Men’s basketball season starts off strong

Adrianne Lara

After beating the No. 1 ranked team on the road, the Washburn men’s basketball team dominated Tabor College in Lee Arena Monday.

Along with their win, the Ichabods tied school records for rebounds with 64 over the night. With a 21-11 lead early on, the Tabor Bluejays managed to tie at 23 just before half-time. The Ichabods would continue to lead throughout the rest of the game.

The second half gave the Ichabods a 22-point lead, sitting at 73-51. Ultimately, the Ichabods would lead their way to victory, taking the win 89-68.

Junior Jeremy Lickteig and sophomore Randall Smith led the Ichabods with 13 points each. Smith also held a free-throw percentage of 83, making five of six. Tyas Martin recorded 11 points.

Sophomore Cameron Wiggins and Junior Andy Wilson both added 10 points each, with Wiggins having seven rebounds, five steals and four assists to add.

Wiggins was also named HyVee Student Athlete of the Week for his performance in the season opener where he reached a career-high of 19 points in the game.

In their season opener against Augustana on Nov. 13, the Ichabods beat the top-ranked team for the first time since their 2004 season when they beat Northwest Missouri. The Ichabods traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to play the Vikings, taking care of business on the Augustana court.

“We got off on the right foot in Las Vegas by beating the number one team in Division 2. We proved that we are capable of doing some excellent things on the court this year. Everybody contributed in beating Augustana and it really was a total team effort,” Lickteig said.

With only 2:31 remaining, Washburn held their 84-83 lead. Smith added two free throws, but the Vikings returned to a one-point game after making their own pair of free throws.

Washburn took the win, 88-86, after rebounding the Vikings one-and-one second shot.

Before their regular season began, the Ichabods lost to Oklahoma in their only exhibition game, 112-62.

Men’s basketball will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 21, on Washburn paint to take on the Rockhurst University Hawks at 3 p.m.

“We are young, but play fast and have a lot of athleticism. I hope that fans and students come out to the games this year because we will be fun to watch,” said Lickteig.

For a full schedule of the upcoming men’s season, visit wusports.com.