By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 1-ranked Washburn Ichabods fell for the first time this season in an 87-80 overtime loss to Arkansas-Fort Smith on Thursday.
Sophomore Jack Bachelor scored a career-high 25 points in Thursday's 87-80 Washburn OT loss at Arkansas-Fort Smith. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn led 69-65 in the second half with 4:43 to play but were outscored 9-4 down the stretch while going 1 of 3 from the field and committing three turnovers while the Lions (8-13 overall, 4-10 MIAA) hit all four free throws to send the game to overtime.
Washburn's jumper at the end of regulation after a fullcourt pass banked off the rim and fell out.
In the extra frame, the Lions jumped out to a 77-74 lead, but a jumper by Brady Christiansen pulled Washburn within two, but a 3-pointer by the Lions and a free throw pushed the margin back to five with 1:44 to play.
Two free throws by Jack Bachelor with 72 seconds left cut the lead to three at 81-78, but the Lions hit all six free throw attempts in the final 31 seconds, sealing the win.
The Ichabods (22-1, 13-1) led by four at the break as Jacob Hanna's driving layup just before the half sent Washburn into the locker room with a 40-36 lead.
Washburn led by as many as 10 in the first half at 33-23, but the Lions were 8 of 17 from 3-point range, hitting 13 field goals in total in the first 20 minutes.
Andrew Orr and Bachelor each had 11 in the opening 20 minutes.
Roland McCoy was 5 of 8 from 3-point range in the first half for the Lions, finishing with a game-high 26 points while hitting eight 3-pointers in 14 attempts.
Bachelor led the Ichabods with a career-high 25 points, hitting all nine of his free throws and adding five steals and six assists.
Orr had 19 points and six boards while Brayden Shorter had 11 points, as did Christiansen. Hanna finished with 10 and a team-high seven rebounds.
The Ichabods finished 25 of 60 from the field, going 1 of 5 in the overtime, including 0 for 3 from deep. For the game, Washburn was 21 of 30 from the free throw line.
The Lions, en route to an Ichabod opponent season-high 87 points this season, finished 27 of 56 from the field, going 13 of 33 from deep and 20 of 26 from the, line hitting 9 of 10 free throws in the overtime period.
Washburn outrebounded the Lions, 35-33. Each team had 16 turnovers.
The Ichabods will be back in action on Saturday at Northeastern State.
