TOPEKA, Kan. -- After a postponed game on Thursday, the Washburn women's basketball team will officially open the new season this Saturday, Nov. 21 at Nebraska-Kearney. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m.

OPENING TIP
>> The 2020-21 season will be a conference-only schedule consisting of 22 games.
>> Nebraska-Kearney played its first game on Thursday and defeated Emporia State, 59-54.
>> The Ichabods finished last season with a record of 18-12 for their 19th-straight winning season.
>> UNK went 26-6 (14-5 MIAA) last season and finished third in the MIAA final standings and were picked to finish second in the 2020-21 MIAA Coaches Preseason Poll.
>> The Lopers topped the Ichabods, 69-53, in their last meeting on Jan. 16, 2020.
>> Washburn is 40-11 all-time on season openers. 

2020-21 MIAA COACHES PRESEASON POLL
>> Heading into the new season, Washburn was tabbed eighth in the MIAA Coaches Preseason Poll and earned 79 total points.
>> Emporia State was voted the conference favorite, earning four first-place votes and 153 total points.
>> Nebraska-Kearney, Central Missouri, Pittsburg State, and Fort Hays State rounded out the top-five.

WASHBURN ALL-MIAA RETURNERS
>> Hunter Bentley is the lone All-MIAA returner out of three from last season. She finished the 2019-20 season ranked in the MIAA's top-25 of seven different catagories. 
>> Bentley led the league in minutes played (34.8 mpg), was No. 6 free throw percentage (.809), No. 7 in steals (20 spg), No. 9  in rebounding (7.2 rpg), No. 18 in scoring average (13.0 ppg), No. 19 in blocks (0.6 bpg), and No. 22 in assists (2.1 apg).

ICHABOD RETURNERS
>> Despite losing six letterwinners, including four starters, the Ichabods return 11 from last year's squad.
>> Bentley returns after leading the team in four categories and was second in scoring. 
>> She also scored double-figures in 24 of the 30 games and recorded four double-doubles.
>> Joining Bentley in the senior class is Adyson Narber, Irene Sanz, and Kaylee Stevens.
>> Six sophomores and one redshirt-sophomore rounds out the Washburn returners.
>> Among those sophomores is Abby Oliver, who started in eight of 18 games she played last season before being sidelined with an injury. She averaged 4.6 ppg and 4.3 rpg.
>> Macy Doebele also returns after her freshman season. She averaged 8.7 mpg and scored 40 points and grabbed 29 rebounds.
>> Katie Glatczak, who primarily came off the bench, started two games last season and averaged 5.3 mpg.

FRESH FACES
>> Washburn welcomes eight freshman to its squad, with all but one hailing from the state of Kansas. Maddy Hutley (Alma), Aubree Dewey (Plainville), Lauren Cassaday (Overland Park), Lakyn Schieferecke and Andrea Sweat (McPherson) and two local Topeka players in Alie Fulks and Chloe Carter complete the freshmen from Kansas. 
>> Mackenzie Gamble is from Kansas' western neighbor, Highlands Ranch, Colo.

TWO NEWCOMERS
>> In addition to adding eight freshmen, the Ichabods added D-1 transfer Nuria Barrientos from Idaho State and also called up Daphne Williams from the Washburn's junior varsity team.
>> Barrientos appeared in 46 games during two seasons with the Bengals and scored 59 total points to go wtih 60 rebounds.
>> Williams has been a member of the Washburn JV team for two seasons. 

ABOUT THE NEBRASKA-KEARNEY LOPERS
>> The Nebraska-Kearney Lopers opened up the season with a 59-54 victory over Emporia State on Thursday. 
>> The Lopers closed out the game on an 11-3 run to push past the Lady Hornets.
>> Haley Simental led the Lopers with 15 points and seven assists while Shiloh McCool also added double-figures with 14 points and five boards.
>> UNK shot 32.8 percent from the field and made just 5-of-23 three-point attempts (21.7 percent).
>> Last season, the Lopers went 26-6 (14-5 MIAA) finished third in the conference rankings. They were picked second in this year's MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll
>> The team returned all five of its all-MIAA honorees from last season: Brooke Carlson (second-team), Simental (third-team), Kelsey Sanger, Maegan Holt, and Klaire Kirsch who were honorable mentions.
>> The team averaged 75.0 ppg (third in the MIAA) and held their opponents to just 57.4 ppg (tied for first in the MIAA).
>> Their .460 field goal percentage was the best in the league as was their 40.3 rpg.
>> Carlson led the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and Kirsch led the Lopers in rebounds (8.3 rpg).

HEAD COACH CARRIE EIGHMEY
>> Carrie Eighmey is in her sixth season leading the Lopers and holds a record of 91-57.
>> The Lopers have reached the MIAA Tournament all five seasons since Eighmey took over.
>> Prior to joining UNK, Eighmey was the head coach at her alma mater, Hastings College. In three seasons (2012-15), she compiled a record of 68-31 including an NAIA Final Four and an NAIA Elite Eight appearance.
>> She was also an assistant at Fort Hays State (2008-12) and started out as an assistant at Hastings (2004-08) right after she graduated.
>> As a student-athlete at HC, she was named a first team All-American her senior year and finished with program records for career assists and steals. She was also a part of back-to-back NAIA National titles in 2002 and 2003.
>> Eighmey is joined on the UNK bench by her husband, who has been an assistant coach since 2015.
>> She is 2-5 when coaching against Washburn.

SERIES WITH NEBRASKA-KEARNEY
>> Washburn holds a 28-14 series advantage over Nebraska-Kearney.
>> The Ichabods are 14-8 on the road against the Lopers, but have lost the last two in a row in the Health and Sports Center.
>> Coach McHenry is 11-3 when facing the Lopers and is 6-2 when playing them in Kearney.

WASHBURN COACHES
>> McHenry is entering his 21st season at Washburn and holds an overall record of 464-152 (272-106 MIAA).
>> His .753 winning percentage ranks 15th among active Division II coaches.
>> Brette (Ulsaker) Herber begins her eighth season on the Ichabod bench as a 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 second season as an assistant coach for Washburn. She also played for McHenry from 2014 to 2017 and was a two-time all-MIAA selection.

2019-20 SEASON IN REVIEW
>> The Washburn Ichabods finished the 2019-20 campaign with a record of 18-12 for their 19th-straight winning season.
>> In MIAA action, the Ichabods went 11-8 and made their 30th trip in a row to the conference tournament where they reached the quarterfinals as the No. 8 seed.
>> The Ichabods faced a difficult schedule, playing seven games against teams ranked in the top-25.
>> Three Ichabods earned all-MIAA honors as Reagan Phelan was named to the third team and Shelbe Piggie and Hunter Bentley received an honorable mention nod.
>> Phelan closed out her storied Ichabod career with her name etched in the top-10 throughout the program's record book, including seventh all-time in scoring (1,467 points), third in assists (435), and fourth in steals (199).

BODS AND ENDS
>> Washburn finished the 2010s decade with a record of 196-99 (.664).
>> The Ichabods scored 80 or more points in nine games last season.
>> Last season, Washburn finished 13th in attendance out of 313 total Division II teams ranked with a home season total of 16,876.
>> The Ichabods made 10 or more three-pointers in seven games last season.
>> WU went 5-7 in away games and averaged 65.8 ppg.

WASHBURN HISTORY
>> Washburn women's basketball is 945-435-1 (.685) all-time and will commence the 52nd year of the program's history.
>> Washburn is sixth 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
>> The Ichabods are scheduled to open their home slate on Thursday, Dec. 3 against Central Oklahoma. First tip is set for 6 p.m.