TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn women's basketball team will play the first of its three final regular season games this week on Tuesday at Northwest Missouri. Tip-off in Bearcat Arena is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
 

OPENING TIP
>> The Ichabods (9-10) and Bearcats (7-12) squared off on Saturday in Lee Arena with WU coming away with a 41-38 win.
>> The Bearcats are 4-4 in home games while the Ichabods are 3-6 in road contests this season.
>> Tuesday's game will be the 70th all-time meeting between these programs since 1981. Washburn holds a 58-11 series lead.
>> Washburn is currently seventh in the MIAA standings and Northwest Missouri is right behind in eighth.

WASHBURN NOTES
>> Washburn shoots 39.1 percent from the field while averaging 59.8 ppg and allowing 57.9 ppg.
>> Hunter Bentley leads the Washburn offense and is fourth in the MIAA with 16.7 ppg. She has scored double-figures in all but two games this season and has had seven 20+ point games.]
>> She is also second in the conference in free throw percentage at 89.7 percent.
>> Nuria Barrientos averages 10.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg (No. 5 in MIAA), 2.6 apg, 1.3 bpg (No. 8 in MIAA), and 1.8 spg (No. 6 in MIAA).
>> Macy Doebele scores 5.4 ppg and grabs 3.8 rpg.
>> Aubree Dewey (6.5 ppg) and Mackenzie Gamble (6.1 ppg) round out the Washburn starting five.
>> Dewey tallied nine points, five rebounds, and four assists against the Bearcats on Saturday.
>> Lauren Cassaday adds 4.8 ppg and 3.9 rpg as the first person off the bench.

BODS AND ENDS
>> The third time's the charm as Tuesday's game in Maryville has been rescheduled twice. It was originally scheduled for Jan. 7, but was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols by the Bearcats. The first reschedule date of Feb. 16 was postponed as a result of Northwest Missouri campus closed due to frigid temperatures.
>> The Ichabods have out-rebounded or finished with the same amount as their opponents in 14 of the 19 games played this season.
>> Washburn has held seven opponents to 49 or fewer points this season. The Ichabods are 6-1 in those games.
>> Barrientos has scored an even 200 points so far this season.
>> WU is 1-2 in Tuesday makeup games this season.
>> The Ichabods outscored the Bearcats 28-16 in the second half.

ABOUT THE NORTHWEST MISSOURI BEARCATS
>> The Bearcats average 55.3 ppg and allow 59.7 ppg.
>> Molly Hartnett leads the offense with 14.1 ppg. She scored eight against the Ichabods on Saturday.
>> Hartnett also averages a team-best 2.8 apg.
>> Three-point specialist Jaelyn Haggard adds 10.2 ppg and averages 2.6 triples per game, the third-most in the conference. She was 3-for-6 from deep against the Ichabods and finished as the Bearcats' leading scorer.
>> Mallory McConkey leads the team with 5.8 rpg and contributes 7.3 ppg. She had eight points and eight boards in Saturday's contest.

HEAD COACH AUSTIN MEYER
>> Austin Meyer is in his third season leading the Northwest Missouri women's basketball team after being a full-time staff member of the Bearcats' men's team from 2008-18.
>> Meyer became the Northwest Missouri men's associate head coach in 2015. During his tenure, he helped the Bearcats to 215 victories, 10 total MIAA titles and one NCAA National Championship.
>> As a student-athlete, Meyer was a four-year letterwinner at Northwest Missouri and held the then-program career record with 215 made three-pointers.
>> Meyer is a native of the best hometown in America, beautiful Blue Springs, Mo.
>> He is 1-4 against Washburn as a head coach.

SERIES WITH NORTHWEST MISSOURI
>> Washburn and Northwest Missouri have met 69 times since 1981 and Washburn holds a 58-11 series advantage.
>> WU has won 14 of the last 15 meetings.
>> When playing in Maryville, Washburn is 20-6 and has won the last six road games there.
>> Coach McHenry is 35-7 against NWMSU.

LAST TIME AGAINST NORTHWEST MISSOURI (Feb. 20, 2021)
TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn women's basketball team was held to just 13 points in the first half, but stormed back to outscore Northwest Missouri 28-16 in the second half and come away with a 41-38 victory. The Ichabods are now 9-10 overall while the Bearcats fall to 7-12 on the season.

Hunter Bentley scored the first bucket of the game at the 6:55 mark, but that would be the only lead Washburn held in the first half. A jumper from Aubree Dewey closed out the first quarter made it a 9-7 game in favor of Northwest Missouri. The Bearcats finished the opening half on a 9-2 run to go into the break in front, 22-13.

The Ichabods came out firing in the third quarter and rattled off 11-straight points to take a 24-22 lead. The Bearcats scored their first basket of the period with 5:54 on the clock and evened the score at 24, 26, and then 28 to end the third quarter.

After Cassaday made a layup to begin the fourth quarter, Northwest Missouri answered with a pair of free throws to tie up the score again. Bentley converted on an old-fashioned three point play that started a 5-0 mini run to make it 35-30 for Washburn. The Bearcats wouldn't go away and got within one, 39-38, with 26 seconds left, but the Ichabods made 2-of-4 from the free throw line to hold on for the 41-38 decision.

After a sluggish first half, Washburn finished the day with a 37.5 field goal percentage and held Northwest Missouri to 28.3 percent. The Ichabods and Bearcats both made three triples in the contest, but Northwest Missouri had 10 more attempts than Washburn, making 3-of-24. WU edged out NWMSU in rebounds, 34-28.

Bentley finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Aubree Dewey made 4-of-6 from the floor and tallied nine points and five boards. Nuria Barrientos pulled down 11 rebounds. 

Jaelyn Haggard led the Bearcats with nine points, all coming from three-point range. Molly Hartnett added eight points and eight rebounds. 

2020-21 MIAA POSTSEASON PICTURE
>> The top-eight teams in the final MIAA standings will take part in the conference tournament.
>> The tournament will take place on campus sites this season with the top-four teams hosting the quarterfinal games and the top remaining seed will host the semifinal games and the championship.
>> Central Missouri, Fort Hays State, Nebraska-Kearney, Emporia State, Central Oklahoma, and Pittsburg State have already punched their ticket for postseason play.
>> After defeating UCM on Saturday, FHSU now has sole possession of first place.
>> Washburn is currently in seventh with a two game lead on Northwest Missouri.

WASHBURN COACHES
>> McHenry is in his 21st season at Washburn and holds an overall record of 473-162 (281-116 MIAA).
>> His .745 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 954-444-1 (.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
>> The Ichabods will play their final road contest of the regular season on Thursday at Missouri Southern.