KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The survive and advance cliche fit perfect Friday night at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium as Washburn (16-13) missed four shots in its final possession to send the Missouri Western men's basketball team (18-13) to the MIAA Championship semifinals with a 72-70 win over the Ichabods.
Jalen Lewis made a three with 54 seconds left to pull Washburn within two. The Griffons didn't score again and Washburn got the ball after two missed free throws by Tyree Martin with 13 seconds left. Tyler Geiman missed a layup, the Ichabods got an offensive rebound, Lewis missed a three, but Jonny Clausing pulled down an offensive board. Clausing missed his putback attempt, pulled down his own rebound then missed another as time expired.
Missouri Western led for nearly 37 minutes in the game, but a nearly four minute scoreless stretch late allowed Washburn to go on a 9-0 run. Tyrell Carroll ended the scoreless streak with a jumper with 1:08 left to put MWSU up 72-67 just before Lewis' three.
The Griffons won an MIAA Championship quarterfinal game for the first time in 10 years and got to 18 wins on the season to match the most for the program since going 18-10 in 2009-10. Missouri Western will face No. 1 Northwest Missouri State in the semifinals on Saturday at 6 p.m. It will be the third meeting between the two teams this season and the second in the last 11 days. After tomorrow's game, the Griffons will have faced just four teams in their last eight games.
NOTABLES
- Defense ruled the second half of the game with both teams shooting just better than 30% from the field, making 10 field goals and three 3-pointers apiece.
- Washburn outscored the Griffons by one in the second half, going 7 of 14 at the free throw line while MWSU went 6 for 10.
- The Griffons knocked down one more three than the Ichabods and made five more field goals overall to make up for being out-shot at the free throw line 18-9.
- MWSU was also out-rebounded by 15 (50-35) and pulled down nine offensive boards to Washburn's 19.
- Tyus Millhollin led MWSU with 21 points and broke the program record for 3-point field goals in a season with his first of three makes on the night.
- Millhollin also had a team-high five assists.
- Carroll finished with 19 points, four rebounds and three assists.
- Reese Glover knocked down four threes to finish with 12 points.
- Beau Baker had a team-high six rebounds.
- Will Eames returned to the lineup after missing two games. The MIAA Freshman of the Year played 21 minutes, scoring five points with five rebounds.
--- MWSU Athletics ---