LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 2-ranked Washburn Ichabods opened the 2026-27 season with an 85-81 win over No. 11 Point Loma on Saturday night at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic, surviving a late Sea Lion rally after building a 13-point second-half lead. The Ichabods will return to action on Sunday night facing the No. 3-ranked West Liberty Hilltoppers in a top-five battle.
After falling behind 5-2 early, Washburn answered with an 8-2 run. Tyson Ruud started the surge with a second-chance basket before Marcus Glock knocked down a 3-pointer, giving the Ichabods a 13-7 advantage with 13:16 remaining in the opening half.
The Ichabods continued to build the lead midway through the half. Consecutive baskets by Kade Cook and a pair of free throws from Jack Bachelor capped a stretch that pushed the margin to 23-13 with 10:10 left in the period. A Brody Owen layup later gave Washburn its largest lead of the half at 25-13 with 7:40 to play.
Point Loma chipped away behind Andrew Hommes and Otto Landrum, using a 12-5 run to cut the deficit to three at 27-24 with just over three minutes remaining. Jake Lifgren then buried a 3-pointer with 41 seconds left, trimming the Washburn lead to one before Bachelor converted two free throws in the final seconds as the Ichabods took a 32-29 lead into halftime.
Washburn (1-0) overcame a slow-shooting first half by connecting on 11 of 30 field goals while holding Point Loma to 33.3 percent shooting. Cook paced the Ichabods with eight first-half points while Bachelor added seven. Tyce Paulsen and Lifgren combined for 13 of Point Loma's 29 points before the break.
The Sea Lions briefly grabbed their first lead since the opening minutes when Paulsen hit a 3-pointer for a 36-34 advantage with 18:28 remaining. Washburn quickly responded as Bachelor answered with a triple, and after Point Loma tied the game at 46-46 with 14:37 left, the Ichabods seized control.
A 14-4 Washburn run created separation. Tyler Salmon drilled a second-chance 3-pointer, Cook converted a steal into a fast-break layup, and another Salmon 3-pointer pushed the margin to seven and Owen buried a triple for a 60-50 advantage with 9:19 remaining.
The Ichabods continued to maintain control over the next several minutes. Consecutive free throws by Bachelor and a 3-pointer from Salmon stretched the lead back to 11 at 68-57 with 6:29 left. A Lucas Mercandino's free throw and a pair of free throws from Owen later helped Washburn establish its biggest lead of the game at 73-60 with 3:10 remaining.
Point Loma refused to go away. Lifgren scored eight points during a late rally and Paulsen knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers in the final 35 seconds as the Sea Lions pulled within 82-76 and eventually 84-81 following a Judson Loe fast-break triple with two seconds left.
Salmon sealed the victory at the free-throw line, making the front end of a two-shot opportunity with one second remaining, securing the 85-81 Washburn win.
Washburn was led by Salmon's 19 points and nine rebounds, while Ruud added 15 points and six rebounds. Bachelor scored 15 points with five assists, Owen finished with 13 points in his collegiate debut, and Cook recorded 10 points, four rebounds and three steals. Glock chipped in eight points off the bench as the Ichabods shot 44.8 percent from the field.
Point Loma had four players score in double figures, led by Tyce Paulsen with 21 points on seven 3-pointers. Jake Lifgren added 18 points and seven assists, Andrew Hommes scored 13, and Otto Landrum finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.
Washburn finished the night 26 of 58 from the field, shooting 44.8 percent overall, while Point Loma connected on 28 of 66 attempts and made 12 3-pointers. The Sea Lions held advantages in rebounds (46-35), second-chance points (22-14) and fast break points (17-6), but the Ichabods countered by shooting 76.5 percent hitting 26 of 34 at the foul line and committing only 10 turnovers.
