THE BASICS
Washburn women's basketball will look to extend its five-game win streak against a familiar foe, as the Ichabods (7-4) begin a three-game MIAA road swing Saturday with a trip to White Auditorium at 5:30 pm. The match-up will be the 102nd meeting in series history and only regular season showdown on the 2018-19 campaign.

The Ichabods are already 2-0 in conference play this season after registering a comfortable 73-50 victory over Southwest Baptist in the opener on Dec. 6 followed two days later with a resolute 62-57 win over defending national champion and then-No. 7 Central Missouri. Saturday will be Washburn's first MIAA road test of season. Since the 2000-01 season, WU has complied a 249-93 (.728) record against MIAA opponents, current and departed.

Saturday's game will be streamed online through The MIAA Network (themiaanetwork.com/washburnichabods) with Jake Lebahn (play-by-play) and Dan Lucero (commentary) on the call. The contest can all be heard by turning your radio dial to KTPK 106.9 FM in Topeka or by visiting wusports.com/live for a streamed link for those outside the Topeka area, with Lebahn and Lucero calling the action.

THEY GOT HISTORY
» Saturday will mark the 102nd all-time meeting.
» The Ichabods trail the series, 45-56.
» Washburn is 17-26 when visiting Emporia.
» Since 2000-01, 13 postseason contests against each other including six meetings in the NCAA Regional Championship.
» Washburn's trip to Emporia last season (2/13/18) resulted in a 74-59 victory, snapping a 12-game losing streak and split the season series.
» The Ichabods have not won back-to-back games in Emporia since Feb. 24, 2010 and Jan. 15, 2011.
» Washburn is 18-16 when facing a ranked Emporia State team, dating back to 2000-01. Its last win over a ranked ESU, was a 68-59 victory on March 24, 2012 during the MIAA Tournament. 
» For Washburn's Ron McHenry this is his 50th career meeting against Emporia State. McHenry is 25-24 all-time with eight victories at White Auditorium. 
» Emporia State's Toby Wynn will be the third different head coach to face McHenry since the 2000-01 season. Prior to Wynn, McHenry posted a 19-9 record against Brandon Schneider between the years of 1999-2010, and a 6-15 mark versus Jory Collins from 2011-18.

PREVIEWING EMPORIA STATE
» Emporia State enters Saturday's contest with a 10-2 record is carrying a three-game win streak as its averaging a 29-point margin of victory during that stretch. 
» Emporia State was tabbed 23rd in the Jan. 2 release of the WBCA D2 poll.
» The Lady Hornets are 1-1 in the MIAA, where they are conference co-leaders in steals (134) while showing dangerous tendencies from the outside as sole leaders in three-point percentage (.388), three-pointers per game (9.3), three-pointers made (112) and three-pointers attempted (289). Nationally, they earn top 25 marks in steals (21st), three-pointers made (9th), three-pointers per game (13th) and three-point percentage (14th).
» Emporia State is also among Division II's Top 25 in blocks (22nd, 56) and blocks per game (21st, 4.7). It however ranks 13th in the MIAA in fewest turnovers (198) and 11th in the league in turnovers per game (16.5).
» Tyra Jones and Jessica Wayne lead the scoring, averaging 14.5 and 14.0 points, respectively. The duo are both among the MIAA Top 10 in scoring with Jones leading the way at eighth and Wayne at 10.
» Most rebounds are controlled by either Jones or Wayne. Jones' 7.5 per contest is sixth-best in the league, while Wayne is fifth-overall with 7.8.
» Jones also paces the MIAA in free throw attempts (76) and free throws made (57) while ranking ninth in free throw percentage (.750).
» Emily Miller is a threat from the outside as she's the MIAA leader in threes attempted (92), threes made (41), threes per game (3.42) and three-point percentage (.446).
» Addie Lackey directs the offense averaging 3.1 assists per game, while boasting a 1.19 assist-turnover ratio, and as a result is ranked 11th and 10th among the MIAA leader board respectively.
» The Lady Hornets are led by Toby Wynn who's in his first season with the program. Wynn came to ESU after spending 13 seasons at Seward County CC in Liberal, Kan.

