MINOT, N.D. – Washburn women's basketball closed its season opening weekend trip north with an 88-78 win over Minot State on Saturday, Nov. 14 as four Ichabods scored in double-digits.
WU (2-0) built a 22-point lead midway through the third quarter but saw the Beavers (0-2) climb back to within one. The Ichabods never relinquished the lead from there, however, as WU shot 52.6 percent from the field, including a 12-for-27 effort from long range (44.4 percent).
Slow out of the gate, WU fell behind 9-3 in the opening three minutes before recovering to make it a two-point game, down 12-10, just past the midway point of the first quarter. Down five with just over a minute to go, a three-pointer from
Erika Lane with 32 seconds remaining closed the first quarter with the Ichabods down two, 19-17.
Washburn tied it, 19-all in the opening seconds of the second quarter before a layup from
Felisha Gibbs at 9:14 gave the Ichabods their first lead (21-20) since Lane's three-pointer at 9:31 in the first quarter. Minot State ran off five unanswered to regain the lead in the next minute, but Gibbs hit back-to-back jumpers near the six-minute mark to tie it, 27-27.
Erin Dohnalek hit her first three-pointer of the night at 4:55 to open a 10-0 run that lasted over two minutes and put WU in control, 37-29. All told, Washburn outscored the Beavers 18-5 over the final five minutes of the quarter to lead, 45-34, at half.
The fourth quarter opened with runs of four, five and six unanswered for Washburn, giving the Icahbods their largest lead of the night (22) at 4:25 after Lane hit another three-pointer to make it 60-38. It was Minot State's turn to go on a run from there, however, as the Beavers tore off nine unanswered to open a 22-7 burst that lasted into the fourth quarter and shrunk the lead to seven, 67-60. Dohnalek hit a layup at 7:11 to stop a 6-0 run, but Minot State continued to push and cut the lead to one (69-68) at 5:44.
The Ichabods recovered briefly with four straight of their own over the next 19 seconds, but things remained tight the rest of the way. Ahead by two (77-75) with 2:27 to play,
Julie Ravn hit a three-pointer to open what proved to be the final push, as WU built its lead back to double-digits inside a minute to go and hung on for the win.
Lane led the team with 25 points, as she and Ravn (15 points) each had five three-pointers on the night. Lane, Gibbs (12 points) and
Jayna Smith each had six rebounds, as
Erin Dohnalek led the team with five assists and scored 11 points as the fourth Ichabod to reach double-digits.
Smith and Ravn also had four assists as
Alyxis Bowens scored seven points, grabbed five rebounds and had two blocks.
The Ichabods return to Topeka, Kan., on Wednesday, Nov. 18 for its only home game in November. Washburn hosts Newman in a non-conference game that tips at 7 p.m.
