By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's men's basketball team hits the road to Joplin, Mo. to face Missouri Southern in a 7:30 p.m. Thursday MIAA contest.
The Ichabods, 8-6 overall and 5-3 in the MIAA, will be looking for their third win in a row against a Lions team that is 8-4 overall and 4-1 in the conference.
Washburn defeated Missouri Western 76-64 last time out on Jan. 8, winning for the fourth time in the Ichabods' last five games. The Lions are coming off a 72-71 win over Northeastern State on Jan. 11 in Tahlequah, Okla. after trailing by as many as nine points in the second half.
The Lions have only played two games since Dec. 18 (81-66 win over Lincoln and Tuesday's game with Northeastern State) after having their games with Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri re-scheduled due to COVID protocols.
The Ichabods lead the series with Missouri Southern 49-36, but the Lions have won five of the last six meetings.
Junior Jalen Lewis leads Washburn with a 15.0 scoring average entering Thursday night's game at Missouri Southern. [File photo]
Junior Jalen Lewis leads Washburn with a 15.0 scoring average while hitting 34 of 84 3-point attempts.
Freshman Michael Keegan averages 10.9 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game.
Senior Tyler Geiman is averaging 10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists in seven games this season while Tyler Nelson averages 10.5 points.
Geiman is ninth on Washburn's career scoring chart with 1,465 points and and needs 20 points to move past Dan Buie for the No. 8 spot.
Geiman's 213 career 3-pointers is third all-time at Washburn and his 579 career 3-point attempts is second behind Shannon Kruger's 584.
RJ Smith leads Missouri Southern with a 20.5 scoring average while Stan Scott averages 15 points, Winston Dessesow 13.2 and Christian Bundy 11.9 points. Smith leads the Lions with 9.5 rebounds per game.
Washburn will be back in action Saturday at Pittsburg State before returning to Lee Arena to face No. 2-ranked Northwest Missouri next Monday.
