Complete Game Notes (pdf)
Washburn at Puerto Rico-BayamonSaturday, November 15, 2014 • 10 a.m. Central/12 p.m. Atlantic
Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Washburn vs Puerto Rico-Rio PiedrasSunday, November 16, 2014 • 11 a.m. Central/1 p.m. Atlantic
Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Radio: 580 AM WIBW
WUSports.com/Live: Audio
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Washburn's 46th season of basketball will open in new territory as the Ichabods play two games in Puerto Rico this weekend on the campus of Puerto Rico-Bayamon. WU plays UPRB Saturday at 10 a.m. Central and Sunday the Bods play UP-Rio Piedras at 11 a.m.
The Ichabods have never played in Puerto Rico and they last played outside the 50 United States in 2000-01 when
Ron McHenry brought his team to Cancun, Mexico, in 2000-01, his first year at Washburn.
Both Puerto Rico schools played limited NCAA Division II schedules as independents last year. UPRB went 1-9 and UPRRP went 1-7.
Washburn is 37-9 in season openers and is opening the year on or near a coast for the third time in four years. Last year the Ichabods opened in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and in 2011-12 they opened in Anaheim, California.
McHenry is 13-1 in season openers with a loss at Nova Southeastern last year being his only season-opening setback.
Washburn went 1-1 in exhibitions this year with a win November 5 against Livin' The Dream and a loss at Kansas on Sunday.
Honor Duvall averaged 12.0 points a game and 5.5 rebounds in the two contests.
Taylor Ignoto averaged 12.0 points off the bench and
Felisha Gibbs grabbed 5.5 rebounds a game off the bench.
The Ichabods were picked third in the MIAA preseason coaches poll with three first-place votes. They went 16-11 overall last year and finished 6th in the league at 11-8.
The Ichabods return all-MIAA second team selection
Casyn Buchman after she led the team and was 8th in the MIAA with 14.7 points a game. She was 17th in the league with 6.1 rebounds a game and 4th with 4.0 assists.
She is one of six seniors returning. They are joined by three other lettermen, a returning redshirt, three junior college transfers, two NCAA Division I transfers and two true freshmen.
WU's seven juniors last year had 81% of the scoring and 79% of the rebounding. All four double-figure scorers came from that group, as did the top three rebounders. At least one junior led the team in scoring every game.
Ron McHenry returns for his 15th season as coach. He has gone 358-82 since 2000 and has won eight MIAA titles with 12 NCAA tournament appearances. He coached the team to the 2004-05 national championship.
Ichabods head to Isle of Enchantment to open 46th season of basketballThe Ichabods will escape the cold of the Midwest as they travel to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico this weekend to open the 46th season of Washburn women's basketball.
Washburn is making its first trip to the island and its first trip out of the 50 United States since 2000. The Bods will play two games on the campus of Puerto Rico-Bayamon. Saturday they play UPRB at 10 a.m. Central/12 p.m. Atlantic and Sunday they play Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras at 11 a.m. Central/1 p.m. Atlantic.
The game can be heard over the radio on 580 AM WIBW with Greg Akagi calling the action. Links to live audio are available at wusports.com/live.
The Ichabods went 1-1 in exhibition games with an 89-71 win November 5 at home against Livin' The Dream and a 78-58 loss Sunday at Kansas.
Honor Duvall scored 12.0 points a game as Washburn's starting center and
Taylor Ignoto came off the bench at guard to score 12.0 a game. Duvall and backup center
Felisha Gibbs each averaged a team-high 5.5 rebounds a game.
Washburn is coming off a 16-11 season last year. The Ichabods finished sixth in the MIAA at 11-8 and fell in the first round of the MIAA tournament.
Washburn basketball history away from the 50 United StatesWashburn has played in just two other occasions away from the 50 United States.
Ron McHenry took his team to Mexico in 2000-01, his first year with Washburn, for the Torneo de Basquetbol in Cancun. The Lady Blues lost to Hillsdale on November 23, 2000, and then beat Millersville the following day. Patty Dick brought her 1987-88 team to the Bahamas for the GreBahamas Shootout where her team went 3-0.
Washburn has played a number of games in Hawaii with the last trip coming in 2006-07.
Coaches pick Bods third in MIAA preseason poll; WU earns three first-place votesThe Ichabods earned three first-place votes and were picked to finish third overall in the MIAA preseason coaches poll released October 22.
Washburn had 142 points in the poll while No. 2 Pittsburg State earned 153 points and five of the 14 first-place votes. Emporia State earned 160 points and five first-place votes and was picked to win the conference. Fort Hays State was picked fourth with the final first-place vote and defending champion Central Missouri was picked fifth.
Six seniors look to lead Bods back to topWashburn coach
Ron McHenry has six seniors returning this year including three who have been with the program since their college careers began. Among them is all-conference guard
Casyn Buchman, last year's leading scorer who was eighth in the MIAA with 14.7 points a game. Ally Nikkel,
Janelle Travis and
Taylor Ignoto are also seniors looking to get in the mix as point and shooting guards. Inside
Dana Channel can play the four and
Honor Duvall will look to start again in the post.
The seniors are joined by three other lettermen, a returning redshirt, three junior college transfers, two NCAA Division I transfers and two true freshmen.
The group will be challenged early by NCAA II opponents in Puerto Rico in their opening weekend and DII non-conference games against Drury, Oklahoma Christian and Newman. The Ichabods will look to get back to the top of the MIAA after a 16-11 season last year and sixth-place league finish at 11-8. They had previously won three of four MIAA titles before last year and will hope that this year's senior experience, mixed with talented transfers and high schoolers, will get them back to the top.
Junior achievementThe seven juniors on the 2013-14 team accounted for 81 percent of Washburn's scoring and 79 percent of Washburn's individual rebounding. All four of Washburn's double-figure scorers came from the group, as did the top three rebounders. At least one junior led the team in scoring every game and in rebounding in all but two games.
Kara Lee, the lone senior on the team, was the top non-junior contributor with 9.1 points a game and 4.4 rebounds. Freshmen and sophomores contributed six percent of the scoring and nine percent of the rebounding.
Up next for WashburnThe Ichabods will play their home opener Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. against Benedictine. Washburn is 33-10 in home openers with wins in the last 15. The Ichabods are 33-7 against Benedictine including a 97-65 win last year. The Bods have won 23 straight in the series.
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