By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 1-ranked Washburn University Ichabods tied the program record for the most consecutive wins to start a season on Saturday at Missouri Western, improving to 19-0 and 10-0 in an 85-52 win over Missouri Western at the MWSU Fieldhouse.
Sophomore Brayden Shorter scored 22 points with four 3-pointers as No. 1-ranked Washburn improved to 19-0 with an 85-52 win at Missouri Western on Saturday. [File photo/TSN]
With Saturday's win, Brett Ballard's Ichabods have equaled their win total for the entire 2023-2024 season in a 19-11 campaign.
The Ichabods trailed 5-3 3:18 into the game but after a layup from freshman Dillon Claussen and a 3-pointer by senior Michael Keegan, Washburn found itself up 8-5.
The teams traded baskets and then the Ichabods rung up a 22-2 run over the next 7:45 to take a 32-11 lead, going 8 of 12 from the field and hitting 4 of 6 3-pointers while holding the Griffons to 1 of 7 shooting.
Washburn would go on to lead 41-26 at the break.
Washburn opened the second half hitting their first four shots, including both 3-pointers, but went 1 of 7 from the free throw line as they pushed the lead to 18 at 52-34 with 14:24 to go.
On Washburn's next possession, Brayden Shorter's third 3-pointer of the night jump-started a 17-4 run and his fourth 3-pointer finished off the run as the Ichabods led 69-38 with 7:22 to play.
Washburn would go on to lead by as many as 35 with 48 seconds to play as Washburn won its fourth-straight game in a row over the Griffons (13-7, 5-5).
Shorter, a sophomore, led the Ichabods with a game-high 22 points while adding five rebounds to pace five Washburn players in double figures.
Keegan had 12 points and four rebounds, followed by senior Jacob Hanna and junior Brady Christiansen with 11 points and senior Andrew Orr with 10 points, eight boards and two blocks.
Sophomore Jack Bachelor had double-digit assists for the second straight game with 10, adding eight points.
The Ichabods shot 54 percent from the field for the game, hitting 30 of 56 overall and 11 of 22 from deep, as Washburn held the Griffons to 35 percent shooting on 17 of 48 shooting and 3 of 16 from 3-point range.
Western did hit 15 of 17 free throws compared to 14 of 26 for the Ichabods.
Washburn had a massive 40 to 22 advantage on the glass, including 12 offensive rebounds, and the Ichabods also dominated the transition game, outscoring the Griffons 21 to 0 in fastbreak points.
The Ichabods will look for their 20th win of the season on Thursday, hosting Fort Hays State in Lee Arena (7:30 p.m.).
Junior Payton Sterk led Washburn with 21 points in a 62-56 road loss to Missouri Western on Saturday. [File photo/TSN]
WU women's road bid falls short
Washburn went back and forth with Missouri Western for 40 minutes on Saturday afternoon but came up short, falling 62-56 on the road.
To begin the game Washburn (11-9 overall, 5-5 MIAA) was stingy on defense as it held the Griffons (12-6, 7-3) without a field goal until the 4:12 mark of the first quarter. In that time the Ichabods built a 9-1 lead after a driving layup by junior Payton Sterk.
Missouri Western began hitting from outside, knocking down four 3-pointers in the first quarter to erase the Ichabod lead. A 3-pointer by Sterk in the final seconds of the quarter made it a one-point game after the first.
Missouri Western pushed its lead to four points early in the second before a 5-0 Washburn run was capped by a 3-pointer by Gabi Giovannetti to go back in front 19-18 with 7:28 left in the half. From there on in the quarter the Griffon offense heated up, pushing the lead to nine points with 1:34 to go before the half. Washburn kept pace by getting to the free throw line, shooting 10-13 from the charity stripe in the quarter. The Ichabods finished the half on a 6-0 run, capped off by a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Brooke Gomez to make it 37-34 going to the break.
Coming out of the half neither team put points on the board in the first two minutes. After a layup from Madelyn Amekporfor with 6:59 to go in the third Washburn was unable to score until the 2:08 mark on a pair of free throws by Giovannetti.
It was the defense for the Ichabods that kept the game close, as Washburn closed the quarter trailing by just three after Aniyah Wayne hit a floater in the final seconds.
Twice in the opening minutes of the final quarter the Ichabods pulled within one point on a pair of jumpers from Sterk. After a third Sterk jumper with 5:02 left the Washburn offense went cold and the Griffons were able to go on a 9-0 run over the next 4:02 on three made triples.
In the final minute of the game Sterk got two 3-pointers to fall but it was not enough as Missouri Western held on for the six-point win.
Sterk led Washburn with 21 points while Giovannetti had 12 points and Amekporfor led the Ichabods on the glass with 10 rebounds.
Matilda Soderlund had 21 points with five 3-pointers off the bench to lead Missouri Western. Alyssa Bonilla had 19 points with six assists and was 9-12 at the line.
The Ichabods return home next week, hosting Fort Hays State at 5:30 p.m.
