Matchup: Washburn (20-3, 13-3 MIAA) at Southwest Baptist (7-15, 4-11 MIAA) Date: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009 Time: 1:30 p.m. CST Site: Bolivar, Mo. -- Meyer Center (2,900) Coaches: Washburn head coach Ron McHenry is 234-47 (.832) in his ninth season. He is 17-3 against SBU. J.C. Carter is 7-15 in his first year as the head coach at SBU. He is 0-1 against Washburn. Rankings: Washburn is ranked No. 9 in the WBCA Coaches Poll and No. 7 in the NCAA South Central Regional Rankings. SBU is not ranked in the regional poll. Series Record: WU leads the all-time series 26-11 Last Meeting: WU 81-62, 1/7/09 in Topeka Last WU win: Same Last SBU win: 66-61, 1/22/08 in Bolivar, Mo. Worth noting: Washburn has won 17 of the last 18 meetings.

Radio: KTPK 106.9 FM Web Stream Internet: themiaa.tv (free) Live Stats: Through SBU (free) Washburn Game Notes WBB Page Roster Statistics Schedule Southwest Baptist WBB Page Roster Statistics Schedule

No. 9 Lady Blues travel to Southwest Baptist to wrap up 3-game road trip . . . 
The No. 9 ranked Lady Blues (20-3, 13-3 MIAA) are looking for their sixth straight win as they travel to Bolivar, Mo., to take on the Southwest Baptist Bearcats (7-15, 4-11 MIAA) in a Valentine's Day showdown. The Lady Blues are coming off a 73-58 win at Central Missouri last time out while the Bearcats fell to Emporia State 89-81 at home. Washburn is 8-4 on Valentine's Day in the program's history. The Lady Blues are also No. 7 in the latest NCAA South Central Regional Poll which was released earlier this week.

Lady Blues on radio . . .
Washburn's game with Southwest Baptist 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 234-47 (.835) record overall and 125-33 (.791) 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 along with eight-straight 20-wins seasons. McHenry has the highest winning percentage (.835) in MIAA history of coaches who have at least 200 wins. McHenry is 32-13 when both teams are ranked in the top 25 and 34-21 overall against top 25 teams.
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.)
Southwest Baptist head coach J.C. Carter is in his first season as the Bearcats' head coach and he has compiled a 7-15 overall record.

Last time out for the Lady Blues. . .
(Feb. 11, 2009) WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- The No. 9-ranked Washburn Lady Blues recorded their eighth-straight 20-win season with a 73-58 win over Central Missouri Wednesday night (Feb. 11) at the UCM Multipurpose Building.
After Washburn (20-3, 13-3 MIAA) scored the first five points of the second half, the Jennies when on a 9-0 run cutting the Lady Blues' lead to 50-35, but a three-pointer and a lay up by senior G Janice Bright pushed the lead back to 20 at 55-35 with 14:52 to play.
In the first half, the Lady Blues shot 58 percent from the field hitting 15-of-26 attempts taking advantage of 13 Jennies turnovers leading to 19 points off miscues. Washburn was also 10-of-10 from the free throw line leading to a 45-24 halftime lead.
The 21-point lead was the largest halftime lead for the Lady Blues this season, surpassing the 17-point cushion Washburn had over Missouri-St. Louis in the season opener.
It was the second straight game the Lady Blues had scored 45 points in the first half of a game as they scored 45 against Fort Hays State last time out. The Lady Blues held the Jennies to 8-of-21 from the field (38 percent).
Bright led the Lady Blues with 12 points. Senior G Jessica Mainz scored 11 points, hitting three three-pointers and dished out eight assists. Senior F Stanecia Graham had 11 points along with five rebounds. Senior F Kalee Silovsky also had five rebounds.
Sophomore F Rebecca Roberts was the only Central Missouri player to reach double figures with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting.
Washburn finished 25-of-55 from the field, hitting 46 percent of their shots -- the Jennies were 20-of-46 from the field for 44 percent. Washburn held a 30-27 advantage on the glass.
The Lady Blues forced 23 Jennies turnovers, turning them into 25 points an outscored Central Missouri 10-2 in fastbreak points.

