By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Northeastern State University Events Center continued to be a house of horrors for the Washburn University men on Saturday as the No. 1-ranked Ichabods fell 88-84, losing their fourth game in a row to the RiverHawks in Tahlequah, Okla.
Sophomore Brayden Shorter led Washburn with 21 points in Saturday's 88-84 MIAA loss at Northeastern State. [File photo/TSN]
For the second straight game the Ichabods led at the break by four, leading Northeastern State 40-36 despite the RiverHawks shooting 60 percent from the field in the opening period (15 of 25) while the Ichabods were 15 of 35 for 43 percent.
In the second half, the Ichabods (22-2 overall, 13-2 MIAA) led by as many as eight points with 14:12 to go after a layup by sophomore Jack Bachelor, who scored 10 points in the second half.
A 17-6 run by the RiverHawks that finished with back-to-back 3-pointers put NSU up 62-60 with 10:22 to go.
The RiverHawks (14-10, 8-7) pushed their lead to five at 82-77 with 3:00 to go, but a Brayden Shorter 3-pointer cut the lead to 82-80 17 seconds later.
NSU hit a pair of free throws, then after two free throws by Bachelor and Jacob Hanna pulled the Ichabods within one at 85-84 with 33 seconds left.
NSU scored a basket with 26 seconds to go and a free throw with 18 to left to wrap up the win.
Shorter scored 16 of his team-high 21 points in the second half while hitting five 3-pointers, leading five Ichabods in double figures.
Andrew Orr had 15 points with eight boards before fouling out. Bachelor finished with 14 points and Hanna had 12 points with nine assists and five rebounds.
Dillon Claussen had 10 points off the bench for WU.
Six players reach double digits for the RiverHawks, led by the MIAA's leading scorer, Trey Phipps, who had 20 points.
After shooting 60 percent in the first half, the RiverHawks shot a blistering 70 percent in the second half, going 16 of 22 from 2-point range (72 percent) and finishing at 65 percent for the game (34 of 52).
Washburn shot 47 percent hitting (29 of 62 shots). The Ichabods were 18 of 23 from the free throw line, compared to 15 of 19 for the RiverHawks.
Washburn out-rebounded the RiverHawks 30-24, recording 16 offensive rebounds and scoring 16 second-chance points. NSU outscored the Ichabods 54-36 in the paint.
The Ichabods will be back in action Thursday, hosting Central Oklahoma in Lee Arena.
