Scouting the RiverHawks
Northeastern State enters Thursday off a road victory at Northwest Missouri State while holding a 2-3 record in its previous six games ... NSU has lost eight of the previous 10 after opening the year 3-0 ... the RiverHawks were picked to finish 10th in the MIAA preseason ... last year, NSU knocked Washburn out of the MIAA Tournament with a 59-46 win at Lee Arena in the opening round, though Washburn won the previous regular season matchup, 83-58, less than three weeks earlier ... all matchups between the teams have taken place while Ron McHenry coached at Washburn, and the RiverHawks are the only current MIAA school to have a winning record against McHenry (who is 3-4 all-time against NSU) ... the RiverHawks are allowing 63.3 points per game while scoring 57.8 on average, shooting 36.8 percent from the field and 31.2 percent from long range ... NSU trails its opponents by 6.1 rebounds per game in the rebounding margin category and is grabbing 34.0 rebounds per game ... Mary Jane Buschmann is the only RiverHawk to average double-digit scoring for the year, putting up 13.8 points per game ... more information on series and opponent stat leaders can be found on page one of the game notes.

Last Time Out (Jan. 4, 2016)
TOPEKA, Kan. – Five players scored in double digits, three Ichabods had 10-plus rebounds and Felisha Gibbs tallied the Ichabods' first double-double of the season as Washburn ran away from Lincoln, 89-44, on Monday, Jan. 4 inside Lee Arena ... Washburn improves to 9-4 (5-2 MIAA) on the season and 4-0 at home, closing its home stand to open the New Year with a win ... Washburn opened the game on a 17-2 run and never looked back, stretching the lead to 17 at the end of the first (31-14) after Gibbs' third layup of the night ... Washburn had a burst of nine unanswered midway thru the second quarter with six of those coming from Julie Ravn and took a 48-26 lead into the locker room at half ... Ravn hit another three just nine seconds into the third quarter to spark WU towards an 11-0 run that ended at 5:24 with a layup from Alyxis Bowens ... All told, Washburn held Lincoln without a point for the first 5:28 of the third quarter and outscored the Blue Tigers, 23-7, in the third frame ... A stretch of eight unanswered for WU in the fourth proved to be the final push, as WU took its largest lead of the night (84-38) with 4:14 to go, sending the Ichabods towards their first 40-plus margin win since Dec. 31, 2014 (93-42 over Saint Mary) ... Five Ichabods reached double digits for the first time since Dec. 19, 2013, as Bowens reached the 20-point threshold for the second straight game to lead the team with 20 ... Ravn had 15 points and finished 4-for-5 from long range, just ahead of Gibbs, who scored 14 points to go with a career-high 13 rebounds and two blocks for her first career double-double ... Haley Pfau dished out six assists to lead the team and finished with 10 points, tied in scoring with Erin Dohnalek, who also added three assists ... On the boards, Gibbs was joined in double-digits by Cindy Demosthene, who had 13 boards (career-high) and Jayna Smith had 10 ... This was the third straight game Smith grabbed over 10 rebounds, and the fifth game in the last six overall ... Erika Lane had six points as well, adding four assists and a team-leading three steals on the defensive end ... All 11 Ichabods available for the game saw action and scored, as Makayla Vargo and KayLee Farmer recorded their first points while wearing an Ichabod uniform ... WU shot 54.2 from the field for the game, hitting 8-of-16 (50 percent) from long range ... The Ichabods shot lights out in the first period, missing just one shot (12-of-13) while going 5-of-5 on three-pointers ... WU had a 70.8 percent field goal percentage at halftime and was 87.5 percent (7-of-8) from beyond the three-point arc at the break.

Run Away Win
Washburn's 89-44 win over Lincoln on Jan. 4 was the first 40-plus margin win for the Ichabods since Dec. 31, 2014 (93-42 over Saint Mary) ... The last time Washburn won by 40-49 points was Nov. 16, 2014 against Southwestern (108-60).

Road Warriors
Washburn played nine games in its first 11 of the season, closing the 2015 portion of its schedule with a 5-4 record on the road and 2-0 at home ... the first portion of the schedule featured three games on the road against ranked opponents and only one home conference game in that span ... Washburn has five home games in January (out of nine total games) and five home games in February (out of eight total games) ... WU has seven remaining road games to secure a winning record in that category ... last season, WU went 6-5 on the road and 5-7 away from Lee Arena the year prior (2013-14).

