WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- A strong defensive effort propelled the Washburn women's basketball team to a 66-59 road win over Central Missouri to wrap up the 2021 calendar year on a four-game winning streak. The Ichabods will return to Lee Arena next week to host Northwest Missouri (Jan. 6) and Missouri Western (Jan. 8).
 
The game got off to a slow start for both sides when Hunter Bentley scored five points during a 7-0 run to put Washburn on top 9-4 four minutes into the contest. The Ichabods (5-7, 3-3 MIAA) led by as many as seven in the frame before Central Missouri cut Washburn's lead to 15-13 at the end of the period.
 
The game remained close and the score stayed within four points for the entirety of the second quarter. Jennies (8-5, 4-2 MIAA) leveled the score at 15-all early in the second quarter when the Ichabods responded with four points to retake the lead. Central Missouri knotted up the score at 24 and then 26 before going up 28-26 on a pair of free throws with 47 left in the first half, taking its first lead since early in the opening quarter. Aubree Dewey hit a jump shot at the buzzer, but Central Missouri held a 31-29 advantage at the break.
 
The Jennies led 41-35 with 3:54 in the third period when the Ichabods started to chip away at the deficit with a 7-2 run. Trailing 47-44 with 36 seconds to go, Bentley converted on an old-fashioned three-point play to even the score heading into the final stanza.
 
A layup from Nuria Barrientos knotted up the score at 49 two minutes into the fourth quarter and started a 10-2 rally to push Washburn back in front, 57-51, with 3:54 in regulation. Central Missouri answered with a three-pointer to pull within three points, but Washburn tallied nine of the final 11 points scored in the last three minutes while making 7-of-8 at the free throw line to secure the win and hand UCM its first home loss of the season.
 
The Ichabods finished the game shooting 51 percent from the floor and held the Jennies to a 35.1 field goal percentage. From behind the arc, WU was 3-for-11 and UCM made 4-of-23 three-point attempts. Washburn outrebounded Central Missouri, 35-31, and scored 14 points off 11 UCM turnovers.
 
Bentley recorded a team-high 18 points and went a perfect 5-for-5 at the charity stripe. Barrientos notched her second double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds to go with four blocks and three steals. Shae Sanchez rounded out Washburn's double-figure scorers with 10 points as she made 4-of-7 from the field with two three-pointers.
 
Brooke Littrell paced UCM with 23 points and Olivia Nelson added 18 points and seven rebounds. The Ichabods held the Jennies' Nija Collier, who averages 22.8 ppg and 13.0 rpg, to just four points and four boards.