27 January 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Washburn men’s and women’s basketball welcomed Rogers State to Topeka on Thursday for an MIAA double-header.
For the first time this season, Washburn swept its opponent. The Ichabod men won 78-67, while the women won 60-53.
Men’s recap:
Winner’s of three-straight, the Ichabod men tried to keep the momentum going against a Rogers State team it gave up a 17-point halftime lead to earlier in the season.
Thursday’s game opened up as a dog fight, with both teams trading buckets early. A Rogers State three-pointer tied the game at 12 midway through the first half.
A 19-5 run from the Ichabods opened up a 14-point lead for Washburn. The two schools traded buckets for the rest of the first half. The ‘Bods took a 38-25 lead into halftime.
The two teams matched buckets to start the second half, with Washburn leading 53-42 with 12 minutes to play. The Hillcats then went on a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to just two points.
Washburn and Rogers State traded baskets, matching that two-point lead four different times. Then, the Ichabods went on a 13-5 run to get the lead back up to ten.
Free throws helped Washburn maintain its lead for the rest of the game, holding on to a 78-67 win.
Andrew Orr led the team with 20 points. Michael Keegan added 16. Tyler Nelson had 13 and Levi Braun had 11.
The win marks four-straight for the Ichabods, after starting conference play 2-6. Washburn now sits at .500: 9-9 overall and 6-6 in conference play.
Women’s recap:
The women came into Thursday’s contest having lost four-straight games. The past time these two schools played, the Ichabods edged out a 55-45 victory.
Thursday’s game started as a defensive battle, but slowly opened up into an offensive affair. The two schools were tied at 8 after the first quarter.
The second quarter stayed defensive-minded until the end. The Ichabods ended on a 7-0 run to go up 23-15 at the half. Aubree Dewey hit a near-halfcourt 3 as the clock expired to give even more Ichabod momentum into the locker room.
The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair. Rogers State got the deficit to just three, then Washburn extended the lead to as much as 11. The two schools tied in the period. Then, the Ichabods grabbed an eight-point lead as they began the final quarter.
The fourth was a lot like the third. Both teams knocked down big shots. The Hillcats cut the deficit to three with 16 seconds to play, but free throws and a layup from Dewey kept Rogers State away, helping Washburn hold on to a 60-53 victory.
Yiibari Nwidadah led the Ichabods off the bench with a 13-point, 13-rebound performance. Macy Doebele provided 12 points off the bench and Dewey finished with seven points and nine assists.
The win breaks a four-game losing streak for the Washburn women. The Ichabods now hold an 8-10 record, 4-8 in conference play.
Both the Washburn men and women host Northeastern State on Saturday.