OPENING TIP
>> The Washburn women's basketball team will play Newman as an MIAA opponent for the first time since the Jets became an associate member of the conference this past summer. The game against the Jets is slated for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25 in Lee Arena.
>> Washburn is coming off a late 63-60 comeback victory against Central Oklahoma on Thursday and now has a record of 9-8 (3-5 MIAA).
>> The Jets are 9-10 (4-6 MIAA) after falling to Emporia State, 93-64, on Wednesday.
>> In its first season in the MIAA, Newman was picked eighth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll and ninth the Media Poll.
>> Washburn was tabbed third in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll and fourth in the Media Poll.
>> The Ichabods are 5-2 this season when playing in the friendly confines of Lee Arena while the Jets are 3-5 in away games.
WASHBURN NOTES
>> As a team, the Washburn has a 42.8 field goal percentage and averages 69.4 points per game.
>> Hunter Bentley leads the Ichabods in scoring at 12.6 ppg as well as rebounds (7.0 rpg), steals (1.7 spg), and blocks (0.8 bpg).
>> She has scored 10 or more points in 14 of the 17 games this season.
>> Reagan Phelan is close behind, averaging 12.8 ppg. After her 10 points against UCO, she is now tied for 10th all-time in scoring in Washburn's history.
>> She is also just five points shy from moving up to ninth on the list and surpassing Washburn Hall of Fame member Jennifer Harris.
>> The senior also leads the team in assists with 5.0 per game, which is the second-highest average in the MIAA and ranks 23rd in all Division II out of 249 players ranked.
>> Shelbe Piggie also averages double-figures at 11.6 ppg and is shooting 47.9 percent from the field.
>> Alexis McAfee averages 9.5 ppg and is also one point away from a major career milestone as she sits on 799 career points.
>> The Ichabods are 7-0 when leading after the first quarter and 9-0 when holding a lead at halftime.
>> In the latest report, Washburn's schedule is ranked the 11th toughest out of the 312 Division II teams listed.
>> Head Coach Ron McHenry is 230-55 all-time when coaching in Lee Arena.
ABOUT THE NEWMAN JETS
>> Newman became an associate member of the MIAA in the summer of 2019.
>> Last season, the Jets went 21-10 overall and 10-4 in the Heartland Conference.
>> They reached the conference championship game, but ultimately fell to the eventual NCAA National Champions, Lubbock Christian.
>> The Jets average 64.4 ppg this season and are shooting 40.8 percent from the floor.
>> Kaitlyn Potter is the second-highest scoring player in the MIAA right now with an average of 17.2 ppg. She also holds the second-highest three-point field goal percentage in the league at 37.6 percent and averages an MIAA-best 3.4 triples per game.
>> She is the main offensive power for the Jets as the next highest scorer on the team is Bailey Hawkins and Haley Albers, each averaging 6.3 ppg.
>> Michaela Mack has handed out 75 assists this season and her 3.9 apg average is fourth in the MIAA.
>> Abbey George averages 4.6 boards per game to go with six ppg.
>> In 14 games played, Faith Mason-Vestal has made 15 blocks. Her 1.1 bpg average ranks sixth in the MIAA.
HEAD COACH DARIN SPENCE
>> Darin Spence is in his eighth season as the head coach for the Jets and has a record of 115-100.
>> He brings a plethora of head coaching experience to the program as he has put in 28 seasons with teams across NCAA Divisions I and II, NAIA, and NJCAA and compiled a 569-311 record.
>> Prior to joining Newman's program, he coached one season at Barton County CC, eight seasons at New Mexico State, six years at Cowley County CC, and he started his coaching career at his alma mater, Marymount College.
>> At Cowley, he amassed a record of 171-26 in those six seasons and earned five Kansas Jayhawk Community Colllege Conference East Division titles and was named the Jayhawk East Coach of the Year four times.
>> Spence is 2-2 against Washburn.
SERIES WITH NEWMAN
>> These two teams first met in 1975 and Washburn leads the all-time series, 7-3.
>> The Jets have won the past two-straight games, including a 50-46 victory in Lee Arena on Nov. 27, 2018.
>> Washburn still has a winning record on its home court in the series, though, with a record of 6-2 when playing in Topeka.
>> Coach McHenry is 2-2 against Newman.
LAST TIME OUT FOR WASHBURN (Jan. 23, 2020)
CENTRAL OKLAHOMA 60 (14-4, 8-2 MIAA)
WASHBURN 63 (9-8, 3-5 MIAA)
TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabods fought back and used a late scoring rally as well as good defense to hand Central Oklahoma its first road loss of the season on Thursday night in a 63-60 decision in Lee Arena. Washburn moves to 9-8 (3-5 MIAA) while Central Oklahoma drops just its second conference game of the season and is now 14-4 overall and 8-2 in MIAA games.
