TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn women's basketball team is set for the 2021-22 regular season finale on Saturday afternoon at Emporia State. Tip-off is slated for 1:30 p.m. in White Auditorium.
OPENING TIP
>> Washburn fell on senior night Thursday, 55-50, to Missouri Southern. The Ichabods now hold a record of 13-14 (11-10 MIAA).
>> The Lady Hornets (14-13, 9-12 MIAA) are coming off a 93-86 victory over Pittsburg State in Emporia on Wednesday evening.
>> Emporia State is 7-6 on its home court this season.
>> WU is 4-7 in road contests.
>> The Ichabods have won the last two matchups against the Lady Hornets after posting a 72-67 win on Jan. 22 of this year and winning the last regular season game of 2020-21, 74-64. Both of those games were in Lee Arena.
>> Washburn has faced Emporia State more times than any other team in its program history as this will be the 109th meeting.
>> The Lady Hornets lead the series, 59-49.
WASHBURN NOTES
>> The Ichabods average 59.6 ppg and have a 40.9 field goal percentage.
>> Hunter Bentley is No. 8 in the MIAA in scoring, averaging 14.3 ppg, and is seventh with a 43.9 field goal percentage.
>> She has led the team in scoring in 18 games this season and has made a team-best 48 three-pointers, recording at least one triple in each of the last 10 games.
>> Bentley also leads the team in assists (2.6 apg) and steals (1.2 spg).
>> Abby Oliver is second on the team in scoring with 8.8 ppg and has 4.6 rpg.
>> Oliver has scored seven or more points in the past eight games with five double-digit contests.
>> Macy Doebele has started 21 of the 26 games she's played and contributes 7.9 ppg to go with 5.0 rpg.
>> Shae Sanchez averages 6.8 ppg off the bench. She tallied five points, three rebounds, and a block against Missouri Southern.
>> Nuria Barrientos leads the team with 143 total rebounds this season for a 5.3 rpg average. She also adds 6.6 ppg.
>> Aubree Dewey made her third start of the season on Thursday evening and scored four points. She has played in all 27 games and averages 3.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg, and 1.6 apg.
>> Eight of the nine Ichabods who played on thursday scored at least two points.
>> Washburn has won three of its last four final games of the regular season, including last season's win over ESU.
>> The Ichabods are 7-4 when playing on Saturdays this season.
>> WU closed out its home schedule with a record of 8-7.
DEFENSIVE EFFORT
>> The Ichabods have held their opponents to 59 or fewer points in 14 games this season, including four games of allowing 49 or fewer points.
>> WU is fifth in the MIAA as its opponents average 60.4 ppg.
>> Teams also average a 38.2 field goal percentage against Washburn, ranking as the third-lowest in the conference.
>> Washburn is also second in the league in total blocks (96) and blocks per game (3.59 bpg).
>> Oliver is No. 6 in the MIAA with 1.1 bpg and Barrientos is No. 12 with 0.9 bpg.
MIAA PLAYOFF PICTURE
>> Next week (March 2-6) will be MIAA Tournament at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
>> The first day of games on March 2 will be the women's No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed at noon and the No. 7 seed vs. the No. 10 seed at 2:15 p.m.
>> 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 18-3 mark in conference play.
>> Washburn has already clinched a spot in the tournament and is currently eighth in the standings with an 11-10 record.
>> Pittsburg State is close behind at 10-11 and Emporia State is 10th at 9-12.
MILESTONE TRACKER
>> Bentley is 13 points away from an even 1,600 in her career.
>> Doebele is nearing 400 career points and needs 14 more.
>> Dewey will hit the century mark in 13 more assists.
WASHBURN'S LAST TIME OUT
TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn women's basketball team lost its final home game of the 2021-22 season on Thursday evening, falling 55-50 to Missouri Southern.
Washburn's six seniors of Nuria Barrientos, Hunter Bentley, Katie Glatczak, Mya Johnson, Irene Sanz, and Shae Sanchez were recognized for their contributions to the program at the conclusion of their final game in Lee Arena.
The game started with back-and-forth scoring until Missouri Southern (21-5, 18-3 MIAA) broke a 6-all tie with a 4-0 mini run and went on to lead 14-11 at the end of the first quarter.
The Lions scored the first five points of the second frame to push their lead to 19-11. Bentley drained a three-pointer with 6:36 on the clock to start a 6-0 run to get Washburn (13-14, 11-10 MIAA) within 19-17. At the break, the Ichabods still trailed by two at 24-22.
Abby Oliver and Barrientos hit back-to-back jumpers early in the third quarter to level the score at 26, but Missouri Southern responded with a 12-0 burst to go back in front. The Lions maintained their lead and took a 43-34 advantage into the final period.
The Ichabods turned in their best offensive quarter in the fourth as they shot 42 percent from the floor and outscored the Lions 16-12. Barrientos and Oliver teamed up again and hit back-to-back layups to trim Missouri Southern's lead to 53-50 with 16 seconds remaining, but a pair of free throws by the Lions with nine seconds put the game away for their 14th-straight victory.
