By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For the first time all season, the Washburn men’s basketball team will be in bounce-back mode when the Ichabods host Missouri Southern in an MIAA contest Thursday night at Lee Arena.
The No. 8-ranked Ichabods, 8-1 overall and in the MIAA, will host Missouri Southern (4-4, 4-4) in a 7:30 p.m. contest, following a 5:30 women’s game between Washburn (3-4, 3-4) and Southern (4-4, 4-4).
Washburn’s men will be looking to rebound from their first loss of the season, a 74-67 loss at then 22nd-ranked Missouri Western last Saturday.
Brett Ballard’s Ichabods will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak against Jeff Boschee’s Lions, who have dropped their last two games and four of their last five, including an 83-67 loss at Pittsburg State last Saturday.
Overall the Lions have won 9 of their last 10 contests against WU, including the last four games played in Lee Arena.
Senior Tyler Geiman, the MIAA player of the week, leads Washburn in scoring (18.6 average), assists (5.9), rebounds (7.3) and steals (1.9).
Junior Jonny Clausing is averaging 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while junior Jalen Lewis averages 11.6 points and senior Drew Maschoff 10 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
Geiman, who leads the MIAA and ranks fifth in the nation in assists, became the 26th player in Washburn history to reach the 1,000-point mark for career points (1,012).
The Lions are led by Cam Martin, who averages 25.8 points and 8.9 rebounds. Martin has scored at least 30 points in three-straight games with 30 at Rogers State, 33 at Missouri Western and 33 at Pittsburg State.
Stan Scot is scoring 13.9 points and Winston Dessesow 12.8 points for the Lions.
Washburn’s women are coming off a 61-49 win at Missouri Western, the Ichabods’ first game in more than three weeks.
Senior Hunter Bentley scored a season-high 27 points against Western and is averaging 15.1 points and 8.9 rebounds on the year.
Junior Nuria Barrientos is averaging 11.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.4 steals.
Missouri Southern had a four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday as the Lions fell at Pittsburg State, 70-67.
Carley Turnbull averages a team-high 15.6 points for the Lions, while Madi Stokes averages 8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks.
Washburn has won six straight games against Southern.
Washburn is scheduled to host Pittsburg State in an MIAA doubleheader on Saturday.