The Ichabods held a two point lead at the break, 27-25, but a 5-0 run by the Bronchos to start the second half gave Central Oklahoma a lead it would hold until the final 98 seconds of regulation. Hunter Bentley made a jump shot to get Washburn within one at the 2:08 mark in the fourth and on UCO's next possession, Washburn was able to draw a crucial offensive foul. The Ichabods capitalized on the turnover as Reagan Phelan connected on a triple to put Washburn in front, 59-57. The Bronchos knotted up the score at 59-all with a pair of made free throws.
With 53 seconds left, Shelbe Piggie hit a jumper to put Washburn back on top. The Washburn defense cracked down yet again on the next possession and the Bronchos committed another turnover from a charge. Phelan made one of two free throws with 13 seconds left to give Washburn a 62-59 advantage. Central Oklahoma was forced to foul as time was running out and found Alexis McAfee with six seconds left. McAfee missed both free throws and the game stayed within one possession.
The Ichabods defended a little too close on the next possession as it was Wasburn who committed the next foul and sent the Bronchos to the line with five seconds left. Micayla Haynes made the first free throw to make the score 62-60. Haynes attempted to hit the edge of the rim on the second free throw in the hopes of a quick basket off a rebound to tie the game, but the ball never hit the rim and the Ichabods took over. Phelan was fouled with four seconds left and made the first free throw to make it a three-point game again. She missed the second, but Central Oklahoma was unable to get a shot off and the Ichabods claimed the 63-60 decision.
Washburn finished out the first quarter on a 9-2 run and held a 13-7 lead after the opening 10 minutes. The Ichabods' largest lead of the game came at the 6:53 mark in the second when Phelan knocked down a three to put Washburn up by six, 16-10. The Bronchos fought back and tied up the game and then took a two point lead with 1:48 on the clock, but a 4-0 mini run by the Ichabods gave them the 27-25 lead at halftime.
The Ichabods finished the game shooting 40.8 percent from the field (20-of-49) and 35 percent from three-point land (7-of-20) while the Bronchos shot 39.3 percent from the floor (22-of-56) and went 6-for-21 from behind the arc (28.6 percent). Washburn made 24 total trips to the free throw line and converted on 16 attempts while UCO went 10-for-15 from the foul line. Washburn won the battle of the boards, pulling down 38 rebounds to Central Oklahoma's 30.
Bentley paced the Ichabods with 18 points and pulled down six rebounds to go with three steals. McAfee chipped in 16 points and Phelan scored 10, with both also grabbing six boards apiece. Piggie was 6-of-11 from the field and totaled 13 points and dished out a team-high four assists.
WASHBURN COACHES
>> McHenry is in his 20th season at Washburn and holds an overall record of 455-148 (263-103 MIAA).
>> McHenry, a national champion and the WBCA Division II Coach of the Year in 2005, is a four-time MIAA Coach of the Year as well as a two-time region Coach of the Year.
>> He has led the program to eight MIAA regular season titles and seven MIAA tournament titles as well as to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances.
>> His .761 winning percentage is 16th-best in Division II.
>> He was the quickest head coach to record 400 career victories in NCAA Division II women's basketball as he reached the milestone in just 512 games.
>> Became the winningest coach in Washburn women's basketball history on Dec. 18, 2018, when he earned his 432nd victory to surpass the record of his predecessor, Patty Dick (1977-2000).
>> McHenry played basketball and golf at Washburn University, where he graduated in 1984.
>> Brette (Ulsaker) Herber is in her seventh season on the Ichabod bench as an assistant coach. Herber played for McHenry for three seasons (2007-10) and was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.
>> Erika (Lane) Yoder is in her first season as an assistant coach for Washburn. She also played for McHenry from 2014 to 2017 and was a two-time all-MIAA selection.
WASHBURN HISTORY
>> Washburn women's basketball is 936-429-1 (.687) all-time and is in the 51st season of the program's history.
>> Washburn is tied for seventh all-time in Division II in victories
>> Washburn claimed the 2005 NCAA National Championship over Seattle Pacific with a 70-53 win to cap off a 35-2 season.
>> Washburn has made 17 NCAA Tournament appearances and is 26-16 all-time in those postseason games.
>> The program has won 18 total MIAA Championships, earning nine regular season conference titles and winning nine MIAA Tournament championships.
>> There have been 30 All-American awards given to Washburn players, with 11 of those coming from the WBCA.
>> Washburn has finished 14 seasons with 25 wins and four seasons with 30 victories.
TAKE A LOOK AHEAD
>> Washburn travels to the Show Me State next week. The Ichabods will take on Lincoln on Jan. 29 and then Central Missouri on Feb. 1.