Washburn finished the night shooting 31.7 percent from the field while Missouri Southern shot an even 34 percent. From three-point distance, the Ichabods were 3-of-17 and the Lions made 5-of-23. MSSU won the battle on the glass, 41-37.
Bentley played all 40 minutes and totaled 12 points and dished out a team-high three assists. Oliver also recorded 12 points and had five rebounds. Barrientos led WU with seven boards and four steals to go with six points.
Lacy Stokes paced the Lions with 25 points.
ABOUT THE EMPORIA STATE LADY HORNETS
>> The Lady Hornets are third in the MIAA in scoring, averaging 73.7 ppg. They also have the best free throw percentage in the league at 82.9 percent.
>> Tre'Zure Jobe leads the way for ESU as she averages 17.1 ppg (seventh in MIAA) while shooting 34.0 percent from three-point range (fourth in MIAA).
>> Jobe is also third in the conference in steals (2.2 spg) and seventh in assists (3.2 apg).
>> Ehlaina Hartman adds 13.0 ppg while shooting 42.6 percent from the field and grabbing 5.7 rpg in 22 games played.
>> Karsen Schultz rounds out the Lady Hornets who average double-figures as she sits at 10.3 ppg to go with a team-high 153 rebounds (5.7 rpg).
>> She is also second on the team behind Jobe in three-pointers made as she has made 50 this season.
HEAD COACH TOBY WYNN
>> Toby Wynn is in his fourth season with the Lady Hornets and has compiled a record of 64-23 while leading ESU to the NCAA Tournament all three seasons.
>> Before joining ESU, Wynn was the head coach at Seward Community College (Liberal, Kan.) for 13 seasons where he went 349-84.
>> Wynn played one season of basketball at Northwestern Oklahoma State before transferring to Oklahoma State where he earned his Bachelor's in Business Education
>> Wynn is 3-4 against the Ichabods.
SERIES WITH EMPORIA STATE
>> The Lady Hornets lead the all-time series, 59-49.
>> When playing at Emporia, Washburn is 18-28.
>> The last win the Ichabods had in White Auditorium was a 96-88 double-overtime triumph on Jan. 5, 2019.
>> Coach McHenry is 29-27 against ESU.
LAST MEETING WITH EMPORIA STATE
Washburn 72, Emporia State 67 -- Jan. 22, 2022
TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn women's basketball team captured a 72-67 triumph over Emporia State in Lee Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The first quarter was back and forth as there were four lead changes and four tie scores. Emporia State (9-8, 4-7 MIAA) knotted up the score at 15-all and then ended the first period on a 5-0 run to go in front, 20-17.
Abby Oliver scored the first three points of the second quarter to level the score at 20 and then after an ESU bucket, Washburn (7-9, 5-5 MIAA) hit back-to-back jumpers to retake the lead, 24-22. The Ichabods pushed their lead to six, 35-29, on a triple by Irene Sanz with just over a minute left in the first half. Emporia State scored the final three points of the quarter but Washburn remained in the lead, 35-32, at the break.
The Lady Hornets scored three unanswered points to start the second half to even the game at 35-35. Nuria Barrientos grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back up to give the Ichabods the lead again and Washburn stayed in front for rest of the quarter. Oliver tallied eight points in the frame and her final three points sent Washburn into the final stanza with a 57-48 advantage.
Washburn extended its lead to double-digits in the opening minute and kept it that way until Emporia State put together an 11-2 run starting at the 4:30 mark and trimmed WU's lead to 67-64 with 54 seconds left in regulation. On the ensuing possession, Hunter Bentley added some cushion to the lead converting on an old-fashioned three-point play. The Lady Hornets continued to fight back and drained a three-pointer with 22 seconds to go to get back within three. Needing to stop the clock, ESU fouled Bentley and she made both free throws to make it 72-67. The Lady Hornets missed their final two shot attempts and the Ichabods secured their second-consecutive home victory over ESU.
Washburn shot 47.5 percent from the floor while holding Emporia State to shooting 35.5 percent. The Lady Hornets made 7-of-30 three-pointers and the Ichabods were 3-of-13 from deep. The Ichabods dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Lady Hornets, 46-30.
Bentley led three Ichabods in double-figure scoring, making 6-of-10 shot attempts from the field and made all five of her free throws to finish with 18 points. Barrientos recorded her third double-double of the season and closed out the day with 15 points and a career-best 14 rebounds. Oliver chipped in 13 points to go with six rebounds and four assists.
Four from Emporia State scored double-digits led by Tre'Zure Jobe's 15 points.
WASHBURN COACHES
>> McHenry is in his 22nd season at Washburn and holds an overall record of 487-177 (294-127 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 970-459-1 (.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
>> The Ichabods turn their attention to the MIAA Tournament next week in Kansas City. Washburn has already clinched a berth in the tournament and will find out its seeding and opponent when the brackets are released on Saturday evening.
