TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn women's basketball team will play its final game of the calendar year on Thursday, Dec. 17, hosting the undefeated Central Missouri Jennies. Tip-off in Lee Arena is set for 5:30 p.m.

OPENING TIP
>> The Ichabods are coming off a 76-61 road win at Rogers State on Dec. 12 and are now 2-3 on the season.
>> Four Ichabods finished in double-digit scoring in that contest.
>> Central Missouri is 5-0 and recorded a season-high 92-69 win over Lincoln on Saturday.
>> These two teams met three times last season with the Jennies winning all three.
>> In the 2020-21 MIAA Coaches Preseason Poll, the reigning MIAA Champions Central Missouri were picked third while the Ichabods were tabbed eighth.

WASHBURN NOTES
>> The Ichabods are averaging 65.8 ppg and have a 43.2 field goal percentage.
>> Hunter Bentley leads the team with 14.6 ppg and is third in the MIAA with 9.0 rpg. She was one rebound shy of recording her third double-double of the young season on Dec. 12.
>> Nuria Barrientos contributes 11.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg (seventh in the MIAA), and 3.2 apg.
>> Rounding out the top-three Washburn scorers is Aubree Dewey with 11.4 ppg and she now leads the team in assists at 3.8 apg, which is the fifth-highest average in the conference, after dishing out eight against the Hillcats.
>> Macy Doebele is coming off career-high 14 points scored at Rogers State and averages 7.6 ppg.
>> Abby Oliver averages 7.0 ppg and tied a career-best in points (12) and rebounds (nine) last game.
>> Hannah Willey is the leading scorer off the bench with 4.6 ppg and has a .600 field goal percentage (9-of-15).
>> Washburn is 1-1 in home games this season.

ABOUT THE CENTRAL MISSOURI JENNIES
>> The Jennies were the MIAA regular season and tournament champions last season with a record of 27-4 (18-1 MIAA).
>> They were the No. 1 seed and set to host the Central Region when the NCAA Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
>> This year's squad is compiled of mostly underclassmen (seven freshmen, three sophomores) as six graduated last spring.
>> UCM is 5-0 to start the 2020-21 campaign and averages 74.6 ppg while holding its opponents to just 55.8 ppg
>> The Jens start games strong and have outscored their opponents 94-52 in the first quarter.
>> Nija Collier leads the team and is eighth in the MIAA with 16.6 ppg. The 2019-20 MIAA Defensive Player of the Year is also fifth in the conference with 8.2 rpg.
>> In four games played off the bench, freshman Graycen Holden averages 14.0 ppg and 7.6. She has the best field goal percentage in the MIAA at 72.4 percent, converting on 21-of-29 shot attempts.
>> Brooke Littrell contributes 12.6 ppg and 7.6 rpg.
>> Olivia Nelson rounds out the top-four double-figure scorers with 10.4 ppg and also leads the team with 2.6 apg.

HEAD COACH DAVE SLIFER
>> Dave Slifer is in his 17th season leading the Jennies and 32nd season coaching collegiately. He holds an overall record of 722-249.
>> Slifer has guided the Jennies to 10 NCAA Tournament selections, including an NCAA National Championship in 2018 and currently has a record of 338-150.
>> 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.
>> Slifer is 12-21 when facing Washburn.

SERIES WITH CENTRAL MISSOURI
>> Washburn leads the all-time series 40-23, although Central Missouri has won nine of the last 11 meetings.
>> These two teams last met on March 5, 2020, in the MIAA Quarterfinal game where the Ichabods held a one point lead at halftime before narrowly falling, 65-61.
>> In Lee Arena, the Ichabods are 21-9 when playing the Jennies.
>> The last time Washburn defeated Central Missouri in Topeka was on Dec. 8, 2018, when the Ichabods upset then-ranked No. 7 UCM, 62-57.
>> Coach McHenry is 27-14 against the Jennies.