Lockdown Defense
Three times this season, Washburn has held its opponent to 49 or less points, including the final game of 2015 where the Ichabods limited Missouri Southern (which previously averaged 66 ppg) to just 42 points, days after the Lions upset then-No. 3 Emporia State  ... for the season, Washburn has held opponents to 58.5 points per game, which ranks second in the MIAA. 

Swat Team
Washburn is averaging 3.7 blocks per game as a team and has been swatted just 1.1 times per game on average ... the Ichabods sit fifth in the conference in overall blocks (45) and fourth in blocks per game, while ranking 59th and 77st in NCAA Division II in those categories (as of Jan. 4) ... Alyxis Bowens has 1.2 blocks per game while Felisha Gibbs has 0.7 blocks per game and Jayna Smith and Erika Lane both have 0.5 blocks per game for the Ichabods.

Crashing The Boards
Washburn has outrebounded its opponent in all 13 games this season, holding a +11.7 rebounding margin per game on the year ... nationally, the Ichabods rank 6th in rebound margin and second in the MIAA, while sitting 49th in total rebounds (540) and 78th in rebounds per game (41.5) ... the Ichabods are also second in the MIAA in those two categories ... Jayna Smith (9.4 rpg) leads the team in rebounds per game while Felisha Gibbs (6.6 rpg) and Alyxis Bowens (5.5 rpg) are also above the 5.0 mark on average ... the team has nine 40-plus rebounding efforts on the season and has reached that mark in the last six games, including a 55 rebound effort against Lincoln on Jan. 4 (last time out). 

From Long Range
Washburn has proved its ability to hit the three-point shot in games is a key factor in the outcome ... WU is 7-1 in games that it makes more three-pointers than its opponent and 2-3 in games that the opponent has a better mark (or tied) in that category ... as a team, the Ichabods are shooting 33.5 percent from beyond the arc on the year, averaging 6.0 three-pointers per game while limiting opponents to a 27.0 percent effort and 5.4 three-pointers per game.

Zero to 60
A trend has begun for the Ichabods in 2015-16, as Washburn is 8-0 in games that it scores over 60 points and all four of its losses have come when an opponent reaches that mark (3-4 overall) ... when holding opponents under 60, Washburn is 6-0, and when the Ichabods score less than 60, they've won just one game (losing two).

Board Certified
Jayna Smith's impact isn't always felt in the points category on the stat sheet (though she has led the team in scoring in two games), but she has proved vital towards the team success this season ... the senior nursing major leads the team in rebounds (122) and rebounds per game (9.4) thru 13 games while also dishing out 38 assists (team-high) ... Smith has six double-digit rebounding efforts on the year, including a career-high 15 at home against Lindenwood on Jan. 2 ... She also had 13 rebounds at Missouri Southern on Dec. 19 and two 12-rebound efforts ... she has three five-plus assist efforts, including a career-high eight at Palm Beach Atlantic on Nov. 28 ...  Smith earned her first start of the season on Dec. 2 at Fort Hays State and made the most of it, leading the team in points (13), rebounds (eight) and assists (five) ... She followed that effort by tying her previous career-high in rebounds (12) in back-to-back games against UNK and SBU ... Smith leads the MIAA in rebounds and rebounds per game as well.

Quick Lane
With seven double-digit scoring efforts this season, Erika Lane is tied for the team-lead in that category while sitting second in scoring average (9.9 ppg) and total points (129) ... the guard had a career-high 25 points in WU's second game of the year (at Minot State) and enters the New Year with three double-digit efforts in the previous five games ... Lane's quickness has also been felt away from the hoop, defensively and offensively ... her 2.8 assists per game (and 37 total assists) is second highest on the team and she is fourth on the team in steals (eight) and rebounds (47) and rebounds per game (3.6) ... the point guard has started all 13 games this season.

Double Double Threat
Felisha Gibbs put together her first career double-double on Jan. 4, 2016 against Lincoln, pulling down a career-high 13 rebounds while tying her career-high with 14 points ... it was Washburn's first double-double of 2015-16 as well ... Gibbs has been close to double-doubles in several other games this season, finishing within two points (with 12 rebounds) at Palm Beach Atlantic and within three rebounds (with 10 points) at Fort Hays State ... the junior center has started all 13 games in the post for Washburn this season and is fourth on the team with 8.7 points per game and second with 6.6 rebounds per game.

