Games 22 & 23:
Newman (6-15, 3-13 MIAA) vs. Washburn (9-12, 5-10 MIAA)
Wednesday, February 8, 2023 | 5:30 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (Fugate Gymnasium)
Audio:  Newman Jets Audio Network (Play-by-Play:  Blake Cripps) | Video:  MIAA Network | Live Stats:  NU Athletics
 
@ Emporia State (12-11, 7-10 MIAA)
Saturday, February 11, 2023 | 1:30 p.m. | Emporia, Kan. (White Auditorium)
Audio:  Newman Jets Audio Network (Play-by-Play:  Blake Cripps) | Video:  MIAA Network | Live Stats:  ESU Athletics
 
PAY THE TOLL
The Jets welcome and visit opponents this week just up the Kansas Turnpike.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Jet offense struggled against the MIAA's top defense as Newman fell to the #12 Nebraska-Kearney Lopers 73-46 Saturday Feb. 4 at Fugate Gymnasium in Wichita.  Unlike Newman's previous game with Fort Hays State where the teams combined for over 30 points at the first media timeout, this game was controlled by the defenses early with both teams shooting under 30% from the field in the first quarter.  The Jet offense never warmed up while UNK hit 16 of 29 shots in the second half while scorching the net from outside hitting 7 of 13 three-pointers in the second half.  The Jets finished just 15-for-54 from the field shooting 27.8% for the game and going just 4-for-19 from the arc.  The Jets were competitive in the first and fourth quarters but were outscored 38-18 in the middle two frames.  Valeriya Lioukina led the Jets in scoring for the first time in her career with 12 points in a career high 24 minutes.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
Earlier in the week, Fort Hays State pulled away from the Jets late for an 84-77 victory in Wichita.
 
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Washburn starts the week in ninth place in the MIAA standings with three weeks to go.  Washburn finished 14-16 with an 11-11 MIAA record in 2021-22 in Ron McHenry's final season with the program.  McHenry retired last March after 22 seasons in Topeka with a 490-180 record and an incredible .731 winning percentage.  Last season's losing record was the first for the program since his first season taking over for another 400-game winner (Patty Dick) in 2000-01.  The program's last losing record in MIAA play was an 8-11 finish in 2014-15.  From 2001-2013, Washburn was one of, if not the most, elite programs in the MIAA with first or second place finishes each year in the conference standings.   WU seeks its 17^th NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2013 this season.
 
Washburn has lost 6 of 8 games after an overtime defeat at Northwest Missouri on Saturday.  WU treaded water last year with its second straight .500 season in MIAA play.  Washburn is 13^th in the league in scoring averaging 55.7 ppg in MIAA action but fourth defensively surrendering just 60.5 ppg in those games.  Washburn's leading scorer is Aubree Dewey at 10.5 ppg with Yiibari Nwidadah grabbing 5.8 rpg to lead the Big Blue.  Dewey is in the top ten in the league at 3.8 assists per game and a 1.4 assist to turnover ratio.
 
The Lady Hornets are in seventh place in the MIAA with five games left to play.  Emporia State's NCAA Tournament streak ended last year following a lackluster 15-14 season that saw the Lady Hornets finish 10-12 in MIAA play.  That snapped a 19-year streak of finishing with a winning record in conference play dating back to the fourth year of the Brandon Schneider era in 2001-02.  Following three straight trips to the Sweet 16 or better in the NCAA Tournament, that Lady Hornet team finished 16-12 with an 8-10 MIAA record.  Emporia State is the winningest program in the MIAA since 1999-2000 and entered the season with a record of 555-164 overall and an MIAA record of 329-111.  The Lady Hornets have made 26 straight trips to the MIAA Tournament and in that streak have made 22 semifinal appearances and have played for the tournament title 15 times.  ESU has won at least 20 games 22 times out of the last 26 seasons and came into the season as the eighth-winningest women's program in NCAA Division II history with 980 wins.  The Lady Hornets are seeking their 23^rd NCAA Tournament appearance which should be their 24^th, but ESU does not claim its 2020 NCAA bid as the Big Dance was cancelled by the NCAA due to the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic.  Not counting 2020, ESU has missed March Madness just four times (2002, 2011, 2018, 2022) since making their first-ever bid in 1997.
 
Following a 9-2 start, the Lady Hornets suffered an eight-game losing streak before picking up three-straight wins to end January and start February.  The Griffons of Missouri Western ended that streak on Saturday in St. Joseph.  ESU ranks eighth in offense at 64.8 ppg in conference while giving up a ninth-best 67.4 ppg against MIAA foes.  Wichita-native Tre'Zure Jobe leads the Lady Hornets and the league in scoring at 21.3 ppg while Ehlaina Hartman paces ESU in rebounding at 5.2 rpg.  Jobe is also tied for the league lead in steals averaging 3.0 spg.
 
