By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The No. 2-ranked Washburn Ichabods opened the River City Classic with an 87-67 win over the St. Edward's Hilltoppers on Tuesday night, turning a two-point lead with under seven minutes to go into a 20-point victory.
Sophomore Brayden Shorter scored 25 points with seven 3-pointers in Washburn's 87-67 win over St. Edward's Tuesday in San Antonio. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods will wrap up non-conference play on Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Texas Permian Basin in San Antonio.
After falling behind 3-0 after the Hilltoppers hit their opening shot of the game, Washburn jumped out to a 9-3 lead and eventually went up 22-13 after Brayden Shorter's fourth 3-pointer midway through the first half.
The Hilltoppers hit back-to-back 3-pointers to trim the lead to three at 22-19, but Jack Bachelor answered with a 3-pointer of his own followed by another Shorter deep shot and a fastbreak dunk by Michael Keegan as the Ichabods scored nine straight points to go up 34-21 with 4:41 to play.
Shorter then hit his sixth and seventh 3-pointers of the half to put WU in front 40-25 and Jacob Hanna and Bachelor finished the scoring in the half with two free throws each as the Ichabods took a 44-32 lead into the break.
Starting the second half, Washburn (10-0) pushed out to a 15-point lead with 17:47 to play in the game, but the Hilltoppers (8-4) would slowly chip away trimming an eight-point Ichabod lead with 10:45 to play down to two with 6:30 to play at 65-61.
A driving score by Hanna, followed by a Shorter jumper with another drive by Hanna and a bucket by Andrew Orr stretched the Ichabod lead back to eight with 4:47 left.
The Hilltoppers scored a basket after a pair of free throws by Hanna, pulling within eight, but a 3-pointer by Brady Christiansen from the corner moved the Ichabod lead back to 11 with 3:56 to go as the Ichabods closed with a 14-2 leading to post the 20-point win in the first meeting between the two schools.
Shorter led the Ichabods with 25 points, hitting seven 3-pointers in the first half and going 7 of 13 for the game. His seven 3-pointers was the most by an Ichabod in a single game since Levi Braun hit seven against Henderson State on Nov. 11, 2022.
Hanna reached double figures with 19 points, scoring 13 in the second half and going 9 of 10 from the free throw line while adding six assists and seven rebounds.
Bachelor finished with 13 points hitting all 10 free throw attempts and adding four assists. Orr finished with 10 points, all coming in the second half, and Keegan had 10 rebounds and eight points.
Sam Ungashick saw his first action of the season, playing 14 minutes and scoring two points with three boards and a steal.
Mason Courtney had 15 points to lead the Hilltoppers.
Washburn was 25 of 29 at the free throw line and out-rebounded St. Edward's 40-35.
