By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's women got their usual major production from senior Hunter Bentley and junior Nuria Barrientos Tuesday night, with Bentley scoring a game-high 21 points and Barrientos notching a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds in the Ichabods' 73-49 romp past Lincoln in an MIAA makeup game at Lee Arena.
Bur Tuesday was also a big night for freshman Lauren Cassaday, who certainly made her presence known in her first career start, notching career-highs of 11 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists as Washburn improved to 5-5.
Washburn freshman Lauren Cassaday scored 11 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in her first collegiate start, a 73-49 win over Lincoln. [Photograph by Alma Solis/Washburn Athletics]
"She can play, she's a battler,'' Washburn coach Ron McHenry said of Cassaday, who started in place of Abby Oliver (illness). "She's a 5-(foot)-10 post that just battles hard and she's getting better every day. She will compete and I'm never worried about her, coming off the bench or starting. I never worry about her because she can handle herself.''
And although Cassaday admitted to being a little nervous at the beginning of the game, the former Blue Valley North standout felt she handled herself pretty well.
"I was pretty nervous at first. I kind of had an idea though that I was going to start because Abby was out (Monday),'' Cassaday said. "I felt like I played pretty well. I just tried to go in there and do exactly what I usually do when I come off the bench.
"It didn't really feel that much different, honestly. Once I started getting the game going, it just was natural.''
The game was not only important for Cassaday, but for the entire Ichabod team, which bounced back from a 69-61 overtime loss to Pittsburg State on Saturday to win its third game in its last four starts.
"I told the girls, 'The best thing about today is you get to play basketball. Normally we'd have a day of practice and coach would still be grumpy about (Saturday), you'd still be mad about it, and you get to play basketball,' '' McHenry said. "So that was the mentality, 'Hey, you get to play today and you'll get that game out of your mind and just go play and try to clean up some things we've been struggling with and see if we can move on from there.'
"It was good, it was perfect timing.''
Lincoln, which fell to 0-10, led 1-0 on an Aliyah Bello free throw, but that was the Blue Tigers' last lead of the night while Washburn went on to lead by 30 points (64-34) with 6:33 left in the game.
The Ichabods, who led 32-20 at the half, used 14 players in the game, with 11 cracking the scoring column.
Former city standouts Chloe Carter (Seaman) and Alie Fulks (Shawnee Heights) saw their first varsity action for the Ichabods as freshmen, checking into the game with 3:46 remaining. Carter scored her first college points on a field goal and also grabbed 4 rebounds and was credited with an assist.
Lincoln was led by AJ Bradley with 9 points and Vivian Chigbu with 8.
Washburn will travel to Emporia State Saturday for a doubleheader at White Auditorium. The women's game is slated for a 1:30 p.m. start, followed by the men's game.
WASHBURN WOMEN 73, LINCOLN 49
Lincoln 8 12 9 20 — 49
Washburn 14 18 20 21 — 73
LINCOLN (0-10, 0-10)
Bello 0-2 1-2 1, Ingram 2-7 0-1 4, Jordan 2-9 0-0 4, Bradley 2-11 5-7 9, Jackson 3-9 1-1 7, Holloway 1-3 2-2 4, Chigbu 3-5 2-2 8, Lewis 2-6 3-4 7, Cadore 2-7 0-0 5. Totals 17-59 14-19 49.
WASHBURN (5-5, 5-5)
Bentley 7-15 3-3 21, Barrientos 5-8 3-4 13, Doebele 1-3 0-0 2, Gamble 0-6 0-0 0, Cassaday 5-7 1-1 11, Willey 3-6 2-2 8, Glatczak 0-0 0-0 0, Johnson 1-4 0-0 2, Rhodes 1-0 2-2 2, Tanking 1-3 0-0 2, Narber 2-5 1-2 7, Stevens 1-2 0-0 3, Fulks 0-0 0-0 0, Carter 1-2 0-1 2. Totals 27-62 12-15 73.
3-point goals — Lincoln 1-10 (Cadore 1-4, Ingram 0-5, Jackson 0-1), Washburn 7-26 (Bentley 4-9, Narber 2-4, Stevens 1-2, Gamble 0-5, Willey 0-2, Tanking 0-2, Doebele 0-1, Johnson 0-1). Rebounds — Lincoln 34 (Chigbu 6, Lewis 6), Washburn 46 (Barrientos 12). Assists — Lincoln 5 (Holloway 2), Washburn 20 (Cassaday 4). Turnovers — Lincoln 19, Washburn 18. Total fouls — Lincoln 20, Washburn 18. Fouled out — Rhodes. Technical fouls — none.
