By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The good news is that Washburn University's women's basketball team will play again, and all WU coach Ron McHenry and the Ichabod players can do is be ready for that day after a frustrating string of three straight postponed games.
The Ichabods have not been in action since a loss to Central Missouri on Dec. 17 and have had games against Lincoln, Northeastern State and most recently Thursday's game at Northwest Missouri postponed due to COVID-19 protocols involving WU's opponents.
"It's been really frustrating,'' Washburn senior standout Hunter Bentley said during Wednesday's Ichabod practice. "A couple of times we've had our bags packed and ready to go and then the night before we hear the game's been postponed, so it's been really frustrating but you just have to keep being flexible.''
Washburn senior Hunter Bentley (23) and her Ichabod teammates are hoping to return to action Saturday after three straight postponed games. [Photograph by Rex Wolf]
Although she'd much rather be playing games, Bentley said she's happy the Ichabods are at least able to be in the gym together.
"We would rather at least be able to come in the gym and practice together than not be able to play at all,'' Bentley said. "We're just trying to keep a positive mindset. Honestly, you only have so many years to play, so just taking advantage of as many times as we can to get in this gym is just what we're really trying to do.
"I think it's definitely made us really close, just spending a lot of time together here. We don't have anywhere else to go really, so being able to hang out wiith each other a lot and really get to know each other and be a closeknit team has really been a big advantage.''
All signs point to Washburn, 2-4 on the season, being able to play Saturday's 5:30 p.m. game at Missouri Western, but McHenry agreed that it's been a frustrating stretch for his team,
"It is, because we had that long break and we're thinking, 'OK, we'll get back here and play,' '' McHenry said. "We were really in good shape to play, we've worked hard to get there. I think it hurts the kids because they want to play.
"At least this (postponement) here you're only talking two days versus another week off.''
After a long holiday break, Washburn returned to practice on Dec. 28 and McHenry and his staff are trying to make the best of the extended practice time.
"It's a long off, there's no about about it,'' McHenry said. "It's almost like preseason, but it's given us time to go through our stuff. We have a lot of stuff in and now we just go back and re-enforce it again.
"We've got a big group. Even though we've had some injuries we're still carrying 16 players and all of them are pretty capable players, so we can go 5 on 5 on 5 and you just have to convince your players that they have to treat this like a game. They have to compete every day.''
After WU does return to action the Ichabods are likely to play several games over a short period of time.
"We've got a bunch coming,'' McHenry said. "We'll have Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday games if everything goes well. It's just part of the process and it's a different process for me, it's a different process for the players, but they just want to play.''
