EMPORIA, Kan. –Washburn's men's basketball team rolled in the 2025 calendar in style as the No. 2-ranked Ichabods led for 39:33 and by as many as 33 points cruising to a 105-77 win over Emporia State on Saturday in White Auditorium. Washburn improves to 13-0 and 4-0 in MIAA play and will return to Lee Arena for the first time since Nov. 30 as they will host Missouri Western on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Washburn jumped out to a 13-3 lead 3:49 into the game behind
Jack Bachelor's 11 points, including three-straight 3-pointers. The Hornets (4-8, 1-3 MIAA) trimmed the lead back to five at 17-12, but the Ichabods used another 13 to 3 run doubling up Emporia State with 9:13 to play in the half. ESU cut the lead to 11 but that margin was the closest the Hornets would get the rest of the game as the Ichabods finished the frame 9 of 11 from the field the final 7:01 of the half taking a 56-39 lead into the break.
Washburn shot 61 percent in the opening half paced by 17 points from Bachelor and
Jacob Hanna had 10 points and eight assists as the Ichabods reached at least 50 points in a half since scoring 52 against William Jewell on Nov. 23, 2024 in Lee Arena.
A 12-1 run over a three-minute stretch followed by a 16-7 Ichabod run stretched the Ichabod lead to a game-high 33 with 9:28 to play as Washburn snapped a four-game slide to the Hornets.
Bachelor finished with a game-high 19 points adding eight assists leading six Ichabods in double figures. The birthday boy
Andrew Orr had 16 points as did Hanna who also had eight assists and six rebounds.
Dillon Claussen had a career-high 15 points on 7 of 7 shooting. Bradyen Shorter hit three 3-pointers en route to 11 points with six boards and
Brady Christiansen had 11 points as well.
Michael Keegan had a game with three blocks.
Malik Edwards scored 13 points leading the Hornets.
After shooting 61 percent in the first half, the Ichabods improved to 67 percent in the second half hitting 20 of 30 shots overall closing the game at a season-high 63 percent on 43 of 68 shooting.
Washburn outrebounded the Hornets 34 to 25 in the game and tallied 26 assists on 43 baskets in the game. Washburn also outscored the Hornets 58 to 22 in the paint and forced 22 turnovers leading to 27 points for the Ichabods.
The 105 points scored by the Ichabods was the second-time Washburn reached the century mark in the 222 previous meetings topping the old record of 103 set against ESU on Jan. 7, 2004 in Topeka. The Ichabods just missed setting the largest margin of victory in the series as the Hornets hit a 3-pointer with 13 seconds left avoiding the record mark of 31 in a 73-42 Ichabod win on Jan. 16, 2010.