LAST TIME AGAINST CENTRAL MISSOURI (Mar. 5, 2020)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The MIAA quarterfinal matchup between the No. 8-seed Washburn and the top-seed and No. 15-ranked Central Missouri was a battle from start to finish as there were 14 lead changes and seven tied scores throughout the game. The Ichabods, however, were unable to complete the upset on Thursday afternoon and fell to the Jennies, 65-61. Central Missouri (25-4) will advance to the semifinal game tomorrow while Washburn's season ends with a record of 18-12.

The Jennies made the first basket 25 seconds into the game, but Washburn answered with seven-straight points. Alexis McAfee hustled for an offensive rebound and then buried a three-pointer to make it 7-2 with 6:25 on the clock. Central Missouri responded with a 6-0 run to go in front, 8-7. The two teams traded buckets and tied the score at 10 and 12 before the Ichabods ended the opening quarter on a 7-4 run to lead 16-14.

The second period started off slow offensively for both teams as the first basket wasn't scored until the 7:41 mark when Reagan Phelan hit a three-pointer to make it 19-14 in favor of Washburn. The Jennies fought back and scored seven of the next nine points to take a one point lead at 22-21. The three ball came just in time again for Washburn as Shelbe Piggie hit one to retake the lead yet again, 24-22. The Ichabods closed out the first half on a 4-0 mini run to take a 28-27 lead into the break.

The score stayed close to start the second half, with neither team leading by more than three points until Central Missouri started a 9-0 run at the 4:42 mark with back-to-back and-one plays. Phelan hit back-to-back three-pointers in the final minute to get the game back within two, 48-46, before the Jennies made a jumper as time expired and pushed their lead to four.

Central Missouri scored the first three points of the final stanza while Washburn was held scoreless until Piggie's triple at 6:51 to make it 53-49. Sabela Reigosa made a layup followed by two free throws by Hunter Bentley as Washburn cut the deficit to two, 55-53, with 4:28 left in regulation. The Jennies went on a 6-2 run to extend their lead to six, 61-55. A jumper by Phelan with 24 seconds left made it a three-point difference at 62-59. Washburn began to foul in order to stop the clock and the Jennies hit three of their four free throw attempts. Bentley scored the final points of the game with a layup in the final seconds to make it 65-61. Of the 15 fourth quarter points scored by UCM, nine were on free throws.

Washburn finished with a 37 percent field goal percentage (20-of-54) and made 7-of-14 from beyond the arc while Central Missouri shot 41.8 percent (23-of-56) from the floor and made just 1-of-20 from deep. The Jennies out rebounded the Ichabods, 37-30, and had 18 second chance points from 12 offensive boards. Central Missouri made 27 trips to the free throw line and made 18 of those while WU was 14-of-15 from the charity stripe. The Ichabods led for 14:45 of the game.

In her final game as an Ichabod, McAfee led the team with 19 points and had eight rebounds to go with two blocks. She was also a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Phelan closed out her storied career at Washburn with 16 points, draining three triples, and had four assists. Bentley contributed 10 points and grabbed a team-high nine boards. Piggie, also a senior, scored eight.

Morgan Fleming led all scorers with 20 points after shooting 6-of-15 from the field and making 8-of-12 from the charity stripe.

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 COACHES
>> McHenry is in his 21st season at Washburn and holds an overall record of 466-155 (274-109 MIAA).
>> His .750 winning percentage ranks 14th 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.

'BODS AND ENDS
>> Bentley is 91 points away from hitting the 1,000 career point milestone.
>> Washburn is 2-0 this season when scoring 75 or more points.
>> Washburn outscores its opponents in the third quarter 104-67.
>> Washburn is 185-60 all-time in the month of December.

WASHBURN HISTORY
>> Washburn women's basketball is 947-438-1 (.684) 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 game against Lincoln originally scheduled for Dec. 19 has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols by the Blue Tigers. A rescheduled date will be announced later. 
>> Currently, the next game on the schedule is at Northeastern State on Jan. 2, 2021.