EDMOND, Okla. – A run-and-gun game from the start, Washburn Women's Basketball climbed back from a double-digit halftime deficit to within two late in the game before falling, 61-51, at Central Oklahoma on Saturday, Jan. 9.
 
Washburn saw its four-game winning streak snapped while moving to 10-5 on the year and 6-3 in the MIAA.

WU was slow out of the game, trailing 13-4 in the opening five minutes before locking down defensively and allowing just two more points before the end of the quarter to trail, 15-8 at the break.  The Ichabods cut the lead to four (17-13) near the midway point of the second after a free throw from Alyxis Bowens, but couldn't slow a relentless Broncho offense and trailed, 27-15, at half.  All told, UCO scored 10 unanswered while holding WU scoreless for over five minutes before a second chance jumper from Jayna Smith inside 30 seconds to play stopped the run.
 
Washburn got looks in the first half but couldn't get the shots to fall, hitting just 17.6 percent (6-of-34) from the field and 12.5 percent (1-of-8) on three-point field goals. Defensively, except for the late run in the second, WU played well against the Bronchos and held UCO to a 28.7 percent effort from the field in the half.  Felisha Gibbs had eight rebounds and five points at the break to lead the Ichabods.
 
Washburn came out inspired in the third to cut the lead to three (32-29) in the first four minutes of play thanks to a 12-3 run that included two three-pointers from Julie Ravn.  At the media (4:43), WU trailed by five, 36-31, and stayed close to Bronchos to head to the fourth down six, 41-35.  Washburn outscored UCO, 20-14, in the third frame to trim the deficit.
 
The Ichabods again rallied to open the fourth, forcing a UCO timeout with 8:36 to go after a 5-0 run that included an old-fashioned three-point play from Gibbs and a 10-foot jumper from Erin Dohnalek, making it a two-point game (42-40).  UCO grew the lead back to six (46-40) soon after but the Ichabods continued to push, trailing by just three at the media with 4:55 to play. 
 
Down two (51-49) after a layup from Jayna Smith with 4:28 to go, Washburn looked to be closing fast before a quick burst of five straight for UCO took the wind out of the Ichabods' sails, ending the comeback threat.
 
Gibbs put together her second double-double in three games and finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, leading the team in points while tying with Smith (12 rebounds) for the lead in rebounds. 
 
Ravn closed the day with 11 points behind a 3-of-8 effort on three-pointers, while Bowens just missed double-digits to finish with nine points.  Dohnalek was scoreless in the first half before heating up from the field to finish with seven points and seven rebounds.
 
As a team, the Ichabods shot 48.1 percent from the field in the second half to finish 19-of-61 (31.1 percent) for the game while closing the day 4-of-18 from beyond the arc.  Trailing in the rebounding battle (30-25) at half, the Ichabods crashed the boards over the final 20 minutes to reverse the advantage and win on the glass, 45-40.
 
Washburn heads back to Topeka for two games next week, taking on Missouri Western on Wednesday, Jan. 13 and Northwest Missouri State on Saturday, Jan. 16.