By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 2-ranked Washburn University men's basketball will be back in Lee Arena for the first time in 39 days on Wednesday, hosting Missouri Western at 7:30 p.m.
Washburn men's basketball coach Brett Ballard picked up his 150th win at WU in Saturday's 105-77 win at Emporia State and has a 66.7-percent winning percentage with the Ichabods. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods improved to 13-0 overall and 4-0 in the MIAA with a 105-77 win over Emporia State on Saturday in Emporia, with WU scoring its most points in the 222-game series.
The Griffons are 10-4 this season and 2-2 in the MIAA after topping Fort Hays State 47-44 on Saturday in St. Joseph.
The No. 2 ranking is the highest by an Ichabod team since earning a No. 2 ranking on Dec. 18, 2012.
Ichabod head coach Brett Ballard picked up his 150th win at Washburn in the victory over Emporia State and is 150-75 in his eighth season as the WU head coach.
At 13-0 Washburn is off to its best start to begin a season since starting the 2003-04 season 16-0 en route to the MIAA regular-season championship. The Ichabods are one of four undefeated teams remaining in the NCAA Division II ranks, joining Minot State (17-0), Nova Southeastern (13-0) and Daemen (12-0).
Washburn senior Andrew Orr became the 28th member of the Ichabod 1,000 point club earlier this season and now has 1,067 career points, moving into 20th all time by passing Travis Robbins who scored 1,051 points in two seasons. Next on the scoring chart is former Topeka West star Alex North, who scored 1,082 points from 2010-15.
WU senior Jacob Hanna is closing in on 1,000 points in his collegiate career between Washburn and Illinois-Springfield, scoring 928 career points.
Ichabod senior Michael Keegan has 875 career points in 109 career games and he has moved into sixth all-time at Washburn in career blocks with 91. He has also moved into the top 10 on the WU all-time steal chart with 122, sitting eighth.
Sophomore Brayden Shorter, who leads WU with a 16.8 scoring average, is fourth in the nation in 3-pointers per game at 3.77 and he's ranked seventh in total 3-pointers made with 49.
Shorter is one of four Ichabods averaging in double figures, with Hanna averaging 14.8 points, Orr 13.9 points and former Washburn Rural star Jack Bachelor 13.2 points.
Hanna leads Washburn with a 6.3 rebounding average while Orr is shooting 64 percent from the field and 87.2 percent from the free throw line. Bachelor leads the Ichabods with 68 assists while shooting 85.7 percent from the free throw line.
Zane Nelson leads three Griffons in scoring with a 15.9 average while adding 62 assists. Zion Swader is averaging 11.1 points and 4.8 rebounds and Julius Dixon is scoring 10.5 points per game while hitting a team-high 24 3-pointers adding 6.0 rebounds per game.
Missouri Western is 19th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 65.3 points while scoring 70.5 points.
Wednesday's meeting will be the 107th between the two schools, with Washburn leading the series 62-44. Washburn has won the last two in the series and seven of the last 10.
The Ichabods will continue their homestand on Saturday against Northwest Missouri, followed by another game with Emporia State on Jan. 15 and wrapping up the four-game set in Lee Arena with Newman on Jan. 18.
