TOPEKA, Kan. -- The 2022-23 season will officially begin for the Ichabods and first-year head coach Lora Westling this weekend as they host the Washburn Crossover Classic on Nov. 11-12.

OPENING TIP

• Washburn will commence the new year against Southwestern Oklahoma State on Friday at 6 p.m. before wrapping up the opening weekend against Oklahoma Baptist at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
• Washburn began last season against the Lady Bulldogs and the Bison in Weatherford, Okla.
• WU fell to then-ranked No. 16 SWOSU, 70-54, before defeating OBU in overtime, 62-50.
• The Ichabods' 2021-22 season came to an end in the second round of the MIAA Tournament, finishing with an overall record of 14-16.
• The Lady Bulldogs went 29-5 (20-2 GAC) last season and return nine of their players from last year, including two starters.
• The Bison finished the 2021-22 season with a .500 record at 14-14 and welcome back six players from last year.
• Washburn returns nine from last year's team, four of whom started more than 50% of games in 2021-22.
• The Ichabods fell in their lone exhibition game, losing at No. 22 Nebraska on Oct. 30.

GAME INFORMATION
Friday, Nov. 11 - 6 p.m. | Saturday, Nov. 12 - 3 p.m.
Lee Arena - Topeka, Kan.

• Tickets can be purchased online.
• In addition to Washburn's games, Pittsburg State will play Oklahoma Baptist on Friday at 4 p.m. and then Southwestern Oklahoma on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Lee Arena.
• For fans not able to make the trip to Topeka, live stats will be available and every game will be live streamed on TheMIAAnetwork.com, where a single game or season package can be purchased.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

• The 2022-23 season marks the 39th season of play in Lee Arena as the facility opened in the 1983-84 season.
• Washburn is 439-115 all-time in Lee Arena.
• The Ichabods went 8-7 at home last season.

LET'S GET IT STARTED

• Washburn is 40-13 all-time in season openers and 40-11 in home openers.
• The Ichabods' most recent season-opening victory was the first game of the 2017-18 campaign when WU defeated Minnesota State-Mankato, 78-65, on Nov. 10 in a neutral site game in Kansas City, Mo.

WASHBURN BY THE NUMBERS

• As a team last year, the Ichabods averaged 60.0 points per game and shot 41.0 percent from the floor and 29.8 percent from three-point range.
• WU also grabbed 37.5 rpg.
• The Ichabods' highest scoring quarter came in the fourth as they totaled 501 points in the frame across 30 games.
• Six of Washburn's losses last year were decided by five or fewer points with half of those being by two or fewer points.
• Washburn went 2-1 in overtime games.
• On Jan. 29, 2022 against Central Oklahoma, the Ichabods added a line in the program's record book and tied for the 13th-most points scored in a single game in the 98-93 overtime victory.
• Washburn hit at least one three-pointer in every game last season and has a three in 46-consecutive games going back to Jan. 16, 2021.
• The 14 player roster is Washburn's smallest roster since the 2015-16 season when there was also 14.

WELCOME BACK, RETURNERS

• Senior Abby Oliver looks to build on her sucessful year last season as she is the top-returner in scoring (9.0 ppg), assists (1.8 apg), blocks (1.0 bpg), and minutes (26.9 mpg) ... she earned All-MIAA Honorable Mention and started 17 of the 30 games. Oliver turned in 14 double-figure scoring games, including a career-high 20 points at Emporia State (Feb. 26).
• Macy Doebele started 23 of the 29 games she played and avaeraged 7.9 ppg while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor to go and returns as the top-rebounder at 5.0 rpg. She finished the year 71-of-91 from the free throw line (78.0%).
• In the post, Lauren Cassaday had the highest shooting percentage of any Ichabod last year as she made 48-of-103 attempts for a 46.6 percentage. She played in 28 games making 21 starts and averaged 4.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg, and 20.6 mpg.
• Last season, shooting guard Mackenzie Gamble made 22 starts in 26 games of action and contributed 4.5 ppg and 1.9 rpg. She was tied for the second-most three-pointers made with 29.
• Aubrey Dewey played in all 30 games in the 2021-22 season with four starts. The point guard chipped in 3.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, and 1.6 apg, to go with 15 steals.
• In her first year as an Ichabod after transferring from K-State, Emma Chapman made 22 appearances and tallied 27 points and 18 boards.
• Austin Broadie, Lakyn Schieferecke, and Jaden Newfarmer also return after seeing limited action last year.
• Broadie will officially join and practice with the team at the conclusion of the volleyball season as she is currently a middle hitter for Washburn volleyball.

