By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 1-ranked Washburn University men's basketball posted its 20th straight win to open the season Friday at Lee Arena, posting a 90-78 MIAA decision over Missouri Western.
Senior Sam Ungashick came off the bench to score 17 points for No. 1-ranked Washburn in Friday's 87-75 MIAA win over Missouri Western. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods used efficient shooting, balanced scoring and several timely runs to keep the Griffons at arm's length, improving to 20-0 overall and 10-0 in the conference.
And while Washburn coach Brett Ballard wasn't necessarily pleased with every aspect of Friday's win, he also knew it was solid enough to get the job done.
"We got up 22 there in the first half with about three minutes left and had a chance to kind of slam the door,'' Ballard said. "We didn't finish the half real well, so that was disappointing, and then we just never could never string together enough stops to put this thing away.
"But I've got to remind myself that we're so spoiled with the teams we've had here the last couple of years and how we've won a lot of these games. You crush a team on Wednesday (94-44 over Northwest Missouri) and I think sometimes you assume that's how it's going to go every time, but in this league that's just not the reality. You're going to have to grind through some of these and ultimately that will be good for us.''
Washburn weathered an early back-and-forth stretch that featured six ties and one lead change in the opening minutes before exploding offensively.
After Missouri Western (13-8, 5-5) briefly led 3–0, Washburn responded with a surge fueled by transition baskets and inside touches, eventually stretching the margin to as many as 22 points late in the first half.
Washburn turned a 42-30 lead with 5:34 to go in the first half into a 54-32 margin with 2:44 to play in the half after a 12-2 run.
However, Missouri Western closed the half on a 10-2 run, trimming the Washburn advantage back to 14 at 56-42.
The Ichabods shot a scorching 81.5 percent from the field and 75 percent from deep in the opening period, building the lead.
Missouri Western mounted multiple challenges in the second half, trimming the deficit into single digits midway through the period, but every run was answered by the Ichabods.
A sequence of interior buckets and fastbreak finishes helped Washburn stabilize the lead, and a late push pushed the margin back into double figures down the stretch.
The Ichabods finished with 25 fast-break points and 48 points in the paint, consistently beating the Griffons down the floor and attacking the rim.
Washburn placed eight players in the scoring column, with several delivering standout performances.
Sophomore Dillon Claussen led the way for the Ichabods with 18 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting night while adding six rebounds and four assists.
Senior Sam Ungashick provided a major spark off the bench, knocking down shots in transition and finishing with 17 points in 17 minutes on 7-of-9 shooting from the field while making his first six shots of the game.
Ungashick's top two scoring games of the season have both come against the Griffons as has his Washburn career-high.
"I think it might be a little bit of chance,'' Ungashick said. "But it's always a matchup game and all my guys are always instilling confidence in me and having faith in me to go out there and prove it.
"When you see those first couple go in it helps and when I hit the late stepback 3 (in the first half) that's kind of when I felt it was a good game for me.''
Sophomore Tyson Ruud chipped in 15 points and five rebounds, while senior Bryson Smith contributed eight points and a game-high six assists. Sophomore Marcus Glock added seven points and junior Jeremiah Jones finished with nine points, five rebounds and three steals.
As a team, Washburn shot 63.2 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from three, turning 20 Missouri Western turnovers into 20 points.
The Ichabods also dominated bench production, outscoring the Griffons' reserves 39-9.
Former Seaman star Ty Henry scored 19 points for Missouri Western, tying teammate William Kiburis for game-high honors, while Noah King added 13 points for the Griffons.
With Friday's win, Washburn cemented its 32nd 20-win season in program history and the sixth under Ballard in his ninth season on the Ichabod bench.
The Ichabods' 25-game homecourt winning streak is tied for second for the longest in program history, trailing only the 28-game streak from Nov. 19, 1993 to Feb. 8, 1995.
The Ichabods have now won six in a row against the Griffons overall, moving to 8-2 in the last 10 games and have won the last five matchups in Topeka.
The Ichabods will be back in action on Thursday at Fort Hays State, beginning a three-game road trip.