THE SERIES
Washburn leads the all-time series 11-4 and has won three straight and 4 of 5 from the Jets.  The series is 6-3 Washburn in NU's DII era and Washburn leads 4-1 in MIAA play.
 
Emporia State leads the all-time series 21-4.  The Jets ended a four-game losing streak to the Lady Hornets in the teams' previous matchup.  ESU leads 10-4 in NU's NCAA Division II era.  All four of Newman's wins have come at Fugate Gymnasium.  The Jets are 2-5 against the Lady Hornets in MIAA play.
 
PREVIOUS MATCHUP
The Jets controlled the tempo for much of the game but a 13-0 third quarter run for Washburn proved too much as the Jets stumbled 47-30 January 26, 2022, at Lee Arena in Topeka.  The Jets employed a half-court strategy for the entire first half and succeeded at playing at their pace trailing 15-14 at the break.  The Jets continued to put the pressure on the Ichabods with the first four points of the second half, but the Jet defense finally wilted as Washburn outscored the Jets 32-12 to end the game.  The 30 points is tied for the fewest ever scored by a Newman team.  Laura Bello and Britney Ho led the Jets with six points.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
Newman held Emporia State to 30% shooting and overcame a 17-4 deficit at the end of the first quarter to knock off the Lady Hornets 52-49 December 31, 2022, at Fugate Gymnasium in Wichita.  Emporia State started quickly with an 8-0 run but then hit a five-minute scoring drought as the Jets clawed back within four with under two minutes to play in the quarter.  In a blink, ESU ripped off nine straight to end the frame and extended the run to a 15-2 sprint that lasted less than 3 minutes to take a commanding 23-6 lead.  That's when the Jet defense took control of the game sending E-State on a scoreless drought that spanned nearly seven minutes.  NU took advantage by outscoring the Lady Hornets 16-2 over the last eight minutes of the half to go into the break trailing 25-21.  After the Lady Hornets built their lead back to nine, the Jets cut it as close as two in the third before back-to-back ESU baskets made it 38-32 for the visitors heading to the fourth.  Emporia State struck first in the final frame on a Newman turnover to go up eight, but the Jets responded with an 8-0 run to tie the game.  After another ESU jumper, a Carissa Beck 3-pointer gave NU their first lead of the game.  Neither team was able to lead by more than two down the stretch until Lauren Dubbert nailed a heavily guarded 3-pointer with 25 seconds to play.  Emporia State missed two game-tying threes in the last 15 seconds as the Jet defense held on for the win.  Britney Ho led the Jets with 16 points.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
IT'S A TOP TEN HIT
Britney Ho has now moved into seventh all-time in career field goals made.  Last month Ho passed Abbey George and Faith Mason-Vestal and is now trailing Kaitlyn Potter's 298 field goals.  Potter's fabulous two-year run with the Jets spanned from 2018 to 2020.  Potter is the only player in program history to receive all-conference honors from two different leagues: a second-team nod from the Heartland Conference, and an Honorable Mention from the MIAA her senior year.
 
CAREER FIELD GOALS MADE
Rk.           Player                                      FGM        Games    Years      
1.             Bria DeGrate                           381          113          2015-19
2.             Hannah Alexander                  375          58            2016-18
3.             Alexandra Ciabbatoni             347          53            2012-14
4.             Tasha Cannon                          340          56            2010-12
5.             Mali Wright                             317          97            2013-17
6.             Kaitlyn Potter                          298          59            2018-20
7.             Britney Ho                              275          48            2021-23
8.             Faith Mason-Vestal                261          87            2018-22
9.             Abbey George                         254          95            2017-21
10.           Haley Albers                            242          103          2017-21
 
Ho is now ninth in Newman history in career field goals attempted after passing Faith Mason-Vestal and Brianna Caldwell in Newman's games last week.  She's one shy of tying Cierra Tjaden for eighth on that list.  She's also now in the top ten in season field goals made at 155 after passing Mali Wright's 146 in 29 games during her senior season in 2016-17.  Ho is three field goals shy of tying Kaitlyn Potter for seventh on the list.  Ho is now ninth in season field goals attempted at 325 passing Wright and Rhea Codio last week.  She's seven attempts away from tying Tasha Cannon for eighth on that list.
 
