By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 1-ranked Washburn University men's basketball team hits the road for a three-game stretch, beginning with Thursday's 7:30 p.m. MIAA tilt at Fort Hays State.
Sophomore Dillon Claussen and the 20-0 Washburn Ichabods will face Fort Hays State on the road Thursday night. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn, 20-0 overall and 10-0 in the MIAA, is one of just two remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division II along with Cal State East Bay after the Ichabods beat Missouri Western 90-78 last Friday.
Fort Hays State is 15-4 overall and 6-3 in the MIAA, having won its last five in a row after turning back Central Oklahoma 58-53 last time out.
The Ichabods defeated the Tigers on Dec. 6 in Topeka, 73-66, with the 73 points a season-low for Washburn this season.
Washburn has the No. 1-ranked scoring offense in the MIAA with 89.2 points per game while the Ichabods have the No. 2-ranked scoring defense at 61.8 points per game behind Fort Hays State's 59.9 average.
The Tigers are averaging 71.6 points, ranking 13th in the MIAA.
FHSU is 9-1 in home games this season, with the lone loss coming on Nov. 16 to Concordia-St. Paul in a 78-68 defeat. Since then the Tigers have won their last eight home games in a row.
The Ichabods have recorded 32 20-win seasons in program history and six under Ichabod coach Brett Ballard in his nine seasons.
Washburn leads the nation in scoring margin at plus 27.4 points per game and is ranked first in field goal percentage at 52.8 percent and second in rebound margin at plus 12.2.
Washburn has not been out-rebounded in a game this season and has only been tied twice (Lubbock Christian and Emporia State).
Ichabod sophomore standout Dillon Claussen is sixth in the nation in field goal percentage at 65.9, which also leads the MIAA.
Junior Jeremiah Jones leads the nation in total steals with 66 and is ranked third in steals per game at 3.30 per contest.
Junior Jack Bachelor is 12th in the nation in assist to turnover ration at 3.14 to 1.
The Ichabods' 20-game winning streak is the longest in the nation, ahead of Cal St. East Bay's 18-game winning streak.
The 20-game winning streak by the Ichabods is the third-longest in program history.
Dan Mukuna is averaging a team-high 18.8 points and 7.5 rebounds for Fort Hays State while Kyle Grill is scoring 13.6 points per game and Jahvari Martino 11.5.
Washburn leads the all-time series with the Tigers 102-72 and Thursday's meeting will be the 175th between the two schools. The Ichabods have won 19 of the last 25 in the series.
Claussen led the way for Washburn with 18 points in Friday's win over Missouri Western while adding six rebounds and four assists.
Senior Sam Ungashick provided a major spark off the bench, finishing with 17 points on 7 of 9 shooting from the field. Sophomore Tyson Ruud chipped in 15 points and five rebounds.
Washburn will face Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday in Kearney and then Central Missouri on Feb. 7 in Warrensburg before returning home on Feb. 12 to host Arkansas-Fort Smith.
