By KYLE MANTHE
The Washburn Review
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- For a second straight season Washburn men’s basketball’s faced off with Northwest Missouri State in Sunday MIAA conference tournament finals.
This time there was no 73-foot game-winning shot as the Ichabods came out on the other end, dropping an 84-76 decision.
A win would have guaranteed the 21-10 Ichabods a spot in the NCAA Tournament but the Ichabods still ended the day with a big reason to celebrate, claiming the final at-large bid to enter the tournament as the No. 7 seed in the Central Region.
Washburn's Tyler Geiman (left) and Jonny Clausing will get a chance to play at least one more game this season after earning an at-large bid for the NCAA Division II Tournament. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/TSN]
Jalen Lewis led Washburn with 17 points in the Ichabods' 84-76 loss to Northwest Missouri in Sunday's MIAA Tournament Final. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/TSN]
Before the selections were made Washburn coach Brett Ballard made his pitch for Washburn to continue playing.
“Our strength of schedule out of 42 teams in our region going into this tournament I think was fourth or fifth best, so I am pleading our case that we should be in,” Ballard said. “The way these guys have played the last two months I would say we are certainly one of the best teams in the country right now.”
Even before the decision was made Ballard expressed his disagreement with the way Division II selections are made but understands the reasons for it.
“The Division II system isn’t a fair system, it’s the system we have cause of finances and everything, and I understand that, but we are clearly one of the best eight teams in this region,” Ballard said.
“I get it, we will accept whatever happens, we are not an excuse-making program. Whoever gets in deserves to get in. But, these last two months, the teams we have beaten, the way we have been playing, you can't look at this team and tell me we are not one of the top eight in our division.”
All Ballard was hoping for was an opportunity to continue coaching the team and group of departing players, headlined by senior Tyler Geiman and junior Jalen Lewis.
“To not have a bad day over the course of four years with either one of these guys, it says a lot about the type of people they are,” Ballard said. “These guys embody everything that you want in a student-athlete, their character, their heart, their toughness.”
“I am really fortunate to be able to play here, play in this program for the past four years,” Lewis said.
Both were also named to the MIAA All-Tournament team at the conclusion of the game.
“Definitely feel blessed to be in this situation, a lot of good teams in this league, but I think that is kind of a team award … the team has a lot to do with that,” Geiman said.
Even after the championship loss, Washburn will move on and face No. 2 Minnesota Duluth in the NCAA Tournament beginning Mar. 12 in Sioux Falls, S.D.
For a fan of basketball Sunday's game began exactly how you would want, with neither team creating more than four points of separation through the first nine minutes.
The post players on each team led a balanced scoring attack. For the Ichabods it was junior Jonny Clausing with six early points inside, and for the Bearcats sophomore Luke Waters knocked down two 3-pointers.
Just under the nine-minute mark sophomore Tyler Nelson scored five straight points off the bench for Washburn who would go up by five during the stretch.
Sophomore Connor Deffebaugh quickly knocked down a 3-pointer which was followed by free throws from Lewis to put the Ichabods up 30-20 at the 7:30 mark.
Northwest Missouri quickly responded, with a 9-2 run led by Waters and the other post players scoring inside to pull within three with under four to play in the half.
The Bearcats scored the next five points to take a two-point lead which grew to three just before halftime after a layup from Manhattan product Trevor Hudgins put Northwest Missouri up, 38-35.
On the first possession out of the break for Washburn Geiman knocked down a 3-pointer to tie the game but from that point on the Bearcats took off, going on a 7-0 run.
The lead would grow to double-digits at the 16:28 mark after a layup from Hudgins.
“We let him get to the rim too much,” Ballard said. “Obviously the 3s are big, but if you take away the layups you still got a chance. He did a good job attacking … he is a heck of a player,” Ballard said.
A layup from freshman Michael Keegan with 13:31 remaining would be his eighth and ninth points of the half and pull the Ichabods, within five which is where the lead would sit as the game neared the 10-minute mark.
Washburn went small, playing with only guards and forwards and under the 10-minute mark it paid off with a 6-0 run to take a one-point sparked by drives to the basket with an empty lane.
Northwest Missouri reacted and reeled off an 11-2 run in response to go up by as many as eight.
“Five minutes to go we had the lead I believe, and had a couple of looks to kind of extend the lead and they were a little better down the stretch,” Ballard said.
Free throws from Lewis with 3:28 to make the score 73-70 but it did not stay that way as Hudgins went on a personal 7-1 run putting him over 30 for the game.
The lead was cut to six but never got any lower, with the Ichabods ultimately falling 84-76.
“I am proud of my team, we went through a lot this year,” Ballard said. “I love coaching them and I just want another week with my guys.”
Hudgins led all-scorers with 35 and Waters finished with 20 for the Bearcats.
Lewis led Washburn with 17 points, Deffebaugh added 13 and both Geiman and Nelson had 12, with Geiman adding six assists. Keegan also finished in double-figures with 11.
NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE MEN 84, WASHBURN 76
Northwest Missouri 38 46 -- 84
Washburn 35 41 -- 76
Northwest Missouri (28-5)
Dreamer 1-8 3-3 5, Bernard 3-7 4-5 11, Jackson 2-3 3-5 7, Hudgins 13-21 3-3 35, Waters 8-12 0-0 20, Alexander 1-2 2-4 4, Abreu 1-2 0-0 0. Totals: 29-55 15-20 84.
Washburn (21-10)
Clausing 4-8 0-0 8, Deffebaugh 4-8 4-5 13, Geiman 5-14 1-2 12, Lewis 5-11 5-6 17, Keegan 4-5 2-4 11, Nelson 4-8 2-3 12, Ellis 1-1 0-0 3, Harrell 0-0 0-0 0, Braun 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 27-55 14-20 76.
3-point shots – Northwest Missouri: 11-24 (Dreamer 0-5, Bernard 1-1, Hudgins 6-12, Waters 4-6). Washburn: 8-18 (Deffebaugh 1-3, Geiman 1-5, Lewis 2-3, Keegan 1-2, Nelson 2-4, Ellis 1-1). Rebounds – Northwest Missouri 31 (Dreamer 11), Washburn 29 (Keegan 9). Assists – Northwest Missouri 11 (Hudgins 5), Washburn 11 (Geiman 6). Turnovers – Northwest Missouri 9, Washburn 9. Fouled out - None.
