By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The newly-minted No. 1-ranked Washburn University Ichabods will host Emporia State on Wednesday night in Lee Arena at 7:30 pm in the second meeting between the Turnpike Tussle rivals in the last 11 days.
Brett Ballard's Washburn Ichabods, off to a perfect 15-0 start, earned No. 1 spot in the national ranking on Tuesday, WU's first No. 1 since 1992. [File photo/TSN]
Senior Michael Keegan (left) has climbed to No. 7 all-time on Washburn's career steals chart. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods improved to 15-0 overall and 6-0 in the MIAA after blasting Northwest Missouri 96-66 in a 30-point win last Saturday while the Hornets are 4-11 overall and 1-5 in the MIAA after falling 69-67 at home to Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday. Washburn defeated Emporia State 105-77 on Jan. 4 in Emporia in the second-largest victory margin in series history.
The Ichabods were last ranked No. 1 in the nation on Jan. 27, 1992. Playing as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation in the NCAA ranks, the Ichabods are 3-2, topping Central Missouri Jan. 15 in their first game as the No. 1 team before falling to Pittsburg State on Jan. 18 by one. After going 2-0 the following week with wins over Emporia State and Missouri Western, the Ichabods moved back into the top spot on Jan. 27, 1992 and topped Fort Hays State on Jan. 27 and Northwest Missouri on Jan. 29 before falling at Truman on Feb. 1.
At 15-0 the Ichabods are off to their best start to begin a season since starting the 2003-04 season 16-0 en route to the MIAA regular-season championship. The Ichabod record for the most wins to start the season is 19 coming in the 1992-93 season.
The Ichabods are now one of two undefeated teams remaining in the NCAA Division II ranks, joining No. 2 Daemen (14-0).
Senior Andrew Orr became the 28th member of the Ichabod 1,000 point club earlier this season and he now has 1,095 career points moving into 19th on the career scoring chart. The next Ichabods ahead of Orr are Todd Alexander and Tom Carlson with 1,099 points.
Senior Jacob Hanna is closing in on 1,000 points in his collegiate career between Washburn and Illinois-Springfield and has scored 962 career points.
Ichabod senior Michael Keegan has 896 career points in 111 career games as an Ichabod and he has moved into sixth all-time at Washburn in career blocks with 91. He has also moved into the top 10 on the all-time steal chart with 129, sitting seventh.
Sophomore Brayden Shorter is fifth in the nation in 3-pointers per game at 3.67 and he's ranked seventh in total 3-pointers made at 55. Shorter has 98 career 3-pointers in 44 career Ichabod games. Jalen Lewis, the Ichabod all-time 3-pointe leader, hit his 100th career 3-pointer in career game No. 49. Tyler Geiman is second on the career chart with 250 career 3-pointers and he hit his 100th career 3-pointer in game No. 69.
Malik Edwards, Jr. is averaging 13.3 points to lead Emporia State while Brayson Laube is scoring 11.1 points per gamd and Arman Lewis is averaging 11 points.
Wednesday's game will be the 223rd meeting between the two schools, with the Ichabods leading 114-108. This is the most-played series for Washburn. The Ichabods snapped a four-game losing streak with their win on Jan. 4 in Emporia.
The Ichabods will wrap up their current four-game homestand with Newman on Saturday at 3 p.m. before setting out on the road for contests at Northwest Missouri (Jan. 22) and Missouri Western (Jan. 25).
WU will begin another three-game stretch in Lee Arena with Fort Hays State (Jan. 30), Nebraska-Kearney (Feb. 1) and Central Missouri (Feb. 8).
