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Head coach
Ron McHenry earned his 350th career win and his 200th MIAA win earlier this month.
Washburn is 11-5 overall and 6-3 in the MIAA after a win Thursday against Central Oklahoma. The Ichabods improved to 7-1 in Lee Arena. This will be the final of five straight home games for Washburn.
Northeastern State is 9-8 overall and 6-4 in the MIAA after a 59-44 upset over second-ranked Emporia State Wednesday. That was ESU's first loss of the year.
Northeastern State is playing its first game against Washburn in Topeka. The two have met just twice before with an NSU win last year in Tahlequah and an NSU win in the 2010 NCAA tournament in Canyon, Texas.
Taylor Ignoto has scored in double figures in seven of her eight games this year after sitting out 1.5 seasons. She's led the team in four of those games and she averages 16.0 points a game.
Casyn Buchman leads the Ichabods with 17.4 points a game and has scored in double figures in 13 of 16 games. She ranks third in the MIAA in scoring, first in free throw percentage (.907) and fifth in assists (4.0).
Buchman is 49 of 54 from the three throw line this year. She has gone perfect seven times and has not missed more than two in a game. Her five misses have come in four different games. She made 32 straight at one point.
Brittney Lynch has four double-doubles this year. She's third in the MIAA with 8.8 rebounds a game and she averages 10.1 points a game.
Ignoto, Buchman and Lynch are joined by centers
Kara Lee and
Honor Duvall as Washburn has five scorers averaging double figures. Lee averages 11.2 and Duvall is scoring 10.4
The Ichabods were picked third in the MIAA coaches and media preseason polls. The coaches picked Emporia State first and the media picked Central Missouri first.
WU has been left out of the last five USA Today Sports national polls after being ranked as high as 16th this year.
Ron McHenry is 353-76 (.823) in his 14th year at Washburn. He is the winningest DII coach among those with at least 10 years of experience and he's led Washburn to 12 straight NCAA tournaments.
Ichabods close home stand Saturday against RiverHawks looking for fifth straight win
Washburn will close a five-game home stand with a 5 pm. game Saturday against Northeastern State at Schendel Court in Lee Arena. The Ichabods will be looking to win their fifth straight game and maintain or improve their standing in the MIAA. They enter the weekend tied for fourth.
Washburn is 11-5 overall and 6-3 in the MIAA after a 65-59 win Thursday in overtime against Central Oklahoma. Northeastern State is 9-8 overall and 6-4 in the league after a 59-44 upset win over No. 2 Emporia State Wednesday. The RiverHawks are seventh in the league standings.
The game will be carried live on 106.9 FM KTPK. Links to video, live stats and audio are available at wusports.com/live.
Washburn is 0-2 against the RiverHawks with a loss last year in Tahlequah and a loss in the 2010 NCAA tournament second round. Northeastern State has never played Washburn in Topeka but played in the 2012 NCAA tournament hosted by Washburn.
Casyn Buchman leads the Ichabods and is third in the MIAA scoring 17.4 points a game.
Brittney Lynch is third in the MIAA with 8.8 rebounds a game and she nearly averages a double-double with 10.1 points a game.
Taylor Ignoto has played in eight games and she's averaging 16.0 points a game.
McHenry gets 350th career win and 200th MIAA win in same week
Washburn head coach
Ron McHenry is 353-76 (.823) overall and 201-49 (.804) in MIAA games. He earned his 350th career win January 9 against Oklahoma Christian and he got his 200th MIAA win January 11 against Northwest Missouri.
McHenry started this year, his 14th season at Washburn, with the highest winning percentage among active NCAA II coaches with at least 10 years at four-year schools.
McHenry is a four-time MIAA coach of the year and he has eight MIAA regular season titles. He's been to 12 straight NCAA tournaments and he coached Washburn to an NCAA II national title in 2004-05. He started the year second all-time in NCAA II history among coaches with at least 10 years with an .828 winning percentage. Lloyd Clark holds the record with an .834 winning percentage at Delta State from 1984-2002.
Washburn drops out of national poll
The Ichabods dropped out of the USA Today Sports national poll after week four and they have been absent from the last five polls now. Washburn was ranked in 176 of the last 177 polls, dating back to week three of the 2002-03 season. The final poll of the 2010-11 season was the last time Washburn was not ranked before these last five polls.
Emporia State is the highest ranked MIAA team with a No. 2 ranking after a 17-0 start to the season. The Ichabods and Hornets won't play until February as they battle February 5 in Topeka and February 22 in Emporia. Central Missouri is eighth in the poll. The two teams played their only scheduled meeting January 6 in a UCM win. Previous non-conference opponent Nova Southeastern is third in the nation and Drury is ninth.
Quick history review
In Washburn's 44 years of basketball since 1969-70, the Ichabods are 834-361-1 (.698) in 1196 games. They have 13 MIAA regular season titles and nine tournament titles since joining the league in 1989-90. Thirty all-America awards have been won between 16 different players and Washburn has seven MIAA MVPs and 22 MIAA first-teamers.
The Ichabods won the 2004-05 NCAA II national title and set an NCAA II record with a 51-game winning streak stretching from 2004-05 into the 2005-06 season. Guard Jennifer Harris was the NCAA II player of the year in 2005-06 and was the No. 20 pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft.
Ignoto earns starting spot after joining team after fall semester
Junior guard
Taylor Ignoto had to sit a full year at Washburn and she played her first games in mid December after the fall semester ended. She scored in double figures her first four games to earn a start January 9 against Oklahoma Christian. She hit her first six 3-pointers in that game to end with 21 points and she's averaging 16.0 points a game. She's reached double figures in seven of her eight games this year.
Mid-season home stand helping Ichabods build back confidence
The Ichabods are on their first four-game winning streak of the year as they are four games into a five-game home stand. They lost two of three and three of five before this home stand started on January 9 against Oklahoma Christian.
The Ichabods are outscoring their opponents by 11.8 points a game during this streak and they have a +12 rebound margin.
Casyn Buchman is scoring 13.5 points a game and 8.5 rebounds during the streak.
Washburn's defense is holding opponents to 60.0 points a game and 34 percent shooting from the field during this home stand. Opponents are shooting 38 percent overall and scoring 67.5 a game in Washburn's 16 games this year.
Buchman third in scoring and near the top in several MIAA categories
Junior guard
Casyn Buchman is near the top in several MIAA statistic categories in the latest report. She's third in scoring with 17.4 points a game and first shooting .907 from the free throw line. She's fifth in assists with 4.0 a game and 16th with 6.8 rebounds a game. Overall, her name appears in 11 of the 13 categories.
Lynch nearly averaging a double-double
Junior forward
Brittney Lynch leads the team and is third in the MIAA with 8.8 rebounds a game and she nearly averages a double-double as she has 10.1 points a game. Lynch has scored in double figures in 10 games this year and has reached 10 or more rebounds six times with four double-doubles. She set career highs on December 5 with 20 points and 17 rebounds at Southwest Baptist.
Coming up next
After five straight at home the Ichabods will begin a stretch of four of six games on the road when they travel to Nebraska-Kearney January 30 for a 5:30 p.m. game. Six of the final nine regular season games are on the road.
