KANSAS CITY, Mo. — No. 3 seed Rogers State men's basketball (21-10, 13-6 MIAA) fell to No. 1 seed third-ranked Washburn (31-1, 18-1 MIAA) 91-59 in the MIAA Championship Game at Municipal Auditorium on Sunday. RSU's runner-up finish in the tournament was their best since joining the league in the 2019-20 season.
The Hillcats will learn their postseason fate tonight, with the NCAA Tournament selection show airing at 10 p.m. CT on
NCAA.com. RSU was seventh in the final poll before the conference tournament games. Harding from the GAC and Minnesota-Duluth from the NSIC are two teams outside the top eight that will receive automatic bids to the dance.
Following the game,
Jabryn Anderson was named to the 2026 MIAA All-Tournament Team. The senior guard finished the MIAA Tournament with 31 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists, helping the Cats reach their first-ever MIAA Championship Game.
In the title game, RSU trailed 49-25 at halftime and could not overcome the deficit. The Ichabods capitalized in the paint, scoring 40 points inside, while also out-rebounding the Hillcats 52-25. Additionally, WU notched 13 threes compared to the RSU's nine.
The first half saw Washburn take control early, quickly establishing a lead. Bryson Smith contributed significantly, with a key 3-pointer at the 13:30 mark and a tip-in at the buzzer to close the half. The Hillcats struggled with turnovers and missed free throws, despite
Andrew Mason's efforts, which included a dunk with 4:08 remaining. Washburn's dominance in the paint and on the boards, as evidenced by its 24 points in the paint and 14 offensive rebounds, helped it build a 49-25 lead by the end of the half.
Washburn extended its lead early in the second half, pushing the score to 51-25. The Cats struggled to keep pace despite
Tim Jordan Jr.'s contributions, including a layup at 15:24 that brought the score to 59-32. Washburn's Brady Christiansen dominated with offensive rebounds and scoring, while Jack Bachelor added a crucial 3-pointer at 8:54. RSU managed to reduce the deficit slightly with a late 3-pointer from
Benard Omooria at 5:52, but the Ichabods maintained control to secure a 91-59 victory.
Damondre McKnight scored 15 points, including four 3-pointers and recorded three steals. Omooria added 11 points with three 3-pointers. Jordan Jr. contributed with 12 points and posted two blocks.
Stephon Thomas facilitated the play with five assists and added a big-time block in the closing minutes of the first half.
For Washburn, Smith led the team with 21 points, hitting 6-of-16 from the field and sinking 7-of-10 free throws. Christiansen dominated the boards with 15 rebounds, adding 15 points and hitting three of five from the charity stripe. Bachelor contributed significantly with 14 points, making four 3-pointers and delivering nine assists.
