By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn women's basketball team led from start to finish in a 61-50 MIAA victory at Northeastern State Saturday afternoon.
The Ichabods (10-10, 8-6 MIAA) scored six unanswered points to start the game and held a 17-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Senior standout Hunter Bentley scored 10 points in the opening frame and made all four of her shot attempts.
Senior Hunter Bentley scored 24 points and became Washburn's career leader in minutes played in Saturday's 61-50 win over Northeastern State. [File photo/TSN]
The RiverHawks (4-17, 2-13 MIAA) pulled within two points on three occasions in the second quarter, but a jumper from Bentley midway through the period sparked a 10-2 run to push Washburn's lead to double figures. Northeastern State closed out the quarter making two free throws, but still trailed the Ichabods at the break, 32-24.
Washburn led by as many as 13 points in the third quarter before Northeastern State scored the final four points to trim the deficit to 43-34 heading to the fourth quarter.
The Ichabods opened the fourth quarter on another 10-2 spurt to go up 53-36 with 6:28 left in the game and held a double-digit advantage the rest of the way.
Washburn shot 50 percent from the field and made 7 of 15 from 3-point range while limiting Northeastern State to a 30.2 field goal percentage and 6 of 21 from deep. The Ichabods outrebounded the RiverHawks, 31-26.
Bentley made history for Washburn in the game as she passed Shelley Foster (1991-95) to become the program's all-time leader in minutes played with 3,982.
She finished the day making 10 of 14 from the field with four 3-pointers to lead the Ichabods with 24 points. Bentley also grabbed six rebounds and did not commit a turnover in 38 minutes of playing time.
Abby Oliver was 5 of 7 from the floor and dished out a team-best five assists. Mackenzie Gamble hit three treys to tally nine points and Macy Doebele added seven points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Maleeah Langstaff paced the RiverHawks with 16 points and seven rebounds.
The Ichabods will be back in action on Monday with a makeup game at Rogers State starting at 1:30 p.m. in Claremore, Okla.
WU MEN LET LATE LEAD SLIP AWAY IN LOSS
Washburn let a six-point lead slip away over the final 50 seconds to play as the Ichabods fell 72-71 loss to Northeastern State.
Washburn (13-8, 10-5 MIAA) turned the ball over with 50 seconds to play and then fouled as the RiverHawks hit both free throws cutting the lead to 68-64. Washburn was fouled on its next possession, but missed the front end of a one and one and Northeastern State (11-11, 6-10 MIAA) came down and hit a 3-pointer with 31 seconds to play trimming the lead to 68-67.
On Washburn's next possession, Levi Braun was sent to the line and hit two free throws with 27 seonds to go pushing Washburn's lead back to three at 70-67, but a foul on Washburn sent NSU's Dillon Bailey back to the line where he hit both attempts with 15 seconds left as Washburn led 70-69 with the ball.
The Ichabods were fouled again and went to the line and hit one of two attempts with 14 seconds to play and Bailey hit a driving lay up and was fouled and hit his seventh free throw in seven attempts to put the RiverHawks in front, 72-71.
After a Washburn timeout, the Ichabods in bounded the ball to halfcourt and then called another time setting up a final play, but the shot rimmed out as Washburn fell by one.
In the final 50 seconds, the RiverHawks outscored the Ichabods 10 to 3 and were two of two from the field, five of five from the free throw line while the Ichabods were three of five from the line.
Tyler Geiman led the Ichabods with 26 points, going 11 of 16 from the field and adding nine rebounds and five assists – all team highs. Jalen Lewis had 15 points and tied Shannon Kruger for the Ichabod career 3-point record with 242. Jonny Clausing had 13 points off the bench.
All five NSU starters reached double figures in the win for the RiverHawks.
Washburn will be back in action on Monday at 3:30 p.m. when the Ichabods face Rogers State in Claremore, Okla.
