MIAA TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
Missouri Western (11-17, 9-13 MIAA) at Washburn (15-12, 11-11 MIAA)
Tuesday, March 1 – 7 p.m.
Lee Arena – Topeka, Kan.
 
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ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western Men's Basketball season continues this week as the team heads to Topeka, Kansas to take on Washburn in the first round of the MIAA Tournament.
 
Missouri Western enters the tournament as the 11-seed, Washburn is seeded sixth. The Griffons won five of their last seven games, including one over Washburn on Feb. 24 to help secure their spot in the field. A last minute comeback over Central Missouri in the regular season finale bumped Missouri Western into the 11-seed and dropped UCM to 12.
 
TICKETS
Tickets for the game must be purchases through the Washburn ticket office. Ticket sales will begin at 11 a.m., Monday, Feb. 29. Click here for more details.
 
THE MATCHUP
It will be the third meeting between the two teams this season. Washburn took the first in Topeka, 78-67, and Missouri Western took its home game, 74-66. Missouri Western shot just 36 percent from the field in its loss at Washburn, while the Ichabods shot 52 percent. A 12-0 run fueled by threes from Cole Clearman and Wes Mitter in the second half helped lift Missouri Western in the second game of the season. Currie Byrd scored in double figures in both games for the Griffons. Brady Skeens averaged 14.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in the two games for Washburn.
 
It will be the eighth time the teams have met in the MIAA Tournament with Missouri Western holding a 4-3 advantage in those games.
 
MISSOURI WESTERN
Averaging just under 72 points per game and giving up 76, Missouri Western has relied on runs to keep themselves in games and take late leads. The team shot 41.8 percent from the field in the regular season and 34.7 percent from behind the arc. At the free throw line, Missouri Western shot 74 percent.
 
Trey Sampson leads the team, averaging 12 points per game. Not far behind is Aaron Emmanuel, averaging 11.2. Emmanuel is also a close second in rebounds to Kevin Thomas. Emmanuel averages 5.7 per game and Thomas 5.8. Emmanuel's 4.2 assists per game also lead the Griffons. Sampson's 61 made three point field goals are 12 more than anyone else on the team.
 
Missouri Western is in search of its first postseason victory since defeating Southwest Baptist in the MIAA Tournament in 2010.
 
WASHBURN
Javion Blake leads Washburn with 13.7 points per game and is one of four Ichabods averaging double digit scoring. Cameron Wiggins brings a 12.5 point per game average. Brady Skeens averages 10.4 and Randall Smith, 10.1. Skeens leads the way on the glass, falling just short of a double-double average with 9.9 rebounds per game. Smith leads the team with 119 assists (4.4/game).
 
Washburn comes in after dropping three of its last four games. The Ichabods avoided a four-game losing streak to end the regular season by defeating Emporia State 86-76 on Saturday. Bob Chipman is in his 37^th year as the head coach at Washburn and holds a career record of 788-342.
 
TEN FOR THE WIN
One thing has happened in seven of Missouri Western's 11 wins this season: the team has made 10 or more three point field goals. Easier said than done, but it's proved to be a winning formula for the team. In the four wins without 10 made threes, Missouri Western never made less than seven (vs. Washburn on Feb. 24). Missouri Western has averaged exactly 10 made threes per win this season. In both games versus Washburn this season, Missouri Western went 7-23 from behind the arc.
 
FRESHMAN FEBRUARY
Freshman Miles Wentzien appears to be doing what first-year players are supposed to do - peaking late. The Fort Madison, Iowa native has been limited to single digit scoring just twice in his last seven games, all played in February. Wentzien is averaging 13 points per game this month, and has shot 46 percent from the field over that stretch.
 
GUARD ON THE GLASS
Aaron Emmanuel runs the point for Missouri Western, but the junior guard is actually averaging more rebounds (5.7) than assists (4.2) this season. The Toronto, Canada native is second behind fellow countryman Kevin Thomas on the team rebound list, and Emmanuel has five double-digit rebound games this year.
 
REBOUNDS, EH?
Speaking of the Canadian teammates' rebounding abilities, Thomas and Emmanuel have combined for 298 rebounds this season, exactly 149 each. That's 31 percent of the team's total rebounds coming from its north of the border connection.
 
CHANGE OF SCENERY
Brett Weiberg has guided Missouri Western into the MIAA Tournament in each of his three seasons, but this is the first year Weiberg and his Griffons won't visit the coach's home state in round one. Specifically, Missouri Western won't play at Central Oklahoma. The last two seasons have ended in Edmond, Oklahoma with first round MIAA Tournament losses to UCO.