WU Athletics
Gene Cassell, Athletic Communications Director
MANHATTAN – The Washburn Ichabod men’s basketball team opened the 2019-20 season with their only exhibition game falling in a hard-fought 10-point loss to the Big 12 defending champion Kansas State Wildcats in a 66-56 loss. The Ichabods will open the regular season on Nov. 8 against Minnesota State at the Central Regional Challenge in Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium.
The Ichabods scored the first points of the game on a 3-pointer by Keven Biggs jumping out to an early lead and would continue to lead for much of the first half as the Wildcats only built their biggest lead of five with 28 seconds to go in the first half after a dunk by Montavious Murphy, but as he opened the game, Biggs connected on a 3-pointer to send the teams to the locker room with a 32-30 lead.
The second half saw the Wildcats push out to a 50-42 lead over the first 10 minutes of the frame and to 13 at 58-45 with 6:22 to go before Washburn trimmed the lead back to eight with 51 seconds to go but would not get any closer in the loss.
Biggs led the Ichabods with a game-high 17 points and Jalen Lewis scored 13 and Tyler Geiman scored 12. Biggs also had seven steals and Jonny Clausing had a team-high seven rebounds.
K-State was led by Makol Mawien had 16 points and nine rebounds.
Washburn attempted 45 3-pointers in the game which would have snapped the Ichabod single game record of 37 which they have done three times had not been an exhibition game. Washburn finished 20 of 68 from the field (29 percent) and hit 14 3-pointers. The Wildcats had a 50 to 30 advantage on the glass. The Ichabod forced 21 Wildcat turnovers leading to 23 points.