TOPEKA, Kan. – The No. 1-ranked Washburn Ichabods set a school record for the most consecutive wins to start a season improving to 20-0 and 11-0 in the MIAA with a 74-65 win over Fort Hays State on Thursday in Lee Arena. The Ichabods will return to action on Saturday hosting Nebraska-Kearney.
 
The Ichabods scored the first pair of points on a layup by Michael Keegan pushing Washburn to an early 2-0 lead, but the Tigers (13-6, 6-4 MIAA) took the lead back scoring 7 of the next 9 of the game and would go on to build a lead of as many as seven in the opening half at 11:26 to play at 17-10.
 
With the Ichabods down 20-15 with 7:47 to play in the half, Washburn ripped off a 21-4 run to close the half with Jack Bachelor scoring the final nine points of the frame for the Ichabods as Washburn took a 36-24 lead into the break. Washburn was 7 of 9 during the final 7:20 of the first half while the Ichabod defense held the Tigers to 1 of 8 shooting.
 
In the second half, the Ichabods were holding a 17-point lead at 53-36 with 11:50 to go, but the Tigers used a 10-0 run trimming the Washburn lead to seven with 10:04 left. The Tigers would go on to cut the lead to six with 5:55 to play and for the final time with 5:16 to play before Brayden Shorter hit a 3-pointer followed by a Dillon Claussen pushed Washburn's lead back to 10 at 64-54. The Tigers would not get any closer than eight the rest of the way as Washburn hit 8 of 9 free throws in the final 3:19 securing its 20^th-straight win in front of a crowd of more than 3,000 in Lee Arena.
 
Bachelor led the Ichabods with 20 points adding five assists. Jacob Hanna scored 15 adding seven boards. Brady Christiansen recorded a double double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Andrew Orr finished with 10. Kyle Grill led the Tigers with 25 points.
 
Washburn shot 47 percent from the field hitting 22 of 47 overall and held the Tigers to 44 percent shooting at 24 of 55. The Ichabods hit 25 of 33 free throws and held a 36 to 24 advantage on the glass.
 
Washburn committed 14 turnovers leading to 22 points for the Tigers and the Washburn bench outscored the Tiger bench 18 to 6.