By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The No. 2-ranked Washburn Ichabods enter the holiday break a perfect 12-0 overall and 3-0 in the MIAA after a 70-52 win over Central Missouri on Saturday.
Sophomore Brayden Shorter led four double-figure scorers for Washburn with 17 points in Saturday's 70-52 win over Central Missouri. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods started the game on a 6-0 run two-plus minutes into the contest and built the early lead up to 9-1, holding the Mules without a field goal for the first 4:53 of the game.
The Mules twice led by four in the first half, but back-to-back 3-pointers by Sam Ungashick and Jack Bachelor doubled up UCM at 20-10 with 11:54 to play in the half.
Washburn used a 10-0 run over two minutes to take a 30-12 lead with 9:00 to play in the opening half. A jumper by Bachelor and a fast break dunk by Andrew Orr wrapped up the scoring in the frame.
Midway through the second half, Washburn scored nine straight points to go up by 20 at 54-34 with 10:43 remaining.
Washburn would lead by as many 22 with 4:14 to play on a Brayden Shorter jumper before the Mules scored the final five points of the game, pulling UCM within 18 at the final buzzer.
Shorter led the Ichabods with 17 points, adding seven boards and three steals with four 3-pointers. He led four Ichabods in double figures followed by Orr with 16 points, Jacob Hanna with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists and Bachelor with 13 points, five boards, five assists and three steals.
Jake Fritz was the only player to crack double figures for the Mules (6-6, 1-2), scoring 12 points.
Washburn returns to action on Jan. 4 at Emporia State.
Madelyn Amekporfor scored a career-high 23 points in Saturday's 85-72 MIAA loss at Central Missouri. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Jennies ride hot schooting second half past WU women, 85-72
Washburn led early but was unable to withstand a hot second half from Central Missouri, falling 85-72 in the final game of the 2024 calendar year.
The Ichabods return to action on Jan. 4, 2025 at Emporia State.
After falling behind 7-4 in the opening minutes Washburn (6-7 overall, 0-3 MIAA) went on a 10-2 run, beginning and ending with baskets by Madelyn Amekporfor.
The Jennies (9-5, 1-2) scored the next five points to tie things back up but the Ichabod offense built the lead back up, shooting 50.0% in the quarter to lead 19-17.
A triple in the opening minutes of the second quarter by Amekporfor made it 25-19 in favor of Washburn, the largest lead to that point. The margin grew to seven points on a pair of free throws by Payton Sterk with 2:41 to play in the half.
In the final minutes of the half Central Missouri outscored Washburn 9-2, tying the game at 35 on three straight free throws in the final seconds before the break.
Coming out of the half the Jennies sank two 3-pointers in the first 62 seconds to lead by six. It was the start of a 6-6 shooting performance from beyond the arc in the third quarter.
A triple by Sterk cut the lead back to five with 5:13 left in the quarter but the next 13 points all went to Central Missouri, which scored 31 in the quarter.
Yibari Nwidadah got a pair of buckets to go for Washburn in the final minutes to cut the deficit back to 14 heading into the fourth.
Twice in the first three minutes Washburn got the lead down to 12 points, but both times the Jennies responded.
In the final two minutes the Ichabods went on a 6-0 run to bring the lead down to eight points as they shot over 50.0% in the quarter.
On the other end Central Missouri kept the game out of reach shooting 9-9 at the free throw line in the final quarter to salt the game away.
Amekporfor led all scorers with a career-high 23 points on 9-11 shooting. She was everywhere on the defensive end as well, with four steals and three blocks.
Nwidadah had 20 points on 9-13 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds to near a double-double. Sterk had 13 points and snagged six rebounds.
Lauren Frost and Reece Schaaf both scored 21 points to lead Central Missouri. Frost added 10 rebounds and seven assists. Taylor Weishaar had 19 points along with 11 rebounds.
