Media Information
Date: Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Omaha, Neb.
Arena: Sapp Fieldhouse (3,500)
Television: None
Radio: 106.9 KTPK Topeka with Mark Elliott (pxp) and Bruce Steinbrock (color)
Live Stats: www.omavs.com
Audio Web Stream: Through wusports.com
Video Web Stream: Through wusports.com

Complete Game Notes

Lady Blues hit the road
The No. 6-ranked Lady Blues hit the road to open the second half of the MIAA schedule as they travel to Omaha, Neb. on Saturday for a 5:30 p.m. tip against the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks.
The last time out, Washburn battled a cold shooting night and scraped by the Lincoln Blue Tigers 52-42 on Wednesday night in Lee Arena. Cassie Lombardino led Washburn with 17 points, while Stevi Schultz recorded her third double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
The Lady Blues are led by three players averaging in double figures. Lombardino leads the team and the MIAA at 18.0 points per game. Stevi Schultz is averaging 13.9 per contest and Laura Kinderknecht is chipping in 10.7 per outing.
Washburn will take on a UNO squad that is coming off a 98-59 loss at Pittsburg State on Saturday night and has lost four straight games.

Lady Blues on radio . . .
The Lady Blues game on Saturday night at Nebraska-Omaha will be broadcast on 106.9 FM KTPK Topeka. Mark Elliott will be calling the play-by-play action with Bruce Steinbrock providing the color-commentary. The game 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 282-54 (.839) overall record and a 155-38 (.803) 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 (.838) 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 99-86 and her overall mark sits at 159-135. 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 . . .
January 19, 2011 - TOPEKA, Kan. -- The sixth-ranked Lady Blues won for the sixth straight time and 18th straight over Lincoln as they were able to get past the Blue Tigers 52-42 on Wednesday night at Lee Arena. Washburn is back in action Saturday evening at Nebraska-Omaha at 5:30 p.m.
The Lady Blues (14-1, 10-1 MIAA) raced out to an early 8-2 lead behind four points from Cassie Lombardino and Alyssa Mullen, but Lincoln (1-14, 0-11 MIAA) rallied with an 9-0 run of their own grab an 11-8 lead with 13:46 to play in the half. Washburn came right back to regain the lead with just over 11 minutes to play at 16-13. WU was able to push the lead to as much as eight in the first half, but went into the intermission leading 31-25 after a Lincoln bucket in the closing seconds.
Neither team scored in the first three plus minutes of the second half. A layup by Vivian Essuon cut the Washburn lead to four, but the Lady Blues responded with an 18-3 run over the next 11 minutes to go in front by 19 at 49-30. The Blue Tigers used a 10-1 run to get within 10, but it was too little too late and Washburn held on for win No. 14 on the season.
Lombardino led Washburn with 17 points, while Stevi Schultz recorded her third double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Mullen finished with four points, but added nine boards and three assists. Megan Lassley had eight points, six boards and four assists.
The Lady Blues shot 33 percent (19-of-58) form the field and were just 5-of-27 from behind the arc for 19 percent. WU was 9-of-13 from the foul line for 69 percent and out-rebounded Lincoln 41-33.
Essuon led all scorers with 18 points and added 12 rebounds. Quenita Washington added 12 points on three treys. The Blue Tigers shot 30 percent (15-of-50) from the floor and 24 percent (5-of-21) from three-point range. LU was 7-of-11 from the foul line for 64 percent.
Washburn had 14 assists to nine for Lincoln and the Lady Blues forced 14 Blue Tiger turnovers and committed 11 of their own.

Notes from the win over Lincoln . . .
• Washburn finished the first half of the MIAA schedule 10-1 in league play and holds a one game lead in the standings
• Gave Washburn its second win over Lincoln under Ron McHenry and improved the Lady Blues to 18-0 all-time against the Blue Tigers
• Stevi Schultz recorded the third double-double of her career
• Extended Washburn's streak of games with at least one 3FG to 217 in-a-row
• Washburn improved to 89-2 under McHenry when holding opponents under 50 points

Washburn/UNO series notes . . .
Washburn leads the series 6-1 with Nebraska-Omaha and has won six straight against the Mavericks after taking the first meeting of the season 69-64 back on December 1. The Lady Blues are 5-0 against UNO since the Mavericks joined the MIAA, sweeping the season series each of the past two years. Washburn is 2-1 in Omaha having won the last two meetings in Sapp Fieldhouse.