SHE'S TAKING OVER
Britney Ho's name is going to be all over Newman's record book when she is done.  Ho is 10 points away from tying Satoria Bell for 10^th on NU's all-time scoring list.  Ho's career scoring average currently ranks in Newman's top five, and she is 17 points away from catching Bria DeGrate for 10^th on the season scoring list.  Ho is currently on pace to join the top ten list for season scoring average as well.
 
SHE'S ALL THAT
Britney Ho isn't just a scorer, she's established herself as one of the league's strongest rebounders with an incredible January.  Ho averaged 8.4 rpg in the month and is now 8 rebounds away from tying for 10^th all-time on that list.  Celeste Key grabbed 284 boards in 56 games from 2010-12.  Ho is also 20 boards away from tying Erica Olerich for 10^th on the season rebounds list at 156.  Ho's current career and season rebound averages would also qualify her for both of those top ten categories as well.
 
CARISSA KNOWS IT ALL
Carissa Beck continues to move up Newman's career 3-point field goals list.  Beck most recently passed Braxtyn Stewart's 82 career threes to move to No. 8 on the all-time list.  Beck is now three threes shy of catching Hadley Freeman for seventh.  Freeman did her damage from the outside in the first years of NU's transition to NCAA Division II from 2007-10.
 
CAREER 3PT FIELD GOALS MADE
Rk.           Player                                      3PTM      Games    Years      
1.             Kaitlyn Potter                          196          59            2018-20
2.             Brianna Caldwell                     150          78            2012-16
3.             Bria DeGrate                           143          113          2015-19
4.             Haley Albers                            124          110          2017-21
5.             Rainey Nickel                          113          80            2007-10
5.             Cheniqwa Banks                     113          54            2012-14
7.             Hadley Freeman                     95            79            2007-10
8.             Carissa Beck                           92            49            2021-23
9.             Braxtyn Stewart                      82            106          2017-21
10.           Rhea Codio                              71            27            2010-11
 
Last month Beck also passed Rhea Codio for ninth on the career 3-point field goals attempted list.  She's now 27 attempts away from catching Stewart's 255 attempts from 2017-21.
 
SHHHHHHHHHHH
Don't tell anyone, but we are obliged to report that Carissa Beck has set the program record for consecutive free throws made at 31.  Beck passes Kaitlyn Potter's 22 consecutive free throws over a nine-game span in the 2019-20 season.  Beck's march to 31 has taken 20 games to accomplish.  Beck hasn't missed a shot from the charity line since going 6-for-8 against Oklahoma Christian in the second game of the season November 18, 2022.  Beck is 9-for-9 at the line over her last three games.
 
THE GLUE GIRL
Graduate Maddie Spagnola has been doing the little things for Newman in her one year with the program and may etch her name into NU's record book despite playing just one season in the Navy & Red.  Spagnola is eight assists away from joining Kianna Flannagan in 10^th in season assists with 68.  Spagnola needs just three steals to pull into a tie for ninth on that list.  Spagnola's current averages in both statistics would also qualify her for the top ten in those categories as well.
 
WHAT'S IN A NICKNAME?
Washburn University changed the nickname of its women's teams from Lady Blues to Ichabods at the start of the 2013-14 season.  After head coach Ron McHenry's first season coaching the Lady Blues, Washburn went an astonishing 342-71 and never finished worse than second in the MIAA standings over a 12-year stretch.  The Lady Blues made the NCAA Tournament every year during the run.  Since changing to the Ichabods name, Washburn entered the year a far more pedestrian 148-109 over the past ten seasons and has not made the Big Dance since their last season as the Lady Blues in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
 
TURNPIKE TUSSLE
Emporia State and Washburn are each other's primary rivals, and they call their rivalry the Turnpike Tussle.  Named for the toll road completed in 1956 connecting Kansas City, Topeka, Emporia, Wichita, and the Oklahoma border, the Turnpike Tussle is one of the MIAA's fiercest rivalries.
 
JOHNSON & JOHNSON
Newman began a new era in 2021 as the Jets welcomed Drew Johnson and Nicole Ohlde-Johnson to Wichita as the new leaders of Jets Women's Basketball.  The Johnsons are in their second season at Newman and enter 2022-23 with a 3-25 record at NU while posting a 1-21 mark in MIAA play.  The husband-and-wife team didn't have to travel far to Wichita, moving from just minutes up the road after spending four seasons at Bethel College where Drew was the head coach and Nicole was his associate head coach.  Drew Johnson compiled a 64-53 record in North Newton, while going 51-41 in Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference play.  Under their leadership, the Johnsons helped Bethel to its first ever 20-win season as the Threshers went 20-10 and hosted their first KCAC Tournament game inside Thresher Gym in 8 years.  In their final year at the helm, the Johnsons led the Threshers to a 16-10 season while going 16-6 in the KCAC, delivering the program's first ever NAIA National Tournament appearance.
 
