By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University men's basketball will be looking for its first MIAA win of the season when the Ichabods face off with Rogers State at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Claremore, Okla.
The Ichabods are 3-5 overall and 0-2 in the MIAA after falling to then-No. 23-ranked Emporia State, 74-63, last Saturday.
Sophomore Andrew Orr is averaging a team-high 14.1 points per game for Washburn, which plays at Rogers State Saturday. [File photo/TSN]
The Hillcats are 6-3 (2-1 MIAA) after beating Emporia State 75-68 on Thursday night, handing the Hornets their first loss of the season.
Andrew Orr, a 6-foot-8 sophomore, leads Washburn with a 14.1 scoring average, reaching double figures in seven of eight games and he is averaging 21 points in his last two contests with 8.0 rebounds per game.
Orr is second on the team in rebounds with 6.6 per game and recorded his first Washburn double-double against Emporia State with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Connor Deffebaugh is scoring 12.3 points and a team-high 3.6 assists per game while sophomore Michael Keegan is scoring 7.6 points with 6.4 rebounds per game to go with 12 total steals and 10 blocks.
Washburn is looking to avoid its first three-game losing streak since the final three games of the 2019-20 season when they lost at Northwest Missouri and at Missouri Western in the final two regular-season games of the season and then again to Missouri Western in the opening game of the MIAA Tournament.
Three Hillcats finished in double figures in Thursday's win over Emporia State, led by Chris Whitaker's career-high 23 points.
Joey Saracco added a double-double for Rogers State with 19 points and 11 rebounds while Kofi Hamilton had 14 points.
Saracco leads the Hillcats with a 14.1 scoring average while adding 6.8 rebounds per game.
Saturday's game will only be the seventh between the two schools, with Washburn holding a 4-2 lead in the series.
Washburn will host Missouri Western on Dec. 31 before closing out 2022 with a Dec. 31 game at Central Oklahoma.
