KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Washburn Ichabods opened the 2023-24 hoops season with an 82-80 win using a 5-0 spurt in the waning moments of the game holding off a late charge by Sioux Falls at the Central Regional Challenge in Municipal Auditorium on Saturday afternoon. The Ichabods will return to action for one more day in Kansas City facing Minnesota-State Moorhead on Sunday at 12 p.m. The Dragons topped Missouri Southern 99-81 in their first game of the season on Friday.
With the score tied at 68 with 6:06 to go in the game, Washburn's
Brady Christiansen hit a 3-pointer to stretch the lead to 71-68 and less than 30 seconds later, he hit two free throws pushing the lead to five with 5:28 to go.
The Cougars pulled within two with under four minutes to play, but a 3-pointer by
Jake Schadegg again moved the Washburn lead back to five at 76-71. Sioux Falls cut the lead to two points two times in the final 30 seconds, but jumpers by
Jack Bachelor and
Michael Keegan kept USF (0-1) down again as Washburn picked up the two-point win in the first meeting between the two schools in more than 40 years.
Washburn trailed 39-38 at the break after leading by no more than five points in the first 20 minutes. Overall there were 18 lead changes and 17 ties in the game.
Andrew Orr scored 24 points on 8 of 13 shooting adding an 8 of 8 performance from the free throw line. Eleven of his points came in the second half.
Jake Schadegg scored a career-high 14 points hitting four 3-pointers on six attempts with
Brady Christiansen scoring 13 points adding a team-high eight rebounds.
Jack Bachelor scored 12 points off the bench in his collegiate debut.
Sam Ungashick had seven points with seven assists and two steals and
Michael Keegan had three blocks with five boards and three assists.
Kenji Scales scored 22 to lead Sioux Falls.
Washburn finished 28 of 57 from the field in the game shooting 49 percent overall. The Ichabods were 18 of 22 from the free throw line. The Cougars held a 37-29 advantage on the glass. Washburn's bench outscored the USF bench 33-16.
