OPENING TIP
>> The Washburn women's basketball team looks to get back to its winning ways on senior day as it hosts Lincoln (3-22, 0-16 MIAA) on Saturday, Feb. 22, to close out the home schedule in Lee Arena. Tip-off against the Blue Tigers is set for 1 p.m.

>> The Ichabods' four-game winning streak was snapped on Thursday night with a 70-59 loss to No. 20 Central Missouri.

>> Washburn is now 15-10 (9-7 MIAA).

>> The Blue Tigers have lost their last 14 games and also fell to Central Missouri this week, 74-45.

>> Washburn's five-game home win streak also came to an end on Thursday, but the Ichabods are still 8-3 overall this season in Lee Arena.

>> Lincoln has gone winless in all of its games away from Jefferson City this season with a record of 0-12.

>> These two teams met in Jason Gym on Jan. 29, with Washburn coming away with a 66-49 victory.

>> Shelbe Piggie, Reagan Phelan, Alexis McAfee, Hayley Thompson, Mia Castaneda, and Sabela Reigosa will all be playing their final game in Lee Arena on Saturday and will be recognized for their contributions to the Washburn women's basketball program at the conclusion of the game.

 

WASHBURN NOTES
>> The Ichabods average 69.4 ppg and have a 42.5 field goal percentage.

>> Piggie went off for a career-best 25 points against No. 20 Central Missouri and now leads the team in scoring with 13.0 ppg.

>> Piggie was 10-of-14 from the floor with only one three-pointer. She and Phelan are the only two Ichabods to make 10 field goals in a game this season.

>> She also surpassed 500 career points in just two seasons at Washburn and now has 520.

>> Hunter Bentley averages 12.7 ppg and leads the team in rebounds (7.1 rpg), free throw percentage (78.4%), and steals (2.0 spg).

>> Phelan added 11 points against UCM to finish her 17th game in double-figures this season. 

>> She averages 12.4 ppg and leads the team in assists with 4.7 per game.

>> Phelan dished out four assists against UCM and continues to climb up Washburn's all-time list. She has 422 in her time as an Ichabod and is now two assists from passing April Roadhouse to become third on the career assists list for Washburn.

>> McAfee helps the team with 9.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, and 3.0 apg.

>> Castaneda is the leading scorer off the Washburn bench, averaging 6.8 ppg. Against UCM, she tallied eight points for the second-straight game.

>> The Ichabods finished with a season-low six assists against the Jennies.

>> Washburn also only made four three-pointers against Central Missouri, just the sixth time all season the Ichabods have hit five or fewer triples.

 

LAST TIME AGAINST THE LINCOLN BLUE TIGERS (Jan. 29, 2020)
>> The Ichabods scored 24 first quarter points against Lincoln.

>> Bentley and Piggie each scored 18 points.

>> Bentley had a double-double as she added 12 rebounds.

>> Piggie made 4-of-7 from behind the arc.

>> Phelan chipped in 10 points.

>> The Ichabods shot 11-for-19 from three-point land.

>> Washburn forced 20 turnovers and turned that into 16 points.

>> Kaloni Pryear led the Blue Tigers with 17 points.

 

ABOUT THE LINCOLN BLUE TIGERS
>> The Blue Tigers are 3-22 (0-16 MIAA) with wins over MacMurry, Hannibal-Lagrange, and Eureka.

>> Their last win came on Dec. 19, 2019.

>> Lincoln averages 58.9 points per game and has a 37.8 field goal percentage.

>> Kaloni Pryear leads the team and is sixth in the MIAA in scoring, contributing an average of 15.8 ppg.

>> She also leads the team in field goal percentage (45.1%) and assists (2.3 apg).

>> Vivian Chigbu averages 10.5 ppg, pulls down 7.8 rpg, and has blocked 12 shots this season.

 

HEAD COACH AYANA MCWILLIAMS
>> Ayana McWilliams is in her fourth season as the head coach for the Blue Tigers and has a record of 22-83.

>> Last season, she coached the team to its best start in program history as Lincoln won its first seven games and nine of their first 11 games. 

>> Prior to being named Lincoln's head coach, she spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Division I University of South Carolina Upstate.

>> She was also an assistant at Elizabeth City, Livingstone, and Winston-Salem State

>> As a student-athlete, McWilliams played two seasons at East Carolina before transferring Brevard College where she became the all-time leader in assists and steals.

>> McWilliams is 0-5 when facing Washburn.

 

SERIES WITH LINCOLN
>> These two teams have met 30 times since 1980 and Washburn has come away with 30 victories.

>> Lincoln is 0-14 in Lee Arena.

>> The Ichabods claimed a 66-49 road win over the Blue Tigers on Jan. 29, 2019.

>> Coach McHenry is 14-0 against the Blue Tigers.

 

LAST TIME OUT FOR WASHBURN (Feb. 20, 2020)
#20 CENTRAL MISSOURI 70 (22-4, 16-1 MIAA)
WASHBURN 59 (15-10, 9-7 MIAA)

TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn women's basketball team saw its four-game winning streak snapped as No. 20 Central Missouri posted a 70-59 victory in Lee Arena on Thursday evening. The Ichabods are now 15-10 overall and 9-7 in conference play while the Jennies improve to 22-4 (16-1 MIAA).

Washburn's offense started off icy cold, going 0-11 from the field and not scoring its first points until the 3:41 mark in the first quarter to make it 14-3. The Ichabods closed out the opening period on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to single-digits at 19-10.

The Jennies opened the second quarter going on a 7-2 run to go up 24-12 with 7:27 on the clock. Shelbe Piggie started the scoring again for Washburn and netted eight of the Ichabods' 11 points over the course of the final 6:35, including a layup as time expired in the opening half. The Jennies outscored the Ichabods in the second quarter, 19-13, and took a 38-23 lead into the locker room.

Central Missouri hit its fourth triple of the third quarter at the 4:17 mark to go up 51-29. Piggie responded and scored five unanswered points and then Reagan Phelan went on a 5-0 run herself after the Jennies converted on a three-point play. Two free throws by UCM would be the final points of the third frame to give them a 56-39 advantage.

Washburn outscored Central Missouri in the final stanza, 20-14. Mia Castaneda drained a three-pointer to begin the fourth and starting at 6:46 Washburn went on a 9-2 burst. Three Ichabod free throws in a row cut the score down 10 at 69-59 with 23 seconds left in regulation, but one final free throw by UCM made the score ending at 70-59.

Washburn shot an even 36 percent (18-of-50) from the floor while Central Missouri finished at a 38.9 clip (21-of-54). The Jennies made 9-of-26 shots from deep while the Ichabods hit just 4-of-13. UCM out-rebounded WU, 36-30, and Washburn outscored UCM in the paint, 24-20.

Piggie led all scorers with a career-best 25 points, making 10-of-14 from the field. Phelan added 11 points and was 6-for-7 from the charity stripe. She also snatched five steals and dished out four of Washburn's six assists. Castaneda hit two triples and finished with eight points.

WASHBURN COACHES
>> McHenry is in his 20th season at Washburn and holds an overall record of 461-150 (268-105 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 942-431-1 (.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
>> The Ichabods close out the regular season on the road in the Show Me State with games at Northwest Missouri (Feb. 27) and Missouri Western (Feb. 29).