TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Ichabods will close out the 2021 calendar year with their final non-conference game of the season, hosting Bethany College on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Lee Arena.
GAME INFORMATION
Washburn (3-7) vs. Bethany College (11-5)
Wednesday, Dec. 29 | 7 p.m. | Topeka, Kan. | Lee Arena
Tickets: Online only
Watch: MIAA Network
Radio: 106.9 FM
Live stats: wusports.com/sidearmstats/wbball
OPENING TIP
>> Washburn holds a record of 3-7 after winning back-to-back games against Newman and Rogers State.
>> The Ichabods last played on Dec. 18 when they defeated the Hillcats 79-62.
>> Bethany is 11-5 on the season and is coming off a 63-54 win over Saint Mary (Kan.) on Dec. 13.
>> The Swedes have been road warriors this season and have gone 4-1 in true away games and 3-1 in neutral site contests.
>> The Ichabods are 1-5 in Lee Arena so far this season.
>> Washburn is 4-0 all-time against Bethany.
>> Wednesday's game will be the first matchup between these two programs since 2000, which was also Ron McHenry's first game as Washburn's head coach.
>> The midweek contest will count as an exhibition for Bethany.
WASHBURN NOTES
>> The Ichabods average 57.2 ppg and have a 39.7 field goal percentage.
>> Washburn turned in its best offensive game of the season last time out against Rogers State, shooting 54.1 percent and tallying 79 points.
>> The Ichabods have had three-straight games hitting five or more three-pointers.
>> Washburn has outrebounded its opponents this season, 380-337, and also leads in assists, 131-107.
>> Hunter Bentley leads Washburn in scoring with 12.1 ppg, which ranks 14th in the MIAA. She has led or tied for the lead for the Ichabods in scoring in the last six games and finished with 15 points and drained three triples against RSU.
>> Abby Oliver is second on the team with 7.2 ppg and racked up 14 points against the Hillcats, making 7-of-10 from the floor.
>> Mackenzie Gamble adds 6.9 ppg and has made a three-pointer in every game except one this season.
>> Off the bench, Shae Sanchez is averaging 6.4 ppg and scored a season-high 14 points against RSU.
>> Nuria Barrientos adds 5.8 ppg and 4.9 rpg for the Ichabods. She was one assist away from tying her career-best as she finished with six assists against the Hillcats.
>> Lauren Cassaday averages a team-best 5.1 rpg after pulling down a career-high 11 against the Hillcats.
>> Macy Doebele had eight points and four boards against RSU in her first game back since Dec. 9 at Central Oklahoma. On the season, she averages 6.6 ppg and 4.6 rpg.
>> Aubree Dewey leads the team with 23 assists.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
>> Several firsts occurred for the Ichabods last time out on Dec. 18.
>> Lakyn Schieferecke and Austin Broadie both scored their first points of their collegiate careers in the final minute against Rogers State.
>> Shieferecke also recorded her first rebound, an offensive board, that set up her layup. She also dished out her first assist on Broadie's bucket.
>> The Ichabods posted their first win inside Lee Arena of the 2021-22 campaign.
>> It was also Washburn's first time scoring over 70 points this season.
>> Additionally, it was the first time the Ichabods had shot over 50 percent in a game this winter.
>> The Ichabods also donned a new look during that game as they played their first game in their recently added alternate home jerseys - a Columbia blue color with Yale blue numbers outlined in white.
MILESTONE TRACKER
>> Bentley has reached the top-10 on Washburn's all-time scoring list and will move up to No. 9 in 23 more points. Crystal Walker (1999-2003) is currently ninth with 1,344 career points.
>> Bentley is also tied for the third-most minutes played while wearing a Washburn uniform. She has put in 3,640 minutes of work on the hardwood and will pass Reagan Phelan in second in 163 more minutes of playing time.
>> Cassaday is 23 points away from 200 career points as an Ichabods.
>> Oliver and Doebele are nearing the 200 mark in rebounds. Oliver needs 22 and Doebele needs 31.