The Johnsons bring with them a wealth of basketball experience both on and off the court.  Ohlde-Johnson, a Clay Center, Kan. native, played collegiately at Kansas State University where she was a two-time first-team All-American and departed as the school's all-time leading scorer, rebounder, and shot blocker.  Ohlde-Johnson was drafted in the first round of the 2004 WNBA draft and played seven years in the league and helped the Phoenix Mercury win the 2009 WNBA title.  After playing in Europe, Ohlde-Johnson founded the Nicole Ohlde Basketball Academy with Drew serving as a player trainer and coach for the club competing on the AAU circuit.
 
Prior to becoming the Bethel head coach, Drew Johnson previously served on the high school girls basketball coaching staff at Valley Center, Derby, and Clay Center High Schools in Kansas.  Johnson is a Wichita native and Friends University graduate.  Johnson was a two-year captain and four-year starter for the Falcons football program and earned All-KCAC honors as a punter.  As part of Ohlde Basketball Academy and Ohlde Elite, the Johnsons coached players that went on to play at all levels of basketball including the Big 12, Big East, Missouri Valley, MIAA, and KCAC.
 
The Johnsons are 0-2 against Washburn and 1-2 versus the Lady Hornets.
 
WORKING FOR WASHBURN & REIGNING OVER THE SWARM
Lora Westling is in her first year in the capital city coaching her alma mater.  In her nine-year career, Westling has gone 115-110 overall with an 93-86 mark inside conference games. Westling spent the previous six seasons at Western Colorado where she compiled a 77-78 record going 63-62 in the RMAC.  It was truly a rebuilding effort and Westling delivered the Mountaineers to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in 2020 and 2021, the first appearances in program history.  In her last four years she led Western Colorado to four-straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournaments, ending a seven-year postseason drought for the program.  She exited second in all-time wins in program history.  Westling's first head job was at NCAA DIII member Illinois College where she went 38-32 while leading the Lady Blues (yes, the same as Washburn's former nickname) to one Midwest Conference Tournament appearance.  She was previously the top assistant coach at Truman State and Missouri-St. Louis after serving as a graduate assistant for Washburn women's basketball and soccer.
 
Westling is one of the many great players in the storied history of Washburn women's basketball program.  As a player, she helped lead the Lady Blues to the 2005 NCAA Division II National Championship.  She ended her playing career in the top ten in program history in games played, career 3-pointers, and assists.  Westling also lettered one season in soccer at Washburn.  As a prep star, she led Natrona County High School in Wyoming to two state basketball titles and two state soccer championships.
 
 
She is coaching her first game against the Jets this week.
 
Toby Wynn is the seventh head coach in Emporia State women's basketball history and is in his fifth year in Emporia.  Wynn entered the year 79-37 at the helm for the Lady Hornets and his teams earned an NCAA Tournament bid to go along with at least 20 victories in each of his first three seasons.  Entering this season at ESU, Wynn's teams are 55-27 in MIAA play.  Wynn joined the swarm after a successful 13-year stint at Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kan.  There he led the Saints to a 349-84 record and began the year 428-121 overall in 17 total seasons.  The Saints posted five 25-win seasons to close out his time as a junior college coach.  Prior to becoming the head coach at Seward County, Wynn was an assistant there in 2004-05 under former Oklahoma State head coach and current Wichita State assistant coach Jim Littell.  Wynn joined the Saints after coaching girls basketball at Liberal High School in Kansas.  He previously coached boys and girls basketball at Balko High School in Oklahoma.  Wynn played collegiately at Northwestern Oklahoma State for one season before transferring to and graduating from Oklahoma State.
 
Wynn is 5-2 against the Jets.
 
SCOUTING THE SQUADRON
Newman finished 2021-22 with a 3-25 record while going 1-21 in MIAA play.  The Navy & Red return seven players from last year's team including top scorer Britney Ho, who averaged 10.4 ppg.  Ho also led the Jets in total rebounds averaging 5.1 rpg and was the team's best field goal shooter at 49%.  Senior Carissa Beck averaged 32 mpg last year while playing and starting in all 28 contests for the Jets.  Beck scored 6.5 ppg while leading Newman with 51 3-pointers and connecting on 36.7% of her shots from the outside.  Sophomore Lauryn Dubbert was third on the team in assists last year with 59.
 