Bench Strength
Two of Washburn's top three scorers have come off the bench in at least seven games this season ... Alyxis Bowens (11.5 ppg) leads the team in scoring and has started six of 13 games (the first six), oming off the bench in the last seven ... Bowens has scored in double-digits in four straight games (and six times this season), including back-to-back 20-plus efforts ... Erin Dohnalek (9.8 ppg) is third on the team in scoring and has not started a game this year ... Dohnalek has hit double-digits seven times this season.

Heating Up
Julie Ravn came into the 2015-16 season as a newcomer with high scoring hopes, but hit an early season slump after a 15-point game at Minot State ... after eight straight single-digit scoring games, Ravn has scored 13, 20 and 15 (respectively) in three straight games while hitting 15-of-26 from three-point range in that span ... Ravn hit 5-of-7 in the win over Lincoln and had a career-high six three-pointers (with a career-high 20 points) against Lindenwood in the game before ... for the season, Ravn has now raised her scoring average to 7.8 points per game and she leads the Ichabods with 23 made three-pointers ... she is shooting 36.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Noting the WBCA Poll
Though Washburn has not been ranked nationally this season, several 2015-16 opponents and MIAA foes are listed in the WBCA Poll ... Fort Hays State (No. 3) and Emporia State (No. 8) are top 10 teams and have been ranked there all season (FHSU and ESU were both previously No. 1) ... Missouri Western is listed 13th and Pittsburg State is receivingvotes ... from the Central Region, Winona State (No. 12), Sioux Falls (RV-50) and Northern State (RV-14) join the MIAA schools, and 2015-16 non-conference opponents Drury (No. 6) and Nova Southeastern (No. 11) are listed in the top 15 ... the complete WBCA poll is on page three of the game notes.

Top Five Takedown
Washburn's 70-60 win over Nova Southeastern (ranked No. 3) was the program's first ranked win of the season ... Washburn's last top five win came on Nov. 21, 2014 against then-No. 4 Drury at home ... Washburn is 12-15 all-time under Ron McHenry against Top 5 teams.

Washburn Versus Ranked Opponents
The Ichabods have set themselves up with one of the toughest schedules in the nation, thanks in part to two non-conference matches with ranked opponents and a stacked conference that features the current No. 1 and No. 3 team in the nation ... Wednesday's MIAA opener at then-No. 5 Fort Hays State was the third game versus in ranked opponent this season (and third of the previous four games) ... WU is 1-2 against ranked opponents this season, falling 66-46 at No. 11 Drury on Saturday, Nov. 21 before taking down No. 3 Nova Southeastern on the road, 70-60, on Friday, Nov. 27 ... WU lost at FHSU, 62-54, after leading for a majority of the game ... WU went 1-6 against ranked opponents last season and is 49-38 against ranked opponents all-time under head coach Ron McHenry dating back to 2000-01.

Washburn in Home Openers
The Ichabods are 34-10 all-time in home openers, winning their last 18 (dating back to the 1998-99) season ... WU has never lost a home opener under Ron McHenry.

McHenry's Home Court Edge
The Ichabods have been domninant in years past inside Lee Arena under the direction of Ron McHenry, going 195-30 (.867) since 2000-01 ... WU had perfect home records in 1991-92 and 2004-05, the year the Lady Blues won the national title ... McHenry and the Ichabods have had one-loss home records nine different times in McHenry's 15 years leading up to the 2015-16 season.

No. 400
Head Coach Ron McHenry is just 17 victories away from No. 400 in his career  and at Washburn with 383 wins thus far in his career ... he entered the season 26 wins away.

Washburn in Season Openers
Washburn is 15-1 in season openers under head coach Ron McHenry, with the only loss coming in 2013-14 at Nova Southeastern (a non-conference opponent on this year's schedule) ... all-time, the Ichabods are 27-2 in season openers as members of the MIAA (and NCAA), and in the 38-9 since the program's inception in 1969-70.

Ichabods Add Four in Early Signing Period
Four incoming student-athletes signed National Letters of Intent to join Washburn in 2016-17 ... Cara Donley (Salina, Kan. / Abilene HS), Alexandra McDowell (Hill City, Kan. / Hill City HS), Raegan Phelan (Holyrood, Kan. / Central Plains HS) and Brandi Roepke (Waterville, Kan. / Valley Heights HS) make up the class.