Washburn/Central Missouri Leftovers . . .
* Washburn and Lady Blues' head coach Ron McHenry has recorded eight straight 20-win seasons. McHenry's only season without at least 20 wins was his first when he was 13-14 … Washburn is now 29-13 all-time against the Jennies. Washburn has won 15 of the last 17 and Washburn has won six of the last seven in Warrensburg … Washburn is 715-330 (.683 in 1,045 games) in its 40th season of intercollegiate action … Washburn is 8-3 in the program's history on Feb. 11. The Lady Blues and the Jennies have not played on Feb. 11 … Washburn has kept opponents under 100 in 307 consecutive games … McHenry moved into seventh on the all-time win chart passing former Central Missouri head coach John Pye (1985-95) who was 228-68 for the Jennies. McHenry now has a 234-47 record, which is in sixth place on the MIAA win chart is former SBU head coach Jim Middleton (1994-2008) who was 239-158 on the Bearcats' bench … Washburn is 202-13 when leading at the half … Washburn is 70-0 when scoring at least 81 points … When opponents are held to 70 points or below, Washburn is 178-32 … when opponents are held to 60 points or less, the Lady Blues are 162-15 under McHenry … Washburn is 223-9 when leading with five minutes to go in the game under McHenry.

Washburn/Southwest Baptist series notes . . .
Saturday's meeting will be the 38th in the series with the Bearcats. Washburn is 26-11 all-time against the Bearcats. Overall Washburn has won 17 of the last 18 meetings in the series. Washburn had their 15-game winning streak snapped in the first meeting of the 2007-08 season on Jan. 22 in Bolivar. Washburn has won the last nine meetings over Southwest Baptist in Topeka and they had won the last six in Bolivar until the five-point loss on Jan. 22, 2008. The Lady Blues also have two wins over SBU in the MIAA Tournament quarterfinals in Kansas City on March 3, 2006 and last season on March 3, 2007 in the last meeting in the series. SBU's last win in Topeka was on Feb. 3, 2001 in a 73-65 win in Lee Arena. In the MIAA Tournament, Washburn is 5-1 against the Bearcats including a 2-0 mark in Kansas City. All six meetings in the MIAA Tournament have been in the quarterfinals. Ron McHenry is 17-3 overall against Southwest Baptist.

About Southwest Baptist . . .
Southwest Baptist is 7-15 on the year and 4-11 in the MIAA. They have lost six straight games with four of the six coming on the road. They are 5-4 at home this season and are playing at the Meyer Center for just the third time since Jan. 17. Courtney Creed is the leading scorer for SBU at 17.0 points per game.

Last meeting between Washburn and Southwest Baptist . . .
(Jan. 7, 2009) TOPEKA, Kan. -- The No. 3 ranked Lady Blues rebounded from their first loss of the season and Washburn improved to 68-0 with Ron McHenry on the bench when they reach at least 81 points in an 81-62 win over Southwest Baptist in Lee Arena.
Washburn led from start to finish despite being outshot in the first half 50 percent to 40 percent as the Bearcats (5-8, 2-4 MIAA) hit 11 of 22 compared to Washburn's 15 of 38. The Lady Blues jumped out to a lead as big as 16 points on three different occasions with the final margin coming at the 5:03 mark and a 35-19 lead on a Janice Bright jumper in the paint. Southwest Baptist would go on an 8-0 run to cut the lead to eight at 35-27 with 2:32 to go, but the Lady Blues pushed the halftime lead to 11 at 40-29.  Washburn took advantage of 10 Bearcat turnovers in the frame turning them into 16 points.
In the second half, the Bearcats cut the lead to six at 47-41 on a Courtney Creed 3-pointer, but they not get any closer the rest of the way as the Lady Blues went on to the 21-point win.
Bright led the Lady Blues in scoring with 24 points hitting 7 of 14 shots from the field while going a perfect 7 of 7 from the charity stripe. Stanecia Graham scored 14 points with 12 coming in the second half. Jessica Mainz had six assists compared to just one turnover.
Creed led SBU with 14 points and Jasmine Sanford scored 13 off the bench hitting 6 of 7 from the field.
Washburn finished the game hitting 44 percent going 28 of 63 from the field and the Lady Blues held the Bearcats to 22 of 49 from the field for a 45 percent average. The Lady Blues were 17 of 19 from the free throw line and the Bercats were 13 of 17 from the line.
Washburn had a 36 to 25 advantage on the glass and turned 20 Bearcat turnovers into 24 points. Washburn also had 14 second chance points.