ON THE GLASS
» Washburn has out rounded opponents in nine of 11 games thus far.
» Washburn's 40.9 rebounds a game is 4th in the MIAA and 84th in Div. II.
» Averaging 29 defensive rebounds per game, Washburn is listed 29 in Div. II and third among the MIAA leaders.
» Sophomore Hunter Bentley has team-bests in total rebounds (59) and boards per game (5.4). 
» With 41 defensive rebounds each, Bentley, Alexis McAfee and Reagan Phelan are co-leaders and average 3.73 per game. 

STINGY DEFENSE
» Washburn's field goal defense tops the MIAA and is 10th-best among the Division II leader board as opponents are shooting .335 per game.
» In six games at Lee Arena this season opponents have shot .327 (105-of-321) from the floor with Saint Mary (12/31) shooting at a season-low .283 (13-of-46). 

PASSING THE ROCK
» Washburn's 152 assists thus far is fifth-best in the MIAA and 126th in Division II, while their 13.8 assists per game is sixth among the league and 124th nationally. 
» Washburn's assist-turnover ratio (0.88) is eighth-best in the MIAA.
» Washburn has recorded double-digit assist totals 10 times and recorded a season-high 20 against Montevallo (11/23) and Saint Mary (12/31).
» Reagan Phelan is among the MIAA's Top 5 assists (3rd, 43) and per game average (4th, 3.9) while also ranked 103rd and 104th nationally. She's also ninth in the conference in assist-turnover ratio (1.23). Phelan has five games with five or more assists.

MARGIN OF VICTORY
» Following a 29-point win to end 2018, Washburn's average scoring margin this season has jumped from 7.8 to 9.7 points. 
» The Ichabods have posted five wins of 10+ and four games of 20+.
»  In its last five games, Washburn has defeated opponents by a combined 97 points with a per game average of 19.4. 
» Washburn's largest victory this season was a 29-point result with Saint Mary (12/31). In their only true road test of the year, the Ichabods registered a 20-point win over Rockhurst (11/16).

AT THE LINE 
» Washburn has made 96 of 155 (.619) attempts from the free throw line.
» Washburn opponents have made 151 of 223 (.677) from the line.
» Reagan Phelan leads the team in free throws made (17), Hunter Bentley leads in attempts (25), while Taylor Blue leads in percentage (.786).
» In the last five games, the Ichabods have shot .651 (41-of-63) at the line. 

BLOCKING BODS
» Washburn is eighth on the MIAA charts in blocks (34) and ninth in blocks per game (3.1), while sitting at 114th and 124th respectively in Div. II.
» Beginning Nov. 23, the Ichabods have registered two or more blocks in eight consecutive games with a season-high seven against Southwest Baptist on Dec. 6.
» Annette Warner is listed 13th among the MIAA leaders in total blocks (9) and 11th in blocks per games (0.90).

PPG PAINT
» Washburn has dominated the paint this season outscoring opponents 388-238, thereby averaging 35.3 paint points per game.
» In the last four outings, the Ichabods are outscoring opponents in the paint on average by 18 points a game (162-90).

BALANCED ATTACK
» Washburn has three players averaging just south of 10 points.  Hunter Bentley leads the way with 9.7 points, while Reagan Phelan (9.6) and Alexis McAfee (9.2) follow respectively.
» Off the bench and fourth is Shelbe Piggie who's averaging 8.7 points per game.
» Among the MIAA, Washburn is ninth in field goal percentage (.421) and 12th in scoring (65.6).

HISTORY MAC-KER
On Dec. 18, with a decisive victory over Embry-Riddle (Fla.), head coach Ron McHenry surpassed Patty Dick as the all-time leader wins as he notched No. 432. McHenry's latest accomplishment comes nearly two seasons after notching his 400th career win. Now in his 19th season with Washburn, McHenry has eight MIAA titles with 12 trips to the NCAA Championship plus Washburn's only NCAA national title (2005).

GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY
The 2018-19 academic year marks the 50th season of women's athletics at Washburn University, which began with volleyball, basketball, softball, field hockey and gymnastics. A ... although, field hockey and gymnastics are no longer available, the offerings for female student-athletes has grown to eight sports with the addition of soccer, tennis, and cross country and indoor/outdoor track and field.

UP NEXT
» Washburn will face Missouri Western (Jan. 9) and Northwest Missouri (Jan. 12).