TOPEKA, Kan. –Washburn scored the first 10 points of the game jumping out to a 13-2 lead and never looked back as the Ichabods led from start to finish in a 74-64 win over Fort Hays State on Wednesday night in Lee Arena. The Ichabods will continue their four-game homestand on Saturday hosting Nebraska-Kearney at 3 p.m.
 
Levi Braun scored eight of Washburn's first 10 points during the opening outburst hitting a pair of three points en route to a game-high 20 points. Washburn (7-9, 4-6 MIAA) held the Tigers (12-6, 7-5 MIAA) without a point until the 14:45 mark of the first half and would go on to build a lead of as many as 20 before the halftime break.
 
Coming out of the intermission, the Tigers cut into the Ichabod lead trimming the margin back to five using a 14-6 run at 43-38. After a Washburn timeout, the Ichabods responded with a 13-4 run of their own pushing the lead back to 14.
 
The Tigers pulled within seven at 68-61 with 2:30 to go, but the Ichabods scored the next six points of the game to go up 13 before Fort Hays State scored three to cut the final margin to 10.
 
Braun scored 16 of his 20 points in the first half to pace three other Ichabods in double figures with Tyler Nelson scoring 16 while Brady Christiansen and Jarmell Johnson each scored 11 off the bench. Michael Keegan had six points but also added a game-high seven rebounds with three assists and three blocks.
 
Eligah Nnanabu had 16 to lead the Tigers.
 
Washburn outrebounded the Tigers 32 to 26 in the game and finished 24 of 52 form the field for a 46 percent average hitting 6 of 18 3-pointers and 20 of 28 free throws. The Tigers were held to 8 of 25 shooting in the first half heating up to 16 of 28 in the second to finish 24 of 53 for a 45 percent clip.
 
Washburn outscored the Tigers 15 to 3 in fastbreak points and had a 24 to 18 advantage in bench points.