LAST TIME OUT
TOPEKA, Kan. – Eleven different Ichabods scored and three finished with double-figures as the Washburn women's basketball team posted a 79-62 home win over Rogers State on Saturday afternoon.
Washburn (3-7, 2-3 MIAA) used a 9-3 scoring run midway through the opening quarter to go in front, 13-9. Rogers State (4-7, 0-5 MIAA) responded by scoring nine of the next 11 points to take an 18-15 advantage. Washburn closed out the final 71 seconds of the quarter with a layup from Aubree Dewey and a jumper by Abby Oliver to reclaim the lead at 19-18. The Ichabod offense was efficient and finished with a 69.2 field goal percentage in the frame.
Washburn scored the first six points of the second quarter and held Rogers State scoreless until the 6:19 mark. The three ball started to fall for Washburn to extend its lead as the Ichabods drained four triples in the final four minutes, capped off by a buzzer beater from Mackenzie Gamble to send Washburn into the break with a 38-29 lead.
The Ichabods increased their lead to double-digits and led by as many as 20 points after starting the first three minutes of the second half on a 13-2 tear. Washburn went into the final stanza holding a 57-48 advantage.
Hunter Bentley and Shae Sanchez hit back-to-back three-pointers to start the fourth quarter to make the score 63-48 in favor of Washburn. The Ichabods remained in control of the game and limited the Hillcats to just three points in five minutes and 25 seconds of game clock while Washburn scored 12 to push its lead to 77-57. Austin Broadie closed out the victory with the first bucket of her collegiate career.
The Ichabods finished the afternoon shooting 54.1 percent from the field while the Hlilcats shot 43.1 percent. Washburn dominated on the glass and outrebounded Rogers State, 46-20. The Ichabods also dished out 25 assists to the Hillcats' eight. Washburn's bench put up 32 points while Rogers State's bench had 13.
Bentley paced the Ichabods with 15 points to go with six rebounds and five assists. Oliver made 7-of-10 field goal attempts to tally 14 points on the afternoon. Sanchez also added 14 points, a season-high for her in a Washburn uniform. Nuria Barrientos led the Ichabods with six assists and Lauren Cassaday pulled down 11 rebounds.
Three Hillcats finished in double-figure points led by Julia Luna's 18.
ABOUT THE BETHANY SWEDES
>> The Swedes went 16-10 (13-9 KCAC) last season and are already off to an 11-5 start this year.
>> As a team, they average 67.1 ppg while shooting 65.8 percent from the field.
>> Hannah Ferguson, who is the cousin of head coach Keith Ferguson, leads the team with 12.1 ppg and 6.2 rpg.
>> Kisa Unruh (11.3 ppg) and Autumn Garrett (10.8 ppg) also average double-figure scoring.
>> Uhruh is the team's three-point sharp shooter and averages 2.4 triples per game.
>> Vasha Moore holds a 58.7 field goal percentage while contributing 9.1 ppg to go with 5.5 boards per game.
HEAD COACH KEITH FERGUSON
>> Keith Ferguson is in his sixth season leading the women's basketball team at his alma mater.
>> Prior to taking over the Swedes' program, he was an assistant coach at Fresno State for two seasons.
>> He also served as a coach at Hutchinson CC, Brown Mackie College, and Barton CC.
SERIES WITH BETHANY
>> Washburn has played Bethany four times and has won all four games,
>> WU played BC twice in the 1975 calendar year and posted a 46-42 win and a 38-35 victory.
>> After a 23 year hiatus, the teams squared off again in 1998 and Washburn rolled to a 75-50 win.
>> Coach McHenry's very first game in his head coaching career was against Bethany in Lee Arena on Nov. 18, 2000. The Lady Blues gave him his first win with a 73-59 decision.
>> Washburn is 3-0 when playing Bethany in Topeka.
WASHBURN COACHES
>> McHenry is in his 22nd season at Washburn and holds an overall record of 478-170 (286-120 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 960-452-1 (.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 will ring in the new year at Central Missouri on Jan. 1 before returning back to Lee Arena for games against Northwest Missouri (Jan. 6) and Missouri Western (Jan. 8).
