Matchup: Washburn (5-0, 0-0 MIAA) vs Nebraska-Omaha (1-2, 0-0 MIAA) Date: Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008 Time: 5:30 p.m. CST Site: Topeka, Kan. - Lee Arena (3,904) Coaches: Washburn head coach Ron McHenry is 219-44 (.831) in his ninth season. McHenry has never coached against UNO. Patty Patton Shearer is in her fifth season at Nebraska-Omaha. She is 68-51 all time at UNO. Rankings: Washburn is ranked No. 2 in the WBCA Coaches Poll. UNO is unranked. Series Record: The all-time series is tied 1-1. Last Meeting: WU 84-59, 12/6/86 in Topeka Last WU win: same Last UNO win: 90-55, 11/25/85 in Omaha Worth noting: Wednesday's meeting will be the MIAA opener for both teams and the first between the schools in 22 years with UNO joining the MIAA this  season. Game Notes: Washburn | Nebraska-Omaha

Radio: KTPK 106.9 FM KTPK Web Stream (free) Internet: www.themiaa.tv (free) Live Stats: wusports.com Washburn Lady Blues Roster Statistics Schedule Nebraska-Omaha Roster Statistics Schedule

No. 2 ranked Lady Blues to open MIAA play with Nebraska-Omaha . . . 
The No. 2 ranked Washburn Lady Blues will open the conference season with MIAA-newcomer Nebraska-Omaha on Wednesday in Lee Arena at 5:30 p.m. Washburn (5-0, 0-0 MIAA) enters the game coming off a week where they topped two top-ten teams including No. 8 ranked Indiana (Pa.). The Mavericks are 1-2 this season and dropped a 67-54 home game to St. Cloud State on Nov. 29.

Lady Blues on radio . . .
Washburn's game with Nebraska-Omaha will be on KTPK 106.9 FM. The games will also be streamed live online by clicking the live audio button under Lady Blues Basketball on the WU web site at www.wusports.com by clicking the live audio link under Lady Blues Basketball. Pregame show starts 15 minutes before tip.

The coaches . . .
Washburn head coach Ron McHenry has posted a 219-44 (.833) record overall and 112-30 (.789) record in the MIAA with five MIAA regular season championships and the 2005 NCAA National Championship.  McHenry has also led the Lady Blues to four MIAA Postseason Tournament titles including four of the six played in Kansas City. McHenry has the highest winning percentage (.833) in MIAA history of coaches who have at least 200 wins.
He was named the Lady Blues head coach prior to the 2000-01 season. He is second among active women's NCAA Division II Coaches in winning percentage. McHenry was named the MIAA's Coach of the Year in 2005 and in 2006 and the Division II Bulletin National Coach of the Year in 2005. (complete bio on page 6 of notes.)
Nebraska-Omaha head coach Patty Patton Shearer is in her fifth season. She is 68-51 all time at UNO.  Last year, the Mavericks started 14-1 (the best start in school history) and recorded their third-straight winning season at 17-12.  A native of Marana, Ariz., Patton Shearer is a 1990 graduate of Rocky Mountain College. 

Last time out for the Lady Blues. . .
Nov. 29, 2008 -  TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn's Stanecia Graham and Janice Bright combined for 35 points in the second half and in overtime as the No. 2 Lady Blues defeated the No. 8 ranked Indiana (Pa.) Crimson Hawks 72-62 in Lee Arena winning their 39th straight non-conference regular season game and the 700th win in the program's history. The win was the second top-10 win for Washburn during the week after dispatching then-No. 4 Drury 84-69 on Tuesday.
After trailing at halftime for the first time this season at 25-23, Bright came out and scored the first nine points for the Lady Blues capping her personal 9-4 run over the Crimson Hawks pushing Washburn up by three at 32-29 with 17:06 to play in regulation.
The Lady Blues stretched the lead to as many as eight on a 3-pointer by Karla Tailele at 46-38. It was her second consecutive long-range shot after IUP cut the lead to two. After an IUP timeout, the Crimson Hawks went on an 8-0 run tying the score at 46 with 6:30 to play.
Graham scored in the paint on an assist from Bright and IUP's Jahzinga Tracey tied the score for the fifth time in the second half on a jumper of her own with 5:32 to go.
IUP pushed their lead to six at 54-48 with 3:30 to go. Washburn hit a free throw at a pair of jumpers tied the score at 55 with 50 seconds to play when Bright hit a leaner in the lane. IUP's Staci Heberling hit a three to push the Crimson Hawks lead to 58-53. Bright's 3-pointer was off the mark and Graham picked up the miss a scored on the putback and was fouled. Her free throw was off the mark, but Bright picked off a pass with 23 seconds left. A drive by Jessica Mainz sent her to the line and she hit the first of two free throws tying the score for the seventh time in the half. A 3-point attempt at the buzzer in the end of regulation by Lacey Claar was off sending the game to overtime.
In overtime, IUP had their only lead on a jumper by Hillary Shope. Bright connected on a 3-pointer putting Washburn up for good heading to the 72-62 win. In the overtime period, Bright was 2 of 3 from the field hitting the lone 3-point attempt leading Washburn with six points in the extra frame.
Graham led the Lady Blues with 18 points on 9 of 14 shooting. She also had a team-high eight rebounds. Graham was 0 of 3 in the first half, 7 of 9 in the second half and 2 of 2 in the overtime period. Bright finished with 17 points after going 0 of 4 in the first half. Hope Gregory finished with 11 points after scoring Washburn's first nine points of the game hitting a trifecta of 3-pointers.
Tracey led IUP with game-highs of 26 points and 14 rebounds.
Washburn finished 27 of 62 from the field for a 44 percent average. IUP was 22 of 58 for a 37 percent clip. Washburn outrebounded IUP 45 to 31 and finished 7 of 25 from 3-point range. IUP did hit more free throws connecting on 14 of 18 while Washburn was 11 of 19. In the overtime period, Washburn was 4 of 5 from the field and IUP was held to 2 of 9, including 0 of 3 from 3-point range. 

