ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Griffon Men's Basketball (11-5, 3-2 MIAA) fell 87-75 to the nation's top-ranked team, Washburn Ichabods (15-0, 5-0 MIAA), on Wednesday night inside the Looney Complex.
Washburn came out firing in the opening half, shooting 65.5% from the field and 44.4% from three-point range while pouring in 48 points before the break. MoWest had difficulty establishing an offensive flow, managing just 25.0% shooting in the first 20 minutes, as Washburn took a 48–29 advantage into halftime.
The second half told a different story as the Griffons found a better rhythm offensively. MoWest trimmed the deficit to 53–39 with 15:54 remaining, but the Washburn advantage proved too large to overcome. The Griffons outscored the Ichabods 46–39 after the break, with the game concluding in an 87–75 final score.
MoWest finished the game shooting 38.7 percent from the field (24-of-62). The Griffons connected on 21.4 percent from beyond the arc (6-of-28) and went 21-of-24 at the free-throw line for 87.5 percent.
Washburn finished the game shooting 56.4 percent from the field (31-of-55). The Ichabods shot 33.3 percent from three-point range (7-of-21) and went 18-of-25 at the free-throw line for 72.0 percent.
Noah King led the Griffons with 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field, connecting on 2-of-7 from three-point range and a perfect 4-of-4 at the free-throw line, while adding three rebounds.
Bode Goodman followed with 12 points on 3-of-8 shooting, going 6-of-6 at the free-throw line, to go along with two assists and two steals.
Devin Butler also finished with 12 points, shooting 3-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, while knocking down all four free throws and adding a rebound and a steal.
William Kiburis chipped in 11 points on an efficient 3-of-4 shooting night, going 5-of-6 at the line, while pulling down two rebounds and recording two steals.
What's Next
Griffon Men's Basketball continues its homestand inside the Looney Complex on Saturday, Jan. 10, hosting Central Missouri at 3:30 p.m. The afternoon will also celebrate Griffon Basketball Alumni Night.