About Nebraska-Omaha . . .
The Mavericks are 5-10 overall and 2-9 in MIAA play after their 98-59 loss at Pittsburg State on Wednesday night. UNO has dropped four straight games in conference play since the 78-74 win over Truman back on January 5.
A pair of players are averaging in double figures, led by Heather Pohl at 16.3 points per game. She is joined by Jamie Nash at 11.0 points per outing. Nash also leads the team dishing out 4.1 assists per game.
Paige Frauendorfer averages 9.3 points per contest and leads the team with 5.3 rebounds per game.
Nebraska-Omaha is averaging 66.7 points per game as a team and giving up 71.1 per outing.
The Mavericks are shooting 37 percent from the floor, while their opponents shoot nearly 42 percent. They are making 31 percent of their three-point attempts and the opposition is hitting at a 37 percent clip.
UNO is out-rebounded by its opponents by nearly five boards per game, 42.0-37.6

Last Time out for Nebraska-Omaha . . .
UNO Sports Info. - January 19, 2011 - PITTSBURG, Kan. -- The UNO women's basketball team fell to the Pittsburg State Gorillas on Wednesday night at John Lance Arena, 98-59.
With the loss, the Mavericks fell to 5-10 overall and 2-9 in the MIAA and dropped their fourth game in a row. The Gorillas improved to 8-7 overall and 6-5 in conference play.
Heather Pohl scored 14 points to lead the Mavericks, and Jordan Spencer had a career-high 10 points off the bench.
The Gorillas shot 53.8 percent from the field in winning their second straight MIAA game. Kylee Baldetti led the way with 17 points and nine rebounds. Laura Glenn scored 15 points, Larissa Richards had 13 and Alexa Bordewick had 10, as four players finished in double-figures for the Gorillas.
UNO, the MIAA's best free throw shooting team entering the game, shot an uncharacteristic 48.0 percent from the stripe (12-of-25), and connected on just 35.0 percent from the field (21-of-60).
The Mavericks were up by three at the 17:15 mark of the first half, but never led again after surrendering the early lead at the 15:44 mark. Pittsburg State led by 22 at halftime and continued to stretch the lead out in the second half.
Jamie Nash added nine points for UNO, while Paige Frauendorfer and Stacia Gebers, making her second straight start, each had six points.
The Mavs are back at home for a Jan. 22, 5:30 p.m. tip-off against No. 6 Washburn on Saturday.

Last Meeting Between Washburn and UNO . . .
December 1, 2010 - TOPEKA, Kan. -- The fourth-ranked Lady Blues open defense of their MIAA championship with a 69-64 win over Nebraska-Omaha on Wednesday night at Lee Arena. Washburn is back in action on Saturday night hosting Northwest Missouri State at 5:30 p.m.
The Lady Blues (5-0, 1-0 MIAA) grabbed the early lead at 10-6, but an 11-4 run by the Mavericks (3-2, 0-1 MIAA) gave UNO a 17-14 advantage with 13:08 to play in the first half. A quick 6-0 run by Washburn gave WU a 20-17 lead with just over 10 minutes to play in the opening half. The Blues extended their first half lead to as many as nine at 35-26 with 3:40 to play and led by five at the break, 37-32.
The Mavericks opened the second half on a 6-0 run to grab a 38-37 three minutes into the frame. The second half went back-and-forth with six ties and eight lead changes.  Washburn led 59-58 with 5:22 to play in the game, but UNO went back in front with a 4-0 run with just over three minutes to play in the game. A jumper from Laura Kinderknecht and three by Megan Lassley put WU back in front 64-62 with 2:21 to play. The Mavs tied the game once again on a field goal from Paige Frauendorfer with 2:05 to play. Alyssa Mullen's trey with 1:34 to play put the Lady Blues in front for good and a pair of free throws gave Washburn the 69-64 win.
Kinderknecht led Washburn with a career-high 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Mullen set a new career-high with 15 points, while Lassley added 13 and Cassie Lombardino chipped in 11. Lombardino tied her career-high with nine boards.
Washburn shot 37 percent from the field, 23-of-63, and struggled to a 56 percent clip from the charity stripe, 14-of-25.
Frauendorfer led all scorers with 22. Jamie Nash added 18 and Heather Pohl 12 for the Mavs, who shot 41 percent for the game, 22-of-54. UNO was just 2-of-12 from beyond the arc and made 18-of-21 free throws for 86 percent.

