EMPORIA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods won their sixth game in a row wrapping up a 19-9 regular season with an 85-59 win over Emporia State on Saturday afternoon in White Auditorium. The Ichabods have earned the No. 4 seed in the MIAA Citizens Bank and Trust Postseason Tournament and will face the same Hornet squad on Friday in Kansas City at 6 p.m. in the tournament quarterfinals.
 
The Ichabods jumped out a an 8-3 lead behind four-straight buckets by Jonny Clausing to start the game, but back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers by Tray Buchanan with a three from Jalen Lewis sandwiched in between a layup from Lewis and a layup by ESU's Jumah'Ri Turner gave ESU (19-9, 16-6 MIAA) its last lead of the game at 14-13 but the Ichabods hit 4 of 6 3-pointers over a six-minute stretch taking a 27-21 lead midway through the opening half. ESU cut the lead to four at 30-26 with 5:38 to play, but back to back 3-pointers by Tyler Nelson and a layup by Kevaughn Ellis and a layup by Tyler Geiman sent the Ichabods to the break with a 40-33 lead.
 
Starting the second half, the Ichabods came out with a 10-0 run hitting their first four shots of the half pushing out to a 17-point lead at 50-33 before ESU cut the lead to 10 with 12 minutes to play. ESU eventually cut the lead down to 10 with 6:55 to play, but a 15-0 run put the Ichabods put the game out of reach building a lead by as many as 26 points as the Ichabods swept the regular season series.
 
Lewis led the Ichabods with 23 points hitting five 3-pointers in 10 attempts pacing three other Ichabods in double figures as Clausing had 17 hitting 8 of 9 shots in the game. Michael Keegan scored 14 and Geiman finished with 12 recording a double double with 11 assists giving him 696 assists in his career.
 
Buchanan scored 16 points in 16 minutes before leaving the game and Turner had 11.
 
Washburn finished the game shooting 50 percent going 33 of 66 from the field including 13 of 32 from 3-point range and 6 of 9 from the free throw line. ESU was held to 38 percent shooting on 24 of 64 attempts going 8 of 33 from deep and 3 of 5 from the free throw line.
 
Washburn outrebounded the Hornets 38 to 33 in the game and outscored the Hornets 18 to 6 in fastbreak points.