Washburn was victorious with 88-49 against Pittsburg State University on Feb. 25, securing a 39-point win.

Both teams had trouble scoring early and the Gorillas (15-13, 9-9 MIAA) took a 9-6 lead seven minutes into the half. Washburn made a comeback and went 11–0 scoring runs over the next three minutes, scoring eight of those points, went up 26–16 and later used a 12–2 run to make it 38–19 with under three minutes left in the first half, taking a 44–26 lead at halftime. 

The Washburn men’s basketball team, ranked No. 3 in the nation and was placed at No. 1 in the first NCAA Central Regional Rankings, which was announced on Wednesday afternoon. 

“This region [MIAA region] is one of the best in Division Two year in and year out. So to get that one seed means you’ve had a really good season so far. It put us in a good spot,” said head coach Brett Ballard. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, but now we have to just keep grinding and keep pushing and working. We got to be playing our best basketball in March in order to win this region. The good thing about this group is they’re pretty focused and ready to go on a daily basis.” 

Ballard explained that the team continues to challenge the players and hold them to high standards. He also said the group has shown maturity, stayed focused on the right priorities and performed at a high level with strong execution, including the team doing a good job disrupting the opponent and creating turnovers. He said they were able to speed up the other team’s play, forcing mistakes and creating turnovers as an important part of their defense.

Senior forward Brady Christiansen talks about the team’s season and progress in Washburn Men’s basketball. 

“It hasn’t really hit me yet and it will when I wake up Saturday knowing that it’s senior day, being here for four years, it’s been a blessing. I’m just gonna enjoy the moment and play extremely hard. I just want to go out the right way and am super grateful for what this university has given me and also the coaches, the players, the former teammates and then obviously my current teammates. It’s just been a blast and a hell of a ride. [..] Saturday is a big game for us,” Christiansen said.

Christiansen also talked about how the team has grown since June with returning players, transfers and freshmen all contributing together. He said it has been a positive experience having everyone together, noting that the players come to work every day and focus on playing hard to win the games.

In the second half, the Ichabods led by as many as 39 points and finished the game on an 18–1 run, holding the Gorillas scoreless over the last 6 minutes 57 seconds while five players scored to close it out.

“We’ve been ranked pretty high the whole season obviously, there’s a little pressure but after a while you get used to it. So, I think we got used to it at this point in the season,” said sophomore guard Dillon Claussen. “We really focused on our defense and we were able to turn them over a lot, so that created a lot of offensive opportunities for us. That was a big thing tonight…They were really good in the first half. We just have to stay level the whole time and keep playing hard no matter what.” 

After the game, the Ichabods received the MIAA Championship trophy from Washburn President JuliAnn Mazachek. Washburn’s final home game will take place on Saturday, Feb. 28, when the Ichabods will face off against Missouri Southern. 

Edited by Ojashwi Shrestha and Anushma Dahal