Martin received his bachelors from the University of Kentucky in 2012 and obtained his Master's in Education from the University of Tulsa in 2015.
•is 2-0 against the Ichabods.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
WASHBURN 78 (17-6)
ROGERS STATE 59 (11-12)
TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods opened the 2021 The MIAA Basketball Championships, presented by Citizens Bank & Trust with a quarterfinal win in Lee Arena with a 78-59 win over Rogers State.
The Ichabods (17-6) trailed at 3-2 for a total of 16 seconds before jumping out to a 14-8 lead after hitting 3 of their first four 3-pointers of the game. After the Hillcats (11-12) trimmed the lead back to four with 8:09 left in the half, Washburn finished the frame outscoring the Hillcats 16 to 9 taking a 38-27 lead into the locker room.
The Ichabods started the second half on a 13-0 run going up 51-27 and would push the lead to as many as 28 with 14:49 to go at 57-29 as the Hillcats did not get within 16 until 3:02 to play.
Washburn was led by Tyler Geiman who led all scorers with 22 points going 9 of 12 from the field adding eight rebounds and six assists. Tyler Nelson and Jalen Lewis each scored 16 and Connor Deffebaugh scored 10 off the bench.
Brewster Peacock, Devin Pullum and Destin Eke each scored 10 to lead the Hillcats
Washburn shot 46 percent from the field hitting 30 of 65 from the field at 46 percent going 13 of 34 from 3-point range. The Ichabods attempted only seven free throws hitting five while Rogers State was 16 of 21 at the stripe. Rogers State was 18 of 49 overall and 7 of 20 from deep.
Washburn had a 37 to 34 advantage on the glass and forced 20 Hillcat turnovers turning those into 17 points. Washburn outscored the Hillcats 32 to 20 in the paint.
  •The Griffons are 14-9 after topping Lincoln in the MIAA Tournament Quarterfinals on Wednesday night.
•Tyrell Carroll is seventh in the MIAA in scoring, averaging 17.8 per game and he is sixth in assists at 4.4 per game.
•Will Eames is fourth in the MIAA in rebounds at 8.9 per game and is averaging 12.2 ppg.
•Offensively, the Griffons have five players averaging double figures in points. In addition to Carroll and Eames; Reese Glover (11.8), Caleb Bennett (11.5) and Q Mays (12.0) are in double figures scoring range.
  •Friday's meeting will be the 98th between the two schools with Washburn leading the series 55-42 after the Griffons winning the last four meetings.
•The Ichabods are 49-35 against MWSU in MIAA games and 32-15 in games played in Topeka overall.
•The Ichabods are 22-25 in games played in St. Joseph against the Griffons.
•In the MIAA Tournament the Ichabods are 3-7 against the Griffons.
•The Ichabods lead 6-4 in overtime games including the 95-94 win on Jan. 9, 2019. TOPEKA, Kan. – A frantic comeback attempt after trailing by as many as 18 in the first half cutting the deficit to three with under a minute to play came up short as the No. 15 Washburn Ichabods fell to Missouri Western 81-77 on Thursday night in Lee Arena.
The Ichabods (14-4, 14-4 MIAA) fell behind 19-4 7:21 into the game after starting 2 of 14 from the field while the Griffons hit 8 of their first 16 shots including 3 of 7 from deep. Washburn trailed 36-20 before the Ichabods went on a 12-0 run cutting the margin back to four at 36-32 to play in the opening half as Tyler Geiman has seven points during the run. The Griffons (11-8, 11-8 MIAA) scored the final three points of the frame taking the 39-32 lead into the break.
Missouri Western scored the first eight points of the second half pushing their lead to 15 and would lead by as many as 18 at 59-41 with 11:17 to go. After a Griffon bucket with 2:41 remaining stretching their lead back to 10 at 74-64, the Ichabods used an 8-1 run trimming the lead to three at 75-72 to go before a 3-pointer by Western doubled the lead back to six. After a free throw by the Griffons, Jalen Lewis connected on a 3-pointer trimming the lead back to four at 79-75 but the Griffons hit three free throws leading by six with five seconds left before a layup by Tyler Nelson cut the final margin to four at 81-77.