Last time out for Southwest Baptist . . .
(Feb. 10, 2009) BOLIVAR, Mo. -- The No. 8 Emporia State Lady Hornets got double-doubles from senior F Ida Edwards and freshman G Brittney Miller in an 89-81 win over Southwest Baptist on Tuesday (Feb. 10) at Meyer Sports Center.
Edwards had 19 points and 12 rebounds for her 10th double-double of the year, while Miller picked up her second double-double with 11 points and 12 boards.
After trailing 3-2 early, ESU (20-3, 14-2 MIAA) used a 9-2 run to take the lead for good. The Lady Hornets lead would reach 23 at 36-13 in the first half following a 21-2 run. SBU (7-15, 4-11 MIAA) would cut the lead to 46-34 at the half.
The Bearcats would get within five points at 53-48 with 14:53 left in the game, but ESU responded with a 9-2 run.
ESU also got 18 points from junior G Sophia Lenard and 15 from junior G Cassondra Boston as they won their 20th game of the season -- the 12th time in the last 13 seasons the Lady Hornets have reached that mark.
The Lady Hornets are now 30-7 following a loss in MIAA play under Brandon Schneider.
SBU was led by a career-high 29 points from senior G Courtney Creed. Junior F/G Rachel Graves added 17 while junior G Jasmine Sanford chipped in 11 off the bench as the Bearcats dropped their sixth in a row.

Lady Blues in Lee Arena . . .
In their 25th season in Lee Arena, the Lady Blues are 313-57 (.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 122-12 (.910) in home games under Ron McHenry. Five of the 12 losses came in his first year on the Lady Blues bench. In the last seven seasons, Washburn is 114-7 (.942).

Lady Blues history . . .
Washburn is 715-330 (.683 in 1,045 games) in its 40th season of intercollegiate action.

WU in the national poll . . .
(Feb. 10, 2009) The Washburn Lady Blues basketball team climbed from No. 10 to No. 9 in the WBCA USA Today/ESPN Division II Top 25 coaches poll which was released today. The Lady Blues have been ranked in 105 consecutive top 25 polls and have received votes in the last 120 top 25 coaches polls.

WU and the NCAA Regional Rankings. . .
(Feb. 11, 2009) The Lady Blues moved to No. 7 in the second edition of the NCAA South Central Regional Rankings which were released this week. The Lady Blues moved from No. 9 in the previous rankings. Washburn has three less D2 losses than two teams ranked ahead of them in the rankings. In the D2 in region records, the Lady Blues have three losses (all in the MIAA) trailing four teams who have more D2 losses. Washburn topped Indiana (Pa.), who is ranked No. 2 in the Atlantic Region. Washburn topped IUP 72-62 in overtime in Lee Arena on Nov. 29. Washburn also topped the Midwest Region's No. 6 team in Drury when they defeated the Lady Panthers 84-62 on Nov. 25 in Topeka. The wins over UMSL and Drury both count as regional wins for the Lady Blues.
                                             Overall Record  Division II              In-Region Record
1. St. Mary's (Tex.)                     18-2-0                                                16-2-0
2. West Tex. A&M                        18-3-0                                                18-3-0
3. Central Okla.                          16-3-0                                                16-3-0
4. Southeastern Okla.               12-6-0                                                12-5-0
5. Emporia St.                              15-3-0                                                15-3-0
6. Mo. Southern St.                    13-5-0                                                13-5-0
7. Washburn                               17-3-0                                                14-3-0
8. Texas A&M - Kingsville         13-8-0                                                13-8-0
9. Northeastern St.                    12-8-0                                                12-8-0
10. Abilene Christian                14-7-0                                                13-7-0

Following a Lady Blues loss . . .
• Following a loss, the Lady Blues are 34-10 under head coach Ron McHenry.
• In the 34 wins, the average margin of victory has been 11.1 points. In the last six-plus years (including the 2003-04 season), the Lady Blues are 18-0 following a loss with an average victory margin of 18.1 points per game.

Tip-Ins . . .
• Washburn is 8-4 in the program's history on Feb. 14. The Lady Blues and the Bearcats have not played on Feb. 14.
• Washburn has kept opponents under 100 in 307 consecutive games.
• The Lady Blues are 81 of 157 (.516) from the field in the last five minutes of games this season compared to their opponents who are shooting 68 of 177 (.384).
• Washburn is shooting 261 of 680 (.384) from the field in the first half of games this season and 299 of 626 (.478) in the second half of games this season.
• Washburn is scoring 7.3 more points per game in the second half compared to the first half of games this season (38.6 to 31.3).
• In the Lady Blues' 20 wins this season, Washburn has six players averaging at least six points per game - in the three losses, only four are averaging at least 6.0 ppg.
• Janice Bright has scored at a 25.7 ppg average in the three losses and 16.9 in the 20 wins. She is the only Lady Blue to average double figures in the three losses. She is also the only Lady Blue to average double figures in home games this season (16.8 ppg).
• The Lady Blues are shooting 41 percent from the field in road games this season (233 of 571). They are hitting 64 of 200 3-pointers (.320) and 144 of 185 free throws (.778). Washburn is averaging 67.4 ppg in road games and allowing 59.1.
• Washburn's starters are being outscored by opponents starters this season by a 43.3 to 43.0 ppg average … Washburn's bench is outscoring their opponents bench 28.0 to 13.9 ppg or 643 to 319 on the season.

