EMPORIA, Kan. – The Washburn women's basketball team rallied from a 17-point deficit in the third quarter and took its first lead of the game with 90 seconds left in regulation, but a late foul call helped set up the game-winning jump shot to give Emporia State the 79-77 victory in Saturday's regular season finale.
The Ichabods (13-15, 11-11 MIAA) now turn their attention to next week's MIAA Championship Tournament as the No. 9 seed. Washburn will take on the No. 8 seed Pittsburg State in the first round at noon on March 3 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
Emporia State (15-13, 10-12 MIAA) jumped out to a 14-1 lead in the first 4:34 of the game and held a 21-11 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
A 6-0 run by Washburn trimmed Emporia State's lead to 29-23 with 3:58 in the first half, but the Lady Hornets extended their lead with three triples and made a jump shot right before the buzzer to go up 44-31 at halftime.
Emporia State took its largest lead of the game at 52-35 with 7:06 on the clock in the third frame when Washburn started its comeback with an 11-0 burst. After the Lady Hornets stopped the run with a three-pointer, Washburn started another scoring tear with six unanswered points to make it a 55-52 game at the 3:06 mark. The teams traded baskets in the final two minutes and Emporia State led 63-57 heading to the fourth quarter.
Trailing 75-69 with 3:53 to go,
Abby Oliver made a layup to start an 8-0 run to give Washburn its first lead of the game at 77-75 with 1:30 remaining. Oliver scored six of the eight points during that run. ESU went 1-of-2 at the free throw line at the 38 second mark to put the score at 77-76 and on Washburn's ensuing possession, a jump ball was the official call and the arrow pointed in ESU's direction. A technical foul was issued to Washburn's head coach
Ron McHenry after the jump ball decision and the Lady Hornets' Tre'Zure Jobe went 1-for-2 at the charity stripe again to level the score at 77. ESU got its final possession started with 33 seconds remaining and Jobe hit the go-ahead jumper with three seconds left and Washburn's half court heave was off line as the buzzer sounded.
The Ichabods finished the game shooting just under 50 percent, making 29-of-59 from the floor, while the Lady Hornets had a 46.8 field goal percentage (29-of-62). Emporia State finished with the advantage from behind the arc, going 11-of-32, and Washburn made just 1-of-6. At the free throw line, the Ichabods successfully made 18 of their 23 attempts and the Lady Hornets went 10-for-12. WU outrebounded ESU, 37-27, and scored 22 points off 14 Lady Hornet turnovers.
Hunter Bentley played all 40 minutes and led the Ichabods with nine rebounds, 20 points, and three steals. Oliver also scored 20 points to set a new career-high.
Nuria Barrientos was 8-for-14 from the field for a season-best 18 points.
All seven Lady Hornets who played scored at least three points, led by Ehlaina Hartman's 21 points.
