By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabods will be looking for their third straight men's basketball win as they open the new year hosting No. 12-ranked Central Oklahoma at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday in Lee Arena.
Washburn, 7-4 overall, 3-2 in the MIAA, crushed Northeastern State 84-48 in its last game on Dec. 19 and returned to practice on Dec. 28 after having time off for the holidays.
Sophomore Sam Ungashick is averaging a team-high 16.2 points for 7-4 Washburn entering Thursday's game against Central Oklahoma. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Andrew Orr (24) scored 14 points in Washburn's 84-48 MIAA win over Northeastern State and is shooting 91.1 percent from the free throw line. [File photo/TSN]
"Practice has been tremendous,'' Washburn coach Brett Ballard said. "Great energy. The guys came back ready to go, so I feel really good about what we got done coming out of break.''
The Bronchos are 12-2, 4-2 after topping Nebraska-Kearney on Dec. 29 in a 99-61 win before falling on New Year's Eve at Fort Hays State, 67-60.
The Ichabods received votes in the latest NABC Top 25 Coaches Poll.
"I think this team has learned from some of those close losses we've had and then built some positive momentum right before break,'' Ballard said. "I kind of wish we could have just kept playing but I think our guys are a confident group.
"We're playing a really good team so it will be a tough challenge, but I think our guys feel like we can play with anybody.''
Thursday's game with the Bronchos will be the 39th in the all-time series, which is squared at 19 wins each.
Sam Ungashick leads the Ichabods in scoring at 16.2 points per game while also averaging 3.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Ungashick has reached double figures in each of his last nine games while averaging 17.2 points in MIAA contests, including a career-high 26 against Missouri Western.
Andrew Orr is averaging 13.3 points this season while going 32 of 35 from the free throw line, which ranks fourth in the nation in percentage at 91.1. Orr is shooting 55 percent from the field, hitting 57 of 103 attempts.
Freshman Jack Bachelor, a former Washburn Rural star, is scoring 11.0 points per game and he's tied for the team-lead with 34 assists.
Bachelor scored a career-high 24 points against Northeastern State.
Sophomore Brady Christiansen is averaging 8.1 points with a team-high 8.1 rebounds. Christiansen has averaged 10.0 rebounds in WU's last three contests.
The Ichabods are third in the nation in 3-point shooting at 42.2 percent, hitting 98 of 233 attempts.
Washburn is first in the MIAA in scoring, averaging 81.8 points and ranks eighth in scoring defense, allowing 70.1 points per game.
Jaden Wells leads three Bronchos in double-figure scoring at 17.1 points per game and Danquez Dawsey is averaging 13.5 points and Luke Hassl 10.2 with a team-high 5.8 reabounds and 1.9 blocks per game.
Washburn will wrap up its three-game homestand with Newman on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Lee Arena.
