• The Washburn Ichabods will begin a four-game homestand with the No. 2-ranked Northwest Missouri Bearcats on Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Arena in a rescheduled game from Jan. 6 looking for their fifth-straight win.
• The Ichabods (10-6, 7-3 MIAA) have won their last four games with three coming on the road after their 80-79 win over Pittsburg State on Saturday. The Ichabods also had road wins at Missouri Southern on Jan. 13 and at Central Missouri on Dec. 31 with a home win over Missouri Western on Jan. 8.
• The Bearcats (15-1, 8-0 MIAA) have won 13 games in a row and 22 MIAA games in a row after defeating Nebraska-Kearney last time out 80-65. The Bearcats' only loss of the season was on Nov. 13 against Sioux Falls in an 83-77 loss in Kansas City.
• The Bearcats are ranked No. 2 in the nation and have won their last 13 games sitting as the fourth-longest winning streak in the D2 ranks while winning their last 22 road games.
• The Ichabods lead the all-time series with the Bearcats 62-50 and lost the last meeting in the second round of the NCAA playoffs in Aberdeen, S.D. Overall the teams have split the last four meetings with two of those going to overtime.
• Last season in the two overtime games, the visiting team won on its opponents homecourt. (WU 84-82 on Jan. 7 in Maryville) (NWMSU 88-85 on Feb. 20 in Topeka).
• The Ichabods won the MIAA Tournament Championship in Maryville 69-68 on Tyler Geiman's 57-foot buzzer beater.
• The 2021-22 season marks the 117th season of Ichabod basketball.
• Washburn was picked second both the MIAA Coaches and Media preseason polls. • Jalen Lewis leads the team in scoring at 14.1 ppg hitting 37 of 92 3-pointers (.402).
• Tyler Geiman is averaging 12.6 ppg with 6.6 rpg and 6.3 apg in nine games this season … he is averaging 13.9 ppg with 7.1 rebounds per game in conference play this season … Geiman went over the 600 assist plateau against Missouri Western and the 600 rebound mark in his career … Geiman is also ranked second in the NCAA D2 ranks in active assists with 614 and 12th in assist average at 4.9.
• Michael Keegan is scoring 10.4 ppg with 6.5 rebounds per game, 1.3 blocks per game and 1.7 steals per game … he is averaging 9.9 points and 7.9 rpg in MIAA play … he leads the MIAA in blocked shots, ranks ninth in the MIAA in rebounds, fifth in steals and 21st in minutes played.
• Tyler Nelson is scoring 10.0 ppg with 3.3 rpg and 2.1 apg in four games playing an average of 24.8 minutes a game.
• Connor Deffebaugh is scoring 9.1 ppg coming off a career-high 20 points against Pittsburg State last time out.
• Jeremy Harrell is sixth on the team in scoring at 9.1 ppg in 17.1  minutes per game averaging 9.4 ppg in MIAA play.
• Levi Braun scoring 6.3 ppg and 6.9 ppg in MIAA play and has hit 17 of 36 3-point field goals in conference play.
• Jonny Clausing is scoring 5.5 ppg in four games this season playing 14.3 mpg.
• Tyler Geiman became the 26th member of Washburn's 1,000-point club and his career point total stands at 1,500 points in 124 career games, which is eighth all-time on the Ichabod chart … next on the chart is Ewan Auguste who scored 1,636 points from 1997-2001 … Geiman's 215 career 3-pointers is third all-time at Washburn and his 590 career 3-point attempts is first on the Ichabod charts with Shannon Kruger's 584.
• Jalen Lewis was the 27th member of the Ichabod 1,000-point club and is currently 14th on the Ichabod all-time scoring chart with 1,241 career points in 104 career games … Lewis also became only the sixth Ichabod to go over the 200 made 3-pointers mark now sitting with 234 which ranks second behind all-time leader Shannon Kruger who hit 242 in 122 games.
• Connor Deffebaugh had a career-high 20 points against Pittsburg State last time out.
• Michael Keegan tied a career-high with 13 rebounds against Pittsburg State last time out.
• Tyler Nelson had a career-high eight rebounds against Pittsburg State last time out.
  WASHBURN ICHABOD HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD
• is 92-44 in his fifth season as the Ichabods' head coach and 125-74 overall in his eighth year as a head coach.
• has led the Ichabods to three NCAA postseason appearances in four full 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 2-9 against Northwest Missouri.
 
NORTHWEST MISSOURI HEAD COACH BEN MCCOLLUM
• is 315-79 in his 13th season as the Bearcats' head coach.
