TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods passed their first test playing as the No. 1 team in the country on Wednesday night with an 83-72 win over Emporia State in Lee Arena winning their 16th game in a row to open the season while handing the Hornets their sixth loss in a row. The Ichabods will wrap up their current four-game homestand hosting Newman on Saturday at 3 p.m.
 
Washburn (16-0, 7-0 MIAA) trailed only by one point on four different occasions in the opening half with the final time of ESU holding a 10-9 lead with 17:23 to play in the first half. Washburn then used a 7-0 run over the next 60 seconds going up 16-10.   
 
ESU (4-12, 1-6 MIAA) trimmed the Ichabod advantage to three at after a 3-pointer by Dallas Bear, but a 3-pointer by Michael Keegan and a 3-pointer and a back-to-back jumpers by Jack Bachelor pushed the Ichabod lead back to eight. Washburn then used a 14-2 run led by Keegan's eight points to take a 43-25 lead before a 3-pointer by the Hornets' Malik Edwards cut the Ichabod lead heading to the break to a 43-28 advantage.
 
The second half saw the Ichabods pushed their lead to 18 on their first possession of the frame on a 3-pointer by Keegan. Washburn kept the Hornets at arms-length in double digits building a lead to as many as 21 with 6:36 to play before a 15-4 Hornet run cut the lead to 10 at 75-65 with 2:48 to play.
 
ESU pulled within 10 points three different times but did not get any closer as the Ichabods went 10 of 12 the final 4:17 of the game from the free throw line securing the 11-point win.
 
Andrew Orr led the Ichabods with a game-high 21 points going 7 of 11 from the field hitting all seven free throw attempts. Brayden Shorter scored 17 points and Keegan finished with 16 points adding eight rebounds, a career-high-tying five steals and two assists and two blocks. Bachelor finished with 14 points. Brady Christiansen scored all seven of the Ichabods' bench points adding eight rebounds.
 
Arhman Lewis scored 19 points to lead the Hornets.
 
Washburn finished the game 26 of 62 from the field for a 42 percent clip as the Hornets outshot the Ichabods at a 44 percent average hitting 24 of 54 attempts. Washburn was 7 of 28 from 3-point range while the Hornets were 10 of 22. Washburn hit 77 percent of its free throw attempts hitting 24 of 31 compared to 14 of 16 for the Hornets.
 
Washburn also had a 38 to 30 advantage on the glass and forced 19 turnovers leading to 15 points. Washburn also had 16 offensive rebounds leading to 21 second chance points.
 
Notes:
• The Ichabod record for the most wins to start the season is 19 coming in the 1992-93 season.
• Brayden Shorter hit his career 100th 3-pointer as an Ichabod in his 45th career game.
• The Ichabods now have 1,692 all-time program wins in. The Ichabods would be the seventh NCAA D2 program to reach the 1,700 win mark.