Notes from the Indiana (Pa.) game . . .
Washburn is now 700-327 all-time … Washburn is 306-56 all-time in Lee Arena … Washburn is 115-11 all-time in home games in Lee Arena under head coach Ron McHenry … Washburn is 107-30 all-time in the month of November … the game was the first overtime game for the Lady Blues since the NCAA National Quarterfinal loss to South Dakota on March 26, 2008 in a 61-59 double overtime setback.

Washburn/Nebraska-Omaha Series Notes . . .
Wednesday's meeting will be the first in just under 20 years as the two teams squared off on Dec. 6, 1986. Washburn won that meeting 84-59 in Topeka. The all-time series is tied 1-1 with the Mavericks winning the previous season on Nov. 22, 1985 90-55. The 35-point loss is the ninth-largest in Lady Blues' history.

About Nebraska-Omaha . . .
The Mavericks are 1-2 this season after falling at home 67-54 to St. Cloud State on Nov. 29. They are led in scoring by LaToya Wright who is averaging 11.7 ppg. She is also averaging 4.7 rpg. Also averaging in double figures is Amanda Broadsack with 10.0 ppg. She is averaging a team-tying-high of 6.7 rpg along with Alyssa Green. UNO will be playing their first MIAA game in their school's history. UNO's lone win of the season came on Nov. 19 when they topped Dana (Neb.) 79-51.

Lady Blues in Lee Arena . . .
In their 25th season in Lee Arena, the Lady Blues are 306-56 (.842) overall at home. Washburn won their 300th game against Emporia State on Feb. 23, 2008. The longest winning streak was 44 games from Dec. 1, 1990 to March 20, 1993.
The Lady Blues have won 40 straight regular season non-conference games in Lee Arena. The last defeat by a non-conference team in the regular season was to Missouri-St. Louis in a 59-51 setback on Dec. 30, 2000.
Washburn is 115-11 (.909) in home games under Ron McHenry. Five of the 11 losses came in his first year on the Lady Blues bench. In the last seven seasons, Washburn is 107-6 (.944).

Lady Blues history . . .
Washburn is 700-327 (.682 in 1,027 games) in its 40th season of intercollegiate action.

WU in the national poll . . .
(Nov. 25, 2008) The Washburn Lady Blues basketball team climbed one spot to No. 2 in the WBCA USA Today ESPN Division II Coaches Poll. The Lady Blues have been ranked in 96 consecutive top 25 polls and have received votes in the last 111 top 25 coaches polls.

Lady Blues Notes . . .
#3 • Brette Ulsaker • G • 5-9 • Jr. • Six field goal attempts against Drury a season high
#4 • Stanecia Graham • F • 6-1 • Sr. • 18 points against Indiana (Pa.) was a Washburn high
#5 • Jacki Tipping • G • 5-10 • Jr. • Will miss season after having ankle surgery in late September
#10 • Lauren Henry • G • 5-4 • Fr. • Had appendix removed after the Drury game
#11 • Renata Germano • C • 6-2 • Sr. • Recorded 100th offensive rebound against Sterling
#13 • Jessica Mainz • G • 5-9 • Sr. • Has 300 rebounds, 232 assists and 124 steals in career at WU in 93 career games
#14 • Alyssa Mullen • F • 5-11 • So. • Has averaged 3.0 points, 5.0 rebounds in last two games
#20 • Hadleigh Meek • G • 5-8 • So. • Set new career high with four assists against Southwestern
#21 • Cassie Lombardino • C • 6-3 • Fr. • 3 of 6 from the field this season
#24 • Karla Tailele • G • 5-6 • Sr. • 14 points and 10 rebounds were career highs against Sterling
#25 • Stevi Schultz • G • 5-9 • Fr. • Has hit 4 of 10 3-pointers this season
#30 • Kalee Silovsky • F • 6-0 • Sr. • 25 minutes against Indiana (Pa.) was a season high
#32 • Janice Bright • G • 5-9 • Sr. • 20 points against Sterling was two off career high (22, vs Pitt State, 1/26/08)
#33 • Hope Gregory • G • 5-10 • So. • Scored first nine points of the game against Indiana (Pa.)
#40 • Dayna Rodriguez • F • 6-2 • Jr. • Six rebounds against Sterling tied season high
#42 • Raychel Boling • F • 6-0 • Jr. • Will sit out the season after transferring from Fort Hays State
#44 • Emily Gibson • F • 6-1 • So. • Two assists against Drury tied a career high

Washburn in MIAA openers . . .
The Lady Blues are 12-6 in MIAA openers since the 1990-91 season. Washburn had their four-game winning streak to open the MIAA season snapped during the 206-07 season against the Griffons. Washburn is 5-3 in MIAA openers with McHenry on the bench.

Tip-Ins . . .
• Washburn is 8-5 on Dec. 3 all-time.
• Washburn is 107-30 all-time in the month of November.
• Washburn's student assistant coach Lindsey Klug played the 2007-08 season at Nebraska-Omaha and started all 29 games for the 17-12 Mavericks. She averaged 5.0 points per game with 44 steals. In conference play she scored 6.5 ppg.
• Stanecia Graham is 7 of 7 from the field during the last five minutes of games this season.

Up Next . . .
Washburn will wrap up the seven-game homestand to start the season when they close it out with Northwest Missouri on Dec. 6 before hitting the road for the first time in the regular season against Truman on Dec. 13.