TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn women's basketball team wraps up its road trip in the Show Me State with an afternoon game at Northwest Missouri on Saturday.
GAME INFORMATION
Washburn (12-12, 10-8 MIAA) at Northwest Missouri (15-9, 10-8 MIAA)
Saturday, Feb. 19 | 1:30 p.m. | Maryville, Mo. | Bearcat Arena
Watch: MIAA Network
Radio: 106.9 FM
Live stats: wusports.com/sidearmstats/wbball
OPENING TIP
>> Washburn (12-12, 10-8 MIAA) is coming off a 67-44 loss at Missouri Western on Thursday evening.
>> The Bearcats hold a record of 15-9 (10-8 MIAA) and lost two road games last week at Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern.
>> The Ichabods defeated the Bearcats earlier this season, 58-52, in Lee Arena on Jan. 17.
>> The Bearcats hold a 9-3 record this season when playing on their home court.
>> Washburn is 4-6 on the road.
>> The Ichabods are 7-3 when playing on Saturdays this season and have won the last four in a row.
>> This will be the 71st all-time meeting between these programs.
>> Washburn leads the all-time series, 60-11, and has won 16 of the last 17 matchups.
WASHBURN NOTES
>> The Ichabods average an 59.8 ppg and have a 41.0 field goal percentage.
>> Hunter Bentley is on a six-game streak of scoring 10 or more points and is No. 10 in the MIAA in scoring, averaging 14.2 ppg.
>> Bentley has also made two or more three-pointers in each of the last seven games, including going 6-for-9 from deep at Rogers State on Feb. 7.
>> Abby Oliver made her third-consecutive start in Thursday's game at Missouri Western and is second on the team in scoring with 8.8 ppg to go with 4.5 rpg.
>> Oliver leads the team with 26 blocks and has made exactly one block in seven of the last eight games.
>> Macy Doebele adds 7.7 ppg and 5.2 rpg in 23 games played.
>> Nuria Barrientos leads the team with 123 total rebounds this season for a 5.1 rpg average. She also contributes 6.7 ppg and 1.0 bpg.
>> Off the bench, Shae Sanchez averages 6.9 ppg. She has scored in 21 of the 23 games she's played this season.
>> Mackenzie Gamble scores 4.7 ppg and Aubree Dewey adds 4.0 ppg.
>> Lauren Cassaday returned to the lineup on Thursday and scored four points. For the season, she averages 4.1 ppg and 3.4 rpg in 22 games played.
MIAA PLAYOFF PICTURE
>> Next week will be the final week of the regular season before the MIAA Tournament at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. March 2-6.
>> The top-10 teams in the final standings will compete in the tournament.
>> There's a tie for first in the standings as Fort Hays State and Missouri Southern both hold a 16-3 mark in conference play.
>> Washburn is currently eighth in the standings with a 10-8 record.
>> Pittsburg State is close behind at 10-9 and Emporia is 10th at 7-11.
MILESTONE TRACKER
>> Bentley needs 18 more points to pass Latisha Yarnell (1984-88) and move up to No. 6 on Washburn's career scorers list. Bentley currently has 1,541 points in her time as an Ichabod.
>> Gamble is nearing the century mark in career rebounds, needing two more boards to reach 100.
WASHBURN'S LAST TIME OUT
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Washburn women's basketball team fell, 67-44, at Missouri Western on Thursday evening.
Missouri Western (20-5, 14-5 MIAA) jumped out to a 6-2 advantage before Washburn had four unanswered points to level the score midway through the opening quarter. The Griffons scored on their next possession and held a 14-10 lead at the end of the frame.
The Griffons extended their advantage to double-digits and hit three triples in the second quarter while the Ichabods (12-12, 10-8 MIAA) were unable to find their rhythm offensively. Aubree Dewey scored the final points of the first half on the and-one free throw after being fouled on her made layup with four seconds remaining to cut Missouri Western's lead to 29-19 at the break.
Missouri Western pulled away in the third, outscoring Washburn 20-9, and went into the final quarter with a 49-28 advantage.
The Griffons maintained their double-figure lead for the rest of the game as they went on to claim the 67-44 victory.
Washburn was held to shooting a season-low 30 percent from the field while Missouri Western shot 41.4 percent. The Griffons made 6-of-21 from three-point range and the Ichabods hit just 2-of-9 from deep with Hunter Bentley making both. MWSU finished with the advantage on the glass and out rebounded WU, 48-32.
