•    The Washburn Ichabods will finish of a quick two-game home showing hosting No. 12-ranked Northwest Missouri on Saturday in Lee Arena.
•    Washburn (15-7, 11-5 MIAA) topped Missouri Western last time out 64-63 on Feb. 7 in Topeka.
•    The Bearcats lead the MIAA standings sitting at 18-4 overall and 14-2 in league play … Northwest held off a late charge from Emporia State as Wes Dreamer and Bennett Stirtz combined to score 37 points in a 64-61 win in Emporia.
•    The Bearcats won the first meeting with the Ichabods on Dec. 13 in Maryville in a 68-65 win as a last-second 3-point attempt by the Ichabods missed.
•    Washburn leads the all-time series 63-56 and will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak to the Bearcats.
•    Saturday's meeting will be the 120th between the two schools with Washburn leading the series in Lee Arena contests 21-16.
•    The Ichabods received votes in the latest NABC Top 25 Coaches Poll.
•    The Ichabods have recorded 30, 20-win seasons and four under Ichabod head coach Brett Ballard in his six seasons receiving four NCAA postseason berths.
•    The 2023-24 season marks the 119th season of Ichabod basketball. •    Andrew Orr is leading the team in scoring 14.0 ppg this season … he is shooting 57 percent from the field hitting 125 of 220 attempts going 11 of 19 last time out against Missouri Western tying a season-high with 25 points … he has scored at least 20 points in three of the last four games …he is fifth in the MIAA in field goal percentage and ranks eighth on Washburn's all-time chart at 58 percent (311 of 546).
•    Sam Ungashick is scoring 13.1 ppg averaging 3.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game … he leads the team with team with 34 steals … Ungashick scored 24 points against the Bearcats in the first meeting hitting 5 of 10 3-point attempts adding five steals.
•    Jack Bachelor is scoring 12.0 ppg this season and leads the team with 78 assists and was named the MIAA Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 8 … he started his third game of the season against Missouri Western last time out and had 12 points in the first meeting with the Bearcats..
•    Brady Christiansen is averaging 85 ppg with a team-high 7.3 rpg … he is fourth in the MIAA in rebound average and is third in the MIAA in offensive rebounds averaging 2.5 per game …he has also moved into the top 50 all-time at Washburn in rebounds with 353 midway through his sophomore season.
•    Jarmell Johnson is averaging 7.6 ppg and 3.2 rpg … he pulled down an offensive rebound with 2.7 seconds to play against Missouri Western last time out hitting the go ahead free throw helping Washburn to the 64-63 win on Wednesday.
•    Michael Keegan is scoring 7.0 ppg with 5.5 rpg … for his career at Washburn he moved into the top 10 in all-time blocks with 73.
•    Brayden Shorter is averaging 6.1 scoring and 2.3 rpg … of his 48 rebounds this season, 16 have been offensive.
•    Jake Schadegg is averaging 5.0 ppg and 1.5 apg.
•    Emmanuel Byrd is scoring 4.1 ppg with 3.4 rpg,
•    Zaid Dajani is scoring 1.7 ppg and Kevin Eman is averaging 1.2 ppg.
•    Washburn is third the MIAA in 3-pointers made per game at 7.9 per contest.
•    The Ichabods are first in the MIAA in scoring averaging 78.7 ppg and ranked eighth in scoring defense allowing 71.4 ppg.
•    Washburn is +6.9 in rebounding margin this season which is second in the MIAA and ranked 13th nationally … the Ichabods also leading the MIAA in total rebounds at 38.6 per game.
•    The Ichabods will be without Jordan Vincent, Bradley Lightbourne, Tyson Ruud and Zach Davidson who will miss the season after injuries, surgeries or recovering from recent surgeries.
  WASHBURN ICHABOD HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD ...
•    is 133-71 in his seventh season as the Ichabods' head coach and 166-101 overall in his ninth year as a head coach.
•    has led the Ichabods to four NCAA postseason appearances in six full seasons at Washburn.
•    was named the Washburn Ichabod men's basketball head coach on April 6, 2017 after spending the 2014-15 to 2016-17 seasons as an assistant coach with the Wake Forest and Tulsa basketball programs after working under head coach Danny Manning 2012-17 seasons.
•    he helped Wake Forest to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2009-10 season following the 2016-17 season.
•    prior to taking over the head coaching position at Baker, Ballard spent seven years on Bill Self's staff at Kansas, his alma mater.
•    he played two years for the Jayhawks under head coach Roy Williams from 2000-02 after transferring from Hutchinson Community College in his hometown of Hutchinson, Kan. In his two seasons as a Jayhawk, the team reached the 2001 NCAA Sweet Sixteen and appeared in the 2002 NCAA Final Four in Atlanta.
