KANSAS CITY, Mo.(MIAA) – Will McNeill scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead No. 1 seed Washburn to a 67-54 victory over No. 5 seed Fort Hays State in the semifinals of the MIAA Centennial Men’s Basketball Championship Saturday evening at Municipal Auditorium.

As has been the theme for much of the tournament, neither team could get much separation in the first half. Washburn’s biggest lead in the opening half was six points, while Fort Hays State led by as many as five.

Washburn held a slight edge of 31-29 as the teams went into the locker room at halftime.

The Ichabods came out firing in the second half, opening up with a 17-4 run to take a 48-33 lead with 11:44 to play in the game. Fort Hays State was unable to make a run to close the gap the rest of the way, as Washburn extended the lead to as many as 18 points before winning by the final 13-point margin.

Zack Riggins pitched in 10 points for Washburn, while Bobby Chipman pulled down seven rebounds.

Fort Hays State was led by Kendrick Morse with 13 points, and Markus Yarbrough added 10 points for the Tigers.

Fort Hays State closes the season with a 19-9 overall record.