By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Thursday's MIAA contest was one of the lowest scoring wins in Washburn University men's basketall history, but the game also ranked as one of the Ichabods' all-time best defensive effforts as WU picked up a much-needed 55-47 come-from-behind victory over Central Missouri at Lee Arena.
After dropping four of their previous five games, including a 15-point loss at Central Oklahoma last Saturday, and playing without injured junior standout Connor Deffebaugh (ankle), getting a win was all that mattered for Brett Ballard's Ichabods, no matter what the formula was.
Sophomore Andrew Orr scored 20 points, 14 in the second half, in Washburn's come-from-behind 55-47 MIAA win over Central Missouri Thursday night at Lee Arena. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Former Hayden standout Levi Braun scored 10 points, including three 3-pointers and a four-point play, in Washburn's 55-47 MIAA win over Central Missouri Thursday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Thursday night that formula was holding the Mules to under 50 points and 29.4-percent shooting while Washburn played its best basketball down the stretch in the eight-point triumph.
The 102 combined points in the game tied the program record in the shot clock era for the fifth-fewest combined points, matching a total ironically enough with Central Missouri in the same score on Dec. 31, 2010. The 55 points scored by the Ichabods was the second-lowest in program history in the shot clock era for points scored in a win and the 47 points scored by the Mules was the 10th-lowest points allowed in an Ichabod win.
"For sure it feels good,'' Ballard said. "It was an ugly game but we really grinded it out and I'm really proud of our team. You've got to find a way to win them and especially at home, so I'm really proud of our defensive effort. Things didn't always go right, but we found a way.''
WU 6-foot-8 sophomore Andrew Orr, who scored a game-high 20 points, agreed.
"It really was a team win,'' Orr said. "Everybody contributed and it was one of those things where we all came into it knowing we needed a win and we had the energy to get it done.''
After trailing 27-21 at the half, Washburn used a 16-5 run over the first 7:16 of the second half to take the lead and ending the night with a 7-0 run to take its biggest lead of the night.
The Ichabods (5-7 overall, 2-4 MIAA) fell behind 6-0 at the start of the game before Hayden product Levi Braun jump-started Washburn with seven straight points on a pair of 3-pointers, including a four-point play.
After the Braun scoring spurt, the Mules (7-7, 3-5 MIAA) ripped off a 13-0 run to take a 19-7 lead with 12:11 to play in the first half. Washburn would get no closer than five the rest of the half as UCM took a six-point lead into the break.
Starting the second half, the Ichabods and Mules traded baskets and then a 14-3 run over a six-minute period pushed Washburn's lead to 37-32 with 12:04 to go.
Central Missouri evened the score at 43 with 6:01 to go in the game after a 3-point play by Jack Chapman, but Orr connected on a free throw and freshman Brady Christiansen hit a layup to push the lead back to three at 46-43.
Two more Mule free throws trimmed the Washburn advantage back to one with 4:05 to go but the Ichabods outscored the Mules 9-2 the rest of the way, going seven of eight from the free throw line to clinch the win.
Orr scored14 of his 20 points in the second half, hitting eight of 12 shots from the field while adding seven rebounds.
Braun finished with 10 points and Christiansen pulled down 15 rebounds, with 12 coming on the defensive end, while adding six points. Michael Keegan had seven points with four assists.
"We all were able to stay connected and together on the defensive end and helping each other out,'' Orr said. "Tonight was about taking care of our teammates and it wasn't just about ourselves.''
Kobe Campbell led the Mules with 15 points.
Washburn held the Mules to 26 percent shooting in the second half as UCM was six of 23 and one of nine from 3-point range en route to 15 of 51 shooting for the game.
After going eight of 25 from the field in the opening half, Washburn went 10 of 22 for 46 percent shooting in the second half, finishing 18 of 47 overall.
The Ichabods were also 15 of 19 from the free throw line in the game.
The Ichabods have now won the last six in the series against the Mules and lead the overall series 57-52 improving to 35-19 against the Mules in Topeka.
The Ichabods will return to action on Saturday, hosting Lincoln at 3 p.m.
