TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Ichabods are set to host the two-day Washburn Thanksgiving Classic this upcoming weekend, taking on Winona State on Nov. 26 and then Rockhurst on Nov. 27.
GAME #4 INFORMATION
Washburn (1-2) vs. Winona State (2-0)
Friday, Nov. 26 | 3 p.m. | Topeka, Kan. | Lee Arena
Tickets: Online only
Watch: MIAA Network
Radio: 106.9 FM
Live stats: wusports.com/sidearmstats/wbball
GAME #5 INFORMATION
Washburn (1-2) vs. Rockhurst (1-0)
Saturday, Nov. 27 | 3 p.m. | Topeka, Kan. | Lee Arena
Tickets: Online only
Watch: MIAA Network
Radio: 106.9 FM
Live stats: wusports.com/sidearmstats/wbball
OPENING TIP
>> Northwest Missouri will also take part in the tournament and play Rockhurst on Friday and Winona State on Saturday.
>> Washburn holds a record of 1-2 this season after falling to Benedictine, 64-61, in the home opener on Nov. 17.
>> Rockhurst has played just one game so far this season and defeated Upper Iowa, 78-64.
>> Winona State won two preseason exhibition games and is 2-0 in the regular season and will take on Upper Iowa on Tuesday evening.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
>> The 2021-22 season marks the 38th season of play in Lee Arena as the facility opened in the 1983-84 season.
>> Washburn is 431-109 all-time in Lee Arena.
>> The Ichabods went 7-4 at home last season.
>> Head Coach Ron McHenry is 241-61 when coaching in Lee Arena.
WASHBURN NOTES
>> Through three games, the Ichabods have a 38.9 field goal percentage and average 59.0 ppg and 40.3 rpg.
>> Washburn has started games out strong, outscoring opponents 43-29 in the opening frame.
>> The Ichabods have drained four or more three-pointers in each of their games so far.
>> Hunter Bentley is averaging 11.0 ppg and has gone 5-of-6 from the charity stripe.
>> Mackenzie Gamble is also averaging double-figures at 10.0 ppg. She's the team's leading three-point shooter, converting on 8-of-19 attempts from behind the arc for a 42.1 3PT FG%.
>> Macy Doebele tied a career-high 14 points against Benedictine and was 6-of-11 from the field. She averages 8.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg.
>> In the post, Abby Oliver averages 6.7 ppg and 7.0 rpg. Out of her 21 rebounds, nine have been offensive.
>> Shae Sanchez has tallied 19 points and 10 boards on the year.
>> Aubree Dewey leads the team with eight assists.
MILESTONE TRACKER
>> Bentley needs 66 more points to hit 1,300 in her career and is also 77 away from moving up to No. 11 all-time on Washburn's scorers list.
>> Nuria Barrientos is one rebound shy of having 200 in her time as an Ichabod.
>> Oliver is also nearing the 200 mark in rebounds, needing 66 more.
ON THIS DAY
>> Washburn has played 11 times on November 26 and has won nine of those games. WU last played on Nov. 26 in Puerto Rico, posting a 55-49 victory over Puerto Rico-Bayamon.
>> Washburn is 10-2 all-time when playing on November 27. The last time was in 2018 when the Ichabods fell to Newman, 50-46, in Lee Arena.
ABOUT THE WINONA STATE WARRIORS
>> The Warriors played just a dozen games in 2020-21 and went 5-7.
>> Heading into the new season, the Warriors were tabbed fifth in the NSIC South Division and 10th overall. Additionally, Taylor Hustad was named WSU's Player to Watch.
>> Hustad received all-NSIC second team honors last year and led the team in points scored (317), total rebounds (88) and minutes played (317).
>> The Warriors won both of their preseason exhibition games against Dakota State (W, 84-46) and Viterbo University (W, 78-56).
>> In two games, Emma Fee leads the team with 15.5 ppg and has added 6.5 rpg. She has also made 15-of-21 shot attempts from the field for a 71.4 FG%. Fee also leads the team with five steals.
>> Caitlin Riley and Ava Sergio both contribute 10.5 ppg and 4.5 rpg and 5.5 rpg, respectively.
>> Hustad dropped 18 points in the season opener against McKendree and grabbed seven boards.
HEAD COACH SCOTT BALLARD
>> Scott Ballard is in his 18th season at Winona State and 32nd season overall and is currently 13th among active NCAA Division II women's basketball coaces in total career wins with 557-327.
>> He is no stranger coaching against MIAA teams as he started his coaching career at Missouri Southern (1990-94) and then moved on to Central Missouri (1995-2004) and was named the MIAA Coach of the Year once at each school.
>> At WSU, he holds a record of 287-195 and has taken the Warriors to the NCAA Tournament three times.
SERIES WITH WINONA STATE
>> This will be the first-ever meeting between these two programs.
