OPENING TIP
>> The Washburn Ichabods return to the Show Me State to challenge the MIAA leading and 22nd-ranked Central Missouri Jennies (16-3, 10-0 MIAA) on Saturday, Feb. 1. Tip-off in the Multipurpose Building is set for 1 p.m.

>> Washburn has won three-straight games and is 11-8 overall and up to 5-5 in MIAA games.

>> The Jennies sit atop the MIAA standings with a perfect 10-0 record in conference play and they are 16-3 overall this season.

>> In their game against Emporia State on Wednesday night, the Jennies came back from being down 14 points at halftime to take a 70-66 victory decided in the final minute of play.

>> Central Missouri was picked second in both the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll and the Media Poll.

>> Washburn was tabbed third in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll and fourth in the Media Poll.

>> The Ichabods have struggled on the road, going just 2-5 in true away games while the Jennies have not lost on their home court this season and are 9-0.

 

WASHBURN NOTES
>> Hunter Bentley leads the Ichabods in scoring with 13.3 ppg as well as rebounds (7.3 rpg), steals (1.9 spg), and blocks (0.7 bpg). 

>> She has scored 10 or more points in 16 of the 19 games this season and is two points away from totaling 700 in her career.

>> Reagan Phelan is averaging 12.6 ppg and leads the team in assists with 5.1 per game, which is second in the MIAA and 22nd in Division II.

>> With 1,332 career points, she is 13 away from becoming the eighth-highest scorer in Washburn history.

>> Phelan scored her 1,000th career point in the game at Central Missouri last season.

>> Shelbe Piggie has scored 18 points in back-to-back games and averages 12.3 ppg. She has also made nearly half of her shots (92-for-188) and has a 48.9 field goal percentage.

>> Alexis McAfee averages 9.2 ppg to go with 5.5 rpg.

>> The Ichabods made 11 three-pointers for the second-consecutive game. They have drained double-digit triples in six games this season.

>> Washburn held Lincoln to 49 points, marking the fifth time this season the Ichabods have held an opponent to under 50.

>> WU is 1-3 against teams ranked in the top-25 this season.

 

ABOUT THE NO. 22 CENTRAL MISSOURI JENNIES
>> The Jennies have won 13-straight games and are the only team undefeated in MIAA games.

>> Their three losses of the season were to No. 18 Minnesota State (58-56), Southern Indiana (52-45), and No. 1 Drury (57-54).

>> The Jennies average 69.4 ppg and hold their opponents to 55.9 ppg.

>> UCM is shooting 44.3 percent from the field.

>> Although the team is only shooting .261 from three-point range, which is the second-lowest in the conference, the Jennies are holding their opponents to just a .283 clip from behind the arc, which is the second-best in the conference.

>> Three Jennies are averaging double-figures and rank in the top-16 in the MIAA.

>> Megan Skaggs is fourth in the MIAA with 16.4 ppg and dropped 50 points earlier this season, setting an MIAA single game record.

>> Morgan Fleming (ninth, 15 ppg) and Nija Collier (16th, 13.5 ppg) also contribute double-figures. All three players are in the top-10 in the conference in field goal percentage.

>> Collier has been a force on the glass as she leads the league in rebounds with 9.2 boards per game.

>> She also is second in the conference in blocks per game, averaging 1.6 with 30 total.

 

HEAD COACH DAVE SLIFER
>> Dave Slifer is in his 16th season leading the Jennies and 31st season coaching collegiately.

>> Slifer has guided the Jennies to nine NCAA Tournament appearances, including a NCAA National Championship in 2018 and currently has a record of 322-149.

>> Prior to his tenure at UCM, Slifer spent nine seasons at Missouri Western where he compiled a record of 206-69 (115-33 MIAA).

>> His coaching career started at Mt. Mercy College in Iowa, where he went 178-30 in six seasons.

>> He is a two-time WBCA Regional Coach of the Year and a four-time MIAA Coach of the Year.

>> Against Newman on Jan. 6, 2020, he became the 36th coach in NCAA women's basketball to reach 700 career wins and the fifth in Division II.

>> Slifer is 9-21 when facing Washburn.

 

SERIES AGAINST CENTRAL MISSOURI 
>> Washburn leads the all-time series 40-20, although Central Missouri has won six of the last eight meetings.

>> Washburn is 15-11 in the Multipurpose Building.

>> The series was split last year as the Ichabods claimed a 62-57 victory over then-ranked No. 7 UCM in Topeka, but then fell on the road, 80-55, when the Jennies were ranked No. 21.

>> Coach McHenry is 27-11 against the Jennies.

 

LAST TIME OUT FOR WASHBURN (Jan. 29, 2020)
WASHBURN 66 (11-8, 5-5 MIAA)
LINCOLN 49 (3-16, 0-10 MIAA)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Washburn women's basketball team jumped out to a 24-11 lead after the first quarter with six made triples as the Ichabods captured a 66-49 road victory over Lincoln on Wednesday evening. Washburn has won three-straight games and improves to 11-8 (5-5 MIAA) while Lincoln drops to 3-16 overall and remains winless in MIAA play at 0-10.

The Ichabods were 3-for-4 from three-point land in the first two minutes of the game as they quickly took control of the contest. An old-fashioned three point play by Hunter Bentley and three additional free throws were the only points scored by the Ichabods that weren't from beyond the arc as Washburn shot 7-for-14 from the floor while draining 6-of-11 attempts from deep.

Shelbe Piggie started the second quarter in the same fashion as the first quarter went as she hit a three and Bentley made a jump shot to give Washburn a 29-11 lead. The Blue Tigers began to chip away at the deficit and put together two 5-0 scoring runs during the frame, but Washburn still led by double-digits at the half, 35-24.

The Ichabods got off to a slow start in the third quarter and didn't score their first bucket until the 7:04 mark. The Blue Tigers cut Washburn's lead to single-digits and trailed by nine halfway through the period, but two made free throws by Bentley gave the Ichabods a double-figure lead again that they would hold for the rest of the game. Piggie scored nine points in the quarter, including a fast break layup off a Bentley steal in the final seconds of the third to put Washburn up 52-39.

Washburn started the fourth on a 6-0 scoring run and held Lincoln scoreless until 5:53 left in the game. Taylor Johnson hit a pair of free throws to give Washburn its largest lead of 19 with 1:11 remaining. The Blue Tigers scored the last points of the game on a layup with 17 seconds left to make the final score of 66-49.

The Ichabods shot 38.6 percent from the field (22-of-57) while the Blue Tigers finished at a 37 percent mark (20-of-54). Washburn made nearly four times more three-pointers than Lincoln as the Ichabods were 11-for-31 from behind the arc and the Blue Tigers were 3-for-12. Washburn out rebounded the home team, 25-22, and grabbed 16 offensive rebounds that they turned into 16 points. 

Piggie and Bentley led all scorers as they each recorded 18 points. Piggie was 7-for-12 from the field and 4-for-7 from distance. Bentley achieved her fourth double-double of the season as she added 12 rebounds to her stat line, five of which were offensive boards. Reagan Phelan added 10 points and seven rebounds to go with five assists. Alexis McAfee grabbed four steals and contributed six points. Fourteen Ichabods saw playing time in the game.

 

WASHBURN COACHES
>> McHenry is in his 20th season at Washburn and holds an overall record of 457-148 (264-103 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 938-429-1 (.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 will host Missouri Southern (Feb. 6) and Pittsburg State (Feb. 8) next week.