TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn women's basketball team begins conference play on Wednesday evening hosting No. 1-ranked Fort Hays State at 5:30 p.m. in Lee Arena.
GAME INFORMATION
Washburn (1-4) vs. Fort Hays State (5-0)
Wednesday, Dec. 1 | 5:30 p.m. | Topeka, Kan. | Lee Arena
Tickets: Online only
Watch: MIAA Network
Radio: 106.9 FM
Live stats: wusports.com/sidearmstats/wbball
OPENING TIP
>> The Ichabods are 1-4 and are looking for their first home win of the season after dropping their last three home contests.
>> The Tigers are off to a 5-0 start and hold down the top-ranking in the nation for the second week in a row.
>> These two teams met once last season and FHSU picked up the win, 75-69.
>> Three Ichabods finished in double-figure points in that game as Nuria Barrientos and Aubree Dewey led the way with 16 points and Hunter Bentley notched a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
>> Wednesday's game will be Fort Hays' first true away game of the regular season.
>> Washburn is 20-11 in MIAA openers.
>> The Ichabods have one final non-conference game this season on Dec. 29 when Washburn hosts Bethany College.
WASHBURN NOTES
>> Through four games, the Ichabods have a 38.6 field goal percentage and average 58.2 ppg and 40.2 rpg.
>> Washburn has started games out strong, outscoring opponents 81-55 in the opening frame.
>> The Ichabods have had a higher field goal percentage than their opponents in four of their five games.
>> WU has also led or tied in rebounds in all but one game so far. Additionally, the Ichabods have had double-figure offensive rebounds in four of their games.
>> The Ichabods have struggled at the free throw line to start the season, making 29-of-59 attempts for a 49.2 FT%.
>> Hunter Bentley leads the Washburn scorers with 10.6 ppg and has gone 8-of-10 from the charity stripe.
>> Mackenzie Gamble and Macy Doebele are both averaging 8.0 ppg.
>> Gamble has had at least one three-pointer in every game so far this season. She had six points and three rebounds against Winona State.
>> Doebele averages 4.4 rebounds per game and had seven boards against the Warriors.
>> In the post, Abby Oliver averages 7.2 ppg and 5.8 rpg. Out of her 29 rebounds, 13 have been offensive.
>> Shae Sanchez has tallied 31 points and 15 boards on the year. She hit a pair of three-pointers against Rockhurst.
>> Lauren Cassaday made 5-of-7 from the field against Rockhurst and totaled 11 points. She averages 4.8 ppg and 4.4 rpg to go with 1.6 apg.
>> Nuria Barrientos did a little of everything against the Hawks on Saturday as she recorded seven points, six rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. On the year, she contributes 4.6 ppg and 4.2 rpg.
>> Aubree Dewey leads the team with 15 assists and is third in the MIAA in assist/turnover ratio at 3.0.
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 431-111 all-time in Lee Arena.
>> The Ichabods went 7-4 at home last season.
>> Head Coach Ron McHenry is 241-63 when coaching in Lee Arena.
MILESTONE TRACKER
>> Bentley needs 46 more points to hit 1,300 in her career and is also 57 away from moving up to No. 11 all-time on Washburn's scorers list.
>> Nuria Barrientos is 23 points away from collecting 300 in her time as an Ichabod.
>> Oliver is nearing the 200 mark in rebounds, needing 38 more.
ON THIS DAY
>> Washburn has played on Dec. 1 a total of 13 times in program history and holds a record of 11-2.
>> WU's last victory on a Dec. 1 was in 2010 with a 69-64 home victory over Nebraska-Omaha.
ABOUT THE FORT HAYS STATE TIGERS
>> The Tigers' 2020-21 season ended with a 72-68 loss in the NCAA Tournament semifinal game against No. 20 Central Missouri.
>> FHSU wrapped up the season with a record of 22-4 (20-2 MIAA) and picked up an MIAA regular season conference title along the way.
>> The Tigers kicked off the new season with an exhibition at UConn. Although FHSU fell, 111-47, Katie Wagner (11 pts) and Olivia Hollenbeck (10 pts) both scored double-figures in the game.
>> Since then, the Tigers have rolled to five-consecutive victories and are the No. 1 team in the nation for the second time in program history and the first since 2015.
>> The team averages 77.4 points per game and has a 44.2 field goal percentage.
