By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 1-ranked Washburn University men's basketball returns to Lee Arena on Wednesday night after a four-game road swing, hosting Northwest Missouri in a 7:30 p.m. MIAA game.
No. 1-ranked Washburn men's basketball will be looking for its 19th straight win Wednesday night against Northwest Missouri. [File photo/TSN]Washburn enters the game 18-0 overall and 7-0 in the conference, one of three remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division II after rolling past Newman 107-74 last Saturday.
The Bearcats, 9-10 overall and 2-6 in the MIAA, are fighting a four-game losing streak. Northwest lost 66-50 to Fort Hays State last time out.
The Ichabods have the No. 1-ranked scoring offense in the MIAA, putting up 88.8 points per game, and Washburn has the No. 2-ranked scoring defense in the conference, allowing 61.9 points per game.
Washburn leads NCAA Division II in scoring margin at plus 26.6 points per game and is fourth in field goal percentage at 51.8 percent and second in rebound margin at plus 12.6.
Washburn has not been out-rebounded in a game this season and has only been tied twice (Lubbock Christian and Emporia State).
Ichabod junior Jeremiah Jones leads the nation in total steals with 53 and is ranked third in steals per game with 3.12 per contest.
Sophomore Dillon Claussen is sixth in the nation in field goal percentage at 66.2 which leads the MIAA.
Junior Jack Bachelor is fourth in the nation in assist to turnover ratio at 3.33 to 1.
The Ichabods' 18-game winning streak is second in the nation behind Daemen, which has won its last 20 games.
The Ichabods' 18-game winning streak is the fifth-longest in program history and Washburn's 23-game homecourt winning streak is tied for second in the nation.
Bachelor tied a career-high with nine field goals en route to a 23-point game against Newman while sophomore Marcus Glock recorded his Washburn best with 21 points and sophomore Tyson Ruud scored a career-high 17points in his first career start.
Northwest Missouri coach Matt Keeley spent two seasons as an assistant for Bob Chipman on the Washburn bench for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.
Royce Williams leads the Bearcats with a 13.8 scoring average and Aiden Gair is averaging 13.2 points while hitting a team-high 50 3-pointers this season. Matthew Mayes is scoring 12.6 points per game for Northwest.
Wednesday's meeting will be the 125th between the two schools and Washburn holds a 66-58 lead in the series.
The Ichabods are 22-17 against the Bearcats in Lee Arena.
Washburn returns to Lee Arena on Saturday, hosting Missouri Western.