HELLO, NEWCOMERS

• Five freshmen join the team for this year: Gabi Artis (Shawnee, Kan.), Amaya Davison (Des Moines, Iowa), Natalia Figueroa (Madrid, Spain), Yiibari Nwidadah (Olathe, Kan.), and Lizzy Sanders (Suffolk, England).
• Artis, a 5-10 guard, helped the Bishop Miege Mustangs to three state titles (they did not have a chance to win the championship in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). She was an all-league and all-state selection all four years and named the Kansas 4A Player of the Year as a senior.
• A 5-7 guard, Davison improved on her stat numbers all four years she played at Theodore Roosevelt HS. As a senior, she helped the team to a undefeated conference season and hit the game-winning shot to send the team to the state tournament
• Figueroa is a 5-11 guard who averaged 20.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg this past spring for her club team. She was chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the 2022 three-point contest of the College Cup All-Star game.
• A 6-2 center, Nwidadah was an all-state honorable mention as a junior after averaging 11.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, and 2.1 bpg.
• Checking in as a 6-1 forward, Sanders played for the County Upper club team in England and as a junior, she averaged 23.3 ppg.
• This season marks the first season before 2006-07 that Washburn has not had a newcomer in the form of a transfer student-athlete.

HUNTER BENTLEY HISTORY

• Among the seven letterwinners lost from last year, one major contributor was Hunter Bentley, the team leader in scoring, assists, steals, and minutes,
• She closed out her five-year career with the Ichabods with her name etched over Washburn's record book. She played every game since her freshman year and is currently first in games played (144) and in minutes (4.356), fourth in steals (201), fifth in three-pointers made (175), fifth in rebounds (757), sixth in scoring (1,645 points), and seventh in field goals made (573).

END OF AN ERA - COACH MCHENRY RETIREMENT

• Five days after the season ended in the MIAA Tournament, former Washburn women's basketball Head Coach Ron McHenry announced his retirement after leading the program for 22 years.
• He was the winningest head coach in program history with a 490-180 record. McHenry led the Washburn Lady Blues to an NCAA Division II National Championship title in 2005, the first NCAA national championship for Washburn athletics in any sport.
• He won eight MIAA regular season titles and seven MIAA tournament championships during his tenure. He was also a four-time MIAA Coach of the Year and a two-time region Coach of the Year.

A NEW ERA - HEAD COACH LORA WESTLING

• Former Washburn women's basketball student-athlete Lora Westling has returned to her alma mater and will begin her first season as head coach in 2022-23.
• Westling returns to her alma mater after six seasons at Western Colorado, where she compiled a record of 77-78 and led the team to back-to-back NCAA Tournament selections – the first two in program history.
• Her overall victories is second on the Western all-time list and her 63 RMAC wins is tied for second in program history.
• Prior to Western Colorado, Westling spent three seasons as the head coach at the Division III program, Illinois College.
• Before accepting the head job at Illinois College, Westling was the top assistant at Truman State from 2010-13.
• Westling's first full-time position came at University of Missouri-St. Louis where she was the top assistant from 2007-10.
• She got her start in coaching at Washburn, where she served as a graduate assistant for the women's basketball and women's soccer teams.
• Westling was a standout member of Washburn's women's basketball team from 2001-05 and helped the Lady Blues to the school's first NCAA Division II national championship in 2005.
• She is currently sixth in games played (132), sixth in career three-pointers made (144), 10th in assists (299), and 14th in three-point field goal percentage (.363).
• She also played one season of soccer for the Lady Blues.