>> The second year freshman Wagner leads the way averaging a double-double with 20.4 ppg and 12.6 rpg while shooting 55.4 percent from the field. She also is the team leader in assists with 16 total.
>> Hollenbeck is also averaging double-digit scoring at 13.0 ppg.
>> Three-point sharp shooter Lauren West chips in 12.4 ppg and has made a team-best nine triples so far this season.
>> Whitney Randall rounds out the double-figure scoring Tigers with 11.6 ppg and 6.4 boards per game.
>> The Tiger offense has outscored opponents 109-76 in the second quarter.
HEAD COACH TONY HOBSON
>> Tony Hobson is in his 14th season leading the Tigers and is the winningest coach in program history at 282-105.
>> He holds quite the resume as he enters his 30th season coaching with a record of 695-211. Additionally, he ranks ninth in winning percentage among active coaches at the Division II level with a .773 (493-145) percent success rate.
>> He has led the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament six of the last seven years.
>> Prior to joining Fort Hays State, Hobson won three NAIA National Championship titles in seven years as the head coach at Hastings College.
>> He also coached at Hastings College, Barton County Community College, and Cloud County Community College.
>> Hobson is 12-12 against Washburn.
SERIES WITH FORT HAYS STATE
>> Washburn holds a 47-37 series advantage, but has lost 10 of the last 11 meetings.
>> When playing against Fort Hays State in Topeka, Washburn is 24-15.
>> Washburn's last home win against FHSU was on Dec. 6, 2017 with a 62-59 triumph.
>> The two teams have played each other only one other time on a Dec. 1, which occurred last season.
LAST MEETING WITH FORT HAYS STATE
Fort Hays State 75, Washburn 69 -- Dec. 1, 2020
HAYS, Kan. – The Washburn women's basketball team was unable to hold on to its lead as Fort Hays State claimed a 75-69 victory on Tuesday evening in Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Ichabods drop to 0-2 while the Tigers win their season opener to start out at 1-0.
The Ichabods held a 69-65 lead near the halfway point in the fourth quarter after Macy Doebele hit a jumper, but that would be the final points Washburn would score in the game as Fort Hays held Washburn scoreless for the final 5:21 and closed out the late rally.
It was back and forth scoring to start the game when Fort Hays took a 10-7 lead midway through the quarter. Washburn responded by going on an 8-0 scoring run in just under a minute and a half to go in front for the first time in the game at 15-10. It was the Tigers' turn to put together a run and they scored six unanswered points in the following two minutes to retake the lead, 16-15. The quarter ended how it started with both teams exchanging buckets, but a made layup at the buzzer by the Tigers gave them a one point lead, 20-19.
Washburn opened the second quarter on a 6-2 scoring run to take a three point lead, 25-22, at the 8:29 mark. Back-to-back buckets by Fort Hays put them on top, 26-25, and then evened the score at 28 and 30, but the Tigers didn't hold another lead in the half as the Ichabods went into the break in front, 38-35.
Neither team led by more than four points during the entire third period as there were four lead changes and three tied scores. Hunter Bentley made a jump shot with 19 seconds left in the quarter to send Washburn into the fourth leading 58-54.
Fort Hays cut the Washburn lead to just one, 60-59, at the 8:25 mark when Nuria Barrientos hit a three-pointer and then a jump shot to give Washburn its largest lead of the game, 65-59. The Tigers' offense continued to chip away and finished out the game on a 10-0 scoring run while the defense held the Ichabods scoreless.
The Ichabods shot 50 percent in the first and third quarters and finished the evening with a 45.9 field goal percentage while the Tigers shot slightly less at 43.8 percent. Fort Hays was 15-of-23 from the free throw line while Washburn converted on seven of its 10 attempts. The Tigers held a slight edge on rebounds, 38-34.
Aubree Dewey and Barrientos led the Ichabods with 16 points and four assists apiece. Bentley recorded her first double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Abby Oliver contributed eight points and four boards to go with one block. Off the bench, Shay Tanking scored seven quick points.
Fort Hays was led by Whitney Randall, who was 11-for-21 from the field and tallied 26 points.
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 in his 22nd season at Washburn and holds an overall record of 476-167 (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 958-449-1 (.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 wraps up its five-game homestand on Saturday hosting Nebraska-Kearney at 1 p.m.
