SBU BEARCATS (3-9, 1-4 MIAA) vs. #8 WASHBURN LADY BLUES (12-0, 6-0 MIAA)

TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2010 • 5:30 PM
BOLIVAR, MO • MEYER SPORTS CENTER
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SBU NOTES | WU NOTES

BOLIVAR, Mo. -- The SBU Bearcats look to get back on the winning track Tuesday, as they host the eighth-ranked Washburn Lady Blues. Washburn is the last opponent in a stretch of four games over eight days. The Bearcats suffered a controversial loss at Missouri Southern, then picked up their first MIAA win at Truman before dropping a home match to #9 Emporia State on Saturday. After one of the nation's toughest non-conference schedules earlier in the season, SBU has been putting the pieces together, and have gone 2-2 in their last four.
  
Senior guard/forward Rachel Graves leads the Bearcats in scoring with 13.5 points per game (tied for 10th in MIAA, with Wasbhurn's leading scorer, Dayna Rodriguez), and is also among the MIAA leaders in treys made with 2.9 (tied-2nd), three-point percentage (41.7%-3rd), and minutes played with 31.1 per game (5th). Junior point guard Ashleigh Gallio is tied for third in the MIAA in assists (4.0) and third in minutes played (31.8). Courtney Heady's 10.4 points puts her 20th in the MIAA, and her 2.7 threes per game are 4th and 39.5% three-point field goal percentage is 5th. Mia Gilreath and Jasmine Sanford are SBU's top rebounders with 3.6 boards per game, while Gallio is right behind them with 3.5 rebounds per game.

THE COACHES AND THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Bearcat head coach J.C. Carter leads SBU and is in his second season on the bench. Last year, he led SBU to an upset of nationally-ranked Emporia State at Emporia as well as a berth in the MIAA postseason tournament. As a college head coach, Carter now has a career mark of 11-29. Lady Blues head coach Ron McHenry has continued to see success in his tenth season in Topeka, where he has won more games at the Division II level than any other coach since taking over at Washburn. McHenry has earned a 253-49 record over his career, all with the Lady Blues, and has reached three Elight Eights, as well as winning the 2005 NCAA Championship. Washburn owns an 27-11 record against the Bearcats, although SBU upset the Lady Blues in Bolivar in the 2007-08 season. In last year's meeting in Bolivar, Washburn won a Valentine's Day shootout, 99-93.

SCOUTING THE LADY BLUES
Washburn has started off a strong 12-0, including an early 6-0 mark in the MIAA, where their closest calls were a pair of 10-point wins against Fort Hays and Central Missouri. Washburn is the top defensive team in the MIAA, allowing 53.8 points per game, and is the second highest scoring team (75.6). The Lady Blues are also the MIAA's top shooting team (45.3%) as well as three-point shooting team (39.5%). The Lady Blues are led by senior forward Dayna Rodriguez (13.5 ppg, 10th in MIAA; 6.2 rpg, 11th), and guards Hope Gregory (7.2 rpg, 4th) and Stevi Schultz (47.2% from trey land, 2nd in MIAA).

NEXT UP FOR THE SBU BEARCATS
The Bearcats don't get any breaks from the schedule when they travel out to Fort Hays State on Saturday. The Lady Tigers have won five of their last six, and are 11-2 overall this season after winning Monday at Central Missouri. Fort Hays is averaging over 70 points a game offensively, good for 3rd in the MIAA, while only allowing 55.7 points, the second-best defense in the league. Senior guard Naomi Bancroft leads the MIAA with 18.4 points per game, while forward Erica Biel cleans the glass with 6.5 boards a game (8th in MIAA).