The Washburn Ichabods had several home games early in Dec. with MIAA games at the Lee Arena with the University of Nebraska Kearney, Fort Hays State University and the University of Central Missouri.
In the match against Nebraska-Kearney held on Dec. 4, the No.2 Ichabods trailed 41-39 at halftime but gradually gained possession in the second half, outscoring the Lopers by 53-23 to win by 28 points in the MIAA opener. Five Ichabods reached double figures, moving Washburn to 9-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play with a win of 92-64.
The Ichabods scored 73-66 in the match held on Dec. 6 against Fort Hays. Washburn trailed 34-33 at halftime after shooting just 37% and 2-of-12 from three, but was able to gain a comeback in the second half with a dominant score of 10-0. Senior guard Bryson Smith led all scorers with 22 points, making 11-of-12 free throws, pouring in 15 of those points in the second half, including a 9-of-10 stretch at the line down the stretch.
Washburn outlasted the Mules with a 78-72 win on a double over-time (OT) on Dec. 13 to stay perfect at 11-0 overall and 3-0 in MIAA Play. Washburn outscored the Mules in the second over-time with 15-9, shooting 50% and going 7-of-10 at the foul line in the extra periods. Junior guard Jeremiah Jones had 7 steals for the game. The Ichabods turned 23 Central Missouri turnovers into key scoring chances while committing zero turnovers in overtime. Washburn moved to 46-40 all-time in overtime games and 1-3 against Central Missouri in overtime games. Sophomore forward Dillon Claussen delivered a career-high with 4 blocks while hitting two 3-pointers and 14 field goal attempts.
The No.2-ranked Ichabods secured two wins in the River City Holiday Classic at Bill Greehey Arena in San Antonio, Texas, beating two top-5 ranked teams to secure a perfect 13-0 overall.
On Dec. 16, Ichabods prevailed with a win of 78-66 against Lubbock Christian with a shot of 46.6% field goal and 44.4% from three, building a 43-34 lead at halftime with a late 9-point run. Senior forward Brady Christiansen dropped a career-high 21 points (6-12 field goals, 3 threes, perfect 6-6 ft) with 5 rebounds.
Similarly, on Dec. 17, Washburn dominated West Texas A&M with a 74-48 win. Washburn jumped to a 44-24 halftime lead and maintained its dominance, holding the Buffs to 24% field goal in the first half. The 26-point victory led Washburn to be declared as the No.1 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NBAC) and Top 25 with the nation’s No.11 strength of schedule.
Junior guard Jack Bachelor was declared the MIAA Player of the Week after averaging 19.5 points, 4.5 assists across both games on 8-13 threes and 9-10 ft.
In conclusion, these tournament wins propelled the Ichabods to No.1 in the NBAC Top 25 rankings, entering 2026 as the nation’s top-ranked Division II Team at 13-0. Washburn closed Dec. unbeaten at 13-0, sweeping two top 5 teams in the Holiday Classic to claim No.1.
Edited by Anushma Dahal and Arohi Rai
