By KYLE MANTHE
The Washburn Review
After holding Newman to just 30 points on Wednesday, Washburn women’s basketball gave up 93 to the University of Central Oklahoma on Saturday but was able to come out on top for a fourth straight win.
“Every time we play Central Oklahoma we score,'' Washburn coach Ron McHenry said. "I’m not saying they don’t guard, but they allow do some things that we are comfortable with.
“We just never shut down, we just kept banging.”
The 98-93 win at Lee Arena was the most points that the Ichabods have scored this season, topping the previous high of 79.
“I think we feel really good, and are feeling really confident how each other are playing, getting the ball to each other, feeding whoever is going that night and really just going back to defense,” Ichabod sophomore Macy Doebele said.
Washburn sophomore Macy Doebele (left), scored 18 points, including the basket to send the game to overtime, in the Ichabods' 98-93 MIAA win over Central Oklahoma Saturday. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
A fourth straight win moved Washburn to 9-9 on the season and 7-5 in conference play.
After a slow offensive game Wednesday, Washburn’s offense looked completely different early on, scoring 23 in the first quarter, including hitting four of five shots from deep.
Seniors Hunter Bentley and Shae Sanchez led the charge, combining for 15 points in the quarter, matching the total of the Bronchos.
“In the first quarter if they have a hard time getting good shots off, so we can start and set the tone like that, it’s hard for them to get into their offense and then it helps us because it makes it a little easier for us to get transition buckets,” Bentley said.
Strong rebounding and quick passing from the Ichabods extended the lead to as many as 15 points in the second quarter after a jumper by freshman Mackenzie Gamble.
Central Oklahoma began to press Washburn fullcourt, forcing nine turnovers in the second quarter and allowing the Bronchos to pull as close as one before the Ichabods made it a 39-37 game at the break.
Both teams offenses came out hot in the third quarter, first Washburn beginning with an 8-2 run followed by a 9-2 run from the Bronchos to pull within one before taking the lead at the 5:09 mark of the third.
“When UCO wants to run up and down they don’t necessarily want to guard. So we knew that if we could score with them, our defense would be good enough to keep them to a number where we could win,” Bentley said.
The lead traded hands several times in the final five minutes before the quarter ended with the score tied at 62.
The Ichabod offense continued to be efficient at the start of the fourth, balancing inside drives with 3-pointers from Bentley and Gamble to create a four-point cushion with just over five minutes left.
Central Oklahoma responded with a quick five points on two possessions to retake the lead which held into the final two minutes.
“It was up and down … I thought our kids in that game could have shut down, we kept on getting some big leads and then they would come running right back at us,” McHenry said.
After being held scoreless in the first half Doebele took over for Washburn. Doebele took two drives to the basket, scoring one and getting fouled on the next, knocking down two free throws with just over a minute left to go in front 82-81.
“I knew obviously I had been sitting on the bench that I at least had to bring energy, I wasn’t thinking really, 'Oh my goodness I need to score.' I was like, 'I just need to play my defensive role and get the team going and have energy,' ” Doebele said.
The next basket came from the Bronchos at the 19-second mark and was a 3-pointer by junior Brooke Rayner. Doebele responded right away with another drive and trip to the free throw line where she knocked down two more to tie the game with 12 seconds left.
With just over four seconds left the Bronchos ran a baseline out of timeout play to get Rayner open for a jumper that she knocked down to take the lead with three seconds left.
The Ichabods called a timeout and it was Doebele who took the inbound pass, driving to the basket and laying it up with .2 seconds left to force overtime.
“We were imagining they were going to be in man so when they weren’t I still just went and popped out to the ball to be open because I obviously took the defender away and I just saw the girl come out, and (took a) baseline drive I was like there's a few seconds left I have to get to the basket,” Doebele said.
In overtime the teams stayed just as close, with neither side creating more than two points of separation the first three minutes. Following a basket by Sanchez she followed it up with a steal which resulted in a putback layup by freshman guard Aubree Dewey to put Washburn up, 94-90.
A steal by Bentley led to Dewey being sent to the foul stripe where she knocked down one of two shots with 40 seconds left. The next trip down Rayner got into the paint and converted an old-fashioned 3-point play to make it a two-point game.
Central Oklahoma was forced to foul, sending Doebele to the free throw line where she knocked down two more charities, creating a four-point lead which held on the other end as the Ichabods were able to escape with the five-point win.
“It feels good, you want to be better than that (.500) but the way we started was not very good” McHenry said. “You are kind of trying to win every game that you can, it’s not easy in this league but I am proud of the girls.”
Senior Hunter Bentley had 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds in Washburn's 98-93 MIAA overtime win over Central Oklahoma Saturday at Lee Arena. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Bentley paced the Ichabods with 20 points to go along with seven assists and six rebounds, both team-highs. Doebele scored 18, all coming after halftime, including a 10 of 12 performance at the free throw line. Sanchez finished with 14 points as three others would join them in double figures.
Next up for Washburn is a home matchup with Missouri Western Tuesday to finish out WU's homestand.
WASHBURN WOMEN 98, CENTRAL OKLAHOMA 93 (OT)
Central Oklahoma 15 22 25 24 7 -- 93
Washburn 23 16 23 24 12 -- 98
Central Oklahoma (12-9, 8-7)
Scoring: Knapp 5-15 2-2 12, Johnson 9-13 5-6 23, Allen 5-8 0-0 13, Rayner 6-10 4-4 18, Llanusa 1-2 3-6 5, Young 1-5 0-0 2, Littell 2-7 0-0 5, Reece 3-6 0-0 7, Dement 2-6 2-2 6, Donica 1-1 0-0 2, Wadsworth 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 35-73 16-20 93.
Washburn (9-9,7-5)
Scoring: Cassaday 2-4 0-0 4, Gamble 4-5 0-0 11, Bentley 5-10 7-8 20, Barrientos 3-5 3-5 10, Doebele 4-7 10-12 18, Sanchez 5-9 2-2 14, Oliver 3-7 5-5 11, Dewey 2-7 2-4 6, Sanz 0-0 0-0 0 Chapman 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 30-57 29-35 98.
3-point shots – Central Oklahoma: 7-18 (Allen 3-5, Rayner 2-4, Llanusa 0-1, Young 0-1, Littell 1-3, Reece 1-3, Dement 0-1). Washburn 9-16 (Gamble 3-4, Bentley 3-6, Barrientos 1-1, Sanchez 2-4, Dewey 1-1). Rebounds – Central Oklahoma 33 (Johnson 14), Washburn 35 (Bentley 8). Assists – Central Oklahoma 20 (Johnson 7), Washburn 17 (Bentley 7). Turnovers – Central Oklahoma 16, Washburn 19. Fouled out – Young. Technical fouls – None.