ABOUT THE ROCKHURST HAWKS
>> The Hawks went 8-12 in the conference-only schedule 2020-21 season.
>> Rockhurst was picked second in this season's GLVC West Division Preseason Poll and returned 11 players, including four starters off last year's team.
>> The squad has played just one game so far this season and posted a 78-64 victory at Upper Iowa on Nov. 19.
>> The sister duo of Daly Sullivan and Keegan Sullivan combined for 474 points, 128 rebounds and 49 steals last season.
>> In the season opener, Keegan had a double-double with 23 points and 10 boards to go with three assists.
>> Molly Hummel was 5-for-9 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe en route to scoring 16 points against the Peacocks.
>> Daly Sullivan contributed 11 points and a team-high four assists at UIU.
>> The Hawks finished the game shooting 45.2 percent from the floor and made 7-of-19 from three-point distance.
HEAD COACH LARRY PARK
>> Larry Park is in his 14th season leading the Rockhurst women's basketball team.
>> He has over 38 seasons of experience coaching collegiately as he also spent time as an assistant coach for men's basketball at Rockhurst, Avila, Ottawa, and UMKC.
>> Park was a two-year letterman in basketball at UMKC 1980-82.
SERIES WITH ROCKHURST
>> These two teams first met in 1982 in Topeka with Washburn posting an 83-53 victory.
>> WU leads the all-time series, 16-4, and is 10-1 when play RU in Topeka.
>> The Hawks snapped a nine-game losing streak against Washburn and picked up an 86-79 victory in KC on Nov. 23, 2019.
LAST MEETING WITH ROCKHURST
Rockhurst 86, Washburn 79 -- Nov. 23, 2019
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Ichabods got within three points with 3:09 left to play, but could not complete the comeback after trailing by 15 after the first quarter and fell to Rockhurst 86-79 on Saturday night. Washburn is now 3-2 on the season while the Hawks improve to 2-2.
The Hawks got off to a hot start in the opening period as they were 11-of-14 (78.6 percent) from the floor with five three-pointers on six attempts and led 31-16 after the first 10 minutes. The Washburn defense was able to slow down Rockhurst some in the second quarter to a 35.7 percent (5-of-14) clip, but the Hawks still led by double-digits at the half, 48-35.
Shelbe Piggie started the charge of Washburn's second half comeback as she hit a jump shot with 5:06 left in the third quarter to start a 9-2 scoring run for the Ichabods to trail by single digits at 60-54. Washburn shot 58.3 percent in the third frame and trailed by eight (64-56) leading into the final stanza.
Little by little, the Ichabods chipped away at the Hawks' lead. A 6-2 scoring run that included four made free throws by the Ichabods made the score a five point affair with 6:20 left in regulation. Rockhurst answered with five unanswered points to extend their lead once again. The Ichabdos scored the next seven points as Hunter Bentley got a layup to fall and then the Ichabods capitalized on a Rockhurst turnover as Irene Sanz burried a three-point shot. Abby Oliver pulled down an offensive board and put the ball back up for the made layup to get Washburn within one posession at 76-73 with 3:09 remaining.
Rockhurst responded and scored seven of the next nine points. Reagan Phelan hit a pair of free throws with 17 seconds remaining to make the score 84-79, but that would be the last points of the game for Washburn as the Hawks added two free throws of their own to close out the 86-79 victory.
Hunter Bentley led the team in scoring with 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting and pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Shelbe Piggie contributed 19 points and was 6-of-8 from the charity stripe. Reagan Phelan chipped in 16 points and dished out six assists and made two steals. Abby Oliver had nine points and five boards.
2021-22 PRESEASON POLLS
>> Heading into the new season, the Ichabods were picked sixth in both the 2021-22 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll and the Media Poll.
>> Leading the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll was reigning regular season champion Fort Hays State with six first-place votes and 159 total points. Central Missouri was voted second with three first-place votes and earned 154 points. Nebraska-Kearney also received three first-place votes and was right behind with 153 points.
>> In the media poll, FHSU and UCM tied for first place with 118 points. UNK was third after tallying 112 points.
>> The Ichabods finished seventh in the MIAA standings and reached the MIAA Tournament semifinal game after defeating No. 15 nationally ranked and No. 2 seed Central Missouri on the road.
WASHBURN COACHES
>> McHenry is entering his 22nd season at Washburn and holds an overall record of 476-165 (283-117 MIAA).
>> Brette (Ulsaker) Herber begins her ninth 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 starts her third 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 958-447-1 (.683) all-time and will commence the 53rd year of the program's history.
>> 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.
NEXT UP
>> Washburn continues its homestand and begins MIAA action next week against Fort Hays State (Dec. 1) and Nebraska-Kearney (Dec. 4).