Bentley led the Ichabods with 16 points and tied for the team-lead in rebounds with six.
Connie Clarke paced the Griffons after making 8-of-12 from the field and totaling 20 points and grabbing 17 boards.
ABOUT THE NORTHWEST MISSOURI BEARCATS
>> The Bearcats (15-9, 10-8 MIAA) last played on Feb. 12 at Missouri Southern, falling 56-49.
>> NWMSU has only had 10 or more wins in three seasons since 2011-12. The most wins they gathered in a single season during the last decade was 15 in 2012-13.
>> Northwest Missouri is second in the MIAA holding opponents to a 55.7 ppg scoring average.
>> Mallory McConkey leads the offense with 11.5 ppg and shoots 53.8 percent from the field.
>> She scored a season-high 27 points against Emporia State on Feb. 8, making 10-of-11 shot attemps from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point distance.
>> Molly Hartnett also averages double-figures with 10.9 ppg leads the squad with 2.3 apg.
>> Kelsey Fields has a team-high 6.0 rpg and three-point specialist Peyton Kelderman leads the team with 46 made triples.
HEAD COACH AUSTIN MEYER
>> Austin Meyer (37-55) is in his fourth 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 1-6 against Washburn.
SERIES WITH NORTHWEST MISSOURI
>> Washburn and Northwest Missouri have met 71 times since 1981 and Washburn holds a 60-11 series advantage.
>> WU has won 16 of the last 17 meetings including the last five in a row.
>> When playing the Bearcats in Maryville, WU is 21-6.
>> Coach McHenry is 37-7 against NWMSU.
LAST MEETING WITH NORTHWEST MISSOURI
Washburn 58, Northwest Missouri 52 -- Jan. 17, 2022
TOPEKA, Kan. – A strong defensive effort propelled the Ichabods to a 58-52 victory against Northwest Missouri in Lee Arena on Monday evening.
Northwest Missouri (11-5, 6-4 MIAA) scored the first four points of the game before Washburn found its groove at the 7:22 mark with a layup from Hunter Bentley that sparked a 9-0 run. The Ichabod (6-9, 4-5 MIAA) defense locked in and forced five turnovers while holding the Bearcats to shooting just 30 percent in the frame and Washburn took a 13-8 advantage into the second quarter.
The Ichabods kicked off the second quarter with a 7-1 run to extend their lead to 20-9 with seven minutes on the clock. The Bearcats started an 11-2 rally midway through the period and pulled within 22-20 when Aubree Dewey hit back-to-back jump shots gave Washburn a 26-20 lead at the break.
Bentley scored the first points of the second half to make it 28-20 in favor of Washburn, but Northwest Missouri clawed its way back into the game and took the lead with 10 unanswered points. Abby Oliver knotted up the game at 30-all with 4:45 left in the third when back-and-forth scoring ensued and the Bearcats drained a three-pointer to even the score at 35. The Bearcats made two free throws in the final minute to take a 37-35 lead at the end of the third.
The Ichabods began the fourth quarter on a tear, scoring the first nine points to reclaim the lead at 44-37. Macy Doebele recorded five of those nine points. With Washburn leading 51-44 with 2:35 remaining, the Bearcats made one last push and got within one point at the 1:27 mark and then with 36 seconds left in regulation but that was as close as it would get as the Ichabods made 5-of-6 from the free throw line to close out the win.
Washburn finished the night shooting 43.8 percent from the floor while Northwest Missouri shot 32.7 percent. The Bearcats made 4-of-24 from deep and the Ichabods were 2-for-6 from three-point range. Both teams recorded exactly 34 rebounds.
Three Ichabods finished in double-figure scoring led by Bentley's 14 points. She also recorded a team-best four assists. Oliver made 6-of-9 from the floor and finished with 12 points. Doebele made all three of her shot attempts and went 4-for-5 at the free throw line to total 11 points. Shae Sanchez and Irene Sanz both grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
Peyton Kelderman and Kelsey Fields each scored 10 points to lead Northwest Missouri.
WASHBURN COACHES
>> McHenry is in his 22nd season at Washburn and holds an overall record of 486-175 (293-125 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.
>> Herber has filled in as the head coach for three total games this season and holds a record of 2-1.
>> 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 969-457-1 (.680) 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 play its two final home games next week starting with Northeastern State on Tuesday before senior night on Thursday against Missouri Southern.