A Win Would . . .
A win would give the Lady Blues a 15-1 record for the first time since the 2006-07 season ... give Washburn seven straight wins over the Mavericks and a 7-1 series lead ... give WU an 11-1 MIAA record and keep the Blues in sole possession of first place ... give Washburn a 764-337 record in 42 years of basketball.

A Loss Would . . .
A loss would give the Lady Blues an 14-2 record for the second time in three years ... drop the Lady Blues to 10-2 in the MIAA and into a possible tie for first place ... snap Washburn's six game winning streak against UNO ... be Washburn's first against UNO as a member of the MIAA ... give Washburn a 763-338 record in 42 years of basketball.

Against Ranked Opponents . . .
The Lady Blues are 39-23 when facing a ranked opponent under Ron McHenry, including 1-0 this season after the 66-60 win at No. 10 Emporia State on Saturday. Washburn was 2-1 against ranked competition last year and the Lady Blues are 12-5 against ranked teams over the past four seasons.

Lady Blues in The MIAA . . .
The Lady Blues are 155-38 (.803) under head coach Ron McHenry in MIAA games and 279-91 (.754) all-time in conference play.  

Lady Blues in Lee Arena . . .
In their 27th season in Lee Arena, the Lady Blues are 335-59 (.850) 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 144-14 (.911) in home games under Ron McHenry. Five of the 14 losses came in his first year on the Lady Blues bench. In the last 10 seasons, Washburn is 136-9 (.938).

Lady Blues on the road . . .
The Lady Blues are 80-31 (.721) on the road under Ron McHenry, including 3-1 this season. 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 763-337 (.694 in 1,100 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 moved up one spot to No. 6 in the latest WBCA USA Today/ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll released on Tuesday afternoon.
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 144 consecutive polls and has been ranked in the top 25 in 128 consecutive polls, the longest active streak in NCAA-II.

Blues Clues . . .
#1 • Naudia Campbell • C • 6-2 • Jr. • Scored 12 points with five rebounds in loss at Missouri Western
#4 • Lindy Arndt • G • 5-11 • Fr. • Hit two 3FG's in win over CSU Dominguez Hills
#5 • Laura Kinderknecht • G • 5-7 • So. • Leads the MIAA in assist/turnover ratio and is sixth in assists
#10 • Dana Channel • G •5-10 • Fr. • Scored four points in the win over Fort Hays State
#14 • Alyssa Mullen • F • 5-11 • Sr. • Career-high 16 rebounds against Pittsburg State were the most by a Lady Blue since 2002
#15 • Sami McHenry • G • 5-8 • Fr. • Scored two points against Missouri Western
#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. • Currently leads the MIAA in scoring at 18.0 points per game
#22 • Megan Lassley • G • 5-4 • Jr. • Dished out career-high six assists in wins over CSU-Dominguez Hills and Northwest Missouri State
#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. • Notched third double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Lincoln
#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 7-6 all-time in games played on January 22, including 0-3 during the Ron McHenry era.

Up Next . . .
The Lady Blues travel to Maryville for a showdown against Northwest Missouri State on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Washburn will return home on Saturday, January 29 to take on Missouri Western at 5:30 p.m.