The Ichabod men’s basketball team keeps their perfect season alive with a 74 – 65 win Jan. 30. Washburn University beat Fort Hays State University for the second time this season.

“We didn’t call many fouls, but we knew it was gonna be a physical game. But I did think [the players] handled it for the most part pretty well. We had some careless turnovers, but we got to the foul line a lot, and that was the key to the game.” said Brett Ballard, men’s basketball head coach.

The team got their 20th win in a tough game against the 13-7 Tigers. In preparation for the game, the team practiced physicality and reduced foul calls to simulate the opponent’s style. Coach Ballard acknowledged some careless turnovers but noted the team’s success at getting to the foul line, which was crucial for the win.

“Our offense wasn’t great today, but we made a lot of timely shots, so I think we can learn from this game and get better,” said Jacob Hanna, senior guard.

The players knew it would be a competitive game all the way up to the end of the game, but that didn’t stop them from coming out with the win.

“We knew they were defensively a really good team. They play really hard on defense, so we knew it was gonna be really hard to get buckets. We knew it was gonna take our best shot to try and go out and compete and win and get the W on our home court,” said Jack Bachelor, sophomore guard.

In preparation for the game, they focused on the need to play tough and smart, anticipating a difficult offensive game due to Hays’ defensive prowess. They acknowledged the physicality of the game, with a high foul count, and adjusted their strategy to be more resilient. 

The Ichabods continued their perfect season Feb. 1 with a 97-64 win against the University of Nebraska-Kearney and now look ahead to their third home game in a row against the University of Central Missouri Feb. 8. 

Edited by Jeremy Ford and Stuti Khadka