WASHBURN ASSISTANT COACHES

• Coach Westling brought in a new coaching staff for her first season and chose J'nae Squires-Horton and Will Marchino as her assistants.
• Squires-Horton served as a graduate assistant at the University of Colorado Springs-Colorado.
• As a student-athlete, Squires-Horton was a three-year member of the MSU Denver basketball team and earned all-RMAC second team honors twice.
• Following her graduation at MSU Denver with a degree in Journalism, Squires-Horton played one season in Latvia with the Latvian Basketball League's SBK Liepaja/LSSS.
• Marchino spend the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at Seward County Community College where he oversaw recruiting and scouting.
• Prior to his time in Liberal, Kansas, Marchino was an assistant coach for Grand View University.
• Before making the jump to the college ranks, Marchino was the varsity girls basketball head coach at Iowa Christian Academy.
• Marchino is a 2008 graduate from the University of Iowa where he received his degree in Health and Sports Studies.

WASHBURN'S LAST TIME OUT
Nebraska 70, Washburn 27 (Oct. 30, 2022)
LINCOLN, Neb. -- The Washburn women's basketball team played its lone exhibition game of the preseason on Sunday and faced a tough opponent in No. 22-ranked Nebraska as the Ichabods fell by the score of 70-27.

The Ichabod offense got off to a slow start and didn't score their first points until Aubree Dewey made a layup at the 4:16 mark in the first quarter. With 11 seconds remaining, Dewey was fouled and hit both of her free throws to trim the deficit to 17-6.

In the second quarter, the Huskers held a 21-11 lead with 7:22 on the clock when they used an 18-0 scoring run over a nearly six minute stretch to push the lead to 39-11. That run was ended when Lakyn Schieferecke was fouled on a shot attempt and then she promptly hit a pair of free throws. The Huskers drained a three-pointer just before the buzzer to head into the break with a 42-13 advantage.

Coming out of halftime, Washburn kept the third quarter much closer as Nebraska held a slight 14-10 scoring advantage in the frame. Gabi Artis and Macy Doebele contributed four points each in the third.

The Huskers put together another 14-point quarter in the fourth and outscored WU, 14-4. Mackenzie Gamble was responsible for three of those Washburn points.

Washburn was limited to just 8-of-45 shooting from the field while Nebraska made 27-of-65 from the floor. The Ichabods attempted and made more free throws than the Huskers, sinking 10-of-15 at the charity stripe compared to Nebraska's 8-of-14. Nebraska outrebounded Washburn, 49-33.

Dewey led the Ichabods with eight points and was a perfect 4-for-4 at the free throw line. Artis tallied seven points and hit Washburn's lone three-pointer and also grabbed four rebounds. Lauren Cassaday recorded a team-best five rebounds in the game.

Alexis Markowski, the Big 10 Freshman of the Year from last season, led all players with 18 points and 10 rebounds..

ABOUT THE SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA LADY BULLDOGS

• The Southwestern Oklahoma Bulldogs, who have earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five seasons, went 29-5 (20-2 GAC) last year before their run came to an end in the Central Region quarterfinals to Missouri Western.
• Last season, SWOSU averaged 82.1 ppg and had a collective 43.0 field goal percentage and held opponents to 66.5 ppg.
• The Lady Bulldogs were picked fifth in the GAC preseason poll after losing reigning D2CCA National Player of the Year Makyra Tramble and Lauren Ramey to the division I transfer portal, while also graduating five-year starter Bethany Franks.
• Nine players from last year's roster will be joined by five new additions to the team in 2022-23.
• Friday will be SWOSU first action of the fall as it did not play an exhibition game.
• The Gore twins will be the top-returners in every cateogry.
• Macy Gore started all 33 games she played and averaged 11.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.2 apg, and 1.8 spg. She also shot 37.1 percent from behind the arc, connecting on 59-of-159 attempts.
• Karly Gore finished the year close behind, also making 33 starts and playing in all 34 games and averaging 10.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, and 0.5 bpg.
• Morgan Smith also contributed off the bench, playing in all 34 games with one start. She chipped in 8.0 ppg and had a 41.3 field goal percentage and shot 38.3 from three-point range.

