TOPEKA, Kan. – After trailing by as many as 14 midway through the second quarter, the Washburn Ichabods used a 12-3 run trimming the No. 2-ranked Northwest Missouri lead to five with 4:45 to go but would not get any closer in a 71-63 loss to the Bearcats on Monday night in Lee Arena. Washburn returns to action on Saturday hosting Emporia State at 3 p.m.
 
Washburn led 19-14 with 8:21 to go in the opening half after falling behind 7-0 to start the game, but the Bearcats went on an 11-3 run to take a 25-22 lead and would go on to take a 34-30 lead into the break over the Ichabods. Both teams shot 38 percent in the opening stanza.
 
Starting the second half, Connor Deffebaugh scored on a layup to cut the lead to 34-32 but the Bearcats (16-1 9-0 MIAA) pushed out to a 42-32 lead and eventually to 14 with 11:01 to play before Jonny Clausing scored five-straight points for the Ichabods pulling with nine at 58-49. After one of Northwest's 11 3-pointers, the Ichabods followed with a Deffebaugh bucket and a Tyler Geiman jumper cutting the lead down to five at 61-56 but Northwest outscored the Ichabods 10-3 over the next 2:54 hitting all three field goal attempts going 4 of 4 from the free throw line while the Ichabods were 1 of 5 during the same stretch increasing their lead to 12 with 1:12 to go.
 
Jalen Lewis hit a pair of free throws and Deffebaugh scored late putting the final margin at eight.
 
Deffebaugh, after scoring a career-high 20 against Pittsburg State last time out, led the Ichabods with 17 points and Geiman finished with 14 with five rebounds and four assists. Clausing scored 12 points in 17 minutes collecting four boards and a block.
 
Trevor Hudgins scored 26 points and Wes Dreamer had 18 to lead Northwest.
 
The Ichabods finished 22 of 53 from the field hitting 8 of 20 shots from deep and was 11 of 13 from the free throw line. Northwest was 24 of 54 from the field and hit 11 of 30 shots from 3-point range going 7 of 14 from deep in the second half.