MARYVILLE, Mo. - The No. 1-ranked Washburn University Ichabods were able to fend off the Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team in Bearcat Arena, 80-69.

The Ichabods improved to 18-0 overall and 9-0 in MIAA play, while the Bearcats dropped to 4-14 overall and 2-7 in league action. For the first time since the 2010-11 season, Washburn was able to sweep the season series from Northwest.

Northwest led by as many as seven points in the second half and were tied at 58-58 with 9:09 to play before Washburn was able to pull away for an 11-point triumph. The Ichabods trailed at the half for only the second time this season and not since a 36-32 deficit against Texas Permian Basin in San Antonio on Dec. 18.

The Bearcats flipped the script of the season by scoring the first six points of the game on back-to-back triples from Luke Moustakas. Moustakas's second three-pointer banked in from near the top of the key and forced Washburn head coach Brett Ballard to burn a timeout only 1:19 into the game. Washburn pulled to within two at 9-7 only to have Northwest push the lead back to six at 15-9 on a bucket from Emorie Knox with 13:38 to play in the half. 

Washburn used a 9-2 spurt to take its first lead of the contest at 18-17 with 10:58 on the first-half clock. Washburn looked to pull away later in the half when the visitors extended the lead to eight at 28-20. However, the Bearcats responded with a 10-2 run to level the contest at 30-30 with 4:44 to play. The run featured three-pointers from Moustakas and Marcus Glock along with a bucket from Jack Ratigan. Trey Moala tied the matchup with two free throws. Knox would drain two three-pointers in the final 1:28 of the half, including one just before the buzzer to give Northwest a 40-37 lead at the break.

Northwest continued its 9-0 into the second half when Byron Alexander tipped in a miss and Knox buried two free throws to give Northwest its largest lead of the game at 44-37 with 18:57 left in the game.

Knox made his third three-pointer of the game with 14:05 to play to put the Bearcats on top, 52-48. Washburn came back with a six-point run to take its first lead of the second half at 54-52 with 13:14 remaining.

Glock connected on his third three-pointer of the game with 12:51 to play that would give Northwest the lead at 55-54. Moala got free for a basket to tie the game for the final time at 58-58 with 9:09 left. Northwest's final lead of the contest came on Moustakas three-pointer with 8:14 to play that left the Bearcats on top, 61-60.

Knox missed a wide open layup on an in-bounds play but made up for the miscue with a steal and layup that sliced the Washburn lead to 65-63 with 7:04 to play. Northwest went 4:09 without a made field goal as the Ichabods pushed the lead to six at 72-66. Moustakas hit a three-pointer out of the corner in front of the Bearcat bench to cut the lead to three at 72-69 with 3:55 to play, but it would prove to be Northwest's final points of the contest. Northwest made only one field goal in the final seven minutes as the Ichabods were able to pull away for the 11-point triumph, 80-69.

Northwest will play at home again Saturday against Central Missouri. Tip is set for 3:30 p.m. in Bearcat Arena.

NOTES: Luke Moustakas tallied his second career 20-point scoring game with a 21-point effort against the top-ranked Ichabods ... Moustakas tied his career-high with 21 points ... Moustakas led the squad with five made three-pointers, which tied his career-high for most made triples in a game ... Marcus Glock made a three-pointer to extend his streak of games with a made three-pointer to 12 in a row ... Glock has made two or more three-pointers in 11 contests this season ... Glock tallied 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting and knocked in three three-pointers vs. the Ichabods ... Glock has scored in double figures eight times this season as a true freshman ... Emorie Knox notched 17 points and sank a trio of three-pointers ... it is the fourth time this season Knox has made three or more three-pointers in a game ... Knox handed out five assists to tie for game-high honors with Trey Moala ... Moala landed a team-high seven rebounds with three on the offensive end ... Northwest turned the ball over nine times after committing 18 turnovers in a 96-66 loss at Washburn on Jan. 11 in Topeka, Kan. ... Northwest made 11 three-pointers marking the fifth time this season it has buried 10 or more in a game ... it is the second time this season Northwest has had back-to-back games of 10 or more made three-pointers after drilling 10 at Fort Hays State on Jan. 18 ... Northwest is 0-5 at home this season ... it is the most home losses since Northwest dropped seven home games in the 2010-11 season (second season for then head coach Ben McCollum) ... Northwest is one of three NCAA Div. II teams to have not recorded a home win this season (University of Mary - 0-7; Cal State San Marcos - 0-8).