By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's women's basketball team will kick off a five-game homestand in a 5:30 p.m. Monday makeup game against Northwest Missouri at Lee Arena.
The Ichabods, 5-9 overall and 3-5 in the MIAA, will be looking to bounce back after losing both games on their road trip last week, falling at Missouri Southern, 69-50, and at Pittsburg State, 69-56.
Northwest Missouri has also lost its last two games, dropping home contests against No. 2 Fort Hays State and No. 16 Nebraska-Kearney.
Northwest Missouri has already played two games in Lee Arena this season as the Bearcats took part in the Washburn Thanksgiving Classic and defeated Winona State and Rockhurst.
The Ichabods and Bearcats played twice last season, with Washburn winning both games. Washburn leads the series, 59-11.
Senior Hunter Bentley leads Washburn's offense with a 12.6 scoring average and has 10 double-doubles in her career, with three coming against Northwest Missouri.
Wabaunsee product Abby Oliver had 16 points, six rebounds and four blocks at Pittsburg State and is averaging 7.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks on the season.
Macy Doebele averages 7.2 points and 4.3 rebounds and made all six of her free throw attempts at Pittsburg State to extend her streak to 23 straight free throws over the last six games.
Aubree Dewey is averaging a team-high 2.1 assists.
Bentley passed Joy Benton (1981-85) on Washburn's all-time scorers list on Thursday at Missouri Southern to move up to No. 8 and now has 1,377 points.
Bentley needs 91 more points to pass former teammate Reagan Phelan. Bentley is also third in most minutes played in a Washburn uniform. She has played 3,767 minutes of work on the hardwood and will pass Phelan for second-most in 36 more minutes of playing time.
The Bearcats (11-4, 6-3 MIAA) have already bested their record from a year ago when they went 7-15.
Mallory McConkey leads Northwest with an 11.3 scoring average and a 56.9 field goal percentage. She also adds 4.1 rebounds per game.
Molly Hartnett averages 10.9 points and leads the Bearcats with 2.4 assists per game.
Washburn will be back in action Saturday, hosting rival Emporia State at 1 p.m. in Lee Arena.