Media Information
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Topeka, Kan.
Arena: Lee Arena (3,904)
Television: None
Radio: 106.9 KTPK Topeka with Mark Elliott (pxp) and Bruce Steinbrock (color)
Live Stats: www.wusports.com
Audio Web Stream: Through wusports.com
Video Web Stream: Through wusports.com
Complete Game Notes

Lady Blues Tip-off MIAA play against Mavericks
The Washburn Lady Blues open MIAA play hosting the Mavericks of Nebraska-Omaha on Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m. inside Lee Arena.
The Lady Blues have three players averaging in double figures, led by junior center Cassie Lombardino at 15.3 points per game. Laura Kinderknecht is scoring 12.5 per outing and Stevi Schultz chips in 10.3 per contest.
Washburn wrapped up the non-conference portion of the schedule with two wins over the weekend at the Grand Canyon Thanksgiving Classic in Phoenix, Ariz. The Lady Blues beat CSU Dominguez Hills 79-48 before topping Lake Superior State 65-51 to finish out the trip at 2-0 and 4-0 overall in the non-conference.

Lady Blues on radio . . .
The Lady Blues game with Nebraska-Omaha will be broadcast on 106.9 FM KTPK Topeka. Mark Elliott will be calling play-by-play action with Bruce Steinbrock providing the color-commentary. The games will also be streamed live online by clicking the live audio button under the Lady Blues Basketball tab on the Washburn Athletics web site at www.wusports.com.
The game will also be webcast through America One Networks. You can access the webcast by clicking on the B2/MIAA advertisement on the lower right side of the Washburn athletics web site main page at www.wuports.com

The Coaches . . .
Washburn head coach Ron McHenry has posted a 272-53 (.837) record overall and 145-37 (.797) record in the MIAA with six MIAA regular season championships and the 2005 NCAA National Championship. McHenry has also led the Lady Blues to six MIAA Postseason Tournament titles including six of the eight played in Kansas City. McHenry has the highest winning percentage (.836) 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 leads the country among active women's NCAA Division II Coaches in winning percentage. McHenry was named the MIAA's Coach of the Year in 2004, 2005 and 2010 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 seventh season leading the Mavericks program and her 11th season overall as a college head coach. Her record at UNO stands at 97-77 and her overall mark sits at 157-126. Last season, she led the Mavericks to a 12-15 record and a tie for seventh place in the MIAA with a 7-13 conference mark. She is a 1990 graduate of Rocky Mountain College.

Last time out for the Lady Blues . . .
November 27, 2010 - PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The ninth-ranked Lady Blues wrapped up their Thanksgiving road trip with a 65-51 win over Lake Superior State on Saturday afternoon at Antelope Gym. Washburn pulled away down the stretch are trailing midway through the second half. The Lady Blues open MIAA play on Wednesday hosting Nebraska-Omaha at 5:30 p.m.
Washburn (4-0) jumped out to an early lead with Cassie Lombardino scoring the first six points of the game for the Lady Blues. A 5-0 run by Lake Superior State (3-3) gave the Lakers a 10-6 lead with 16:12 to play in the first half. Washburn regained the lead with an 8-0 run. Laura Kinderknecht started the run with a jumper and Alyssa Mullen finished it off with a pair of free throws to give WU a 14-10 lead with 12:50 to play in the opening stanza.
The lead was 16-12 for Washburn when the Lakers went on an 11-1 run to grab a 23-17 lead with 4:16 to play in the first half, but the Lady Blues closed the half on an 11-4 run to lead 28-27 at the break.
Washburn pushed the lead to six at 38-32 with 13:48 to play in the game. An 8-0 run by LSSU gave them a 40-38 lead with 11:45 left in regulation. The Lady Blues responded with a 7-0 run to regain the lead for good at 45-40 with 10:08 to play. The Blues would pull away down the stretch with some hot shooting and clutch free throws.
Lombardino led all scorers with 17 points and also pulled down eight rebounds. Kinderknecht and Mullen poured in career-highs with 15 and 12, respectively. Stevi Schultz had nine points and a team-high nine boards to go along with a career-high six assists.
Washburn shot 48 percent for the game hitting 24-of-50, but blistered the nets for 56 percent, 14-of-25 in the second half. The Lady Blues were 7-of-21 from beyond the arc for 33 percent and mad 10-of-12 from the charity stripe.
Emily Joseph led Lake Superior State with 15 points and Maria Blazejewski had 13. The Lakers shot 42 percent from the field, 18-of-43, and were 6-of-17 for 35 percent from three-point range.
Washburn out-rebounded the LSSU 33-23 and forced 18 turnovers.