• 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 17-9  against the Ichabods. • The Bearcats (15-1, 8-0 MIAA) have won 13 games in a row and 22 MIAA games in a row after defeating Nebraska-Kearney last time out 80-65. The Bearcats' only loss of the season was on Nov. 13 against Sioux Falls in an 83-77 loss in Kansas City.
• Trevor Hudgins leads the team in scoring at 24.6 ppg and 24.6 ppg in MIAA adding 4.2 apg playing 36.2 mpg.
• Wes Dreamer is scoring 13.9 ppg with 5.6 rpg and Diego Bernard is scoring 12.5 ppg with 5.5 rpg.
• The Bearcats are shooting 41 percent from 3-point range and having a scoring margin of +18.8 this season. (Jan. 15, 2022) PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods won their fourth game in a row holding off a late rally by Pittsburg State in an 80-79 win on Saturday in John Lance Arena.
The Ichabods (10-6, 7-3 MIAA) led the entire second half, but the Gorillas cut the score to one at 80-79 with seven seconds to go. After an Ichabod turnover the Gorillas (4-12, 3-7 MIAA) had a 3-point attempt at the buzzer to win it but the shot from the corner hit the side of the basket as the Ichabods picked up the win.
Tyler Geiman led the Ichabods with 28 points hitting 10 of 19 shots adding six assists and five rebounds and Connor Deffebaugh had a career-high 20 points. Tyler Nelson had 11 points off the bench recording eight rebounds. Michael Keegan had six points and a career-high 13 rebounds.
Ryan Pippins had 22 to lead five Gorillas in double figures.
Washburn finished 28 of 62 from the field hitting 17 of 23 free throws and outrebounded the Gorillas 35 to 29. Pitt State finished 28 of 55 from the field and hit 14 of 15 free throws.
  • Monday's meeting will be the 113th between the two schools and Washburn holds a 62-50 lead in the series.
• The Bearcats have won 15 of the last 18 meetings.
• 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 21-14 against the Bearcats in Lee Arena.
• Washburn is 25-24 in Maryville and the Ichabods are 32-25 in MIAA contests.
• In the MIAA Tournament, the Ichabods are 4-7 against Northwest after falling in the 2018 and 2019 MIAA Championship games before winning the 2021 Tournament in Maryville.
• In the NCAA Tournament, the Ichabods are 2-2 against the Bearcats.
• 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. (March 14, 2021) ABERDEEN, S.D. – Cold shooting and a big run by No. 4 Northwest Missouri was too much for the Ichabods to overcome as the Washburn season came to an end in the NCAA Regional Semfinals in a 85-44 loss. Washburn finishes the season 20-7.
The Ichabods were limited to 5 of 22 shooting in the first half while the Bearcats were 15 of 25 overall holding the Ichabods to their lowest first half point total since Northwest (24-2) held Washburn to 13 in a 58-50 loss to the Bearcats on Feb. 10, 2018 in Topeka.
After the Ichabods led 4-2 on a 3-pointer by Jalen Lewis with 16:31 to play in the opening half, the Bearcats went on a 24-0 run hitting 9 of 12 shots and 4 of 7 from deep while the Ichabods went 0 of 6 from the field while turning the ball over five times during the 7:08 stretch of the frame.
Coming out of the break the Bearcats hit three 3-pointers in a row pushing out to a 37-point lead at 53-16 and would go on to lead by as many as 54 with 6:55 to play.
Washburn was led by Jalen Lewis and Isaiah Thorne who each had eight points. Rathen Carter had four rebounds. Ryan Hawkins led the Bearcats with a team-high 27 points. Wes Dreamer had 17 and Trevor Hudgins had 14 points and eight assists.
Washburn finished 14 of 43 from the field going 7 of 21 from deep hitting 9 of 13 free throws. The Bearcats were 30 of 54 overall and 11 of 31 from 3-point range and hit 14 of 18 free throws. The Bearcats also had a 30-24 advantage on the glass and turned 17 Ichabod turnovers into 28 points.
  • The Ichabods are 1631-1103-2 all-time in the 117th 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 649-300 since joining the conference and the NCAA.
• The Ichabods have recorded 29 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 15 NCAA Tournament bids going to three Elite Eight's appearing in the 2001 NCAA National Championship game.
  •  The Ichabods are 471-98 (.848) all-time in Lee Arena.
•  The 2021-22 season marks the 38th season of play in Lee Arena.
•  The Ichabods are 37-1 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 continue the homestand facing Emporia State on Saturday, Jan. 22, Newman on Jan. 26 and Central Oklahoma on Jan. 29.