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The No. 3-ranked Washburn Ichabods wrapped up their regular-season road slate Saturday with an 81-64 MIAA victory at Rogers State, improving to 26-1 overall and 16-1 in MIAA play.

 

Washburn wasted little time asserting itself Saturday, setting the tone with an early 6-0 run.

 

Sophomore Dillon Claussen got a pair of quick buckets for Washburn and senior Bryson Smith started what would be a career 26-point day as the Ichabods never trailed and built a double-digit lead midway through the first half.

 

A key stretch came when Washburn pieced together an 8-0 run, sparked by defensive stops and crisp ball movement.

 

Senior Brady Christiansen buried a perimeter jumper, junior Jack Bachelor knocked down a 3-pointer from the wing and Claussen capped the surge with a strong finish inside as Washburn held a 40-28 advantage at the half, shooting a blistering 55.2 percent in the opening 20 minutes.

 

The second half followed a similar script.

 

Each time Rogers State threatened to chip away at the deficit, Washburn answered.

 

Smith drew nine fouls on the afternoon and made a living at the free throw line where he went 11 of 13 for the game.

 

His 26-point effort was a Washburn career-best while Claussen added 14 points on 7 of 11 shooting with four rebounds and tying a career-high with six assists.

 

Sophomore Marcus Glock provided a spark off the bench with 12 points on 5 of 7 shooting, including two 3-pointers.

 

Junior Jeremiah Jones added eight points and a team-high six rebounds, helping the Ichabods secure a 33-21 edge on the glass.

 

Jones pulled within one of of tying the Washburn single-season steal record of 82 set by Will McNeill during the 2012-13 season.

 

 

Washburn shot 51.7 percent (31 of 60) from the field and converted 13 of 17 free throws.

 

The Ichabods dominated the paint with a 42-26 scoring advantage inside and turned 13 Hillcat turnovers into 15 points. They also owned a 20-7 edge in second-chance points.

 

Defensively, Washburn limited Rogers State to 48 percent shooting overall and just 31.8 percent from 3-point range.

The Ichabods will return home for their final two regular season games, starting with Pittsburg State at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Lee Arena.