By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 2-ranked Washburn Ichabods will be back on the road Saturday as they travel to Liberty, Mo. to face the William Jewell Cardinals at 3 p.m.
Bryson Smith scored 22 points, including the go-ahead basket, in Washburn's 85-81 win over Rockhurst Wednesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn enters the game 5-0 after topping Rockhurst 85-81 on Wednesday in Lee Arena.
William Jewell is coming off a 77-72 win over Emporia State on Wednesday and is 2-1 this season.
With Wednesday's win over the Hawks, the Ichabods improved to 40-1 all-time in their home openers, including 35 straight wins.
Junior guard Jack Bachelor, a Washburn Rural product, leads the nation in 3-pointers made with 16 and sophomore Dillon Claussen is eighth in the nation in double-doubles with two. Claussen is also 13th in the nation in field goal percentage at 78.4 and eighth in total rebounds with 40.
Jeremiah Jones leads the nation in total steals with 18 and is ranked 13th in steals per game at 3.60 per contest.
Justice Sutton leads William Jewell in scoring with a 17.7 scoring average.
Isaac Patterson is scoring 14.7 points per game with a team-high 7.0 rebounding average and Kyle Scharbrough is scoring 12.7 points a game.
The Ichabods lead the William Jewell series 14-7 after winning 81-73 last season in Topeka.
The Ichabods have lost their last two games played in Liberty, with their last win coming on Dec. 1, 1988 in a 76-58 win.
Washburn turned a five-point deficit with 2:29 to play into Wednesday's four-point win over Rockhurst.
The Ichabods outscored the Hawks 11-2 to end the game, led by Smith's driving layup with 51 seconds remaining to give the Ichabods a 81-79 lead.
After a key defensive stop, Tyson Ruud hit a free throw to extend the WU lead to three and Sam Ungashick came up with a steal in the final seconds and sank two free throws with three seconds left to seal the win.
Smith led the Ichabods with 22 points, four rebounds and five assists. Bachelor added 17 points and three assists and Claussen scored 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Ruud came off the bench for 13 points and six rebounds.
Washburn returns home to face Friends on Tuesday and will host Ottawa next Saturday.