Exhibition History
Washburn is 10-18 all-time in exhibitions under Ron McHenry since 2000-01 ... The Ichabods dropped a 48-75 contest at Kansas State on Monday, Nov. 2 in the first exhibition of the season before defeating NCAA Division I opponent Omaha, 61-56, in the final exhibition on Wednesday, Nov. 4. ... WU is 4-15 against NCAA Division I opponents, 7-3 at home and 3-24 on the road in exhibitions.

Where Are They From?
Washburn's 2015-16 roster has a wide mix of hometowns geographically, with its 15 players hailing from three different countries (United States, France and Denmark) and four different states within the US ... There are 10 players from Kansas (Alyxis Bowens, Jayna Smith, Haley Pfau, KayLee Farmer, Madison and Makayla Vargo, Erika Lane, Jada Lynch, Ashlee Ivy and Jharian Bowen) ... Arkansas (Felisha Gibbs), Missouri (Erin Dohnalek) and South Carolina (Kierra Campbell) are the other US states represented on WU's roster ... traveling abroad, Cindy Demosthene (France) and Julie Ravn (Denmark) are international players on the Ichabods' squad.

McHenry Winningest Active Coach in NCAA Division II
Ron McHenry's .799 winning percentage entering the 2015-16 ranks first among active coaches at the NCAA Division II level ... the 16th-year head coach for Washburn is No. 4 all-time in winning percentage among coaches at the NCAA Division II level ... for all NCAA Divisions (I, II and III), McHenry ranks 13th among active coaches and is No. 18 all-time. 

A First For McHenry
This year's 2015-16 Washburn Women's Basketball roster features no true freshman, a first for the Ichabods since McHenry's arrival in 2000-01. 

Non-Conference Recap
Washburn finished its non-conference portion of the 2015-16 regular season schedule last week with a 4-2 record in those games ... against regional opponents, Washburn went 3-1 in non-conference action ... WU now holds a combined 19-7 record in those six series, picking up wins over University of Mary, Minot State, Newman and Nova Southeastern with losses to Drury and Palm Beach Atlantic.

Eyeing a Return to the Top
The Ichabods have made 17 NCAA Tournaments under Ron McHerny, won eight MIAA regular season titles and seven MIAA tournament titles, but have not make the national tournament since the 2012-13 season ... A relatively inexperienced group will be tested with one of the toughest schedules in NCAA Division II as they eye a return to the NCAA Tournament.

New Faces
Washburn has five new players on its 2015-16 roster, including one NCAA Division I transfer and four junior college transfers ... Erin Dohnalek  joins the Ichabods after two years at Division I Northern Iowa.  Dohnalek averaged 3.7 points per game as a freshman and 2.6 per game as a sophomore, playing in 51 total games with the Panthers ... Kierra Campbell was a two-time all-conference selection (at Denmark Tech and Panola ... Ashlee Ivy played two years at Butler Community College in 2012-13 and 2013-14, earning First Team All-NJCAA honors in 2013-14 and a Second Team All-NJCAA selection in 2012-13 ... Ravn is a shooting specialist who played in 29 games with 28 starts last year at Cowley Community College, hitting 39.3 percent from beyond the three-point arc last year with 14.1 points per game ... KayLee Farmer (a sophomore) joins the program after a year at Independence Community College ... prior to ICC, Farmer ran track at the University of Kansas.

Last Season - Quick Hits
Washburn's 2014-15 campaign opened with seven straight wins and a 9-1 record through the first 10 games ... WU closed the season at 16-12 overall and finished eighth in the MIAA at 8-11 ... The Ichabods earned the No. 8 seed in the MIAA Tournament and lost a 59-46 contest with Northeastern State in the first round ... WU's signature win of the season was a 87-79 overtime victory at Lee Arena over then-No. 3 Drury on Nov. 22 ... Casyn Buchman was named All-MIAA Second Team while Taylor Ignoto and Honor Duvall garned Honorable Mention nods.

MIAA Preseason Poll
Emporia State topped the preseason poll with 13 first-place votes and 169 total points after an Elite Eight berth last season ... Fort Hays State, which hosted the NCAA Central Regional last year, had one first-place vote and 147 points while Central Missouri (135 points), Pittsburg State (128 points) and Missouri Western (124 points) rounded out the top five ... Washburn (103 points) was in sixth, just ahead of Central Oklahoma's 102 points ... the complete MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll can be found on page six of the game notes.