TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods put a bow on their non-conference schedule with a 96-63 win over Ottawa on Saturday afternoon in Lee Arena. The Ichabods will have a quick turnaround as they will open MIAA play at Northeastern State on Monday in Tahlequah, Okla.
 
The Ichabods (3-3) never trailed in the game jumping out to a 17-5 lead over the first 6-plus minutes of the game hitting 7 of 12 shots and 3 of 6 shots from deep with Levi Braun leading the charge scoring eight points with a pair of 3's enroute to 21 points on the day tying a career high. Washburn would go on to lead by as many as 18 midway through the first half before an 8-0 run by the Braves (4-4) trimmed the lead back to 10 at 39-29 with 2:38 to play in the frame until the Ichabods came back with a 9-3 run of their own to close out the half with a 16-point lead at 48-32.
 
Washburn would go on to lead by 35 with under a minute to play after shooting 16 of 27 from the field at a 60 percent clip as well as a 14 of 17 performance at the free throw line cruising to the 33-point win.
 
Following Braun's 21 points on 7 of 10 shooting going 6 of 8 from 3-point range, Connor Deffebaugh scored 17 and Andrew Orr and Jayden Hibbitt each had 13 off the bench. Brady Christiansen had nine points in his first career start and Orr had nine boards.
 
Ty Bland had 13 points off the bench to lead the Braves.
 
Washburn shot 54 percent from the field for the game hitting 34 of 63 shots going 20 of 25 from the free throw line.
 
Washburn outrebounded the Braves 41 to 27 turning 17 offensive rebounds into 18 points. The Ichabods also had a 48 to 24 advantage in points in the paint and scored 36 points off of 18 Brave turnovers.