Notes from the Two wins in Phoenix . . .
• Washburn improved to 190-18 under Ron McHenry when holding opponents to 60 points or less
• Alyssa Mullen scored in double figures for the first time in her career after scoring nine points on three different occasions
• The Lady Blues extended their regular season non-conference winning streak to 17 games

Washburn/Nebraska-Omaha series notes . . .
Washburn leads the series 5-1 with Nebraska-Omaha and has won five straight games against the Mavericks. The Lady Blues are 4-0 against UNO since the Mavericks joined the MIAA, sweeping the season series each of the past two years.

About Nebraska-Omaha . . .
The Mavericks are coming off a 69-38 win over Calumet College of Saint Joseph on Saturday night and are 3-1 on the season. Two Mavericks scored in double figures in that game, with Jamie Nash also recording a career-high 11 steals, the second highest total in school history.
Two players are averaging in double figures for UNO. Heather Pohl leads the team with a 14.5 points per game average and Nash chips in 11.0 per contest. Paige Frauendorfer averages 6.8 ppg, while leading the team with 6.3 rebounds per outing. Six players average at least 5.3 ppg for UNO and nine players average at least 13.3 minutes per game. The Mavericks' only loss this season was an 80-44 setback to division I Nebraska last Friday.

Last Time out for Nebraska-Omaha . . .
November 27, 2010 - OMAHA, Neb. - Point guard Jamie Nash scored 13 points and made a career-high 11 steals, and the UNO Mavericks defeated Calumet College of Saint Joseph, 69-38, on Saturday at the Sapp Fieldhouse.
The Mavs improved to 3-1 on the year and snapped the three-game winning streak of the Crimson Wave, who fell to 3-6.
Nash's 11 steals ranked second in school history behind 12 recorded by Linda Schabloske on Jan. 30, 1993. Nash, who also finished with a game-high five assists, is averaging 6.5 steals per game.
Nebraska-Omaha jumped out to a 12-2 lead in the first four minutes of the game and never looked back. Heather Pohl opened the game for the Mavs by hitting three straight 3-pointers. The Omaha native led all scorers with 17 points.
The Mavs forced the Crimson Wave into 33 turnovers and turned those into a 26-9 advantage in points off turnovers. UNO matched its season high of 18 offensive rebounds and converted 23 second-chance points while allowing only eight.
Sara Reeves chipped in eight points and six rebounds for the Mavs off the bench, as 12 Mavs finished with double-digit minutes. Paige Frauendorfer grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
Whitney Bonham was the only Crimson Wave player in double-figures, finishing with 10 points.
The Mavs now hit the road for three straight games. The road swing starts off with a 5:30 p.m., tip-off at Washburn on Wednesday, Dec. 1. Washburn is ranked No. 9 in the most recent USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Division II Poll.

Last Meeting Between Washburn and Nebraska-Omaha . . .
January 23, 2010 - TOPEKA, Kan. -- The 15th-ranked Lady Blues built a 16-point second half lead then held off the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks 63-55 to end a three-game losing streak. Washburn returns to action on Wednesday night against Northwest Missouri State. Tip-off in Lee Arena is set for 5:30 p.m.
The Lady Blues (14-3, 8-3 MIAA) didn't make their first field goal until the 17:05 mark of the first half and fell into an early six point hole. A 12-2 run by Washburn put the Lady Blues in front for good at 14-10 with 12:53 to play in the opening period. WU extended the lead to seven with just over six minutes to play on a pair of Dayna Rodriguez free throws. The Mavericks (10-8, 5-6 MIAA) cut the lead to two with just over three minutes to play in the half, but the Lady Blues ended the period on a 7-1 run and led 30-22 at the break.
Two quick buckets by Rodriguez to open the second half gave Washburn a 12 point lead at 34-22. UNO went on a 13-4 over the next 6:23 to cut the lead to three at 38-35. The Lady Blues responded with a 7-0 run to push the lead back to 10. After the Mavs got the lead back to six at 46-40, WU used a 10-0 run to open their biggest lead at 56-40 with 2:59 to play. A 14-4 run by Nebraska-Omaha cut the lead to six with 30 seconds to play, but the Lady Blues iced the game from the free throw line.
Rodriguez led Washburn with 23 points, tying her career-high, and eight rebounds. Hope Gregory added 13 points and Brette Ulsaker had 11. The Lady Blues shot just 34 percent from the floor, 18-of-53, and 21.4 percent from behind the three point line, 3-of-14.
Alyssa Green led UNO with 17 points, while Ashley Nelson added 11. The Mavericks shot 36 percent, 20-of-56, from the floor and 22 percent, 4-of-18, from three.
The Lady Blues forced 22 turnovers, but committed 18 of their own and were out-rebounded 40-38 by the Mavs. WU did have 13 steals, including four by Stevi Schultz.

A Win Would . . .
A win would make the Lady Blues 5-0 for the 10th straight season ... give Washburn a 6-1 lead in the series with UNO ... give WU a 1-0 MIAA start for the fourth straight season ... give the Lady Blues six straight wins over the Mavericks ... give Washburn a 754-336 record in 42 years of basketball.

