By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University men's basketball won its second game in a row and finished out its home schedule with a 84-64 Senior Night win over Missouri Southern Thursday night in Lee Arena.
Sophomore Jaden Monday scored a career-high 23 points Thursday night as Washburn rolled past Missouri Southern, 84-64. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Andrew Orr (left) scored 16 points and Tyler Nelson 12 in Thursday night's 84-64 Washburn win over Missouri Southern. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Ichabods finish the 2022-23 season with a 10-3 record inside of Lee Arena and were led in the finale by sophomore Jaden Monday, who poured in a career-high 23 points.
Seniors Tyler Nelson and Connor Deffebaugh were recognized before the game for their contributions to the program in their four-year careers.
Missouri Southern (16-11 overall, 12-9 MIAA) led for the first three minutes of action but after a layup from WU sophomore Andrew Orr with 16:52 left in the first half, Washburn (14-13, 11-10) took a 7-5 lead and never trailed again.
After both teams were tied at 10, Washburn went on a 10-0 run to create a double-digit lead that was capped off by a fast break dunk by Michael Keegan.
The 10-0 run was part of a larger 31-6 burst for the Ichabods that spanned from the 13:47 mark to the 5:08 point in the first half.
In that time Washburn knocked down seven 3-pointers including four on consecutive possessions -- three from Hayden product Levi Braun and one from Jarmell Johnson.
The lead ballooned up to 25 points at the five-minute mark but was bumped under 20 by halftime with Washburn in front, 46-27.
The Ichabods continued the strong offensive performance in the second half and the lead never dropped below 18.
Monday drilled a 3-pointer at the 12:13 mark in the second half to push the lead to 26 points.
In the final minutes it grew to almost 30 points after Nelson knocked down a step-back 3-pointer.
Thirteen players checked into the game for Washburn as they closed out the 20-point victory.
The Ichabods shot a scorching 52.8 percent from the field and were 11-20 from behind the arc while also getting to the free throw line 24 times.
Monday knocked down five 3-pointers on his way to 23 points, going 9-15 from the field while also adding five assists and six rebounds.
Orr chipped in 16 points on 7-13 shooting with four rebounds.
Keegan was also in double figures, scoring 14 on 4-6 shooting, with six rebounds and three steals, and Nelson had 12 points, five rebounds and a team-high six assists in his final home game.
On the defensive end Washburn held Missouri Southern to just 37.5-percent shooting and the Lions were ice cold behind the arc, going 5-29. The Ichabods also had the upper hand on the boards 42-27.
Sam Thompson led Missouri Southern with 15 points while Avery Taggart added 11.
Washburn will play one final regular-season matchup on Saturday at Emporia State before heading to Kansas City for the MIAA Tournament next week.
WU women fall to Lions, 71-56
The Washburn women's basketball team lost its final home game of the 2022-23 season to Missouri Southern on Thursday evening, 71-56.
The Ichabods will close out the regular season at Emporia State on Saturday afternoon.
Freshman Gabi Artis led Washburn with 14 points in the Ichabods' 71-56 loss to Missouri Southern Thursday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Prior to the game, Washburn's three senior student-athletes, Emma Chapman, Macy Doebele and Abby Oliver, as well as student manager Noah Garber, were recognized for their contributions to the Washburn women's basketball program.
The Ichabods (11-16 overall, 7-14 MIAA) started the game on a 7-2 run for an early lead.
Missouri Southern (23-6, 15-6) answered with a 7-2 run of its own to level the score at 9-all.
Washburn reclaimed the lead with a 5-0 mini run, but the Lions closed out the last four minutes and 33 seconds on a 15-6 tear to go up 24-20 at the end of the opening quarter. The Ichabods finished the frame shooting 53.3 percent from the field.
For the second straight quarter, freshman Gabi Artis got the scoring started for Washburn with a 3-pointer in the first 30 seconds to pull the Ichabods within one, 24-23.
Both teams experienced a scoring drought as the next points weren't scored until Missouri Southern made a triple with 6:22 on the clock. The Lions scored four points in the last 18 seconds to take a 41-29 lead into the break.
The Lions maintained their lead for the remainder of the second half.
Washburn trailed 59-46 at the start of the fourth quarter, but put together a 9-2 run to pull within six, 61-55, midway through the frame.
Washburn would get no closer, though, as Missouri Southern finished off the final four and a half minutes with a 10-1 run to win by 15.
Artis led the Ichabods with 14 points and made 4-of-7 from behind the arc. Aubrey Dewey added 10 points and led the team with nine rebounds. Doebele chipped in nine points and seven boards.
Three players from Missouri Southern finished in double figures, led by Mia Topping's 23 points on 6-of-10 shooting and a perfect 10-for-10 at the free throw line.