Under head coach Ron McHenry . . .
• McHenry moved into seventh on the all-time win chart passing former Central Missouri head coach John Pye (1985-95) who was 228-68 for the Jennies. McHenry enters the SBU game with a 234-47 record. In sixth place on the MIAA win chart is former SBU head coach Jim Middleton (1994-2008) who was 239-158 on the Bearcats' bench.
• Washburn is 202-13 when leading at the half.
• Washburn is 70-0 when scoring at least 81 points.
• When opponents are held to 70 points or below, Washburn is 177-32 … when opponents are held to 60 points or less, the Lady Blues are 163-15.
• Washburn is 223-9 when leading with five minutes to go in the game.
• Washburn is 196-10 when outshooting their opponent.
• Washburn is 34-21 against ranked teams and the Lady Blues' record against ranked teams when both are ranked in the top 25 is 32-13.

Lady Blue Notes. . .
#3 • Brette Ulsaker • G • 5-9 • Jr. • 5 of 9 from 3-point range in the last three games (8.3 ppg)
#4 • Stanecia Graham • F • 6-1 • Sr. • 15 of 23 from the field in the last four games (8.1 ppg)
#5 • Erica Brown • G • 5-9 • Jr. • 11 points against FHSU was a career high
#10 • Lauren Henry • G • 5-4 • Fr. • Saw first action against FHSU after having appendix removed before Thanksgiving
#11 • Renata Germano • C • 6-2 • Sr. • 28 career blocks is 24th all-time at Washburn
#13 • Jessica Mainz • G • 5-9 • Sr. • Averaging 8.5 assists, 5.5 points, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks in last two games
#14 • Alyssa Mullen • F • 5-11 • So. • 21 of 48 rebounds have been on offensive side
#20 • Hadleigh Meek • G • 5-8 • So. • 4 of 9 from the field this season
#21 • Cassie Lombardino • C • 6-3 • Fr. • Two offensive rebounds in last two games
#23 • Jacki Tipping • G • 5-10 • Jr. • Redshirting after having preseason ankle surgery
#24 • Karla Tailele • G • 5-6 • Sr. • 5 of 8 from 3-point range in last two games
#25 • Stevi Schultz • G • 5-9 • Fr. • Scored 5 points in 3 minutes against UCM hitting a 3-pointer
#30 • Kalee Silovsky • F • 6-0 • Sr. • 3 of 4 from field in last two games
#32 • Janice Bright • G • 5-9 • Sr. • Recorded her 100th career assist against Central Missouri
#33 • Hope Gregory • F • 5-10 • So. • 46 3-pointers rank 21st all-time at Washburn
#40 • Dayna Rodriguez • F • 6-2 • Jr. • Has averaged 8.4 points per game as a starter in seven games this season
#42 • Raychel Boling • F • 6-0 • Jr. • Redshirting after transferring from Fort Hays State
#44 • Emily Gibson • F • 6-1 • So. • Has played in 10 games scoring six points hitting all four free throw attempts

NCAA Regional dates and Elite Eight dates have changed . . .
This year's NCAA South Central Regional dates have been changed to the 13, 14, and 16th of March and the Elite Eight in San Antonio, Texas has moved to the 24, 25 and 27th of March with the championship game scheduled for a Friday instead of the normal Saturday title game.

Up Next . . .
Following road games with Southwest Baptist on Feb. 14, the Lady Blues will then host Missouri Southern on Feb. 19 as part of the WBCA's Pink Zone cancer awareness program. Washburn will put away the home white uniforms for a set of pink uniforms. Washburn will make one more regular season road trip to Pittsburg State on Feb. 21 before wrapping up the regular season on Feb. 25 against Emporia State on senior night. The MIAA's regular season will wrap up on Feb. 28, but the Lady Blues will have an “off night” as the other 10 schools will play their final regular season games. The MIAA Postseason Tournament will start on March 6.