•    he earned his bachelor's degree in secondary education from Kansas in 2003 earning an Academic All-Big 12 selection as a senior for his efforts in the classroom.
•    he is 3-16 against Northwest Missouri.
 
NORTHWEST MISSOURI HEAD COACH BEN MCCOLLUM...
•    is 383-90 in his 15th season as the Bearcats' head coach.
•    is a 2003 graduate of Northwest Missouri.
•    named the 20th head coach in Bearcat history.
•    played for Northwest going 51-12 in two seasons including a 29-3 mark during a run to the NCAA Elite Eight during the 2001-02 season.
•    is the first five-time NABC Division II National Coach of the Year and a seven-time MIAA Coach of the Year.
•    led Northwest to the 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022 NCAA National Championship.
•    is 23-10  against the Ichabods.
  •    The Bearcats are 18-4 overall and 14-2 in the MIAA winning their last seven games.
•    Wes Dreamer leads the team ins coring at 18.5 ppg and Bennett Stirtz is scoring 14.4 ppg … Dreamer also leads the team in rebounds at 6.8 per game while shooting 41 percent from 3-point range 48 of 117.
•    Northwest enters Saturday's game at Washburn riding a seven-game win streak. The seven-game win streaks ranks tied for the seventh-longest active streak among NCAA Div. II men's basketball teams.
•    Northwest ranks No. 1 in the nation in the free throw percentage at 80.4.
•    Northwest ranks No. 2 in the nation in scoring defense by allowing 59.4 points per game. The Bearcats rank second in the MIAA in scoring defense behind only Fort Hays State (57.2 ppg). Northwest has held seven consecutive opponents to 61 points or less in its seven-game win streak.
  •    Saturday's meeting will be the 120th between the two schools and Washburn holds a 63-56 lead in the series.
•    The series dates back to the 1940-41 season and they have played each other every year since WU joined the MIAA in 1989-90.
•    The Ichabods are 21-16 against the Bearcats in Lee Arena.
•    Washburn is 26-26 in Maryville.
•    In the MIAA Tournament, the Ichabods are 4-8 against Northwest after falling in the 2018, 2019 and 2022 MIAA Championship games before winning the 2021 Tournament in Maryville.
•    In the NCAA Tournament, the Ichabods are 2-3 against the Bearcats.
•    The Ichabods won a NCAA Central Regional final contest against the Bearcats in Topeka on March 10, 2001 advancing to the Elite Eight in Bakersfield, California after a 67-61 win.
  (Dec. 13, 2023) MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Washburn Ichabods battled back from a 11-point second half deficit and had a potential 3-pointer rim out at the buzzer that would have tied the game in a 68-65 loss at Northwest Missouri on Wednesday in Maryville.
With the Ichabods trailing 51-40 with 14:38 to go in the game, Washburn came back with a 9-1 run to cut the lead to three at 52-49 with 8:44 to play. Northwest went up 60-52 with 6:42 to play, but a 3-pointer by Jack Bachelor and then back-to-back 3-pointers by Sam Ungashick pulled Washburn within one at 62-61 with 3:49 to go. A Northwest layup pushed the lead back to three with 3:26 remaining, but two more free throws by Ungashick cut the lead back to one again. Northwest hit another layup by Isaiah Jack with 1:24 to go, but Washburn came back and hit two more free throws, this time by Brady Christiansen to pull for the third time back within one.
With 14 seconds to play, the Ichabods went to the line, but missed both attempts, but an offensive rebound and two additional misses before Northwest pulled down a rebound. The Bearcats went to the line hitting both setting up the final play which saw the miss at the buzzer.
The Ichabods led early at 16-5 as Washburn turned a 5-5 game into an 11-point lead with 13:22 to play in the game as Sam Ungashick hit a pair of 3-pointers. In the opening half, Washburn was whistled for 17 fouls, 15 called after the Ichabods were leading 16-5 at the 13:21 mark of the frame. The Bearcats from that point on outscored the Ichabods 37-14 including a 15 of 21 showing from the free throw line compared to 4 of 5 by the Ichabods as the teams were called for a combined 25 fouls with the 17 coming against the visitors. Every Ichabod who checked in the game in the first half was called for a foul with seven different players being called for two.
The fouls in the second half switched as the Bearcats were called for 15 fouls compared to eight in the final 20 minutes.
