The Grifffons are on the have struggled this season going just 2-6 overall and 0-4 in MIAA play. They are currently on a four game losing streak which they are getting beaten by an average of 17.25 points per game. They are 0-2 on the road in MIAA play falling to Pittsburg State 82-57 and to Fort Hays State 70-48. The Lady Blues are currently the 21st ranked team in the nation and have won three of their last four games. They fell to the Truman State Bulldogs 68-66 last Saturday in Topeka. The Lady Blueas are 9-3 overall and 2-1 in MIAA action. They are 3-1 at home.
Jessica Koch is climbing the record books as she currently sits in seventh in MWSU history in scoring 1,351 points which is 399 points from tying the record set by Lisa Hughes with 1,750. Koch is 10 points from being in a tie for 6th with Toni Wood. Koch is 9th all-time in three pointers made with 115 which is three back of 8th. She is also 5th all-time in free throws attempted with 399 and 7th all-time in free throws made with 300 four back of 5th. Koch has scored in double figures in 18 straight games dating back to last season while scoring 20 or more points in eight of those games.
The Griffons are just 1-9 all-time under Plett against the Washburn Lady Blues. The Griffons defeated the Lady Blues for the first time under Plett last season by a score of 60-41 on Sunday, December 19. The Griffons have not had very good success in Lee Arena since Plett has come on board as they are 0-4 in Topeka. Western fell on February 2, 2008 by a score of 68-44 with Yanique Javois being the only Griffon to score in double figures dumping in 16 points. Western then fell 77-64 on January 31, 2009 behind 18 points from London Houchin. Koch, Luteyn and Tierra Ford dumped in 14, 13 and 11 respectively. Two seasons the Griffons fell 69-50 on December 28, 2009 when Koch dumped in 18 points and snared eight rebounds. Last season Western struggled once again giving up 17 threes falling 95-74. The Griffons played hard in the MIAA tournament but would fall 58-55 with
Jessica Koch leading the way with 17 points and 11 rebounds. The Griffons have fell by an average of 19.25 points per game in Lee Arena.
Griffon head coach Lynn Plett is 1-9 overall against the Lady Blues since coming to Missouri Western. He is 0-4 on the road, 1-3 in the fieldhouse and 0-2 on a neutral floor. Ron McHenry is currently 20-10 against the Griffons since being at WU. McHenry is 7-4 in Lee Arena, 7-4 in St. Joseph and 6-2 on a neutral floor against Western.
Washburn and Western have met 79 times on the hardwood since their inaugural meeting during the 1975-76 season, a 74-70 Lady Blues victory. Since then, the Lady Blues have held the upper edge on Western, as they hold a 44-33 record through the 35 years. The Griffons are 16-17 in the MWSU Fieldhouse against the Lady Blues. The Lady Blue hold an 8-7 lead on a neutral floor, but in games that have gone into overtime, Western is 2-1. The Lady Blues have won 11 of the last 12 meetings, which includes the nine of the last ten games they have played against the Griffons under the lead of Coach Plett. Washburn leads the series 20-11 in Topeka.
The Griffons have struggled at home this season going 0-3 overall and 0-2 in MIAA play. Last season the Griffons went 10-3 overall and 8-3 in MIAA contests. Western is getting outscored by 15 points per game (74.3-59.3) and out rebounded by one per game at home this season. They are dishing out 11 assists to their opponents 18.7 and committing 20.3 turnovers to their opponents 16.7. The Griffons are shooting 38.1-percent (64-138) from the field and just 29.8-percent (14-47). They are shooting the ball well making 83.7-percent (36-43) from the charity stripe.
Jessica Koch and
Brittany Griswold are scoring 20.0 and 11.3 points per game respectively. Koch also leads the team with 6.7 rebounds per game but just has five assists to her 15 turnovers in the three home games.
Western is 2-2 this season on the road this season with both their victories coming agianst non-conference opponents. They defeated Colorado School of Mines 65-57 on November 18 and Rockhurst University 57-50 on November 22. They have fell to Pittsburg State 82-57 and Fort Hays State 70-48. Western is getting outscored by eight per game and out rebounded by 8 per game. They are shooting just 31.3-percent from the field and 24.4-percent from long range.
Jessica Koch leads the charge averaging 24 points and six rebounds per game on the road. She has dished out 11 assists and come away with nine steals.
Western has also struggled opening up MIAA play. Western is 0-2 at home and 0-2 on the road. Western lost their MIAA season opener 82-57 in Pittsburg, Kan. before falling in their home opener 66-48 against Emporia State. Missouri Southern beat the Griffons for the second straight season at home 66-62 on December 7, 2011. Western fell in their last game against Fort Hays State 70-48 on December 10. The Griffons are getting outscored by 17.2 points per game and out rebounded by 7.5. Western is shooting just 30.7-percent from the field and 29.2-percent from long range. They do shoot free throws well making 48-of-64 of their shots. Koch is averaging 21.3 points per game while Griswold is pitching in 11.0.
The Lady Blues were picked as the team to beat in the MIAA's coaches and media preseason polls released during the MIAA Virtual Media Day. Washburn was a unanimous pick in the coaches poll and earned 12 of 16 first place votes in the media poll. The Lady Blues, second-place finishers last year with a 22-7 overall record and a 17-5 MIAA mark, were picked in front of Emporia State in both polls. Defending regular season and tournament champion Northwest Missouri was picked third in the media poll and tied for fifth in the coaches poll.
Washburn is 62-6 (.924) all-time in the month of December under head coach Ron McHenry with a 2-1 start to this December. The Lady Blues finished November 7-2, dropping just the second and third opening-month games under McHenry. Washburn had won 50 straight games in the month of November before dropping a game November 19 at Midwestern State and then again on November 22 at Drury. McHenry is 52-3 all-time coaching in the opening month of the season. Washburn's previous loss in November, and McHenry's only before the last two, was November 23, 2000 to Hillsdale by three points.
Ron McHenry began his 12th season with the Lady Blues in 2011-12 and he needs just one more win to reach 300 in his career, all at WU. After going 9-3 to start the season, McHenry has a 299-63 (.828) record.
McHenry has had at least 23 wins in every year but his first. He's reached the 30-win mark three times. After a 13-14 record in his first season, 2000-01, McHenry has brought the Lady Blues to the NCAA tournament 10 straight times.
McHenry entered the season second in NCAA Division II history with an .829 winning percentage (among coaches with at least 10 years) and second among active coaches in winning percentage (among coaches with at least five years). Thirty-six active DII coaches have reached the 300-win level and McHenry is looking to become the 37th.
McHenry, a national champion in 2004-05, has won 79 percent of his MIAA games with a 162-42 record. He is the Washburn career leader in winning percentage among the five coaches since the program started in 1969-70. He is second in career wins at WU behind Patty Dick with 431 from 1977-00.
If you can't make it to the game you can watch live stats at
www.sidearmstats.com/washburn/wbball/ index.htm. You can listen to the game at
http://www.gogriffons.com/webcast.asp and you can watch the game at
www.b2livetv.com/partner_members.asp?id=289 for a minimal cost.
