TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods men's basketball team won its 32
nd home opener in a row in Lee Arena on Wednesday night in a 70-63 win over William Jewell improving to 2-1 on the season. The Ichabods will have a quick turnaround continuing play against Great Lakes Valley foes as they travel to Kansas City, Mo. to face Rockhurst on Friday night.
The Ichabods started cold from the field hitting only 2 of their first 13 shots in the first eight minutes of the contest falling behind 14-4 as William Jewell (1-2) was 6 of 10 including a pair of 3-pointers taking the 10-point lead. A
Jarmell Johnson 3-pointer jump started the Ichabod offense igniting a 13-2 run over the next 4:41 as Washburn pushed in front 17-16.
The teams traded baskets with neither squad going up by more than four until a 10-4 run by the Ichabods to end the half capped by a 3-pointer by
Connor Deffebaugh put the Ichabods up 32-27 heading into the break.
Washburn used a 7-0 out of the locker room to move the cushion to 10 points at 39-29. William Jewell cut the lead back to three at 41-38 with 14:54 to go and would get within four at 56-52 (the score of last year's game in Liberty with an Ichabod loss) with 6:24 to play but the Ichabods would go 8 of 11 from the free throw line from that point on and 6 of 8 the final 4:29 of the game preserving the win.
Johnson led the Ichabods off the bench with 14 points adding three rebounds.
Andrew Orr scored 13 followed by Deffebaugh's 11 points (with six assists) and
Michael Keegan's 10 points.
Brady Christiansen recorded a monster night on the glass with 19 rebounds, including 11 offensive boards adding nine points. The 19 rebounds were the most by an Ichabod since Brady Skeens recorded 22 in two different games in 2017.
Washburn finished 25 of 72 from the field and 15 of 18 from the free throw line. William Jewell was 21 of 51 overall and 16 of 27 from the free throw line. Washburn outrebounded the Cardinals 50 to 33 and 21 to 7 on the offensive glass turning the 21 offensive rebounds into 16 second chance points. Washburn's bench also held a 29 to 10 advantage in scoring.
