Ichabod season ends at CMSU
Feb. 25, 2006
Box Score

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Another strong first half was wiped out by a slow start to the second half as the Ichabods dropped their season finale 75-69 at Central Missouri State Saturday afternoon. Having needed a win and some help elsewhere to get into the MIAA Postseason Tournament, Washburn ended its season at 10-16 and last in the conference at 4-12.

Sophomore Andrew Meile and freshman Paul Byers both set career highs and the Ichabods led at halftime, but Central Missouri State, fighting for a top seed in the conference tournament, was able to pull away.

After falling behind by 11 early in the game, head coach Bob Chipman called a 30-second timeout. WU came out of the timeout and went on an 11-3 run to cut the lead to three. Meile hit a three with 2:37 remaining to cut the lead to one and then senior Kris Milburn, playing his final game of his two-year career, hit a pair of free throws and then a lay-up with seven seconds left to give the Ichabods a three-point lead going into the half.

Meile, who finished the game with a career-high 20 points, made 16 of the Ichabods’ 32 first half points off 6-of-8 shooting. He was 4 of 6 from 3-point range. WU shot 46 percent in the first half and kept the Mules to 36 percent shooting.

Byers hit a jumper to open scoring in the second half, giving Washburn a 34-29 lead, but CMSU worked at the lead and went ahead, 41-40, at the 14:41 mark when MIAA leading scorer Michael Hicks hit a 3-pointer. The Mules grew the lead to double digits late in the game but the Ichabods came within four points with Byers’ three-point play with 2:42 remaining.

Central grew the lead to six and then freshman Moriba DeCoteau got a put-back on an offensive rebound with 1:15 and was fouled. His first free throw of the season made it a one-possession game at 69-66. CMSU answered with a 3 by Theo Jones but then Milburn hit one at the other end of the court.

Down by three with under 30 seconds remaining, Washburn fouled Corey Brown and he made both his free throws. The Ichabods missed a pair of 3’s on their final possession and CMSU knocked in another free throw for the six-point win.

Byers, who led the team with a career-high 21 points, scored 15 of them in the second half. Milburn also reached double figures with 10 in the half. The Ichabods outshot CMSU 54 percent to 52 percent in the half but sent the Mules to the line 20 times.

For the game CMSU made 19 of 26 free throws while Washburn only shot eight from the charity stripe, making seven. Washburn outshot CMSU from the field 50 percent to 44 percent and outrebounded the Mules 33-28.

Paul Byers had two blocks to give him 31 for the year. That total is the seventh highest on the WU single-season chart, five behind his assistant coach Ewan Auguste. It is also the 14th highest total on the career chart.

The Ichabods ended their season with their first losing record since the 1976-77 season and the first in Chipman’s 27-year career. He will enter next year tied in second place for most career wins as a coach in the MIAA. Chipman has 379 wins since Washburn entered the league in 1989-90.