Newman will carry three seniors on the roster this season while integrating four freshmen into the program.  The Jets welcome eight transfers to the roster in 2022-23 including four from the junior college level, three from NCAA Division II, and one from NCAA Division I.  The Jet lineup features two graduate students, four juniors, and six sophomores.
 
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS
Newman's new players arrived in Wichita from all over the country during the offseason and even around the world.  After boasting 15 Jets from just three different states a year ago, Newman women's basketball will have a much more diverse list of hometowns on this year's roster.  Five Jets are from the Sunflower State, three are from Texas with Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and South Dakota also represented.  For the first time in the Johnson era, the Jets have at least one international player on the roster with players from Latvia and Spain joining the squad for 2022-23.
 
BRINGING THEIR 'A' GAME

• Senior Britney Ho is fourth in the MIAA in scoring at 17.4 ppg.
• Ho is tied for 10^th in the league in rebounding with 6.6 rpg.
• Beck is seventh in the conference with 2.0 3-point field goals per game.
• Graduate Maddie Spagnola is tied for 10^th in the MIAA in assists averaging 3.3 apg.
• Spagnola is tenth in the MIAA in steals averaging 1.9 swipes per contest.

 
NU STATS N' STREAKS

• Britney Ho has scored in double digits three straight games and 19 out of her 21 games this season.
• Amaya Josey snared a career high nine rebounds against UNK last week.
• In MIAA action, NU is 12^th offensively scoring 55.8 ppg.
• The Jets rank 13^th defensively allowing 74.8 ppg against MIAA competition.
• The Jets are vying for their first winning season since 2018-19 when head coach Darin Spence led the Navy & Red to a 21-10 record while finishing second in the Heartland Conference.
• NU also seeks its first 10-win season since 2019-20 when NU finished 11-17 while going 6-13 in its first year in the MIAA.
• Newman looks to return to the postseason for the first time since 2019 when NU ended a six-game postseason losing streak with two wins in the Heartland Conference Tournament.  The Jets lost in the championship game to #25 Lubbock Christian.  The top-seeded Lady Chaparrals went on to win the 2019 NCAA Division II National Championship.
• The Jets have lost 11-straight games to ranked opponents.  Newman's last Top 25 win came against the #24 Lopers February 27, 2020, at Fugate Gymnasium in Wichita.  Newman is 1-4 all-time against Top 25 UNK teams.

 
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Newman celebrates Homecoming next week against Northeastern State before welcoming an old rival from the Heartland Conference in Rogers State on Saturday.
 
2022-23 MIAA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Week 1:  Lacy Stokes – Missouri Southern
Week 2:  Alayzha Knapp – Central Oklahoma
Week 3:  Connie Clarke – Missouri Western
Week 4:  Katie Wagner – Fort Hays State
Week 5:  Lacy Stokes (2) – Missouri Southern (2)
Week 6:  Brooke Littrell – Central Missouri
Week 7:  Brooke Littrell (2) – Central Missouri (2)
Week 8:  Brooke Littrell (3) – Central Missouri (3)
Week 9:  Brooke Littrell (4) – Central Missouri (4)
Week 10:  Brionna Budgetts – Missouri Western
Week 11:  Katie Wagner (2) – Fort Hays State (2)
Week 12:  Brionna Budgetts (2) – Missouri Western (2)
 
2022 MIAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLLS
Coaches
1.  Missouri Southern (6) – 159 Points
2.  Fort Hays State (3) – 151 Points
3.  Nebraska-Kearney (2) – 144 Points
4.  Missouri Western (3) – 139 Points
5.  Central Missouri – 127 Points
6.  Emporia State – 106 Points
7.  Northwest Missouri – 100 Points
8.  Pittsburg State – 85 Points
9.  Central Oklahoma – 74 Points
10.  Washburn – 62 Points
11.  Rogers State – 50 Points
12.  Northeastern State – 31 Points
13.  Newman – 28 Points
14.  Lincoln – 18 Points
 
Media
1.  Missouri Southern (13) – 249 Points
2.  Fort Hays State (4) – 234 Points
3.  Central Missouri (3) – 218 Points
4.  Nebraska-Kearney – 216 Points
5.  Missouri Western – 211 Points
6.  Northwest Missouri – 164 Points
7.  Emporia State – 145 Points
8.  Pittsburg State – 129 Points
9.  Central Oklahoma – 127 Points
10.  Washburn – 108 Points
11.  Rogers State – 74 Points
12.  Northeastern State – 57 Points
T13.  Newman – 31 Points
T13.  Lincoln – 31 Points