Ungashick led the Ichabods (5-4, 1-2 MIAA) with 24 points adding five steals going 5 of 10 from deep hitting 9 of 9 from the free throw line. Bachelor scored 12 off the bench hitting 3 of 5 3-point attempts and Christiansen had a game-high 11 rebounds.
Wes Dreamer had 21 to lead the Bearcats (7-3, 4-1 MIAA).
Washburn finished 19 of 53 from the line being held to 26 percent in the second half from the field going 8 of 31 overall. Washburn was 19 of 25 from the free throw line. Northwest was 19 of 42 overall as the Ichabods held the Bearcats to 8 of 22 shooting in the second half. Northwest was 23 of 30 from the free throw line overall.         TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod men's basketball team answered the bell turning an eight-point halftime deficit into a one-point win in a 64-63 win over Missouri Western on Wednesday night in Lee Arena.
With nine ties and seven lead changes in the game including three ties in the final 2:25 of the game, Jarmell Johnson hit the second of two free throws with 2.7 seconds to play putting Washburn up by one and the Griffons' inbounds pass was picked off by Brady Christiansen sealing the win for the Ichabods improving to 10-0 in homes games winning their 11th in a row dating back to last season.
Washburn entered the halftime break trailing the Griffons 38-30 after shooting 38 percent in the opening frame including starting the game 1 of 6 from the field as the Griffons jumped out to a 10-2 lead after the first media timeout. The Ichabods cut the lead to two several times before the Griffons (15-7, 9-7 MIAA) jumped out to a lead as many as 10 before a pair of Sam Ungashick free throws before the break cut the margin to eight.
Starting the second half, Washburn used a 12-2 run hitting 5 of its first 7 shots including two 3-pointers to take a 42-40 lead with 16:26 to play. Missouri Western answered with a 3-pointer on a turn-around 3-pointer from 23-feet as the shot clock went off taking a 43-42 lead, but the Ichabods used a 6-0 spurt pushing their lead to 48-43.
Washburn (15-7, 11-5 MIAA) led 52-47 with 8:22 to play after four-straight points from Andrew Orr and the five-point lead was the largest by either team the rest of the way. After Washburn led 54-50 after a layup by Orr, Missouri Western scored five-straight points to take a 55-54 before an Orr free throw tied the score at 55. A Michael Keegan layup with 3:54 put the Ichabods up 57-54, but Missouri Western tied the score at 57 and took the lead at 59-57 after back to back layups by Tay Fields. Orr hit back to back layups of his own to put the Ichabods back in front at 61-59 with 1:18 to play.
A jumper by JaRon James tied the score at 61 with 58 seconds to play, before again Orr hit another layup to five him a game-high 25 points and Washburn the lead at 63-61. Fields tied the score with a jumper at 63 with 12 seconds to play setting up Johnson's go-ahead free throw with 2.7 to play as Washburn won its second in a row over the Griffons.
Orr's 25 led all scorers hitting 11 of 19 shots adding six rebounds and a block with 17 of his points coming in the second half. He was the only Ichabod to reach double-figure scoring with Ungashick and Michael Keegan each scoring nine. Ungashick also had four assists and two steals.
Fields recorded a double double with 19 points and 14 rebounds and Zion Swader had 10 points.
Washburn shot 42 percent for the game hitting 25 of 60 shots overall and was held to 6 of 22 shooting from 3-point range. The Ichabods were outrebounded 36-35, but forced the Griffons into 15 turnovers leading to 19 Washburn points. •    The Ichabods are 1,684-1,129-2 all-time in the 118th year in the program's history.
•    Washburn is the 10th-winningest program in NCAA Division II history by victories.
•    Washburn is 688-322 since joining the conference and the NCAA.
•    The Ichabods have recorded 30 20-win seasons and they have one 30-win seasons after going 35-4 during the 1986-87 NAIA Championship season.
•    Washburn has won 21 conference championships including 10 MIAA titles.
•    Washburn has received 16 NCAA Tournament bids going to three Elite Eight's appearing in the 2001 NCAA National Championship game.
  •    The Ichabods are 497-102 (.848) all-time in Lee Arena.
•    The 2023-24 season marks the 38th season of play in Lee Arena.
•    The Ichabods are 38-1 all-time in home openers.
•    The Ichabods recorded a school-best 28-game winning streak from Nov. 19, 1993 to Feb. 8, 1995 in Lee Arena.
  •    Washburn will be on the for a Feb. 17 contest against Central Oklahoma before returning home for three of their final four games starting with Lincoln on Feb. 22 followed by Central Missouri on Feb. 24. After their final regular season road game of the season at Missouri Southern on Feb. 28, Washburn will face Emporia State on senior day on March 2.