By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University men won their fourth game in a row Thursday night at Lee Arena, defeating Rogers State, 78-67, to avenge a loss to the Hillcats earlier in the season.
Rogers State scored the first points of the game but a 7-2 run by the Ichabods took the lead back for good as the Ichabods took a 38-25 lead into the break after hitting 13 of 26 shots and 5 of 12 from 3-point range while holding Rogers State (11-9, 7-7 MIAA) to 8 of 31 shooting in the first 20 minutes. Washburn (9-9, 6-6 MIAA) led by as many as 16 in the opening half.
Sophomore Andrew Orr scored a game-high 20 points in Washburn's win over Rogers State Thursday night. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Starting the second half, the teams traded baskets but the Hillcats cut the Washburn advantage to eight at 43-35 with 16:12 to go.
Washburn stretched the lead back to 14 at 51-37 on back-to-back buckets by sophomore Andrew Orr, who scored 12 of his game-high 20 points in the second half.
The Hillcats then used a 14-2 run over the next 4:07 to cut Washburn's lead to 53-51 with 9:39 to play, but on the Ichabods' next possession, Brady Christiansen connected on the first of his three second half 3-pointers pushing the lead back to five.
The Hillcats cut the lead back to two but then Orr scored his 15th and 16th points of the night. The Hillcats scored again, but Orr connected on a hook shot to push the margin back to four at 61-57.
For the third time the Hillcats cut the lead back to two at 61-59 with 6:23 to play, but Orr's final points of the night on a jumper pushed the lead back to four and Christiansen hit a 3-pointer with 4:07 to play as the lead moved to seven.
Rogers State would cut the WU lead to five once more, but would not get any closer than six over the final 1:56 of the game as Christiansen hit his third 3-pointer of the game and the Ichabods were a perfect 5 of 5 from the free throw line the rest of the way to seal the win.
Orr led four total Ichabods in double digits followed by Michael Keegan's16 points, Tyler Nelson's 13 and Levi Braun's 11 points.
Orr had seven rebounds and Christiansen finished with nine points and six rebounds.
Joe Saracco led the Hillcats with 14 points adding eight rebounds.
Washburn finished 27 of 53 shooting for the game at 50.9 percent shooting while Rogers State improved to 46 percent for the game after going 18 of 26 from the field in the second half.
Washburn outrebounded the Hillcats 38 to 26 in the game with 10 offensive rebounds.
WU will be at home Saturday against Northeastern State.
