By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Top-ranked Washburn University men's basketball pushed its unbeaten streak to 22 games Saturday afternoon, taking an 89-67 road win at Nebraska-Kearney.
Sophomore Dillon Claussen scored a career-high 27 points in Washburn's 89-67 MIAA road win at Nebraska-Kearney Saturday. [File photo/TSN]
Now 22-0 overall and 12-0 in the MIAA, the Ichabods had to navigate a competitive opening stretch that featured six lead changes and four ties in the first 10 minutes.
UNK grabbed an early 6-3 edge, but Washburn answered with a transition-heavy surge keyed by sophomore Dillon Claussen and Jack Bachelor to regain control.
A 9-0 Washburn run late in the first half created separation, highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers from Claussen and senior Brady Christiansen that pushed the margin to double digits.
Washburn closed the half on a 17-5 run overall and carried a 44-29 lead into the break after shooting 44 percent from the floor and forcing 10 Loper turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
Claussen opened with the second half with a three and senior Bryson Smith followed with a layup to ignite another push that ballooned the WU lead to 20 at 53-33 with 15:34 left.
Nebraska-Kearney countered with its best stretch of the afternoon, trimming the deficit to eight behind Ja'Bryant Hill and Clayton Moore during a 9-0 Loper run midway through the half.
But each time UNK threatened, Washburn responded.
Smith attacked the rim for consecutive scores, Bachelor knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and Claussen controlled the paint to steady the lead.
The Ichabods eventually built their largest cushion at 22 points with 2:46 remaining and closed out the win from the free throw line.
Claussen led four Ichabods in double figures with a career-high 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting, adding eight rebounds and two assists.
Smith finished with 19 points, 18 in the second half, while Bachelor added 17 points and six boards, and Christiansen chipped in six points and four rebounds.
Washburn shot 44.4 percent (28-63) from the field, hit 10-of-28 from three and went 23-of-30 at the line while holding a 39-36 rebounding edge and scoring 34 points in the paint.
Moore paced Nebraska-Kearney with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Hill added 19 points.
The Lopers shot 40.0 percent (22-55) overall and 32.0 percent (8-25) from deep.
Washburn led the game for more than 35 minutes and turned 19 UNK turnovers into 21 points while getting 17 points from its bench in another complete performance by the nation's top-ranked team.
Washburn will return to action on Saturday at Central Missouri wrapping up a stretch of seven of its last 10 games on the road in Warrensburg.
