TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Ichabods wrap up their three-game road trip this Saturday at Central Oklahoma. The game in Edmond, Okla. is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.
 

OPENING TIP
>> Washburn is 6-6 after a 65-49 victory over Newman on Thursday night.
>> The Bronchos are 8-4 this season after taking down Emporia State, 77-70.
>> This will be the second meeting between these two teams this season. 
>> The Ichabods will look to sweep the season series as Washburn posted an 80-70 decision over Central Oklahoma in Lee Arena on Dec. 3, 2020.
>> Washburn is 3-3 in road games while Central Oklahoma is 5-2 in Hamilton Field House.
>> This will be the 21st all-time meeting between these two programs.

WASHBURN NOTES
>> The Ichabods are averaging 62.1 ppg and have a 38.9 field goal percentage.
>> Hunter Bentley leads the team with 15.2 ppg, which ranks ninth in the MIAA.
>> She is also eighth in the conference with 6.8 rpg, third in minutes played (37.8 mpg), and has a league-leading 92.7 free throw percentage (38-of-41).
>> Nuria Barrientos does a little bit of everything for Washburn and is ranked in the top-10 in the MIAA in four different categories. 
>> She averages 11.0 ppg, 8.9 rpg (No. 4 in the MIAA), 3.3 apg (No. 9 in the MIAA), 1.5 bpg (No. 5 in the MIAA), and 34.3 mpg (No. 6 in the MIAA)
>> Abby Oliver contributes 9.5 ppg and 56.4 field goal percentage. 
>> Macy Doebele (5.8 ppg) and Mackenzie Gamble (4.6 ppg) both scored eight points in the starting lineup against Newman.
>> In her second game off the bench, Aubree Dewey also chipped in eight points and averages 9.0 on the season. She also grabbed a career-high six boards.
>> Katie Glatczak drained her first career three-pointer on Thursday night.

DOUBLE DOUBLE THIS THIS
>> Barrientos recorded her fifth double-double of the season on Thursday night and was three assists shy of a triple-double.
>> She is one of 20 players in all of Division II to have five or more double-doubles. Eleven of those 20 have exactly five double-doubles.
>> She is second in the MIAA behind Kelsey Johnson of Central Oklahoma, who has seven.

BODS AND ENDS
>> The Ichabods have out-rebounded their opponents in the last five games.
>> Washburn has held four opponents to 49 or fewer points.
>> Bentley has hit three or more triples in five games this season.
>> Barrientos' rebound average is currently ranked No. 25 in Division II.
>> Washburn recorded its second-straight game of hitting nine three-pointers.
>> All 16 available Ichabods played against the Jets.

ABOUT THE CENTRAL OKLAHOMA BRONCHOS
>> The Bronchos are 8-4 and have won six of their last seven games.
>> Four from UCO finished in double-figures in the win over Emporia State on Thursday.
>> Central Oklahoma has won its last three home games.
>> The Bronchos average 69.5 ppg and have a 41.7 field goal percentage.
>> The team is led by Johnson who is just shy of averaging a double-double at 20.5 ppg and 9.8 rpg. She is also the team leader in free throw percentage, making 54-of-63 (85.7 percent), and in blocks with 14.
>> Brooke Rayner is second in scoring with 9.5 ppg and is the team assist leader at 1.6 apg.
>> Sharp-shooter Jaci Littell contributes 8.3 ppg and has made a team-high 16 triples.

HEAD COACH GUY HARDAKER
>> Guy Hardaker is in his 15th season coaching at his alma mater and has an overall record of 275-153 during his tenure.
>> He has led UCO to five NCAA Tournament appearances, including trips to the Sweet 16 in 2009 and 2011.
>> He was named the Lone Star Conference North Division Coach of the Year for the 2008-09 season.
>> Prior to joining the UCO coaching staff, he coached at the high school level for 19 years.
>> In addition to coaching both boys and girls basketball teams, he also coached golf.
>> Hardaker is 7-10 against Washburn.

SERIES WITH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
>> Washburn holds an 12-8 series advantage.
>> The Ichabods are 4-3 when playing in Edmond.
>> Coach McHenry is 11-8 against UCO.

LAST TIME AGAINST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA (DEC. 3, 2020)
TOPEKA, Kan. -- A huge third quarter helped the Washburn women's basketball team to an 80-70 home opening victory in Lee Arena against the Central Oklahoma Bronchos on Thursday evening. Four Ichabods finished in double-figure scoring while Hunter Bentley and Nuria Barrientos both recorded double-doubles in the winning effort. Washburn picks up its first win and is now 1-2 on the young season and hands Central Oklahoma its first loss to make them 2-1.

The Bronchos jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead in the first two minutes of the game before Washburn put together an 11-2 scoring run to take a 13-10 lead at the 4:30 mark. Back-to-back three-pointers during that run by Aubree Dewey and Bentley helped spark that run. Central Oklahoma fought back and made a layup in the final seconds of the quarter to knot up the score at 20-all.

It was back-and-forth scoring to start the second stanza with tied scores at 22 and 24 before UCO rattled of six-straight points to retake the lead, 32-24, with 4:45 on the clock. The Bronchos led by as many as 11 at 37-26 before the Ichabods scored the final seven points of the opening half to cut the deficit to 37-33.

Central Oklahoma scored the first bucket of the second half, but the Ichabods scored the next seven to go back in front, 40-39. After three lead changes over the next two minutes, 23 seconds, Lauren Cassaday made a layup to get Washburn within two, 49-47, and sparked a 14-0 scoring barrage by the Ichabods to finish out the third quarter up, 59-49. Hannah Willey buried a three-pointer to give Washburn the lead back and Bentley contributed seven of those 14 points.

UCO went ice cold in the third, shooting just 28.57 percent (4-of-14) from the field while WU shot 56.25 percent (9-of-16) with four triples. The Ichabods outscored the Bronchos, 26-12, in the period.

Washburn led for the remainder of the game and held its biggest lead at 16 points after a three-pointer by Shay Tanking made it 74-58 with 3:29 remaining in regulation. The Ichabods shot 60 percent (6-of-10) in the final quarter and was 3-of-7 (42.9 percent) from deep.

Both teams finished the night shooting 46.4 percent (26-of-56) from the field while the Ichabods were 40.7 percent (11-of-27) from beyond the arc to the Bronchos' 32 percent (8-of-25) from deep. Washburn won the battle on the boards, 39-29, and poked away 10 steals. At the free throw line, Washburn was 17-of-24 (70.8 percent) and Central Oklahoma converted on 10 of its 16 attempts.

Barrientos led the Ichabods with 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to go with two assists, two steals, and one block. Bentley's double-double total was 19 points and a career-high 15 boards while also contributing four assists, two blocks, and two steals. Willey knocked down a career-best 12 points after going 4-for-6 from three-point land. Aubree Dewey rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points and handed out a team-high five assists.

The Bronchos' Kelsey Johnson led all scorers with 31 points, making 12-of-17 from the field.

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 470-158 (278-112 MIAA).
>> His .748 winning percentage ranks 21st 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.

WASHBURN HISTORY
>> Washburn women's basketball is 951-440-1 (.683) 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
>> Washburn returns home for a pair of games against Rogers State (Feb. 4) and Northeastern State (Feb. 6).