SBU BEARCATS (6-16, 4-11 MIAA) at
#13 WASHBURN LADY BLUES (19-3, 13-3 MIAA)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2010 • 5:30 PM
TOPEKA, KS • LEE ARENA
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SBU NOTES | WASHBURN NOTES
   
TOPEKA, Kan. – The SBU Bearcats will make their final trip to the state of Kansas this season, as they take on the Washburn Lady Blues this weekend. The 'Cats are 1-2 in the Sunflower State, after falling to tenth-ranked Emporia State earlier this week. SBU sits three games out of the eighth and final seed to the MIAA Tournament with five games to go. Although behind in the standings, the Bearcats still have a say in whether they punch their ticket to Kansas City; SBU faces the next three teams above them in the final three games of the season.

Senior Rachel Graves has hit her stride during the final stretch of the conference season, averaging 25 points and shooting 10-for-13 from three over the last two road games, against Emporia and Pittsburg State, who are first and third respectively in the conference. After her 26 point performance against the Lady Hornets, Graves broke into the top 10 on the MIAA scoring list, averaging 13.5 a game. Graves is also among the league leaders in steals (1.5 per game, 10th in MIAA), three-point percentage (40.0%, 3rd-best) and threes made (2.7 a game, 4th in MIAA). Graves' 3.1 assists per game puts her eighth in the conference, and her low turnover totals gives her the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.6.
    
Point guard Ashleigh Gallio set a new career high with 28 points against Emporia earlier this week; Gallio was 10-for-14, including 8-for-11 from beyond the arc. Gallio has done a solid job running the SBU offense as well, recording at least three assists in 16 of the Bearcats 22 games so far. Averaging 3.7 assists per game, Gallio ranks fourth in the MIAA. Gallio has also seen a lot of action this year, averaging more minutes per game (32.7) than anyone else in the league.
   
Courtney Heady has positioned herself as the third member of the Bearcats sharp-shooting trio. Heady has hit 12 treys over her last three games, the most over any three game stretch in her career. The junior guard is averaging 11.3 points per game, 17th-best in the MIAA. Heady also ranks sixth in three-point percentage, shooting at a 36.9% clip.
 
THE COACHES AND THE ALL-TIME SERIES  
SBU head coach J.C. Carter is in his second season on the bench for the Bearcats, where he has earned a career mark of 14-36. Last season, Carter led the 'Cats to an upset of nationally-ranked Emporia State on their own floor, and earned a berth into the MIAA Tournament.   
    
Now in his tenth season as coach of the Lady Blues, Ron McHenry has seen his teams win five MIAA regular season titles as well as five MIAA Tournament championships. His school record of 260-52 makes him the winningest head coach in Division II since he began at Washburn at the start of the 2000-01 season. Washburn leads the all-time series over SBU, 28-11, and have taken the last three meetings.

SCOUTING THE LADY BLUES      
The Blues have won six straight after knocking off Central Missouri at home in overtime. Washburn has the highest ranked defense in the league, allowing only 54.3 points per game, and posting a 34.8% field goal percentage allowed. Their main offensive threat is senior forward Dayna Rodriguez, who is averaging 14.7 points a game, tied for seventh in the MIAA. Rodriguez is also third in the league in rebounding, pulling down 7.5 boards a game. Hope Gregory is another key component to the Lady Blues success, collecting 9.2 points and 7.3 rebounds each night.

NEXT UP FOR THE SBU BEARCATS 
SBU returns home next week for their next-to-last home game of the 2010 season, as they host the Fort Hays Tigers. Fort Hays is currently tied for fourth in the MIAA, although they have struggled as of late, dropping five of their last seven games as they prepare to host Central Missouri this weekend. Senior Naomi Bancroft is second in scoring in the MIAA, putting up 17.8 points per game. Bancroft also leads the league in three-pointers per game, hitting 3.5 a night. Erica Biel is the Tigers' leading rebounder, with 6.5 boards a game (10th in MIAA), as well as the second-best shot blocker in the league, averaging 1.9 blocks a game.