A Loss Would . . .
A loss would give the Lady Blues a 4-1 record for the first time since the 2000-01 season, Ron McHenry's first season as head coach ... snap Washburn's five-game winning streak against UNO ... drop the Lady Blues to 0-1 in the MIAA for the first time since the 2006-07 season ... give Washburn a 731-337 record in 42 years of basketball.

Lady Blues in Conference Openers . . .
The Lady Blues are 7-3 in conference openers under Ron McHenry. Washburn's last loss in an MIAA opener was a 76-68 setback to Missouri Western to start the 2006-07 conference slate.

Against Ranked Opponents . . .
The Lady Blues are 38-23 when facing a ranked opponent under Ron McHenry. Washburn was 2-1 against ranked competition last year, including a 68-59 win at No. 20 Drury. The Lady Blues are 11-5 against ranked teams over the past three seasons.

Lady Blues in Lee Arena . . .
In their 27th season in Lee Arena, the Lady Blues are 328-59 (.848) 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 47 straight regular season non-conference games in Lee Arena. The last home loss to a non-conference team in the regular season was to Missouri-St. Louis in a 59-51 setback on Dec. 30, 2000.
Washburn is 137-14 (.907) in home games under Ron McHenry. Five of the 14 losses came in his first year on the Lady Blues bench. In the last nine plus seasons, Washburn is 129-9 (.935).

Lady Blues on the road . . .
The Lady Blues are 77-30 (.720) on the road under Ron McHenry. Washburn's best road record under McHenry was 8-0 during the 2005-06 season. The Lady Blues were 10-1 on the road last season, including 9-1 during MIAA play.
Lady Blues History . . .
Washburn is 753-336 (.691 in 1,089 games) in its 42nd season of intercollegiate action. The Lady Blues have won seven MIAA regular season titles and eight MIAA postseason tournament championships since becoming eligible for conference championships in 1990-91.

Washburn in the National Poll . . .
Washburn is No. 9 in the WBCA USA Today/ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll, while the Lady Blues were 19th in the NCAA Division II Bulletin Preseason Poll.
The Lady Blues were No. 10 in the final USA Today/ESPN Top 25 WBCA Coaches Poll of the 2009-10 season. Overall, Washburn has received votes in the last 138 consecutive polls and has been in the top 25 in 122 consecutive polls, the longest active streak in NCAA-II.

Blues Clues . . .
#1 • Naudia Campbell • C • 6-2 • Jr. • Scored 16 points with eight rebounds in her Washburn debut
#4 • Lindy Arndt • G • 5-11 • Fr. • Hit two 3-Pt field goals in win over CSU Dominguez Hills
#5 • Laura Kinderknecht • G • 5-7 • So. • Has scored in double figures in every game so far this season
#10 • Dana Channel • G •5-10 • Fr. • Scored two points with two rebounds in her first college game
#14 • Alyssa Mullen • F • 5-11 • Sr. • Scored career-high 12 points in win over Lake Superior State
#15 • Sami McHenry • G • 5-8 • Fr. • Saw her first action of the season against CSU Dominguez Hills
#20 • Dana Elliott • F • 5-11 • So. • Tied career-high with five points in just four minutes of action against Drury
#21 • Cassie Lombardino • C • 6-3 • Jr. • Had career-highs of 20 points and nine rebounds in win over Southwestern
#22 • Megan Lassley • G • 5-4 • Jr. • Scored 15 points in first game as a Lady Blue
#24 • Ebonie Williams • G • 5-8 • Sr. • Will sit out the 2010-11 season after transferring from Seton Hall
#25 • Stevi Schultz • G • 5-9 • Jr. • Dished out career-high six assists in the win over Lake Superior State
#32 • Sierra Moeller • F • 6-1 • Jr. • Suffered a season-ending injury in exhibition game at Kansas State
#33 • Amy Green • G • 5-10 • Jr. • Grabbed four boards in 13 minutes in first game for Washburn
#42 • Raychel Boling • F • 6-0 • Sr. • Grabbed career-high seven boards in season-opening win over Southwestern
#44 • Laura McMullin • F • 6-1 • So. • Scored five points and grabbed five rebounds in season-opening win over Southwestern

Tip-Ins . . .
• The Lady Blues are 12-1  in games played on December 1, including 1-0 under Ron McHenry, a 78-59 win over Arkansas-Monticello in McHenry's first season.
• Washburn's last loss in a conference home-opener was a 76-68 loss to Missouri Western during the 2006-07 season.

Up Next . . .
The Lady Blues continue MIAA play with two more home games before break. Washburn hosts Northwest Missouri State on December 4 and Fort Hays State on December 8. Both games are set for 5:30 p.m. tip-offs inside Lee Arena.