Geiman led all scorers with 24 points while dishing out six assists with five rebounds – giving him 500 for his career becoming the first Ichabod to have at least 1,000 points, 500 assists, 500 rebounds and 100 steals in a career. Lewis finished with 15 points and Nelson had 11.
Tyrell Carroll had 20 to lead the Griffons.
Washburn finished the game at 43 percent shooting (27 of 63) going 8 of 21 from 3-point range while the Griffons were at 48 percent (28 of 59) hitting 11 of 21 3-pointers. The Griffons outrebounded the Ichabods 41 to 37 turning 14 offensive rebounds into 13 second chance points.
  •The Ichabods are 39-23 all-time in the MIAA Championship Tournament.
• The Ichabods are 2-2 in first round games (since expanding to 12 teams) … 20-7 in the quarterfinals, 12-7 in the semifinals and 5-7 in championship games.
•In games played in Kansas City, the Ichabods are 16-13.
•In quarterfinal games played in Kansas City, the Ichabods are 9-5. In semifinal games played in Municipal the Ichabods are 5-3 and in championship games in Kansas City the Ichabods are 1-5.
•As the No. 1 seed, the Ichabods are 21-3, at No. 2 they are 7-4, at No. 3 they are 2-3, at No. 4 they are 2-3, as the No. 5 seed they are 0-1, at No. 6 the Ichabods are 4-5, at No. 7 they are 0-1 and as the No. 8 seed they are 3-3.
•Former head coach Bob Chipman has won more MIAA Tournament games than any other coach. He has won 34 games going 34-19 recording a .653 winning percentage.
•Chipman and NWMSU's Ben McCollum are the only MIAA coaches to win five tournament titles. Tom Smith (MWSU) and Steve Tappmeyer (NWMSU), Ron Shumate (Southeast Missouri) and Kim Anderson (UCM/PSU) each have four titles.
•Overall, here's how the Ichabods have fared against MIAA opponents in the conference tournament by round and in Kansas City.
•First Round games were added for the MIAA Tournament starting in 2013 as the league expanded to 15 teams. The top four teams in the final standings received an automatic bye to Kansas City for the quarterfinals.
Team      1st Rnd  Qrts.      Semis     Finals     In KC     Total
UCM           —               4-0             1-1             —              3-1             5-1
ESU            —               4-1             —               —              3-1             4-1
FHSU          1-0             —               2-0             —              2-0             3-0
MSSU         —               1-0             2-1             0-1             1-1             3-2
MWSU        0-1             0-1             2-2             1-2             1-2             3-7
NSU           0-1             —               —               —               —               0-1
NWMSU     —               2-2             0-2             1-2             0-4             3-7
PSU            —               1-0             3-0             2-0             3-0             6-0
RSU           —              1-0             —              —              —              1-0            
UCO           —               0-1             —               —              0-1             0-1
UNK           —              1-1             —              —              1-1             1-1
--- vs former members
MS&T         —               1-1             —               —              1-0             1-1
UMSL         —               1-0             —               —               —               1-0
SEMO         —               —               —               —               —               —
SBU            1-0             2-0             1-1             1-0             —               5-1
TSU            —               2-0             1-0              —             —               3-0
UNO           —               —               —               0-1             0-1             0-1
Totals         2-2             19-7           12-7           5-7             16-13         39-23
  •The Ichabods are 1618-1096-2 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 636-293 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 465-95 (.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.
  The winner of the Washburn/Missouri Western game will face the winner of the Northwest Missouri/Central Oklahoma game for the MIAA Tournament title in Maryville at 6 p.m. on Saturday night.