By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 1-ranked Washburn University men's basketball returns to the road on Saturday to face Missouri Western in a 3:30 p.m. in St. Joseph, Mo.
The Ichabods moved to 18-0 overall and 9-0 in the MIAA after rallying from a 3-point halftime deficit at Northwest Missouri to win 80-69 on Wednesday.
Senior Andrew Orr and the Washburn Ichabods will be looking for their 19th straight win Saturday in a road matchup with Missouri Western. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Missouri Western is 13-6 overall and 5-4 in MIAA play after an 81-62 win over Central Missouri on Wednesday, with the Griffons winning their second straight contest.
The Ichabods won the first meeting this season with the Griffons 92-74 in Topeka.
Washburn is off to its best start to begin at season at 18-0 since starting the 2003-04 season 16-0 en route to the MIAA regular- season championship.
The Ichabod record for the most wins to start the season is 19 coming in the 1992-93 season. WU is one of two undefeated teams remaining in the NCAA Division II ranks, joining No. 2 Daemen (14-0).
Senior Andrew Orr became the 28th member of the Ichabod 1,000 point club earlier this season and now has 1,143 career points, sitting 17th all-time. Next on the chart is Jemi Johnson with 1,215 career points from 1992-95. Orr will be playing in his 100th career game on Saturday.
Senior Michael Keegan has 922 career points in 114 career games as an Ichabod and he has moved into a tie for fifth all-time at Washburn in career blocks with 94, tying Bobby Chipman who had 94 from 2009-13. Keegan is also fifth all-time in steals with 144.
Sophomore Brayden Shorter is fifth in the nation in 3-pointers per game at 3.67 and he's ranked fifth in total 3-pointers made with 66.
Sophomore Jack Bachelor is 10th in the nation and leads the MIAA in assist to turnover radio at 3.23, is 13th in total assists at 97 and 18th in assists per game with 5.4. Over the last seven games Bachelor has had 42 assists and six turnovers -- a 7 to 1 ratio.
s in seven seasons at Washburn.
Zane Nelson leads three Griffons averaging in double figures with a 16.4 average while adding 82 assists. Zion Swader is averaging 11.6 points and 4.6 rebounds and Julius Dixon is scoring 10.9 points while hitting a team-high 34 3-pointers and adding 6.5 rebounds per game.
Saturday's meeting will be the 108th between the two schools with Washburn leading the series 63-44. Washburn has won the last three in the series and eight of the last 11.
The Ichabods will begin another three-game stretch in Lee Arena with Fort Hays State next Thursday.