HEAD COACH JEFF ZINN

• Jeff Zinn will begin his first season as a head coach at the collegiate level after having spent last year as an assistant coach at Oral Roberts and the 28 years prior as a high school head coach.
• Zinn spent 10 years at Anadarko High School from 2011-2021 and finished his last three seasons with a record of 76-7 with state championship titles in 2019 and 2012.
• During his time at Anadarko, he earned many accolades for himself including NFHSA State Coach of the Year (2021), NFHSA National Sectional Coach of the Year (2020), Daily Oklahoma Coach of the Year (2019), and OGBCA State Coach of the Year (2012, 2019).
• Prior to coaching at Anadarko, Zinn coached at Newkirk High School.
• Zinn began his head coaching career at Blanchard High School where he was named Canadian Valley Coach of the Year in 1998 and 2001.
• Zinn's high school head coaching record amounts to 563-247.

SERIES WITH SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA

• After a loss to the Lady Bulldogs last year, the all-time series is now tied at 3-3.
• The only other time Washburn has hosted Southwestern Oklahoma was on Dec. 14, 2002, where WU posted a 69-59 win.
• Washburn's last win against Southwestern Oklahoma was on Nov. 17, 2006 in a neutral site matchup ... WU won handily, 81-40.

LAST TIME AGAINST SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA

• Southwestern Oklahoma 70, Washburn 54 (Nov. 12, 2021)
• The Ichabods outscored the Lady Bulldogs, 26-16, in the final quarter, but it was not enough as SWOSU came out on top, 70-54.
• Doebele and Gamble scored eight points apiece.
• On the boards, Cassaday and Oliver grabbed five rebounds.
• K. Gore was SWOSU's top-scorer with 19 points as she finished the day 7-for-12 from the field and 3-of-4 from deep. She also tied for the team-high in rebounds with eight.

ABOUT THE OKLAHOMA BAPTIST BISON

• The Bison went .500 last year with a 10-12 mark in their GAC schedule, missing the conference tournament by one game.
• Last year, OBU average 67.8 ppg and shot 40.4 from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point distance.
• Heading into this new season, Oklahoma Baptist was voted eighth in the GAC Coaches Preseason Poll.
• Oklahoma Baptist lost its exhibition game against Mid-America Christian, 58-41, on Nov. 7.
• This year's squad has a young look to it with 11 underclassmen out of the 15 total players.
• The team lost its four top-scorers from last year, but return Jill Leslie who turned in an impressive freshman campaign in 2021-22.
• Leslie played in all 28 games and made 12 starts last year and averaged 5.4 ppg and rpg while shooting 48.5 percent from the field.
• Kennedy Large, a sophomore, also returns after contributing 4.3 ppg and 2.8 rpg.

HEAD COACH BO OVERTON

• Although Bo Overton is in his third year leading the Bison, he is no stranger to coaching as he has experience at all levels including the Chinese National Team, the WNBA, the University of Oklahoma, Louisiana Tech University, Oral Roberts University, and Murray State College.
• Twice he was named the NAIA Coach of the Year and the SAC Coach of the Year.
• He has gone 18-31 in two seasons at OBU.

SERIES WITH OKLAHOMA BAPTIST

• Saturday's matchup will be the third time in four seasons WU has played OBU in the season opening weekend.
• Washburn leads the series, 2-0.
• This will be the first time these two teams have not faced each other at a neutral site.

LAST TIME AGAINST OKLAHOMA BAPTIST
Washburn 62, Oklahoma Baptist 50 (OT)

• The Ichabods outscored the Bison 14-2 in overtime to capture their first win of the 2021-22 season.
• Washburn led 12-2 at the end of the opening quarter, but Oklahoma Baptist outscored the Ichabods in the next three quarters and hit the game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer to send it to overtime.
• Gamble went 5-of-10 from three-point range and finished with 17 points.
• Oliver played played 40 minutes and grabbed 13 rebounds to go with her nine points, three steals, and two blocks.
• For OBU, Large scored four points and had six rebounds.

WASHBURN HISTORY

• Washburn women's basketball is 971-461-1 (.680) all-time and will commence the 54th 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

• The Ichabods will remain at home for the next three games and host another tournament next weekend, Nov. 18-19. Washburn will take on Southern Nazarene on Friday evening and close out the week against Rockhurst on Saturday at 3 p.m.