LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 2-ranked Washburn men's basketball team erupted out of the gates in its 2025-26 season debut, charging past Augusta 101-53 in a complete team performance Saturday afternoon at Jenkins Field House on the campus of Florida Southern at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic never trailing and leading for 39:51 of the 40 minutes. The Ichabods will wrap up the two-day event facing No. 3-Dallas Baptist at 12:15 pm CST on Sunday. The Patriots fell to No. 13-ranked Michigan Tech 75-70 in overtime on Saturday.

The defensive energy set the tone early as the Ichabods forced 16 first-half turnovers, flipping them into 15 fast-break points and sprinting to a 56-25 halftime advantage. Washburn completely suffocated Augusta in the paint, holding the opponents to just six points inside the lane in the first 20 minutes while pouring in 34 of their own around the rim. 

On the offensive end, Washburn was relentless. The Ichabods shot 53 percent from the field (41-77) for the game while drilling eight 3-pointers. Meanwhile, the defense frustrated Augusta into 30 percent shooting overall, including just 6-for-30 from beyond the arc. 

Jack Bachelor was electric from the perimeter, drilling five 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 25 points, tying a career high, while adding six assists and top-tier shot creation in transition. Dillon Claussen delivered a dominant double-double scoring a career-high 22 points adding, 13 rebounds, two blocks, and was a team-best +42 in plus/minus in his 21 minutes of action. Claussen recorded 19 first-half points to top his career-high of 17 last season set against Lenoir-Rhyne last season in the NCAA National Quarterfinals. Jeremiah Jones energized the building and stat sheet with 13 points, five assists, and eight steals – one shy of the school record. 

Brady Christiansen worked the offensive glass to near perfection, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds as Washburn demolished Augusta on the boards 53-30, including 16 second-chance points. Bench depth also made a major statement: 31 points off the sidelines, highlighted by Kade Cook's 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting for a career-high. 

The Ichabods' largest lead swelled to 48 points in the closing minute as they closed the day with 66 points in the paint and 25 points off turnovers.